Name: Rob Furlong

Title: Senior Pastor

Organisation: Woodvale Baptist Church

Rob has been a pastor for over 40 years and loves teaching the Word of God and encouraging people to live out their faith in dependence on God. He has been married to the beautiful Karen for almost 44 years, and they have 4 grown children and 17 grandchildren. He is a huge fan of the Perth Scorchers and enjoys reading, watching good movies and cooking up something new in the kitchen.

Thank you to the 2,000 leaders who’ve generously done the 7 Questions on Leadership!

We’ve gone through the interviews and asked the best of the best to come back and answer 7 MORE Questions on Leadership.

I hope Rob's answers will encourage you in your leadership journey. Enjoy!

Cheers,

Jonno White

1. As a leader, how do you build trust with employees, customers and other stakeholders?

The most important thing here is that I seek to be as open and honest as I can about myself, who I am, my struggles and my successes. I want people to understand that I am just a person - like them - and I am trying to follow Jesus, with His strength enabling me. I know authenticity is a buzz word these days, but I have tried to live like this throughout my years in ministry. This has intensified over the past 18 years since experiencing a burnout. Burnout highlighted for me in a fresh way my need to be dependent on God and that He works best through my weakness. I find when you are honest with people, it builds trust, and they share things with you that they might not have had the courage to do before. A few months back a good friend said to me - I do not share this in a boastful way - "Rob, you are one of us." It was deeply encouraging and humbling at the same time.

2. What do 'VISION' and 'MISSION' mean to you? And what does it actually look like to use them in real-world business?

For me, "vision" is rooted in the Word of God. Proverbs 29:18 says, "Where there is no vision (literally "revelation"), the people perish." Leaders often get excited about this and quote it enthusiastically to bolster their latest dream of expansion for God's Kingdom or His church. But look at what the rest of the verse says: "But happy is he who keeps the law." Quite clearly the verse is telling us that vision is grounded in the Word of God. Vision for me then, is opening up the Word of God to people, encouraging them to live it out in their daily lives and providing them with practical steps to achieve this. Mission naturally flows out of this. What I mean by that is that we begin to share our faith in thoughtful, caring ways, show people that we really do love them, inside and outside of the church. When churches love God and love people well, they attract people. As Francis Schaeffer said, "When the church is just a little of what it should be, people will come." Mission for me then, is to help people to love God and people well, as Jesus told us in Matthew 22:34-40.

3. How can a leader empower the people they're leading?

1. Encourage them to grow into the person God desires and designed them to be. 2. Help them discover their passion and gifts. 3. Give them opportunity to serve in their area/s of passion and gifting. 4. Give them authority to act/set them free to do ministry. Don't micro-manage them. 5. Be available to provide support, advice, and encouragement when they need it. 6. Invest in them by providing access to training that will grow and enhance their natural talents, passions, and gifts. 7. Provide honest, loving feedback. 8. Genuinely desire the best for them and work toward that goal with them.

4. Who are some of the coaches or mentors in your life who have had a positive influence on your leadership? Can you please tell a meaningful story about one of them?

My lecturers at Theological College. Ted Gibson especially inspired me with his love of God's Word, his deep theological insight, and above all, his loving relationship with Jesus. Wes Caddy, my senior pastor in Cairns - I was his associate. He was a great encourager of me and very open with me. John Tanner who was Associate General Superintendent (Pastoral) for the Baptists of Queensland. John gave me some great advice after being at a deacons' meeting I was chairing in Cairns. An idea I had put forward was resoundingly shot down, especially by one of the deacons who was a great supporter of me. After the meeting, seeing my confusion, John asked me if I understood what had happened "in there tonight." I replied I did not but would certainly like to know. He then asked me an unexpected question - "What kind of thinker are you? Are you reflective - do you like time to think things through rather than have them dropped on you?" "I am definitely a reflective thinker" I replied. "Well, so is.... (he named my deacon friend). Next time you have an idea, run it by him a few days before and give him time to respond to it." I followed John's advice, and it brought about incredible results. I would run an idea by my deacon friend a few days before a meeting and without fail, from that moment on, he would always swing behind me in support. It was transformative in my leadership because it taught me the value of seeking out people who just needed the time to think things through. People with the ability to weigh up the merits of an idea, see its value and then follow through with it.

5. Leadership is often more about what you DON'T do. How do you maintain focus in your role?

I have found planning out my week a good way to maintain focus. Additionally, planning out three months in advance is also very helpful for me. In my three month plan I list out the "have tos" I am facing in that season, the usual day to day/week to week responsibilities, along with personal goals/expectations for my own growth mentally, spiritually, emotionally and physically. Having a plan/goals helps me enormously to stay on track with the important things.

6. If you fail to plan, you plan to fail. Everyone plans differently. How do you plan for the week, month and years ahead in your role?

"My answer here follows on from the previous question. Below is the plan I use that helps shape me over a three-month period which easily translates into a weekly plan. The three-month plan I use is based in one suggested by Peter Scazzero, who wrote Emotionally Healthy Spirituality. Three-Month Plan What are the challenging “have to’s” in the next 3 months of your work life? A. Major events: B. Planning: C. Ongoing commitments: What rhythms do you need to develop/maintain in your spiritual life? A. Receiving/giving the love of God: B. Giving/receiving the love of people: C. Work rhythms: As you can see, this is a template and is easy to fill complete. It's fairly simple but I like it that way as it keeps it free from being unnecessarily complicated."

7. What advice would you give to a young leader who is struggling to delegate effectively?

Remember that the organisation does not all revolve around you and is not dependent totally on you. If you think it all depends on you, then something is wrong. You are in important part of the organisation, but you are not the whole organisation. More things will be achieved when you free others up to do what they do best. The best teams I have been a part of are those where these principles are understood and practiced. And the best people I have worked with are those who know their limitations, are not trying to compete against others, are humble and teachable, are encouraged to contribute their ideas and are not lazy. These principles also apply to the leader of the organisation. And remember, when you delegate you also delegate the right for them to make their own decisions within their sphere of authority. Nothing kills teamwork more than a leader who constantly micro-manages his staff or continually overrides their decisions. Backing and supporting your staff is vital. If they make a wrong decision, then deal with that with them personally and privately and work toward a solution together. The number one word a young leader should remember when delegating to others is respect: "I trust this person with this authority, and I respect them as a person and their right to make decisions, and yes, from time to time, to fail. And if and when that happens, I respect them as a person created in the image of God and will discuss it with them graciously and truthfully."