The Leadership Blog Interview: Doug Murren

Doug Murren

Bio: Doug founded and led Eastside Foursquare Church in Kirkland, WA for 18 years. The church registered 17,000 decisions for Christ and grew to a 5300 Sunday morning attendance. The church thrives today several years after Doug’s retiring to do evangelism, write and create new ways of looking at church.

He has been involved in guiding, directing, encouraging and planting over 90 churches. He is the author of 14 books including, “The Baby Boomerang,” “Churches That Heal,” and “Criticism: Friend or Foe.”

Doug’s ministry has covered the nations of Australia, South Africa, Russia, Poland, Germany, Norway, Haiti, Canada, Belgium, and Israel. Doug’s training and outreach ministry, Square One Ministries, has trained over 400,000 leaders the last ten years.

Site: Square One Ministries

The Leadership Blog Interview Questions
1. Doug, what gives you the greatest joy in being a leader?
Doug: "Watching other’s succeed and find just how great they can be."

2. What is your biggest pet peeve as a leader?
Doug: "My biggest pet peeve about leadership is it isn’t about the leader. I get really antsy when a pastor or leader is constantly talking about their life issues or what they are going to do. People look to leaders for some light on the path not a autobiography."

3. Who made the biggest influence in your life as a leader?
Doug: "Jamie Buckingham. He showed me you could lead from the point of creativity as well as authority given by God."

4. What books have changed your life?
Doug: "Tipping Point recently. The Life of Ben Franklin. The life of George Whitefield. And a little book written in 1970 called the God Smuggler by Brother Andrew ignited a fire in me to believe action was the couplet to praying or it was all baloney."

5. What's your biggest challenge as a leader?
Doug: "My biggest challenge as a leader is to cut the noise out around me and stick to what I am alone am to do."

6. What goals do you have as a leader?
Doug: "I keep a set of life goals – ministry goals and self-development goals that are pretty extension on a three year plan. But as far as a goal for a leader I am hoping to reduce the motion and increase focus of what I do by at least 50%."

7. Where do you see yourself in ten years?
Doug: "It sounds funny but probably just what I am doing now. Helping build churches, writing, helping leaders find their path, problem shooting and solving for what we face as churches....but maybe a little more church leading less consulting."

Thanks Doug for an interesting interview!