Continued from My worst project - Lesson 1: Picking the wrong leaders

Because I delegated setup to Henry, I put myself at the mercy of his "no problem" approach. But the mosquitoes, bad plumbing, and oppressive heat were a problem.

Not telling the youth groups going on the project about the trials they would be facing put my credibility as a leader in jeopardy right off the bat.

Like it or not, the expectations of followers can make it impossible (or easy) for their leader to lead. If people come expecting to be able to sleep at night and then find that hammocks and heat make sleeping difficult, their attitude is likely to suffer.

Understanding this relationship between expectations and attitude, a good leader will work hard at lowering expectations, practicing the mantra, " under promise, over deliver." Along those lines, here are four practical suggestions:

1. Do the setup yourself: You, the project leader, understand what is important to participants. If the participants on your project are typical high-expectation Americans, then you better take a setup trip and ensure excellence yourself.
2. Communicate thoroughly: At AIM, we back up our phone conversations with a typed, on-line log of the conversation. It has saved our bacon when we have to answer to irate church leaders.
3. Talk to the right person: Sometimes we give all the right info to the wrong leader - a no-details youth pastor, for example, who isn't even going on the project when the type A adult sponsor is the one who really needs to know.
4. Develop trust: Meet with your participants in advance. Make sure to communicate as many of the details as they'll need to succeed; lower their expectations and emphasize the importance of prayer in the face of problems.

Click here to read the next blog in the series: My worst project - Lesson 3: Poor planning