The below was taken from Tony Morgan. I thought the point were pretty interesting. Take what applies and make it work for you.
10 Reasons Why You’re Probably Going to Fail
It’s not your passion. If it doesn’t make your heart beat fast or cause your mind to race when you’re trying to sleep, you’re probably doing the wrong thing.
You don’t have a plan. You need a vision, and you need to identify specific steps to make that vision become reality. That includes a financial plan. (I happen to believe you need direction from God on this.)
You’re waiting for it to be perfect. Test-drive it. Beta-test that new idea. You’ll fall into the trap of inaction if you think it has to be absolutely right from day one.
You’re not willing to work hard. Everything worth pursuing in my life has involved discipline and perseverance.
It’ll outgrow you. Keep learning. Keep growing. But more importantly, build a team of people including leaders that can be who you’re not.
You’ve had success in the past. I’ve watched organizations hang on to a good idea for too long. Time passes. Momentum fades. It’s risky to let go of the past and jump on the next wave.
You’re unwilling to stop doing something else. Complexity is easy. Simplicity takes discipline. You can’t build a healthy marriage if you’re unwilling to give up dating other women. Who/what do you need to stop dating?
You won’t build a team of friends. Anyone can hire from a resume. You need to find people you want to share life with. In the long run, great relationships will get you out of bed in the morning.
You won’t have the tough conversations. When breakdown happens (and it always does), someone needs to put on their big-boy pants and initiate the difficult conversation that leads to relational healing.
You’re afraid of failure. When fear consumes you, it will cause you to do stupid things. You’ll let negativity distract you. You’ll embrace the known, and grow comfortable with mediocrity. The more often you fail, though, the more often you’ll find success.
The below story was shared with me by Pastor Charles Chargois of Longview, Tx. read and enjoy:
In the last act of John Van Druten’s play, “I Remember Mama,” there is a scene about a man named Uncle Chris. Uncle Chris has just died and the relatives have gathered to read the will. While most of them had considered Uncle Chris a good for nothing and an embarrassment to them, they did not want to miss the event of the reading of the will. Maybe, just maybe, there might be some goody for them. Mama comes in to announce that there seems to be no will and no money either. But there is a notebook that is an account of the way Uncle Chris spent his money. And Mama wants to read it to the rest of the family.
“You know that Uncle Chris was lame?” she asked. “How he walked with a limp? It was his one thought, lame people. He would have liked to have been a doctor to help them. Instead he helped in other ways. I will read the last page of his notebook:
Joseph Spinelli 4 yrs. old. Tubercular left leg. $317.18. Walks now.
Estes Jensen, 9 years old, club foot, $217.50. Walks now.
Arn Solefelt, 9 years old, fractured knee cap. $442.16.”
Just then in the scene the boy Arn Solefelt comes running into the yard where they can see him. Arn’s mother is overcome. For she knew nothing of what Uncle Chris had done. And then after a moment, mama continues. “It does not tell the end of Arn. I would like to write, Walks now.’”
Lame Uncle Chris had compassion for others who were lame, and he put his money where his heart was.
I was reminded recently of one of Aesop’s fables that really speaks volumes concerning the subject of courage:
LONG ago, the mice had a general council to consider what measures they could take to outwit their common enemy, the Cat. Some said this, and some said that; but at last a young mouse got up and said he had a proposal to make, which he thought would meet the case. “You will all agree,” said he, “that our chief danger consists in the sly and treacherous manner in which the enemy approaches us. Now, if we could receive some signal of her approach, we could easily escape from her. I venture, therefore, to propose that a small bell be procured, and attached by a ribbon round the neck of the Cat. By this means we should always know when she was about, and could easily retire while she was in the neighbourhood.” This proposal met with general applause, until an old mouse got up and said: “That is all very well, but who is to bell the Cat?”
At some point in everyone’s life there is an opportunity that presents itself to have a enough courage to “bell the Cat”!
Fellow was tracing his genealogy and ancestry and he found a great uncle a few years back who’s character was a little less than sterling. In fact the only picture he was able to find was one of his late great uncle Remis Starr standing on the gallows with a noose around his neck.
He turned the picture over and it had some writing on it. It said, “Remis Starr was a horse thief arrested in the Montana territory in 1872 – escaped in 1875 and robbed the Montana Flyer Rail Road five times and was arrested by the Pinkerton Detective Agency 1877 and was hung in 1878.
This wasn’t a lot to be happy about or proud of so He cropped the picture down to where that you could see the gallows and all you could see was his uncles face and he proceeded to write something below the picture:
“Remis Starr was a famous cowboy in the Montana territory. Who’s business acquisitions grew to include valuable holding of the Montana Flyer Rail Road and several equestrian assets. Uncle Remis devoted several years of his life to serve at a government institution. Finally taking his leave in 1875 to resume his dealings with the Rail Road. And 1877 Uncle Remis played a key role in an investigation conducted by the Pinkerton Detective Agency. Tragically in 1878 Uncle Remis died at a civic function held in his honor in which the platform in which he was standing collapsed.
*If you try hard enough you can find something good to say about anybody!
The below article was taken from the “Practice of Leadership” blog. I found it worthy of sharing.
“Leaders live in fish bowl and are always being watched. They should always be conscious of that fact and take advantage of it.” – Gene Klann
Leaders are being watched all the time. Every gesture, action and word is being closely observed. In a New York Times article, “He Wants Subjects, Verbs and Objects” based on an interview with Richard Anderson, chief executive of Delta Air Lines, by Adam Bryant, Richard makes the following point…
“I’ve learned to be patient and not lose my temper. And the reason that’s important is everything you do is an example, and people look at everything you do and take a signal from everything you do. And when you lose your temper, it really squelches debate and sends the wrong signal about how you want your organization to run. And it was a good lesson.”
Everything you do is an example. Leaders are closely watched all the time. You are not only being closely watched, your actions are also being assessed and people rapidly draw conclusions. Conclusions about..
What is the right way to behave around here?
What are acceptable ways of getting things done?
What topics and ideas are “ok” to share and talk about? What ones are not “ok”?
How do decisions get made?
You get the idea. This means that leaders need to be a people of integrity all the time. As person of integrity you do what you say and say what you do. You are a living example of how things ought to be done. This means leaders do the right thing even when they don’t feel like it!
So? How do you stack up? How good has your example been? What needs to change?
“I am in control,” is a declaration that really is an illusion. It hast to have our ego’s to survive. It’s really hard to admit that we don’t really control our lives. The actuality of it all is that we are fundamentally dishonest about the reality, that we do not control our lives. We all rely on something that transcends us. The hard facts of the statement, “we are not in control” scares us to death.
Dr. Seuss reminds us in his story of “Yertle the Turtle” just how out of control we are and what small things can remove us from our thrones. The supposed story revolves around Yertle the Turtle, the king of the pond. Unsatisfied with the stone that serves as his throne, he commands the other turtles to stack themselves beneath him so that he can see further and expand his kingdom. However, the turtle at the bottom of the pile, named Mack, asks Yertle for a respite. Ignoring his request, Yertle commands more and more turtles to add to his throne, until he notices the moon rising above him as the night approaches. Furious that something “dares to be higher than Yertle the King”, he decides to call for even more turtles in an attempt to rise above it. However, before he can give the command, Mack burps, shaking the stack of turtles and tossing Yertle off into the mud, leaving him “King of the Mud” and freeing the others.
The old adage is the first shall be last. And everyone that exalts himself shall be humbled. So even if you’re Yertle VIP, MVP, PHD, CEO, BMOC – as gross as it may sound your one burp away from reality. You’re not in control! Resign as chief of the universe and let God control your life. I think it’s called surrender.
Isn’t it amazing that a famous comedian of the 70’s and 80’s – could write something so very eloquent…and so very appropriate.
A Message from a comedian:
The paradox of our time in history is that we have taller buildings but shorter tempers, wider Freeways , but narrower viewpoints. We spend more, but have less, we buy more, but enjoy less. We have bigger houses and smaller families, more conveniences, but less time. We have more degrees but less sense, more knowledge, but less judgment, more experts, yet more problems, more medicine, but less wellness.
We drink too much, smoke too much, spend too recklessly, laugh too little, drive too fast, get too angry, stay up too late, get up too tired, read too little, watch TV too much, and pray too seldom.
We have multiplied our possessions, but reduced our values. We talk too much, love too seldom, and hate too often.
We’ve learned how to make a living, but not a life. We’ve added years to life not life to years. We’ve been all the way to the moon and back, but have trouble crossing the street to meet a new neighbor. We conquered outer space but not inner space. We’ve done larger things, but not better things.
We’ve cleaned up the air, but polluted the soul. We’ve conquered the atom, but not our prejudice. We write more, but learn less. We plan more, but accomplish less. We’ve learned to rush, but not to wait. We build more computers to hold more information, to produce more copies than ever, but we communicate less and less.
These are the times of fast foods and slow digestion, big men and small character, steep profits and shallow relationships. These are the days of two incomes but more divorce, fancier houses, but broken homes. These are days of quick trips, disposable diapers, throwaway morality, one night stands, overweight bodies, and pills that do everything from cheer, to quiet, to kill. It is a time when there is much in the showroom window and nothing in the stockroom. A time when technology can bring this letter to you, and a time when you can choose either to share this insight, or to just hit delete…
Remember; spend some time with your loved ones, because they are not going to be around forever.
Remember, say a kind word to someone who looks up to you in awe, because that little person soon will grow up and leave your side.
Remember, to give a warm hug to the one next to you, because that is the only treasure you can give with your heart and it doesn’t cost a cent.
Remember, to say, ‘I love you’ to your partner and your loved ones, but most of all mean it. A kiss and an embrace will mend hurt when it comes from deep inside of you.
Remember to hold hands and cherish the moment for someday that person will not be there again.
Give time to love, give time to speak! And give time to share the precious thoughts in your mind.
AND ALWAYS REMEMBER:
Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away.
I read a story about an Ohio gentleman whose oil well caught fire, and he put out an all-points’ bulletin for help, to make sure that anybody and everybody would come and help him. He offered a $30,000 reward to whoever could put out that fire. With all the large firehouses from cities like Newell, Chester, Wellsville, Dillonvale sent help. They sent their best companies accompanied by the most modern fire- fighting equipment available, but not one of the trucks could get within 200 yards of the blaze because the heat was just too intense and the fire was too big.
Finally, the Calcutta Township Volunteer Fire Department appeared on the scene. Amazingly they had only one rickety truck equipped with a single ladder; only two buckets of water, three buckets of sand, and a few blankets. It didn’t even come with a hose. When that old truck reached the point where all those other fire companies had stopped, the driver didn’t even hesitate. He just kept barreling ahead until he and his crew were right in the thick of that blaze. They jumped out of that truck, threw the two buckets of water and three buckets of sand on that fire and then beat the fire out with those blankets.
That oil man was so impressed by that unbelievable display of courage, he gave the driver $30,000 in cash on the spot and said, “What are you and your men going to do with all of that money?” The driver, shaking like a leaf, said, “The first thing we’re going to do is to get those stupid brakes on that truck fixed.” Sometimes we are thrown into the fire through no fault of our own.
Sometimes it’s better to work from the inside out!
The Harvard Business Review provide a list of the “Ten Fatal Flaws That Derail Leaders” as follows:
Lack energy and enthusiasm
Accept their own mediocre performance
Lack clear vision and direction
Have poor judgment
Don’t collaborate
Don’t walk the talk
Resist new ideas
Don’t learn from mistakes
Lack interpersonal skills
Fail to develop others
This makes a great “stop doing list” for leaders. Which one can you focus on improving over the next two weeks?
Motivational speaker Jon Gordon shared the below thought:
Why are Tiger Woods, Oprah, and Bill Gates uncomfortable?
They are uncomfortable because they are the best at what they do…and the best are never comfortable with where they are. Why? Because they have a burning desire to improve and grow and this naturally creates a healthy discomfort.
Most people think that the best live a life of blissful ease and bask in the glow of their success but that is not the case. Rather the best are always thinking of ways they can take their “game” to the next level and they’re always pushing themselves out of their comfort zone.
You can do the same. You just have to be willing to be uncomfortable. You have to stop retreating to the safety and comfort of the status quo. You have to embrace change and uncertainty. You have to see yourself as a work in progress, an unfinished master piece that is still being shaped and molded. And you have to give yourself permission to fail as strive to be your best. It’s a process and it’s not always fun but it’s worth it.
Are you willing to be uncomfortable? What steps will you take to move beyond your comfort zone?
Ahab probably never intended to go as far as he did when he directed his spiteful eyes upon the vineyard of Naboth. All in all he meant no spoil to Naboth and his small parcel of ground. The whole story is built around the idea of expansion and growth. This was basically the same reason for the Tower of Babel, “Let us build something high”. I’ve come to conclusion that most things in life that have a malicious foundation come with a lofty goal or ambition.
In the beginning there were certain moral considerations that kept Ahab from just going in and using his power and just taking the vineyard. After all this wasn’t just Naboth’s land it was God’s land. Naboth had also played the trump card, “The Lord forbid it me”. In the beginning Ahab’s dealings with Naboth was somewhat gentle and understanding, but as it became clear that Naboth’s vineyard wasn’t for sale the mask of gentleness was removed.
The thing that catches my attention in this story is what Naboth didn’t say. He didn’t say, “I will not give you my vineyard”, but what he did say, “The Lord forbid it me, that I should give the inheritance of my fathers unto thee.” It was not commercial value that he was thinking of, nor the fact that he had the title deed to it, but his response was about a loyalty to the past and a responsibility to the future. The price of the consumer is probably fair, but it is the “inheritance of our fathers” that puts this piece of ground out of the reach of those that are bidding.
There were probably other vineyards that could have yielded grapes that maybe tasted better, but none could match the memories that had taken place there. The deduction that must be made here is that the best things, the things we need most, cannot be sold. Most of the time there given to us, not because they are cheap, but because they are priceless and nobody really can afford them.
During the course of World War II, many people gained fame in one way or another. One man was Butch O’Hare. He was a fight pilot assigned to an aircraft carrier in the Pacific. One time his entire squadron was assigned to fly a particular mission. After he was airborne, he looked at his fuel gauge and realized that someone had forgotten to top off his fuel tank. Because of this, he would not have enough fuel to complete his mission and get back to his ship. His flight leader told him to leave formation and return. As he was returning to the mother ship, he could see a squadron of Japanese Zeroes heading toward the fleet to attack. And with all the fighter planes gone, the fleet was almost defenseless. This was his opportunity to distract and divert them. The Amercian fighter planes were rigged with cameras, so that as they flew and fought, pictures were taken so pilots could learn more about the terrain, enemy maneuvers, etc. Butch dove at them and shot untl all his ammunition was gone, then he would dive and try to clip off a wing or tail or anything that would make the enemy planes unfit to fly. He did anything he could to keep them from reaching the American ships. Finally the Japanese squadron took off in another direction, and Butch O’Hare and his fighter, both badly shot up, limped back to the carrier.
He told his story, but not until the film from the camera on his plane was developed, did they realize the extent he really went to, to protect his fleet. He was recognized as a hero and given one of the nations hightest military honors. And as you know, the O’Hare Airport was also named after him. (Continued Below)
Prior to this time in Chicago, there was a man named Easy Eddie. He was working for a man you’ve all heard about, Al Capone. Al Capone wasn’t famous for anything heroic, but he was notorious for murders he’d committed and the illegal things he’d done. Easy Eddie was Al Capone’s lawyer and he was very good. In fact, because of his skill, he was able to keep Al Caponoe out of jail. To show his appreciation, Al Capone paid him very well. He not only earned big money, he would get extra things, like residence that filled an entire Chicago City block. The house was fenced, and he had live-in help and all of the conveniences of the day. Easy Eddie has a son. He loved his son and gave him all the best things while he was growing up; clothes, cars, and a good education. And because he loved his son he tried to teach him right from wrong. But one thing he couldn’t give his son was a good name, and a good example. Easy Eddie decided that this was much more important than all the riches he had given him. So, he went to the authorities in order to rectify the wrong he had done. In order to tell the truth, it meant he must testify against Al Capone, and he knew that Al Capone would do his best to have him killed. But he wanted most of all to try to be an example and to do the best he could to give back to his son, a good name. So he testified. Within the year, he was shot and killed on a lonely street in Chicago.
This sounds like two unrelated stories. But Butch O’Hare was Easy Eddie’s son. We can leave a legacy that will change peoples lives!
Over the last few weeks I’ve been reading a book entitled, “Bo’s Lasting Lessons” by Bo Schembechler. It’s been quite an interesting read and after speaking to a number of young leaders I’ve decided to pass this information along:
You can throw cold water on people to let them know things are going to be different around here from now on. That’s just smart.
But it’s something completely different to do the same thing to the institution your taking over. That’s just stupid!
Let me be clear as I can be about this: When you become the leader, do not start your reign by dismantling or ignoring the contributions of those who came before. The history of your organization is one of your greatest strengths, and if you’re new to the organization, it’s your job to learn it, to respect it and to teach it to the people coming up in your company.
Let me explain. One of the most common mistakes new leaders make – and I just can’t for the life of me understand this one – is to ignore the history of the organization they just took over, or even to disrespect it. That, to me, is the mark of a weak leader – and one who’s probably not going to last very long.”
As the people of Israel were lead out of bondage by Moses, this generation of Israelite’s were the descendants of people who had been in slavery for 400 years. They had basically developed a mentality of bondage. They viewed themselves as people that had been put down and beat up. They seemingly functioned better with people telling them what to do. They didn’t know how to make life happen for themselves. They weren’t decision makers.
As these people approached the Promise land, Moses sent out the 12 spies to look the land over. Most of us are familiar with the ten that came back with the evil report. The report was simply stating that the inhabitants of the land were giants and we are like grasshoppers to them.
But our focus is quickly turned to two of these spies – Joshua and Caleb – who had the unique ability to find the key to anything that is successful: Understanding. They understood that God was with them. These men had the ability to interpret the situation from God’s vantage point. This will always be the difference between success and failure in the Christian walk.
We must always endeavor to look at situations from a higher perspective than our own. Draw on your supply of understanding. Stop looking at the devils picture of defeat and focus on God’s picture of success. We must speak desires, not dread. Expectations, not failures. I borrow a quote from Mike Murdock, “The day you make a decision about your life is the day your world changes.”
I’m again looking through a wonderful book entitled, “Good to Great”. The book basically begins by talking about good being the enemy of great. We don’t have great things, because we have good things. At the end of each chapter it gives you a basic overview or summary of what you just read. At the conclusion of chapter four Jim Collins talks about confronting the brutal facts of your current reality to move from, “Good to Great”. Below is some basic points that Jim Collins brings out about creating a climate where the truth can be heard.
Creating a climate where the truth is heard involves four basic practices:
Lead with questions, not answers.
Engage in dialogue and debate, not coercion.
Conduct autopsies, not blame.
Build red flag mechanisms that turn information into information that cannot be ignored.
Retain absolute faith that you can and will prevail in the end, regardless of the difficulties, AND at the same time confront the most brutal facts of your current reality, whatever that might be.
I’m finishing up a great week at our annual General Convention. I flew into Greensboro Wednesday around 4:30 p.m. and was able to get with my wonderful mother and great father Wednesday evening. Went to P.F. Changs and had an enjoyable evening.
Thursday was a day of business for our ministerial organization. The day wasn’t that eventful, other than the fact that I was able to have lunch with one of my closest friends, Pastor David Elms of Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. We ate at this place called, “Smokey Bones”. The food was half-way decent, but the little desert was superb. David being raised in Charlotte had eaten at “Smokey Bones” a few times and knew to ask for the donuts. Now ladies and gentlemen this was phenomenal! They brought these six donuts out in a bag that had powder sugar in it. David took the bag and began to shake it (basically, like a raffle) and chi-ching, you reach in and pull out this most wonderful pastry and then dipped it into this strawberry jam situation. O.K. that’s enough, because I’m starting to want some more – just suffice it to say, “It some more good!
Thursday evenings message by our General Superintendent was awesome. It was entitled, “Storming the Gates” and basically gave us the direction in which we are going as a movement. Friday was another wonderful day that started out with some more business, but was somewhat different, because at the end of this session there were four ministers that spoke for twenty minutes each on the necessity of Biblical doctrine in our churches. This session fired me up and was probably one of the most needful sessions that I’ve been privileged to attend during a conference. The Home Missions service last night was incredible and extremely affective in getting the challenge out to reach our communities.
Today I’m traveling home to my wonderful family! Am I excited? You bet I am!
An aged lady entered a hardware store and said that she wanted to purchase a new heater for her living room. The salesman let loose on a barrage of sales chatter about his latest model of heater. It had non-corroding bolts. It featured a newly patented insulating material. Just look at the gauge of steel used in the jacket! Manipulate those clever controls! See the abundant combustion chambers! All these gadgets, conveniences, and improvements were overwhelmingly convincing, the salesman thought, and he finished his sales talk with a display, expecting an immediate and favorable response. But the little lady just looked at him, evidently expecting him to say more.
Taken back, the salesman said, “Well, Madam, I’ve told you everything there is to know about this heater. Do you have any questions?”
“Yes, just one,” she answered. “Will it keep an old lady warm?”
All she needed to know was the purpose it served. It doesn’t really matter about anything else. We’re building bigger and better, but what for? We can never lose sight of the reason we do what we do.
Recently I was perusing a book entitled, “An Unstoppable Force” by author Erwin McManus and come across an interesting thought. He began speaking about how that the church is loosing it’s uniqueness. Many times we forsake unique things and stand in line for more of the same things. It’s not that we don’t like diversity, options or even choices, because we clearly do. Most of the time we only like these choices if they are brought to us with a greater convenience and basically don’t complicate our lives.
The contemporary church has chosen the same path. We have chosen standardization over uniqueness. We have chosen predictability over surprise. And without realizing it we have chosen comfort and convenience over servanthood and sacrifice.
The church has become the equivalent of IBM or Microsoft. Most of the time if the church isn’t doing well we solicit the best business practices for solutions. If we continue to see the church as an organization then we begin creating an institution which is a model that God never intended. On the other hand, if we see the church as something being alive and vibrant, then we unlock power and it awakens what the church should be. The church is about individuals and not institutions. It’s about people moving through the world and not buildings setting on streets corner.
Happiness is something we all are striving to obtain.Below is a list of things that people feel is affecting their happiness. Consider some of the circumstances that many people think affect happiness:
• Money – Wealth matters less than you might expect. People in wealthy countries (particularly democracies that allow a degree of personal freedom) tend to be somewhat more satisfied than people in poor or totalitarian countries, but even extreme poverty has little correlation with unhappiness. Strikingly, people whose main goal is money tend to be very unhappy.
• Marriage – Being married correlates strongly with happiness. National Opinion Research Center surveys find that roughly 40% of married people, but only 25% of unmarried people, are “very happy.” This correlation may not indicate causality. It’s quite possible that happy people are simply more likely to get married.
• Sociability – More sociable people tend to be happier. Very happy people spend more time with others. However, causality is again questionable; perhaps, others simply prefer to spend time with happy people.
• Bad feelings – Women experience more negative and more positive emotions. Only a very small negative correlation exists between pleasant and unpleasant emotions.
• Youth – Young age does not correlate with happiness. In fact, older people are somewhat more satisfied with life than younger people.
• Health – Even terminally ill people have roughly the same life satisfaction as healthy people. Severe health problems cause less unhappiness than you might expect. Happiness does seem to drop when people have five or more serious health problems.
• Education, weather, race and gender – These factors do not have more than a slight correlation with happiness. Interestingly, African-Americans and Hispanics are less inclined to depression than Caucasians, but they are not happier than Caucasians.
• Religion – Religious people are happier and more satisfied than irreligious people. One study found that people from the most conservative religions are happier than people from more liberal religions. To achieve happiness by changing your life circumstances: marry, think positively, make friends, help others, adopt a conservative religion and live in a reasonably prosperous democracy. However, in terms of becoming happy, statistically it does not help to earn more money, improve your health, get more education or move to a better climate.
Recently I began to re-read some chapters in the book “7 Practices of Effective Ministry” by author Andy Stanley. He brings out some interesting things concerning narrowing our focus. Our ministries become less effective and more diluted if it’s flowing in so many different directions. So we have to be able to narrow our focus.
I read a story one time about Manfred von Richthofen (“The Red Baron”).
The day was April 21, 1918. Richthofen led his flight of triplanes to search for British observation aircraft. An engagement ensued between a flight of Sopwith Camels led by Canadian Royal Air Force pilot Capt. Arthur Roy Brown. Lt. Wilfred May was a rookie on his first offensive patrol. May had been ordered to keep out of combat, but couldn’t resist. He jammed his guns and, defenseless, headed away from the battle. Richthoten spotted the lone plane and chose it for kill number 81. Brown observed the scene below him and dove to help his fellow airman, knowing that May was no match for Richthofen. It was then, with Brown closing from behind, that Richthofen, usually a meticulous and disciplined fighter pilot, made a mistake and broke one of his own rules by following May too long, too far, and too low into enemy territory. Two miles behind the Allied lines, as Brown caught up with Richthofen and fired, the chase passed over the machine-gun nests of Australian Field Artillery. The debate continues over who fired the fatal shot that passed through Richthofen’s torso. Ultimately it doesn’t matter— whether hit from the air or the ground, The Red Baron was mortally wounded.
Richthofen was good. Probably over-confident. But he “broke one of his own rules.” Maybe in his mind he was just stretching the rule a bit. Or he was distracted by something that appeared too good to be true. Whatever the case, he compromised his own standards, which led to his demise. For the Red Baron, the temptation of number 81 was too much.
The temptation always exists in ministry to focus on the wrong things, forget where you are, and stretch, or compromise, our own rules. It is easy to be distracted by “the numbers” or something else. There are always new gimmicks. Don’t lose your primary focus. Keep the main thing the main thing. “Fix your thoughts..” (Heb. 3:1, NIV).
They say politics and religion don’t mix. I say this campaign has relentlessly mixed religion and politics. In fact politicians use religion far more than religion uses politics. They say “separation of church and state.” What I’ve seen is Obama’s Jeremiah Wright and Palin’s Assembly of God association used negatively to define the candidates. Doesn’t sound like separation to me. You might be able to separate the state from the church but you sure can’t separate the politician from religion. I think in the end what some people are afraid of is having religious values placed in the fore front, in the middle of the market place of ideas. They say, “I’m not going to force my values on others. So they shouldn’t force there’s on me.” I say, what is a society without values? It’s anarchy. And the values that are found within religion, and for us, within Christianity, have been the very values that have shaped the world for hundreds of years.
And so I ask you: What is the state without the church? What is a politician without visible values? What is life without faith? To borrow the words of Paul, “It is nothing. It is a resounding gong, a clanging symbol.” Zacchaeus recognized this. He could not be in the presence of Jesus and not be moved. Moved to right the wrong in his life. He was a tax collector, part of the government, who had taken advantage of many people. Lied to them. Swindled them. Skimmed off the top of his collections. And beyond all this, he had ignored the poor.
Now it’s Tuesday morning for old Zacchaeus and he has to walk in the election booth and pull the lever. He is either going to vote for the state or for the faith. He is either going to vote for himself of for those he has defrauded. He will either cast his vote for Rome or for Christ. Come Election Day, who is he gonna’ vote for?
William Beebe, the naturalist, told about visits that he made to the home of Theodore Roosevelt, who basically was fond of nature himself. Often, after an evening of conversing with Roosevelt at his Sagamore Hill home, the two of them would leave the house, walk over the large lawn and look up in the sky. They would struggle with one another to see who could be the first to identify the light-mist near the upper left hand corner of the Great Square of Pegasus, and then either Roosevelt or Beebe would recite:
That is the Spiral Galaxy of Andromenda. It is as large as our Milky Way. It is one of a hundred million galaxies. It is 800,000 light years away. It consist of one hundred billion suns, each larger than our own sun.
Then after a brief moment of silence, Theodore Roosevelt would grin and say, “Now, I think we’re small enough, lets go to bed.”
We must be reminded that our smallness is resting in God’s greatness!
I’ve continuously been staggered at the process that takes place in the migration of birds. To see the winged fowl in flight south is quite amazing, but even more astonishing is the built in mechanism inside each one of these birds that enables it to identify that it’s time to fly. It’s an invisible power that is just as real as the bird itself. The urge inside of the bird is non-material. It cannot be touched or weighed.
Even our sun is composed of atoms, invisible particles of things made up of neutrons and protons spinning in an undetectable orbit around an invisible nucleus. The sun basically is a symbol of the deceptiveness of appearance. Thing often times are not what they appear to be. Everything is more than a thing. It is a manifestation of an invisible power. Even the wedding ring is simply an outward sign/symbol of an invisible bond of affection that is unseen, but very real. Even the holding of hands with the one that you love is a simple gesture of something invisible and much deeper in the relationship. If you look in a mirror today, you’ll see your body, but not your character and personality. It’s these things that make up the real you.
Houses are visible, but homes are unseen. Churches can be seen, but the fellowship that makes up the Church is something that is invisible. Papers and documents can prove citizenship, but not patriotism. You can purchase a marriage license, but you can’t purchase love. Even birthdays and anniversaries can be measured in dollar and cents, but thoughtfulness and appreciation cannot.
The success in life lays in our ability to link ourselves to things that we cannot see.
Frustration is the common lot of mankind. Every one of us on occasion will find ourselves bewildered. And it’s at these times that we say things like, “I’m taking two steps forward and three steps back or I’m beating my head against the wall.” It becomes rather easy to speak in negative tones when things aren’t going well.
Rudyard Kipling said this: “If you can……watch the things you gave your life to, broken, and stoop and build’em up with worn-out tools; if you can make one heap of all your winnings and risk it on one turn of pitch-and-toss, and lose, and start again at your beginnings and never breathe a word about your loss;……You’ll be a Man, my son!”
Most of us at some point have heard those lines by Kipling. It’s from the poem that he chose to title, If. “IF” is such a pointed word. It basically levels a finger at all of us. The fact is that every important and crucial aspect of human life is bound up in that little word. We all have been faced with this menacing little word, but few of us have acted bravely upon it.
The word “IF” brings with it a feeling that we must do something. Over the course of time our world has become a better place because of the necessity laid upon us. The Pilgrim Fathers, whom some are privileged to count and other would be delighted to count as their ancestors were able to turn defeat into victory. During that first cold winter in Plymouth, one half of the population died. Yet when the Mayflower came back to England in the spring, not a single colonist gave up and sailed back with her. Every man and woman left alive was valiant enough to fight on, to persevere in building up a worthy civilization and culture. This is the American legacy.
Unfortunately many people have little of this Pilgrim steadfastness. We give up too quickly; we retreat too quickly. We hear stories about Beethoven who was deaf; Milton who was blind and we read of many more who showed their mettle in the face of adversity. And we are tempted to call these instances rare and the lot of great men, but has it ever occurred to us that we are made out the same stuff.
One of the glories of the human race is making music out of things that remain. Ordinary people excepting disappointments, setbacks and frustrations, but able to reach deep within themselves and find a new dimension in the spirit and something deep within that causes them to fight another day. No matter how troublesome the storm that rages, they refuse to haul down their flag. It seems that they were just bewildered to fight better.
Don’t undermine your worth by comparing yourself with others. It is because we are different that each of us is special.
Don’t set your goals by what other people deem important. Only you know what is best for you.
Don’t take for granted the things closest to your heart. Cling to them as you would your life, for without them life is meaningless.
Don’t let your life slip through your fingers by living in the past or for the future. By living your life one day at a time, you live all the days of your life.
Don’t give up when you still have something to give. Nothing is really over until the moment you stop trying.
Don’t be afraid to admit that you are less than perfect. It is this fragile thread that binds us to each other.
Don’t be afraid to encounter risks. It is by taking chances that we learn how to be brave.
Don’t shut love out of your life by saying it’s impossible to find. The quickest way to receive love is to give love. The fastest way to lose love is to hold it too tightly; and the best way to keep love is to give it wings.
Don’t dismiss your dreams. To be without dreams is to be without hope; to be without hope is to be without purpose.
Don’t run through life so fast that you forget not only where you’ve been, but also where you’re going. Life is not a race, but a journey to be savored each step of the way.
During this election season I can’t help but notice the crazed cycle of, “He said, she said”. It’s a web that weaves it’s way through our political system and our everyday lives. The old saying is: “One should examine oneself for a very long time before thinking of condemning others.” It’s the nature of the beast to be a fault finder and in the process the one that finds the fault sometimes ends up with the proverbial egg on the face. It’s a lot like the story of the baker and farmer.
A baker in a little country town bought the butter he used from a nearby farmer. One day he suspected that the bricks of butter were not full pounds, and for several days he weighed them.
He was right. They were short weight, and he had the farmer arrested.
At the trial the judge said to the farmer, “I presume you have scales?”
“No, your honor.”
“Then how do you manage to weigh the butter you sell?” inquired the judge.
The farmer replied, “That’s easily explained, your honor. I have balances and for a weight I use a one-pound loaf I buy from the baker.”
What do you say? Let’s not be so quick to find fault today.
History abounds with tales of experts who were convinced that the ideas, plans, and projects of others could never be achieved. However, accomplishment came to those who said, “I can make it happen.”
The Italian sculptor Agostino d’Antonio worked diligently on a large piece of marble. Unable to produce his desired masterpiece, he lamented, “I can do nothing with it.” Other sculptors also worked this difficult piece of marble, but to no avail. Michelangelo discovered the stone and visualized the possibilities in it. His “I-can-make-it-happen” attitude resulted in one of the world’s masterpieces – David.
The experts of Spain concluded that Columbus’s plans to discover a new and shorter route to the West Indies was virtually impossible. Queen Isabella and King Ferdinand ignored the report of the experts. “I can make it happen,” Columbus persisted. And he did. Everyone knew the world was flat, but not Columbus. The Nina, the Pinta, the Santa Maria, along with Columbus and his small band of followers, sailed to “impossible” new lands and thriving resources.
Even the great Thomas Alva Edison discouraged his friend, Henry Ford, from pursuing his fledgling idea of a motorcar. Convinced of the worthlessness of the idea, Edison invited Ford to come and work for him. Ford remained committed and tirelessly pursued his dream. Although his first attempt resulted in a vehicle without reverse gear, Henry Ford knew he could make it happen. And, of course, he did.
“Forget it,” the experts advised Madame Curie. They agreed radium was a scientifically impossible idea. However, Marie Curie insisted, “I can make it happen.”
Let’s not forget our friends Orville and Wilbur Wright. Journalists, friends, armed forces specialists, and even their father laughed at the idea of an airplane. “What a silly and insane way to spend money. Leave flying to the birds,” they jeered. “Sorry,” the Wright brothers responded. “We have a dream, and we can make it happen.” As a result, a place called Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, became the setting for the launching of their “ridiculous” idea.
Finally, as you read these accounts under the magnificent lighting of your environment, consider the plight of Benjamin Franklin. He was admonished to stop the foolish experimenting with lighting. What an absurdity and waste of time! Why, nothing could outdo the fabulous oil lamp. Thank goodness Franklin knew he could make it happen. You too can make it happen!
Below is an entry from a book review that was published on “The Practice of Leadership” blog which I have linked. I thought that this book review really had some interesting things for those that lead. I hope you enjoy.
The book “Fire Them Up!” by Carmine Gallo is really a great read. It discusses the importance of inspiration for successful leadership. The book is divided into two parts “Part I: The 7 Simple Secrets” of success which provides the foundation principles for inspiring others and “PART II: Living the 7 Simple Secrets” discusses how people in different role apply the seven secrets. I am going to focus this book review on PART I: The Seven Simple Secrets.
“Our chief want is someone who will inspire us to be what we know we could be” – Ralph Waldo Emerson
Chapter 1: Ignite Your Enthusiasm – Light a Fire in Your Heart before Sparking One in Theirs
“Inspiration begins internally. What is it about your service, product, company, or cause that pumps you up? Only after you identify what you are truly passionate about will you be in a position to motivate others.”
Chapter 2: Navigate the Way – Deliver a Specific, Consistent and Memorable Vision
“Enthusiasm opens the door, but vision grabs hold of your listeners and pulls them to the other side… A fuzzy vision will fail to rally your listeners to a better future…. For a vision to have impact, it must be simple and profound. How do you attain both? By keeping your vision to ten words or less…. If you can articulate a compelling vision of the world that is specific, consistent, and memorable, you will not only have grabbed their attention, but you will have captured their hearts. And where their hearts lead, their minds are sure to follow.”
Chapter 3: Sell the Benefit – Put Your Listeners First
“Make no mistake: When you speak, your listeners are asking themselves on question: What’s in it for me? It’s the one question that should be answered not once, but throughout your communication.”… To inspire your listeners, constantly ask yourself, ‘What am I selling?’ Think about it this way: Apple does not sell computers. It sells tools to unleash human potential. Starbucks does not sell coffee. It sells an experience, a ‘third place’ between home and work…. What are you selling?…. They are buying benefits not products.”
Chapter 4: Paint a Picture – Tell Powerful, Memorable, and Actionable Stories
“Inspiring individuals sell themselves, their vision, and their values by turning their message into a story that piques your interest, keeps you entertained, makes it easy to remember key points, and, above all, leads you to take some sort of action. Your message is not your story… Persuading individuals to follow a desired course of action requires an emotional engagements with the listener… ‘Stories speak to both parts of the human mind – its reason and emotion,’ writes Howard Gardner.”
Chapter 5: Invite Participation
“Listening is not enough. Asking for feedback, and taking action based on what you hear, makes all the difference.”
Chapter 6: Reinforce and Optimistic Outlook
“Leaders, for some reason, see a bright future in the thickest fog… As Marcus Buckingham observes in The One Thing You Need to Know, ‘The opposite of a leader isn’t a follower. The opposite of a leader is a pessimist.’ The link between optimism and inspiration is direct and immediate: Thinking optimistically will make you feel better about yourself. Speaking optimistically will give others the confidence to follow your vision.”
Chapter 7: Encourage Their Potential
“People connect with people, not things. And the best compliment you can receive from another human being is this: ‘You make me want to be a better person.’… Motivation is about bringing out the best in people, but people will not listen to your message until they know you care.”
In Summary…
I found this book an easy and inspiring read. Each chapter is full of useful examples describing how the principles being described in the chapter has been applied in a real world context. With the importance of inspiration for successful leadership, we all will benefit from the ideas from this book. I recommend this book to anyone who is looking for ways to inspire and motivate their team and organizations.
The Brooklyn Bridge that spans the river tying Manhattan Island to Brooklyn is truly a miracle bridge. In 1863, a creative engineer named John Roebling was inspired by an idea for this spectacular bridge. However, bridge-building experts throughout the world told him to forget it; it could not be done.
Roebling convinced his son, Washington, who was a young up and coming engineer that the bridge could be built. The two of them developed the concepts of how it could be accomplished and how the obstacles could be overcome. With unharnessed excitement and inspiration, they hired their crew and began to build their dream bridge.
The project was only a few months under construction when a tragic accident on the site took the life of John Roebling and severely injured his son, Washington. Washington was left with permanent brain damage and was unable to talk or walk. Everyone felt that the project would have to be scrapped since the Roeblings were the only ones who knew how the bridge could be built.
Even though Washington was unable to move or talk, his mind was as sharp as ever, and he still had a burning desire to complete the bridge. An idea hit him as he lay in his hospital bed, and he developed a code for communication. All he could move was one finger, so he touched the arm of his wife with that finger, tapping out the code to communicate to her what to tell the engineers who were building the bridge. For thirteen years, Washington tapped out his instructions with his finger until the spectacular Brooklyn Bridge was finally completed.
Don’t let anything stop you from acheiving your dreams today.
Nicolo Paganini was a well-known and gifted nineteenth century violinist. He was also well known as a great showman with a quick sense of humor. His most memorable concert was in Italy with a full orchestra. He was performing before a packed house and his technique was incredible, his tone was fantastic, and his audience dearly loved him. Toward the end of his concert, Paganini was astounding his audience with an unbelievable composition when suddenly one string on his violin snapped and hung limply from his instrument. Paganini frowned briefly, shook his head, and continued to play, improvising beautifully.
Then to everyone’s surprise, a second string broke. And shortly thereafter, a third. Almost like a slapstick comedy, Paganini stood there with three strings dangling from his Stradivarius. But instead of leaving the stage, Paganini stood his ground and calmly completed the difficult number on the one remaining string.
Sometimes life is much like this and you have to make do with what you have left. The word for you to day is just hang in there. You can do it.
Recently, I read something interesting in a book entitled, “The Broken American Male” by Rabbi Boteach. He was speaking about the ability to let go of things and passing the mantle. He expressed that when the time comes for us to pass something and we feel capable of it, then the cause has taken precedence. If we find transition difficult then the cause has become the only means by which we promote our personal agenda. Notice what he said:
Moses led the Jews through the desert for thirty years. But the moment it came time to pass the torch to Joshua, Moses did not hesitate. When God told him that he would not enter the promise land, he had one request: please God, don’t leave the people leaderless, like a flock of sheep without a shepherd. And after that he quietly retreated from the world stage without fanfare. There were no honor guards, eulogies, or twenty-one-gun salutes. He was buried alone with only God in attendance. The needs of the people always superseded his own.
A more contemporary example of a world leader’s subordination to a cause is Nelson Mandela. Although at the age of eighty he could easily have ran for reelection as president of South Africa and won, instead he stepped down in favor of younger leadership that would better serve the purposes of his country and his cause. Mandela never made the mistake of believing, that he and the country were synonymous. On the contrary, Mandela gave his life to his people and then silently retreated from power.
By contrast I offer the example of Margaret Thatcher. A great leader in her time, she possessed the courage and assertiveness to save Britain from a continuing downward economic spiral. However, when her sell-by-date came she wouldn’t stand down gracefully and had to be forced out. Although she saved the country and was much admired while in office, history will forever debate whether she was good for Britain or not. Indeed, there is a general feeling that while she started out serving the interests of her country, she ended up placing her own interests first. And the proof: she just couldn’t let go.
It is our insecurities that drive us to treat things like possessions.
I’m convinced that the reason we enjoy so many blessings today is due in large part to the principles and moral values of those that have passed before us. We have become a culture that is leeching or riding on the proverbial coat tails of those that have past. It’s for this reason that we are loosing some of our moral fiber in America. C.S. Lewis said, “We remove the organ and demand the function. We laugh at honor and are shocked to find traitors in our midst.” We want fruit, but we as Americans are disinclined to focus on our roots.
Scottish author John Buchan said: “What afflicts us is a corruption of the heart, a turning away in our soul. Our aspirations, our affections, and our desires are turned toward the wrong things. And only when we turn them toward the right things – toward enduring, noble, spiritual things – will things get better.”
What is starting to happen in America is happening because we are beginning to believe that God doesn’t exist. If God doesn’t exist then everything becomes permissible. It’s been my observation that we are to that place now.
I believe it was in the 1770’s that the American population was something like three million people. It was during this time that we find such men as Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Franklin, George Washington, John Adams, James Monroe, James Madison and a multitude of others. As you look at the landscape of America now with some 305 million people it’s hard to even find one man that could match up to this list.
Could it be that what those early Americans were taught had a direct bearing on their accomplishments and performance? According to the Thomas Jefferson Research Institute, in the 1770’s over 90% of our educational thrust was designed at teaching moral values. Most education was handled in the home, church or church-supported schools. By 1926 the percentage of moral training had been reduced to 6%, and by 1951 the percentage was so low you couldn’t even measure it.
It’s our spiritual roots that empower us to grow our character through the establishment of moral bearings. We must make sure that we are developing our character and teaching it to our children.
Woody Allen said it best when asked about “relationships,” and he told a story to illustrate. He said I think this story speaks about relationships.
A man came in to see a psychiatrist. When the psychiatrist asked him what the problem was, the man said, “Well, it’s my brother. I think he’s crazy.”
“Why do you think that,” asked the Doctor.
“Well,” said the man, “he thinks he’s a chicken.”
“Hmmm ..” the doctor replied, “that does sound sort of strange. Why don’t you bring him in.”
“I can’t,” said the man.
“Well, why not,” asked the doctor.
“Because, I need the eggs.” the man said.
I guess we are intertwined a little more than we like to think. And, we always see the other’s strangeness even though we have just as much of our own strangeness, and often we have “complimentary” strangeness.
Today may you smile a lot and gripe a little. Be Bless!
This was put together by Jon Gordon and I found it to be quit beneficial. It’s my desire to grow and to help others grow in their leadership ability. This blog is entitled “10 Thoughts on Leadership:
1. People follow the leader first and the leader’s vision second – It doesn’t matter if the leader shares a powerful vision, if the leader is not someone who people will follow the vision will never be realized. As a leader, who you are makes a difference. The most important message you can share is yourself.
2. Trust is the force that connects people to the leader and his/her vision – Without trust there is a huge gap between the leader and the vision. Without trust people will stay off the bus. However if people trust the leader they will hop on the bus with the leader and help move the bus forward towards the vision.
3. Leadership is not just about what you do but what you can inspire, encourage and empower others to do.
4. A leader brings out the best within others by sharing the best within themselves.
5. Just because you’re driving the bus doesn’t mean you have the right to run people over – Abraham Lincoln said “Most anyone can stand adversity, but to test a man’s character give him power.” The more power you are granted the more it is your responsibility to serve, develop and empower others. When you help them grow they’ll help you grow.
6. “Rules without Relationship Leads to Rebellion” – Andy Stanley said this and it’s one of my favorite quotes. As a leader you can have all the rules you want but if you don’t invest in your people and develop a relationship with them they will rebel. This applies amazingly to children as well. It’s all about relationships.
7. Lead with optimism, enthusiasm and positive energy, guard against pessimism and weed out negativity.
8. Great Leaders know they don’t have all the answers. Rather they build a team of people who either know the answers or will find them.
9. Leaders inspire and teach their people to focus on solutions, not complaints. (The No Complaining Rule)
10. Great leaders know that success is a process not a destination - One of my heroes John Wooden, the legendary UCLA basketball coach, never focused on winning. He knew that winning was the by product of great leadership, teamwork, focus, commitment and execution of the fundamentals. As a leader focus on your people and process, not the outcome.
I hope that these ten things help you in your quest to be a better leader! May “Ridiculous” favor rest upon you today.
If I wasn’t a football coach, one thing I know I could never have tolerated was showing up for work and going through the same motions every day. No goals, no deadlines, nothing to shoot for….I don’t care what your business is – whether you’re running a company or a classroom or a Boy Scout troop. You need to find a way to instill game day urgency in everything you do. Because without it, ever day is just like every other day, everyone loses interest and then they lose focus.
Let’s look at the big picture first. In the off-season we lad out our entire year, with our eleven games as the focal point. We structured our entire program-everything we did, every single day – around those eleven game days. We blew that schedule up and plastered it on every wall we could find – all the meeting rooms, the weight room, all over the football building – and we did it for a reason: This is why we’re doing what we’re doing. This is the point.
When you were lifting weights, you weren’t just lifting weights – you were getting ready for our opening game against Notre Dame on September 16. When you were in a meeting, you weren’t just in a meeting, you were getting ready for Michigan State on October 14. And trust me, brother, when you were practicing, you weren’t just pushing sleds -no. You were getting ready for the Buckeyes of Ohio State on November 25.
Because otherwise, why are we working like dogs in the middle of February? How do you stay motivated to run sprints all spring? I’ll tell you why: Because we had Notre Dame on September 16! We had Michigan State on October 14! We had Ohio State on November 25!
We reminded them constantly why we were asking them to do what they were doing: to win those games. Nothing kept us more focus than knowing game day was coming up.
Look. I have no illusions. I was a football coach, not a CEO or a senator or substitute teacher. But I guarantee you this: If I were a CEO, I’d turn product launches into a Michigan State game, quarterly results into an Ohio State game, and annual reports into the Rose Bowl. Whatever I had to work with, I’d turn it into something to shoot for, into something for the entire organization to focus on, to create that upcoming game day urgency. No matter what field you’re in, you can do it – and you need to.
After reading this chapter in “Bo’s Lasting Lessons”, as a church leader I thought of a number of things that should motivate us and our people. I’m sure you can think of few yourself!
I hope this little leadership nugget is benificial today and maybe cause you to re-focus on what really matters in your life and why your really doing what your doing. May God bless you and may “Ridiculous” favor be upon you.
An elderly carpenter was ready to retire. He told his employer-contractor of his plans to leave the house-building to live a more leisurely life with his wife and enjoy his extended family. He would miss the paycheck each week, but he wanted to retire. They could get by.
The contractor was sorry to see his good worker go and asked if he could build just one more house as a personal favor. The carpenter said yes, but over time it was easy to see that his heart was not in his work. He resorted to shoddy workmanship and used inferior materials. It was an unfortunate way to end a dedicated career.
When the carpenter finished his work, his employer came to inspect the house. Then he handed the front-door key to the carpenter and said, “This is your house… my gift to you.”
The carpenter was shocked!
What a shame! If he had only known he was building his own house, he would have done it all so differently.
So it is with us. We build our lives, a day at a time, often putting less than our best into the building. Then, with a shock, we realize we have to live in the house we have built. If we could do it over, we’d do it much differently.
But, you cannot go back. You are the carpenter, and every day you hammer a nail, place a board, or erect a wall. Someone once said, “Life is a do-it-yourself project.” Your attitude, and the choices you make today, help build the “house” you will live in tomorrow. Build wisely! – (Author Unknown)
February 15, 1942 the fall of Singapore was announced to Britain and the world by Winston Churchill. In a 23-minute broadcast, his first in over six months, Churchill said that the loss of Singapore was a “heavy and far-reaching defeat”. Invoking Dunkirk, he called for unity and warned that only weakness of purpose “can rob the united nations of victory”. The prime minister added: “This is one of those moments when the British race can show it’s quality and its genius, when it can draw from the heart of misfortune the vital impulse of victory.”
It’s our purpose that drives us. Weakness of purpose is killing this generation. Paul said: Phil 3:12 Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect: but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus. More men fail for the lack of purpose than the lack of talent.
There is a story involving Yogi Berra, the well-known catcher for the New York Yankees, and Hank Aaron, who at that time was the chief power hitter for the Milwaukee Braves. The teams were playing in the World Series, and as usual Yogi was keeping up his ceaseless chatter, intended to pep up his teammates on the one hand, and distract the Milwaukee batters on the other. As Aaron came to the plate, Yogi tried to distract him by saying, “Henry, you’re holding the bat wrong. You’re supposed to hold it so you can read the trademark.” Aaron didn’t say anything, but when the next pitch came he hit it into the left-field bleachers. After rounding the bases and tagging up at home plate, Aaron looked at Yogi Berra and said, “I didn’t come up here to read.”
Purpose will give us power to get up and do something with our lives. What have you come to do today? Be sure you have some reasons, because as Churchill said, only a weaken purpose will cost you the victory.
I read this interesting little piece by Alex Gondola Jr. and thought I’d share this seeing that Thanksgiving is upon us:
The Pilgrims had the courage to act on their commitments, no matter what.
Do we?
Sociologist Robert Bellah, author of Habits of the Heart, is impressed by the power of religion. He once said, “We should not underestimate the significance of the small group of people who have a new vision of a just and gentle world. The quality of a culture may be changed when two percent of its people have a new vision (and act on it).”
Christians make up far more than two percent of our town, far more than two percent of Massachusetts, far more than two percent of Americans. So, why don’t we have a greater effect: on issues of the environment, on justice for the needy, on the quality of life on Cape Cod? Could it be we need more courage to act on our commitments? To be a Pilgrim means to stand up for what you believe, no matter what.
To be a Pilgrim also means sharing what you have, and turning thanks into giving. The Pilgrim colonists willingly shared all they had. During their first three years, all property was held in common. At one point, they were down to five kernels of corn per day for food. Still, they divided the corn kernels up equally. And, the original group of fifty that survived the first winter shared their limited food with the sixty newcomers who arrived in the spring.
One of their finest moments came in 1623, at the first real Thanksgiving. The small colony hosted over ninety Native American braves for three days. There was eating and drinking, wrestling, footraces, and gun and arrow-shooting competitions. It was the Pilgrims’ way of saying “Thank you” to God, and to the Native Americans who had helped them survive. To be a Pilgrim means sharing and turning thanks into giving. How thankful and giving are we?
We all have fell into the abyss of can’t remember. It’s not fun when you’re desperately seeking something and simply for the life you can’t remember where it was or where you left it. Sometimes it’s through our frustrations and disappointments that we start remembering.
Life has a way of catching us becoming thankless and ungrateful. It’s been my observation that toward the end when time and age has caught up with us and disappointments are many that we’ll eventually start remembering things that we should have been thankful for and wasn’t or things that we should have been happy about and wasn’t.
It’s like the old traditional story of the preacher that trades his bicycle for a lawnmower. He had moved to a new church. This particular church didn’t have a lawnmower so he was looking for somebody to either mow the lawn or sell him a used lawnmower. One day he saw this young man going by pushing a lawnmower. So the preacher asked him, “Hey, looking for a job?” The young man said, “Sure.” It turned out that he was mowing yards and trying to earn enough money to buy a bicycle. Being a young preacher and not really minding mowing the yard himself, he told the young man that he had a 10 speed bicycle that he didn’t ride much anymore and would trade him the bike for his lawnmower.
Well, the young man was ecstatic. They swapped and the young man took off on the bicycle. He rode around the block and came back to see the preacher standing in the same place wiping sweat off his brow. The preacher waved the boy over and said, “Hey, I’ve pulled on this rope a half a dozen times and this lawn mower just won’t start.”
The young man said, “Preacher, I hate to tell you this but it’s a special kind of lawnmower. You have to cuss it to get it to start.”
The preacher looked at him and said, “Well, I’ve been in the ministry so long I don’t think I can remember how to cuss.”
The young man grinned and said, “Pull on the rope some more and it’ll come back to you.”
Now I’m not advocating cussing, but if you live long enough, things will start coming back to you. I imagine it will be things that you should have been thankful for and wasn’t or things you should have been happy about and wasn’t. During this time of the year see how many things you can be thankful for and see how little you can complain about.
I hope each of you had a wonderful Thanksgiving. It seems that the years are getting shorter and shorter the older I get. We’ve moved out of one holiday and now we turn our attention toward Christmas. Recently I read a cute little story about Christmas that I’d like to share.
Back during World War II, four young American soldiers who had been on the front lines of battle for some time, were sent back away from the fighting to a small French village for a little R & R. When they arrived safely in the village, they suddenly realized that it was Christmas Eve. They began to discuss how they would like to spend Christmas. One of the soldiers said, “You know, as we were coming into town earlier today, I noticed an orphanage on the outskirts of the village. Why don’t we go there in the morning and take some Christmas joy to those children?” The others liked the idea and the more they talked about it, the more excited they became. So they went out and bought all kinds of toys and candy and clothing, food and books and games, and early the next morning, they showed up at the front door of the orphanage with wonderful Christmas presents for all the children.
The orphanage director was pleased and all the children were delighted as they opened their gifts. All the children that is, except for one little girl who stood quietly off to the side. She appeared to be 5 or 6 years old and her face looked so very sad. One of the American soldiers noticed that she was not participating, and he asked the orphanage director about the little girl. “O, bless her heart,” said the director, “We just got her last week. Both of her parents were killed in a car wreck. There was no one to take her in, so we brought her here.”
The soldier went over to the little girl and gently he said to her, “It’s Christmas morning and we have wonderful Christmas presents here: toys, clothes, candy, food, books, puzzles. Which would you like? What do you want most for Christmas?” And the little girl said, “I want somebody to hold me.”
Maybe that is the best Christmas gift of all, someone to hold us. As somebody once put it, “Rich is not what you have. It’s who you have beside you.” Christmas is just a reminder that “Love Came Down” and wrapped it’s arm around each of us. Have a blessed weekend.
Victor Frankl: “If we take man as he is we make him worse, but….if we over estimate man….. we promote him to what he really can be. If you don’t recognize…. man’s search for meaning, you make him worse you make him dull, you make him frustrated…
The church is built upon revelation. And it’s revelation that give us keys to the kingdom and with these keys we have the power to bind and to loose some things. Some people spend so much time binding and never realize that they have an equal opportunity to loose some things. God is a multifaceted God, so the longer that you walk with God the more you should find out about God. This is why God never becomes boring. Ritualism can become boring, you can become boring, church can become boring, but if your walking with God in a relationship you’ll find out that he is full of surprises.
God is not an equation to be figured out, He is a God to be experienced. One thing that we must understand about God being experienced is that He can’t be experienced where He is not discerned as being present. You cannot worship God if you think He’s on His way or will be here in the near future. He must be discerned as being present.
We all understand that God is everywhere, but to worship Him you cannot just believe that He is everywhere. You must believe that He is here. Worshiping God is about getting God into our present moment. Worship is not the music that we play or something that we do while we wait on the late people to make their fashionable arrival. Worship is a responsibility that we must as individuals take ownership of, because it is impossible for someone else to worship God for me and after all this is what we were created for anyway.
Before I sign off today and get carried away typing about worship, which I could surely continue for sometime. I feel compelled to share a story that relates to worship.
During the 1976 Winter Olympics Dorthy Hamill was in the middle of one of her figure skating routines when suddenly the music stopped. The crowd looked eagerly to see exactly what Dorthy’s response would be during this unfortunate happening. As they watched intently they noticed something that they were least expecting and that was she continued skating. Her routine wasn’t about the music, but what was in her heart.
This is really what the whole idea of worship comes down to. And I assume we find out if it’s really in our hearts if we can keep skating after the music.
Today I want to give you something that really set my mind to thinking. This comes from an editorial by Mark Stevens who is a CEO for MSCO. It’s quite thought provoking for leaders and those in organizations. It’s entitled, “The Flag on the Moon” – I hope you enjoy.
On these luminous full-moon autumn nights, I look up at the lunar surface and I am happy to know that an American flag is planted there. Sometimes I wonder why this gives me a sense of pride. It is 240,000 miles away, no one sees it, no one salutes it. It is as if it isn’t there. But my heart and my mind tell me differently. Sometimes you don’t have to see something for it to move you.
As I think about it, old glory on the moon is a symbol, an icon, all of us can learn from. A symbol of vision, creativity, determination, drive, bravado, courage–all rolled up into the meteor of human achievement. It is a metaphor for how magnificent achievements are accomplished not only in space but in business, science, the arts and in our personal lives if we are driven to make a difference.
1. John Kennedy came out of nowhere and pledged to put a man on the moon in a decade. He didn’t take a poll on whether it was wise or not, popular or viewed as a waste of money. He simply trumpeted it to the world. And he didn’t say we would get it done in a reasonable amount of time or any other kind of equivocation. He said a decade. Period.
This is leadership. This is the opposite of the followership, and the focus on consensus building I often see posing as leadership. There is no room for second guessing, naysaying or stalling. The leader called for an American flag on the moon within a decade. And it would be done.
2. The smartest minds in the world went about addressing the most complex challenge mankind had ever assumed. They put aside their personal agendas and their traditional rivalries. They acted in concert around a profound and exhilarating goal.
I walk into companies around the world and find them wracked by animosities, politics, second-guessing, even sabotages. Every new idea is greeted with fear, disdain and resistance. The vast amount of energy generated by the human beings at work in the company is directed at blocking and frustrating each other as opposed to finding and leveraging opportunities in the marketplace.
This is the kiss of death for innovation. For genuine achievement.
3. A new breed of people, astronauts, raised their hands and strode gallantly and fearlessly into the unknown. They wanted nothing more than to be strapped into new and untested technology and blasted, all alone, into the depths of space.
A leader set out the vision of a magnificent goal, a team of geniuses figured out how to make the dream a reality and a cadre of brave hearts enlisted for the mission.
This is how wonderful things get done in life. It doesn’t have to be as grand in scope and sweeping in drama as the national drive that placed an American flag on the moon. It is how companies, small and large, take ideas and turn them into wonderful successes, both small and large. It’s not the size that matters but the drive to achieve that is the winning syndrome.
Great quote I read recently: “Let the past be a servant for making the future more enjoyable and more profitable.” — Jim Rohn
The late Peter Marshall was an eloquent speaker and for several years served as the chaplain of the US Senate. He used to love to tell the story of the “Keeper of the Spring,” a quiet forest dweller who lived high above an Austrian village along the eastern slope of the Alps.
The old gentleman had been hired many years earlier by a young town councilman to clear away the debris from the pools of water up in the mountain crevices that fed the lovely spring flowing through their town. With faithful, silent regularity, he patrolled the hills, removed the leaves and branches, and wiped away the silt that would otherwise have choked and contaminated the fresh flow of water. The village soon became a popular attraction for vacationers. Graceful swans floated along the crystal clear spring, the mill wheels of various businesses located near the water turned day and night, farmlands were naturally irrigated, and the view from restaurants was picturesque beyond description.
Years passed. One evening the town council met for its semiannual meeting. As they reviewed the budget, one man’s eye caught the salary figure being paid the obscure keeper of the spring. Said the keeper of the purse, “Who is the old man? Why do we keep him on year after year? No one ever sees him. For all we know, the strange ranger of the hills is doing us no good. He isn’t necessary any longer.” By a unanimous vote, they dispensed with the old man’s services.
For several weeks, nothing changed.
By early autumn, the trees began to shed their leaves. Small branches snapped of and fell into the pools, hindering the rushing flow of sparkling water. One afternoon someone noticed a slight yellowish-brown tint in the spring. A few days later, the water was much darker. Within another week, a slimy film covered sections of the water along the banks, and a foul odor was soon detected. The mill wheels moved more slowly, some finally ground to a halt. Swans left, as did the tourists. Clammy fingers of disease and sickness reached deeply into the village.
Quickly, the embarrassed council called a special meeting. Realizing their gross error in judgment, they rehired the old keeper of the spring, and within a few weeks, the veritable river of life began to clear up. The wheels started to turn, and new life returned to the hamlet in the Alps.
Never become discouraged with the seeming smallness of your task, job, or life. Cling fast to the words of Edward Everett Hale: “I am only one, but still I am one. I cannot do everything, but still I can do something; and because I cannot do everything, I will not refuse to do something I can do. ” The key to accomplishment is believing that what you can do will make a difference.
Below you’ll find an article that I read recently by the leadership guru John Maxwell. This article had some really good points in it that I felt compelled to share with the readers of the blog. I hope you enjoy!
A Life That Counts Is Determined By:
1. The Relationships That I Form
Relationships help us to define who we are and what we can become. Most people can trace their failures or successes to pivotal relationships. That’s because all relationships involve transference. When we interact with others we exchange energy, emotions, ideas, and values. Some relationships reinforce our values and uplift us; while others undercut our convictions and drain us. While we cannot choose every relationship in our lives, on the whole, we get to select those who are closest to us.
Relationship Rules
Get along with yourself
The one relationship you will have until you die is yourself.
Value people
You cannot make another person feel important if you secretly feel that he or she is a nobody.
Make the effort to form relationships
The result of a person who has never served others? Loneliness.
Understand the Reciprocity Rule
Over time, people come to share reciprocal, similar attitudes toward each other.
Follow the Golden Rule
The timeless principle: treat others the way you want to be treated.
2. The Decisions That I Make
Good decisions sometimes reap dividends years into the future, while bad decisions have a way of haunting us. John Wooden, encourages leaders to, “Make every day your masterpiece.” Two ingredients are necessary for each day to be a masterpiece: decisions and discipline. I like to think of decisions as goal-setting and discipline as goal-getting. Decisions and discipline cannot be separated because one is worthless without the other.
Good Decisions – Daily Discipline = A Plan without Payoff
Daily Discipline – Good Decisions = Regimentation without Reward
Good Decisions + Daily Discipline = A Masterpiece of Success
3. The Experiences That I Encounter
In addition to relationships and decisions, our lives are shaped by pivotal experiences. Whether triumphs or tragedies, our lives are molded by a shortlist of prominent experiences. Perhaps we receive a long-awaited promotion or we’re suddenly let go from a job. Perhaps a loved one passes away, or a newborn baby enters our lives. These experiences immerse us in emotions and challenge our convictions. They may even reveal our purpose in life.
Oftentimes, we’re defined not so much in the moment of experience itself as in our response to the experience. Do we quit or rebound? Do we harbor bitterness or choose to forgive? Do we blame or improve? Whatever the case, the experiences in our lives profoundly touch us.
1. Evaluate experience Experience isn’t the best teacher. Evaluated experience is the best teacher. Learn from mistakes and victories alike. Draw upon experiences to grow and gain wisdom.
2. Manage the emotional aspects of experience
Pivotal moments come with a flood of emotions – at times positive, and at times negative. Teach yourself to counteract negative feelings and learn to harness the momentum of positive emotions.
3. Share them through storytelling
Experiences are my richest repositories of teaching material. Make a habit of sharing the lessons learned from the experiences that have shaped your life and your leadership.
The 2006 Kentucky Derby was a blowout. A horse named Barbaro took the lead in America’s most famous race and left every other horse in the dust. Barbaro won the Kentucky Derby by an astonishing 6 1/2 lengths! Many thought that horse could go on to be one of the few who has ever won the Triple Crown of three championship races. Sadly, an injury ended that dream. But it didn’t take away the glory of Barbaro’s dramatic Kentucky Derby victory. The horse was only part of the story that day. In some ways, the bigger story was that of Barbaro’s trainer, Michael Matz. Eighteen years earlier, Michael Matz had been a passenger on an airplane flight that crashed in an Iowa cornfield. During the flight, he had struck up conversations with three young children who were traveling that day without their parents. Then came the crash. Many died that day as the plane caught fire. Survivors were struggling to find a way out of the burning wreckage, but all Michael Matz could think about was those three children. He risked his life to find all of them and bring them out alive. And on that day, when the horse Michael trained crossed that finish line, there was jubilant celebrating in the box where he was watching. Michael Matz, his wife, and the three (now grownup) children whose lives he had saved eighteen years before.
I hope that we aren’t content to just get out of the burning wreckage of sin ourselves. What is going to make heaven that much sweeter is that you have one there beside you when you cross over. As you look at the legacy of your life so far, do you see many people that you have pointed to Jesus? Can you see some folks who will be in heaven because you were part of helping them go there?
This was a little interesting thing I found written by Jim Estill. It is entitled, “10 ways to learn faster” – Seeing that knowledge is power it would probably do us all some good to pick up on some of these tips in 2009.
1) Repeat: Sometimes some of the things I need to learn are a little bit boring and I found the best way to learn them is through repetition. Space it over a bit of time for even better retention.
2) Use multiple senses: I learn when I listen to an audio program. I learn better when I listen to an audio program and make notes.
3) Take a speed-reading course: I have found that the greatest source of knowledge is through reading so it only makes sense to use the tool of speed-reading. Some people say they don’t want to speed-read because they enjoy reading. Trust me, speed-reading does not take out the enjoyment of reading. If anything, it enhances it because you can read more. Others do not want to speed-read because they feel their comprehension will decrease; however, it won’t. Trust me your comprehension will actually increase if you speed-read.
Consider speed-reading to be one of the best long-term investments that you can make.
4) Practise learning: I have a belief that we have multiple areas and facets of our mind and we tend to not exercise many parts of it. As a result I tend to do exercises for my mind outside of the area that I normally study. For example, I am not naturally a musical person so if I would try to do something musical, that stretches my mind. For some people, it might be learning a foreign language.
5) Exercise: I have read a lot on how to make a brain better and one of the repeated themes is to be healthy. The simplest of things is to create movement and exercise. This is everything from small passive movements to active engaged exercise. This is something I practise well.
6) Eat right: Eat nutritious food so that it will fuel your brain.
7) Sleep right — yes, I finally said it. In my earlier time management seminars I often preached that sleep was for wimps. I have now changed my mind and believe that a lack of sleep causes a lack of learning, lack of memory, lack of retention and it just is not healthy. Because I want to be so involved in the world, it often bothers me that I have to sleep and I am afraid that I will miss things. I am not purposing that people over-sleep and I think seven hours is adequate for most people; but I do believe cutting sleep to less than five or six hours on a consistent basis is a bad idea.
Change: I find that learning for me tends to max out after I have been absorbed in something for a period of time. The easiest way for me to get around this is to change something else. It doesn’t mean that I can’t start learning something different but I tend to lose my focus, lose my learning energy after about 20 or 30 minutes. (I might be ADD.)
9) Have a learning plan: Like everything I do in life, having a plan helps me to move forward on things. There is no reason not to have a learning plan. What are the things that you want to learn, what are some tricks that will help you learn them?
10) Copy: One of the easiest ways to learn is to copy what others do and how other people learn. Simply copying how other people do things is often enough to get things done.
Some of you fine people have been asking about putting more family pictures on the blog so I decided to add a few. Be blessed.
Lincoln showing off his new teeth!
Mr. Personality trying to get a laugh out of you! (Harrison)
God has truly been good to me! I would have posted some pics of myself & Charidy, but it seems like the boys are taking up all the film time these days. I couldn’t find anything recent enough. Maybe after Christmas. Love you all and may “Ridiculous” favor be upon all of you.
Lucy: Aren’t the clouds beautiful? They look like big balls of cotton. I could just lie here all day and watch them drift by. If you use your imagination, you can see lots of things in the cloud’s formations. What do you think you see, Linus?
Linus: Well, those clouds up there look to me look like the map of the British Honduras on the Caribbean. [points up]
Linus: That cloud up there looks a little like the profile of Thomas Eakins, the famous painter and sculptor. And that group of clouds over there…[points]
Linus:…gives me the impression of the Stoning of Stephen. I can see the Apostle Paul standing there to one side.
Lucy: Uh huh. That’s very good. What do you see in the clouds, Charlie Brown?
Charlie Brown: Well… I was going to say I saw a duckie and a horsie, but I changed my mind.
Ps 92:12 The righteous shall flourish like the palm tree……..
It’s not easily uprooted
You can cut, but you can’t kill it
The palm will bend, but it will not break
The fruit of the palm shall flourish
In order to kill a palm, just place it in the cold
I hope you had a great Christmas. Myself and family have been blessed and have enjoyed the time with the kinfolks. We’re looking forward to a great 2009! May ridiculous favor and blessing rest up you and yours.
1 Cor 13:9 For we know in part, and we prophesy in part. 10 But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away. 11 When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things.
Ten things I’ve observed about mature people:
The Quality Of Their Stability – Mature people are not up and down, hot and cold, love you and hate you, save and not saved, want to be involved, don’t want to be involved.
The ability to live life while they have questions – Life becomes more complicated the more you live. As a child you need simple answers to hard question. There are some things that are not always black or white – or yes or no – Mature people understand that and will endure things without getting any answers!
Have the Ability to Function within Structure - You’d be amazed at how easy it is to find mature people – simply by adding structure to something! Mature people like structure.
Recognize the Need for Accountability – Children have to have accountability and authority forced upon them. Because they’re not mature enough to recognize the fact they need it
They know the Difference Between Discretion & Transparency – You have to exercise discretion in life. Children will tell everybody everything When you’re immature you just spill you’re guts to everybody – and when you’re mature you don’t tell your business to everybody. Most of the time we just tell this stuff to the convenient people. They just happen to be there, when we got hurt, slighted or just need to vent.
Understand the Ordering of Relationships – Children don’t know how to prioritize their relationships. This is why they can meet somebody for 15 minutes and they aren’t stranger anymore. It takes some life experiences to realize that everybody does not belong on the same level in your life.
They’ve Learned How to Hear the Word of God Objectively – They know how to take the Word and apply it to their life. When you take things in the word of God and twist the things that you hear to fit your life style or to validate what you want to do.
They Have Transcendent Thinking – Everything isn’t about you. You come to church and you don’t come for your own good, but you come to actually worship God. It’s transcendent thinking.
They Value Counsel & Correction – Most people don’t want counsel. They keep asking people until they find somebody that will agree with them. No correction seems valuable at the time.
They are Able to Work with Imperfection Until Perfection Comes. – There is no perfect church, no perfect job, no perfect husband, and no perfect wife. Mature people are able to work with imperfection until that which is perfect shall come.
Resolutions are good, especially if there are changes we need to make in our lives. I heard about one poor guy who dialed his girlfriend and got the following recording: “I am not available right now, but thank you for caring enough to call. I am making some changes in my life. Please leave a message after the beep. If I do not return your call, you are one of the changes.”
Think about some things that you might wish to change in 2009.I’m sure there are things that all of us can think about this and actually try this coming year.I pray that our resolutions aren’t like that guy I heard of named George. He said to a friend: “There’s nothing like getting up at six in the morning, going for a run around the park, and taking a brisk shower before breakfast.” His friend Bob asked, “How long have you been doing this?” George said: “I start tomorrow.”
As you travel into the New Year why don’t you take one last little story with you?
A certain king had two servants. To the first he said, “I want you to travel for six months through my kingdom and bring back a sample of every weed you can find.” To the second servant the king said, “I want you to travel through my kingdom for six months and bring back a sample of every flower you can find.” Six months later, both servants stood before the king. To the first, the king asked, “Have you carried out my command?” The first servant answered, I have, and I was amazed to find there were so many weeds in the kingdom. In fact, there is nothing but weeds in this kingdom!”
To the king’s question the second servant also answered, “I have, and I am amazed how many beautiful flowers there are in the kingdom. In fact, there is nothing but beautiful flowers in this kingdom!”
These two servants each found what they were looking for. So do we.
2 Tim 2:20 But in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and of silver, but also of wood and of earth; and some to honour, and some to dishonour. 21 If a man therefore purge himself from these, he shall be a vessel unto honour, sanctified, and meet for the master’s use, and prepared unto every good work.
2 Sam 3:1 Now there was long war between the house of Saul and the house of David: but David waxed stronger and stronger, and the house of Saul waxed weaker and weaker.
God is calling us to be a great house and if we are going to be a great house then we are going to have all kinds of people in this house. There will be some to honor and some to dishonor. In other words in the church there will some that have it all together, then there will be those that don’t have everything exactly right.
I’ve come to realize that if I’m going to be apart of a church that everybody is the same, then I’m going to be apart of a small church. It’s in a great house where there is all kinds of vessels. Now this isn’t an excuse to live a life of dishonor , for the Bibles says that we should purge ourselves of these things, but not everyone is going to pursue this. It’s in the kingdom of God that He desires vessels of honor.
Now speaking here about the house we must understand that a house is a physical structure and it has foundation, walls, ceilings, doors and roof. In the Word of God if someone was to speak of the house of something or an individual it could have meant or been speaking of a bloodline. For example: The House of David. When this statement is made it is speaking of similar DNA or similar belief system, philosophy, values and principles. Notice that the scripture says that the house of David grew stronger and stronger, but the house of Saul grew weaker and weaker. This isn’t speaking about a house that someone lives in or even the bloodline of, but written to a group of people that had ascribed to there leadership.
During this writing David hadn’t had any great bloodline yet and Saul has at this time only a few children. So how does one house grow greater and greater and one grow weaker and weaker. I personally don’t think that this has anything to do with somebody having more children than someone else, but the people aligned themselves to the values, principles and belief system of either David or Saul
Those aligning themselves with the values, principles and beliefs of David were out numbering those that was ascribing to the values of Saul. Today in your daily routine why don’t you think about the things that separated the nature of these two men. I think you will then see why one grew stronger, while the other grew weaker.
The below leadership tips were taking from the Career Builders website. I hope you enjoy!
In leading your organization, there will be times when everything just seems to be clicking, where all that you touch turns to gold and people sing your praises. And then there will be moments like most of us are currently experiencing, when the chips are down.
If one word could describe the state of everything right now, it would be uncertainty.
The stock market. The economy as a whole. World affairs. Retirement. Energy sources. Real estate. Healthcare. Politics. Corporate earnings. Maybe even the future status of your job or company. Uncertainty is all around. And it can easily derail your leadership efforts.
If your communications during these moments are inconsistent with what you say in times of smooth sailing, your vision will become clouded and those you are leading will doubt your abilities, losing faith in your efforts.
In the days immediately following the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center, the United States experienced great levels of uncertainty. Many wondered just how secure national security truly was. Questions abounded on how badly the economy would suffer. And doubts of whether New York City could fully recover from the aftermath were not uncommon. But at the center of this tragedy was a consistency of leadership that, politics aside, pushed the city, and the nation, through it all.
While it is unlikely your role as a leader will ever include a series of events as tumultuous as 9/11, it is certain that your organization will experience uncertainty of varying degrees. To fully realize your vision, regardless of how certain or uncertain everything may be, your communication must have exceptional, consistent clarity.
Don’t Let Circumstance Dictate Your Overall Message – “The only limit to our realization of tomorrow will be our doubts of today,” said former U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt. FDR’s unprecedented three terms as president included the Great Depression, Pearl Harbor and World War II. Despite these overwhelming circumstances, the message Roosevelt consistently offered was one that did not get caught up in the details of the current day, which was filled with doubts, fears and uncertainty. Instead, he focused on communicating about working for a new and better tomorrow. With this mindset, he created long-lasting social reforms, commanded a war victory and ushered in a new era of world peace.
Stick to Your Guns – Remembering what set your vision in motion, and the goals you set in place provides a true north no matter what set of circumstances, good or bad, fall into your path. Remind your subordinates of these values regularly through different avenues of communication, and never abandon them. “There are many qualities that make a great leader. But having strong beliefs, being able to stick with them through popular and unpopular times, is the most important characteristic of a great leader,” former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani explains.
Be Candid – When dealing with uncertainty, it is important to remain positive, but avoid wearing the proverbial rose-colored glasses by pretending things are not as bad as they seem. Acknowledge the challenges that have arisen, and the difficulties that will be experienced in trying to overcome them. But at the same time, keep your team focused on getting to the end of the tunnel despite how dark the current stretch might be. Be real with the issues, but not pessimistic about them—engineer your train toward the light with constant encouragement.
Avoid Overreacting – In his book Leadership, Giuliani writes, “Part of leadership is harnessing your passions in a way that serves your goals—my father’s advice: stay calm.” Any time uncertainty roams amid the minds of your subordinates, a series of emotions is sure to pour out, which can often lead to negative reactions. While you should be sensitive to your team’s concerns, do not let them overwhelm the matter by setting the example of keeping everything in check. Likewise, when things are going well, do not get caught up in the success moment, keeping yourself and your subordinates grounded and focused on the vision.
Avoid Detachment – While it is important to keep emotions in check, people look up to a leader who reacts like any human would, not one who seems detached. Giuliani follows up his previous thought with this statement: “Another part of leadership is retaining your humanity. The anger I felt, and continue to feel, about the attacks on the World Trade Center is healthy. The challenge was to put it to work in ways that would make me a stronger, better leader.” Communicating your feelings on circumstances rather than simply acting on them is important. Share your thoughts on matters, in both good times and bad, and do it face-to-face with the people you are leading, allowing a type of interaction that other methods do not.
1. Stay Positive. You can listen to the cynics and doubters and believe that success is impossible or you can know that with faith and an optimistic attitude all things are possible.
2. When you wake up in the morning complete the following statement: My purpose is_______________________.
3. Take a morning walk of gratitude. It will create a fertile mind ready for success.
4. Instead of being disappointed about where you are think optimistically about where you are going.
5. Eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince and dinner like a college kid with a maxed out charge card.
6. Transform adversity into success by deciding that change is not your enemy but your friend. In the challenge discover the opportunity.
7. Make a difference in the lives of others.
8. Believe that everything happens for a reason and expect good things to come out of challenging experiences.
9. Don’t waste your precious energy on gossip, energy vampires, issues of the past, negative thoughts or things you cannot control. Instead invest your energy in the positive present moment.
10. Mentor someone and be mentored by someone.
11. Live with the 3 E’s. Energy, Enthusiasm, Empathy.
12. Remember there’s no substitute for hard work.
13. Zoom Focus. Each day when you wake up in the morning ask: “What are the three most important things I need to do today that will help me create the success I desire?” Then tune out all the distractions and focus on these actions.
14. Instead of complaining focus on solutions. It’s the key to innovation.
15. Read more books than you did in 2008.
16. Learn from mistakes and let them teach you to make positive changes.
17. Focus on “Get to” vs “Have to.” Each day focus on what you get to do, not what you have to do. Life is a gift not an obligation.
18. Each night before you go to bed complete the following statements: I am thankful for __________. Today I accomplished____________.
19. Smile and laugh more. They are natural anti-depressants.
20. Enjoy the ride. You only have one ride through life so make the most of it and enjoy it.
I came across this article written by: Jon Gordon. It’s quit interesting to note that we must create a culture in our offices and staff members that is enjoyable and fosters a winning attitude, before we can win anywhere else. We must find ways to make this happen. Basically this article just tells us of the importance of this mindset.
“You win in the locker room first. Then you win on the field.”
This is a message I’ll be sharing as I speak to the US Lacrosse Convention in Baltimore this coming Friday. It’s also a message I share with as many leaders as possible, although with a little different wording. I often say that “You win in the building first. Then you win in the market place.”
Whether we’re talking sports, business, education, healthcare, etc. the key to success is to build a winning team first. Of course this seems obvious but with increasing pressure to reach certain targets and goals and a challenging economy it’s easy for leaders and their teams to become outward focused on numbers and outcomes rather than inward focused on building the right environment, culture, attitude and synergy.
We must remember that it’s not the numbers that drive the people but the people and team that drive the numbers. The power comes from the inside and then it extends outward. Just as physical trainers will tell you that to build a strong body you must build your core, to build a strong organization you must build your core foundation-consisting of your people and team. Without a strong core you’ll have weak energy, weak performance and weak results.
Now more than ever it’s time to energize your people, communicate with them, invite them “on the bus” and move them in the right direction with a shared vision, focus and purpose. Negativity and fear are knocking your people off balance. It’s time to regroup, refocus, reenergize and create a strong core. With a solid foundation and a winning team you create strength on the inside that can withstand the negativity, naysayers and adversity on the outside.
I saw this happen first hand with Atlanta Falcons this year. Coach Mike Smith built a winning team by making the team culture, attitude and synergy his priority. I was honored that he had me speak to the team during training camp and used The Energy Bus (all the players and coaches read the book) as a tool to create the team’s culture.
I also see it in schools and businesses every week. Just this past week I was speaking to Express Dental, a company in Tampa, FL that has experienced 40% growth in 2008 and is already growing in 2009. Yes in this economy. I spoke to them last year and afterward they let their “energy vampires” off the bus, hired a bunch of new and positive people, relentlessly focused on their culture and built a winning team. They are enjoying the fruit because they have focused on the root. You can do the same.
There are many recipes for building a winning team. The important thing is to implement one and make building a positive culture and a winning team your top priority.
One of the things about leadership is that if you don’t have the trust of the people that you lead you could be in for a very troubling and difficult adventure. Robert Huxley gives us 10 things that will either destroy trust or bring trust into our relationship with those that we lead or work with.
Risk tolerance: Some people are naturally risk takers, while others are just as naturally cautious.
Level of adjustment: Some people require a lot of time to develop trust, while others can embrace trust more quickly. Poorly adjusted people tend to perceive numerous threats in life.
Relative power: Those in positions of authority are more likely to trust than those who are not because those in roles of power can punish those who betray them. If people have little authority, they’re more vulnerable and less likely to trust.
Security: The higher the stakes, the harder it is for people to trust. It’s easier to trust if not much bad is apt to happen; for example, a tight rope 6 inches above the ground versus one 60 feet above the ground.
Number of similarities: We tend to trust people who are more like us, expressing similar values and common personality traits, than those who are not like us. The more different we are, the less apt we are to trust.
Alignment of interests: People want to know, “How apt is another person to look after my interests?” Leaders can’t assume that people in the organization have the same interests.
Benevolent concern: The problem among people is not so much evil as it is self-centeredness. People are more apt to trust you if they see that you’re willing to put others before yourself.
Capability: Competence is important. People are less apt to trust you, even if they like and are like you, if they sense you don’t have the capability it takes to lead.
Predictability and integrity: A person who’s consistent is more apt to be trusted than someone who’s unpredictable. Saying one thing and doing another creates distrust. Be careful not to over-promise.
Level of communication: Because trust is relational, open and honest communication is key. When there’s miscommunication, cover-up, secrets, and guardedness, people are less apt to trust.
Leadership “guru” Mark Stevens brought something out about achievers. And he comes to the conclusion that they all have known a set of facts and live by them.And if theses sets of facts are taken together, make exceptional people, exceptional.
Here is what they know:
* Life is short and long. Too short to worry about how long you will live. Long enough to accomplish great feats.
* Whatever you are doing well, you aren’t doing well enough. It is precisely those initiatives you are truly skilled at, that provide the greatest pathway to exceptionalism.
* It is always stupid to hold a grudge. It is always smart to have a dream.
* You must face your worst fears and in the process turn them into adventures.
* Risk is an essential element of businesses well-built and lives well-lived.
* Whenever you feel that everything is in place, the planets are aligned, all is good–the chess pieces will move while you are sleeping and you will need to address a scenario you least expected.
* A great education is a lifelong process that truly begins when the school years are over.
* You have less than 10 genuine friends.
* A sense of wonderment is among life’s most valuable assets.
* You cannot get “big” thinking small and you can’t ever think “too big”.
* You need to be your own best advisor. All of the others will disappoint you.
* What matters infinitely more than what you know, is what you don’t know.
* Ninety percent of what others tell you, the “facts” they present to you, are not true.
* In order to become a good skier, you must be willing to fall. And fall often.
* Hope does spring eternal. And usually disappoints.
* “Why” is the most important word in the dictionary.
Their financial, scientific, artistic skills and talents–what they are best known for–is not as important as “What They Know”.
A few months ago the Shuttle program was grounded for several weeks due to cracks in the fuel line. We are reminded about the tiny rubber o-ring about three-tenths of an inch wide. To look at a tiny o-ring that small would not impress anyone. And yet over twenty-years ago two of those rings were placed in the aft field joint of the Solid Rocket Booster to stop gases from escaping. Whether it was the unusually cold weather, a contaminate introduced into the zinc putty used on them, any number of potential compression problems, or human error during manufacturing, these two miniature o-rings failed to do what they were designed to do, and the Space Shuttle Challenger exploded before the watching world, 73 seconds into her flight, claiming the lives of all seven crew members.
It’s the little things. Tiny viruses the size of a pin head, heart valves no larger than a man’s thumbnail, single votes in an election, an ill-chosen word from a loved one – little things have tremendous power. Matthew 13 records the story Jesus told about the smallest thing His audience could identify with–a mustard seed. We should not underestimate the impact of little events.
Sometimes it takes just a little bit of patience to work with people. Sometimes it takes just a little bit of love to redeem a situation. Sometimes it takes just a little bit of grace to bring about healing. Sometimes it takes just a little bit of understanding to save a marriage.
I recently read an article about some pelicans in California. If you’ve ever seen pelicans in action, you know they’re great fishermen, or fisher-birds, I guess. These pelicans were hanging out near a fleet of fishing boats. The fishermen on the boats would pull into the little harbor, and clean the fish right on the spot, throwing the heads and the rest into the water. The pelicans picked up on this, and began eating the leftovers without having to go out fishing. And if you’re a pelican, that’s good eating. So for weeks, they just sat by the harbor and waited for the fishing boats to come in.
After a while, the fishermen found out they could sell the fish waste, and so they stopped chucking it into the water. The pelicans were caught unprepared. They continued to sit and wait for the fishing boats to come in and throw free food in the water. And they grew thinner and thinner and seemed able to do nothing about their situation.
Wildlife officials came to check out what was going on, and concluded that the pelicans had forgotten how to fish. So what they did was to bring pelicans in from another area to join the flock and teach the starving birds how to fish again.
When is a hollowed-out, well-worn, foot-long hunk of wood worth 3.5 million dollars? When it’s a hunk of wood that was carved into a violin 267 years ago by the renowned violin maker Guarneri del Gesu.
3.5 million dollars was the extraordinary value settled upon by the tiny cadre of great violin collectors when violinist Robert McDuffie put together a consortium of investors to purchase one of del Gesus’ almost mythically great instruments. The consortium has been assured that when the instrument is resold in 21 years, its value will be in the neighborhood of 24 million. Not a bad return on a 3.5 million investment.
Obviously the value of this, and other great violins, is not determined by any one factor. The value of the violin is not its age, not the quality of the tone it produces, not even the fact that it’s one of only 150 or so del Gesu violins officially authenticated.
The value of McDuffie’s violin, and of some of the other great del Gesu and Stradivarius instruments, is determined by an ephemeral and ever-changing configuration of factors. Any one of those factors may change at any time and radically alter one of these great instrument’s value. Investment researcher Jon Gertner, writing for collectors on the investment value of rare violins, warns about Five Violin Lessons that work together to determine the market value of these instruments (This Violin Is Worth $3.5 Million: Why?; Money June 2002, 148):
1. Age and rarity are not the source of value.
2. Brand name matters, whether it’s a stock, a school district, or a 17th century violin.
3. Value can change in an instant, without warning.
4. Value is shaped by perception – and perception is not free of personal prejudice.
5. When the world changes, the value of an object may change – even if the object itself remains exactly the same.
Art collectors have always counted on Lesson #3. Any serious collector stockpiles works by respected, noted living artists knowing full well that the moment that living artist becomes a dead artist, the value of his or her artwork will rise significantly. The pieces themselves have not changed. But because their creator is no longer creating, they’re now valued according to an entirely new set of rules.
I guess the point that jumps out at me the most is number 5. The world changes, the value of an object may change – even if the object itself remains exactly the same. In a world that is forever changing, it becomes more imperative that we find things that remain the same. Things that remain the same increase in value greatly the more our world changes.
Seven Classic Ways to Top Achievement: Napoleon Hill’s Principles “Whatever the mind can conceive and believe, it can achieve,” said Napoleon Hill, the legendary personal-development expert and author. For most of his life, Hill lived with the conviction that every failure carried with it the seed of equivalent advantage. Here are seven of his principles for extraordinary achievement:
Definiteness of Purpose. Definiteness of purpose is the starting point of all achievement. Without a purpose and a plan, people drift aimlessly through life.
Mastermind Alliance. The Mastermind principle consists of an alliance of two or more minds working in perfect harmony for the attainment of a common definite objective. Success does not come without the cooperation of others.
Applied Faith. Faith is a state of mind through which your aims, desires, plans and purposes may be translated into their physical or financial equivalents.
Pleasing Personality. Personality is the sum of one’s mental, spiritual and physical traits and habits that distinguish one from all others. It is the factor that determines whether one is liked or disliked by others.
Personal Initiative. Personal initiative is the power that inspires the completion of that which one begins. It is the power that starts all action. No person is free until he learns to do his own thinking and gains the courage to act on his own.
Positive Mental Attitude. Positive mental attitude is the right mental attitude in all circumstances. Success attracts more success, while failure attracts more failure.
Enthusiasm. Enthusiasm is faith in action. It is the intense emotion known as burning desire. It comes from within, although it radiates outwardly in the expression of one’s voice and countenance.
Have you heard the story about the bride who was extremely nervous on her wedding day?
She confided to her minister that she was not sure she could make it all the way down the aisle without shaking or crying. So the minister, a seasoned veteran of weddings, gave her a bit of advice.
“When you begin your walk,” he said, “just remember this three-point formula: First, look straight down the aisle; second, when you get about half-way, look straight up at the altar; and third, when you get near the front of the church, look straight at your groom. First the aisle, then the altar, then him. I think this will help relieve your nervousness.”
The trembling bride agreed to try his advice. And it worked beautifully. She walked with a radiant glow on her face and poise and confidence in her step, with no sign of nervousness. However, there was one small problem. Imagine the surprise of the congregation as they heard her rhythmically repeating three words over and over as she preformed her bridal walk, “Aisle, altar, him!”
“Aisle, altar, him!” Well, the truth is, most brides don’t have a lot of luck in altering their husbands. But the good news of the Christian faith is that God can alter us!
The story is told of a little boy and his father. They were walking along a road when they came across a large stone. The boy looked at the stone and thought about it a little. Then he asked his father, “Do you think if I use all my strength, I can move that rock?” The father thought for a moment and said, “I think that if you use all your strength, you can do it.”
That was all the little boy needed. He ran over to the rock and began to push on it. He pushed and he pushed, so hard did he try that little beads of sweat appeared on his forehead. But the rock didn’t move – not an inch, not half an inch. After a while, the little boy sat down on the ground. His face had fallen. His whole body seemed to be just a lump there on the earth. “You were wrong,” he told his dad. “I can’t do it.”
His father walked over to him, knelt beside him, and put his arm around the boy’s shoulder. “You can do it,” he said. “You just didn’t use all your strength. You didn’t ask me to help.”
The world in which we live tells us that it is all up to us. It tells us that we have to be strong and independent. It tells us we can’t and shouldn’t count on anyone or anything else. And yet, what faith tells us is that we have a ready resource in God, strength for those who ask.
Below is a leadership tip from the book: “Toy Box Leadership”
Almost all us make the mistake of forcing a relationship that just isn’t right. When you force a square peg into a round hole, wrong personalities find the wrong positions. I read the the other day that Southwest Airlines have the best “out front” people serving customers and the best technical people teaching employees, resulting in everyone naturally fitting where they belong. We must continue to let people know the importance and value of the job their doing no matter how large are small. On the other hand, creating an unnecessary position for someone just to keep them onboard is not in anyone’s best interest either. If the position is not valuable to the company, remove it, but never demean the individual or their position in the process.
You may have heard the funny story about a four-star general who was flying over the Atlantic when his plane stopped for refueling in Iceland. The general was in a hurry, and when the process was taking longer than anticipated, he went to chew out the personnel involved in delaying him. He found a private who had finished fueling the plane and was now draining the toilets through a large hose. In a loud, threatening tone, the general began to criticize his job performance. The private interrupted and said, “Excuse me, sir, I’m a private, I’m stuck in Iceland in the winter, and I’m pumping sewage from an airplane. What can you possibly do to me that’s any worse?”
Sometimes we feel like that private, and sometimes leaders act like that general. Neither is healthy for the organization. Do not force anyone to fill a role against their wishes. If they do not embrace the changed role, the organization may not be able to retrain them, but forcing a fit is misery for all parities involved.
Too often leadership is seen in contractual terms.Contracts or other forms of expectations such as job descriptions are a normal and necessary part of the workplace, but more important in the life of any Christian leader there should be a covenant relationship. The best people working for an organization are people who have somewhat of a volunteer spirit on them.Volunteers do not need contracts, they need covenants. People need to belong not just legally but also spiritually.We as church leaders must move our relationships beyond a contract to a covenant relationship……..and transfer relationships from employer/employee to colleague.
As church leaders we must learn to expect the best from the people around us. People can and do usually change, grow and learn from mistakes and successes. A covenant relationship creates an environment for this kind of growth and development, because worth is not governed solely by the letter of the law or the bottom line.
In a way, it is the follower who ultimately determines the success or failure of the leader. And because of this, the goals of the organization is best met when the goals and needs of the people in the organization are being met.
A covenant relationship rest on shared commitments to ideas, values, and goals.The all-encompassing element of covenant relationships is FIDELITY (Loyalty).
Are most workers capable of doing more in the workplace? What workers are saying about themselves may truly surprise you. According to a study by William M. Mercer, Inc. 25% of workers stated they were capable of performing 50% more work! On average, all respondents estimated they could actually do 26% more work than they presently do.
So why don’t they? Over 33% mentioned a lack of adequate training and good supervision. About 33% of those surveyed specifically mentioned one or more of the following three statements. We have highlighted the stated reason in “red” followed by our own comments on why these are so harmful to morale and effectiveness. These problems are the direct result of poor leadership in an organization.
1. The lack of a reward for good performance. The right kind of rewards for good performance is a strong motivator. It shows appreciation and recognition for a “job well done”. For example, providing generic merit wages to all employees (whether they perform well or not) is an insult to high performers, and sends the message that good performance and poor performance are valued equally and rewarded evenly. A successful leader will find various and creative ways to reward those who excel and work effectively on the job. Remember that a reward does not always need to be monetary to be effective!
2. Not being involved in decision-making. This is a common problem in the workplace. Workers who are closest to the actual marketplace (and customers) are typically ignored and rarely consulted. On the other hand, individuals who are farther away from the customer or constituents tend to be the decision-makers. This is the end-result of an ineffective hierarchy and managerial arrogance. Yes, it takes time and patience to solicit “input and ideas” from various workers who may not be either managers or articulate. But, their experience and knowledge of the “trenches” is invaluable and will result in better decision-making. When employees are left out of the process, especially when a decision involves their work skills, it tells them they and their ideas don’t really matter. People who feel this way will not perform all the work they are fully capable of. Sound leaders learn how to tap into this powerful human resource and are able to greatly improve the quality of the decisions they make.
3. No opportunity for advancement. Imagine that you are an enthusiastic worker who has a deep desire to advance to another position within an organization. You receive rave reviews and are recognized as a good performer. Now imagine how you feel when a desirable position becomes open and someone is brought in from the “outside” to fill it! Also, imagine that you are not even considered or interviewed for the position. Unfortunately, this scenario happens thousands of times every day. It costs many organizations highly talented individuals who resentfully leave to pursue a career where they are appreciated and have opportunities for advancement. As a leader, it is essential for you to discover which employees have a strong desire for advancement and find ways to meet their needs. Recognizing and retaining talented people is essential to reach the organizations mission and achieve its vision.
The first job of any leader is to inspire trust. Trust is confidence born of two dimensions: character and competence. Character includes your integrity, motive, and intent with people. Competence includes your capabilities, skills, results, and track record. Both dimensions are vital.
With the increasing focus on ethics in our society, the character side of trust is fast becoming the price of entry in the new global economy. However, the differentiating and often ignored side of trust — competence — is equally essential. You might think a person is sincere, even honest, but you won’t trust that person fully if he or she doesn’t get results. And the opposite is true. A person might have great skills and talents and a good track record, but if he or she is not honest, you’re not going to trust that person either.
The best leaders then focus on making the creation of trust an explicit objective. It must become like any other goal that is focused on, measured, and improved. It must be communicated that trust matters to management and leadership. It must be expressed that it is the right thing to do and it is the economic thing to do. One of the best ways to do this is to make an initial baseline measurement of organizational trust and then to track improvements over time.
The true transformation starts with building credibility at the personal level. The foundation of trust is your own credibility, and it can be a real differentiator for any leader. A person’s reputation is a direct reflection of their credibility, and it precedes them in any interactions or negotiations they might have. When a leader’s credibility and reputation are high, it enables them to establish trust fast.
There are 4 Cores of Credibility, and it’s about all 4 Cores working in tandem—Integrity, Intent, Capabilities, and Results. Part of building trust is understanding — clarifying — what the organization wants and what you can offer them. Be the one that does that best. Then add to your credibility the kind of behavior that builds trust.
Portion of Article taken from: www.leadingtoday.org
It was during the early years of the National Football League. As the second quarter ended in the championship game between the Green Bay Packers and the New York Giants, Green Bay Coach Curly Lambeau thought about what to say. This would be one of the most important chalk talks of his career. With the Packers losing 16-14, the players counted on him for a revised game plan. Unfortunately, Lambeau never gave that all-important halftime talk. He got lost in thought on his way to the locker room. He opened the door to what he thought was the clubhouse and wound up on the street. Before he realized his error, the door slammed shut behind him. The coach was locked out. Lambeau pounded on the door, but it did no good. Then he raced to the nearest gate. The security guard refused to let him in. “If you’re the coach, what are you doing out here on the sidewalk?” the guard sneered. Lambeau hustled off to another gate and another guard. But no amount of pleas or threats could get him in there either. The second guard shoved him away saying, “Yeah, sure, and I’m the King of England.” Meanwhile, back in the locker room, the Packers were wondering where their coach went. As the halftime minutes went by, the puzzled players waited. They couldn’t agree on a new game plan. By this time, their angry, red-faced coach had charged the main gate, only to be stopped once again. Screaming at the top of his lungs, Lambeau attracted a big crowd, including some reporters. The reporters recognized Lambeau right away. They convinced the guards that he was indeed the Green Bay coach. By the time he reached the locker room, though, the second half was about to begin. Without Lambeau’s instructions, the Packers faltered in the last two quarters and lost the championship 23-17.
One of the most important themes in society today is Leadership. Every corporation, every institution, yearns for a strong effective leader. Maybe you remember when Chrysler Corporation was on the economic ropes, nearly bankrupt. Then Lee Iacocca was hired to save this troubled company. Within five years Chrysler experienced a profit of 925 million dollars! That’sLeadership! We wonder sometimes how anyone can ever justify the large salaries that are paid to corporate CEOs. The answer is that Leadership makes or breaks any organization. No organization is stronger than its leader.
The Green Bay Packers lost a championship because their leader was locked out of the stadium. If we, the church of Jesus Christ, fail, it will be because we have locked Christ out.
“I think getting up in the morning is more exciting when you’re nervous. If you’re not nervous, you’re dead. . . .It’s time to change your life or your work the moment you stop having butterflies in your stomach.” – Warren Bennis
If certainty and stability breed complacency and mediocrity, then change and challenge is necessary to breed leadership. Leaders bring about change they initiate, they innovate, they make things happen, they disturb the status quo! Why? Because leaders bring about change and what leaders want to change must get talked about..!
“If the marketplace isn’t talking about you, there’s a reason. If people aren’t discussing your products, your services, your cause, your movement or your career, there’s a reason. The reason is that you’re boring.” – Seth Godin, You’re boring
The vision and actions taken by leaders should generate the kind of emotional engagement that provokes conversation. Leaders are responsible for shaping and organisations conversation and the quality of an organisation’s conversation is the leadership’s responsibility. The quality of the conversation can be directly correlated with the quality of the organisation’s leadership. Using conversation deliberately means that we need to think carefully about how we will craft conversation and how we can use it purposefully.
“A leader’s job is to engineer epiphanies one conversation at a time.” - Susan Scott
Consider the following:
If you’re not waking up nervous, then you’re not getting talked about!
If you’re not disturbing the status quo, then you’re not getting talked about!
Is your purpose, cause and vision getting talked about? If not…. you don’t matter!
The above was taken from: “The Practice of Leadership” blog – This is a great blog for some more worthy leadership lessons.
The American evangelist Dwight L. Moody told the story about a Christian woman who was always bright, cheerful and optimistic, even though she was confined to her room because of her illness. She lived in an attic apartment on the fifth floor of an old, rundown building. A friend decided to visit her one day and brought along another woman – a person of great wealth. Since there was no elevator, the two ladies began the long climb upward. When they reached the second floor, the well-to-do woman commented, “What a dark and filthy place!” Her friend replied, “It’s better higher up.”
When they arrived at the third landing, the remark was made: “Things look even worse here.” Again the reply: “It’s better higher up.” Finally they reached the attic level, where they found the bedridden saint of God. A smile on her face radiated the joy that filled her heart.
Although the room was clean and flowers were on the windowsill, the wealthy visitor could not contain herself about the stark surroundings and blurted out: “It must be very difficult for you to be here like this!” Without a moment’s hesitation the shut-in responded: “It will be better higher up.” She was not looking at temporal things. With the eyes of faith fixed on the eternal, she had found the secret of true satisfaction and contentment. She had been transformed because of what she knew was yet to come
Donald Phillips writes that, “Abraham Lincoln was slandered, libeled, and hated perhaps more intensely than any other man to ever run for the nation’s highest office….He was publicly called just about every name imaginable by the press of the day, including grotesque baboon, a third-rate country lawyer who once split rails and now splits the Union, a coarse vulgar joker, a dictator, an ape, a buffoon, and others.” As his presidency went on, the criticism against him increased. Yet he accepted these insults with dignity and the self-confidence that comes from knowing yourself.
Most of the time, Lincoln ignored criticism. He knew it would come. It has always been so. He wrote, “Human nature will not change. In any future great national trial, compared with the men of this, we shall have as weak and as strong, as silly and as wise, as bad and as good.” Only when he deemed it important enough to make a difference, did he engage the attack and offer a rebuttal and defend himself. But always, he kept a good sense of humor. He chose not to brood over unjust criticism. He advised, “Jealousy and suspicion never did help any man in any situation. There may sometimes be ungenerous attempts to keep a young man down, and they will succeed, too, if he allows his mind to be diverted from its true channel to brood over the attempted injury. Cast about, and see if this feeling had not injured every person you have known to fall into it.”
Lincoln avoided quarrelling, resentments and malice. He tried to exhibit patience and grace. Possessed with a sense of purpose greater than himself, he was able to look past petty concerns. In a letter to Cuthbert Bullitt he wrote, “I shall do nothing in malice. What I deal with is too vast for malice dealing.”
Any leader will be criticized. How you handle it will determine whether or not you succeed or fail. In the Old Testament, God corrected Balaam through the mouth of a … uh … donkey. Any of us might be edified in the same way. It is best to endure criticism, learn what you can, and move on in spite of it.
In the 1800s, poet John Greenleaf Whittier wrote one of his most quoted poems in the English language. The poem was titled, “Maud Muller.” You’ve never heard of it? Actually, not many people remember this sorrowful poem, but generations of people have quoted two famous lines from its final stanza.
“Maud Muller” is about a young maiden who, while working the fields one day, sees a handsome young Judge riding by on horseback. She offers him a drink of cool water. Their encounter lasts only a few moments, but it makes a deep impression on both of them. Maud is greatly attracted to the Judge, and she dreams of marrying someone of his gentleness and integrity. She could leave the fields behind and live as the wife of a wealthy and powerful man.
At the same time, the Judge is attracted to Maud. He is tired of his career, and he dreams of marrying a warm, compassionate woman like Maud and settling into a simpler life in the country. But neither Maud nor the Judge acknowledges their attraction to one another. They are from different social classes—they cannot risk breaking the bonds of social conformity.
Maud later marries a man who brings her much pain and hardship. The Judge also enters into a loveless marriage. In the final stanza of the poem, Whittier offers us this warning: “For of all sad words of tongue or pen, The saddest are these: ‘It might have been!’”
A friend of mine passed this on to me recently and I’d like to share it with you on this wonderful day.
Qualities of Leadership
Can you imagine working at the following Company? It has a little over 500 employees with the following statistics:
29 have been accused of spousal abuse
7 have been arrested for fraud
19 have been accused of writing bad checks
117 have bankrupted at least two businesses
3 have been arrested for assault
71 cannot get a credit card due to bad credit
14 have been arrested on drug-related charges
8 have been arrested for shoplifting
21 are current defendants in lawsuits
84 were stopped for drunk driving
Can you guess which organization this is?
It’s the 535 members of the United States Congress. The same group that perpetually cranks out hundreds upon hundreds of new laws designed to keep the rest of us in line.
Change happens so fast! About the time you deal with one situation, another situation rises up and things that use to take a long time to happen are happening very quickly. If you don’t believe this, then you need to travel to your local computer store and purchase a new computer and see how quickly your purchase becomes obsolete. How about your new cell phone plan? You just signed up last month for the latest and greatest, but now they have a better plan.
About the time we get out of one storm and get everything cleaned up and under control they start talking about another. Then they’ll speak to us about some epidemic that is taking over. Believe it or not God always has answers for what is happening at any given moment, but the problem is that when things are moving at a rapid pace, if you don’t find out what God is doing you could become outdated very quickly.
So times are changing and as time moves it has a way of taking us through a process. The word process is only used five times in the KJV and when it’s used it says something like, “and it came to pass in the process of time” and when we deal with time and all it’s changes we need to understand the concept of time.
Time comes from the word, “Chronos” and this teaches us that time is measured. It’s set and we all live by the same “Chronos”. Basically that is saying that a minute is sixty-seconds and a hour is sixty-minutes no matter where you live. In essence a twenty-four hour day in America is the same over seas, this is “Chronos”, it is measureable.
Now there is another part of time known as “Kiros” and it has nothing to do with the exact measurement of something, but it has more to do with a MOMENT of opportunity. Kiros is simply a space in time. The thing about opportunities is that they are not subject to Chronos time. In fact you will find that most of the opportunities that God brings to you are not subject to the time that you’re subject to and most of the time they are very inconvenient. God doesn’t consult our day-timer when He gets ready to change something in our lives. So what he does is change something in the spirit world that cannot be scheduled by man, but orchestrated by God. Fundamentally when God orchestrates something, natural time has to adjust to fit into what God is doing. This is known as faith.
I want continue any further with my babble today, but suffices it to say, that most of the time we’re too busy living by our schedules to experience a God moment.
Acts 1:3 To whom also he shewed himself alive after his passion by many infallible proofs, being seen of them forty days, and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God:
When Jesus shows himself alive in this particular passage it is making a reference to the resurrection. The greatest display of power that has ever taking place was exemplified on that third day in Jerusalem when Jesus rose from the dead and showed himself alive. The thing that released this powerful event is found in the phrase “after his passion”. It was after his passion that he showed himself alive.
When I think about the resurrection and the things that were apart of the resurrection, one of the things that stands out to me is the removing of those grave clothes. I believe that Jesus refuses to be resurrected and stay in grave clothes. What Jesus proved that day was that he was uncomfortable with the trappings of death. When Jesus took off the grave clothes he sends us a message, “I don’t want to bound up”. It’s never been his will for his body (which is the church) to be bound. He wants his body to be free.
It’s basically what he said to Lazarus, “Loose him and let him go!” He’s been resurrected so now loose him. I’m thinking that this is a great ideal for the 21st century church. We truly need to loose God to be what he desires to be in our congregations and lives. If we’ll loose him, he’ll defend himself.
After his passion he showed himself alive or showed his power. If we get a hold of this we’ll never lack his power to help and deliver. The golden key and secret that releases the power of God is: Power follows passion. This alone is the key. Wherever he finds passion he releases power. All God is calling us to do is demonstrate a passion and following closely behind that is his power.
Challenging times require leaders who can lead others through the challenges. Now more than ever we need great leadership in our government, schools, businesses, hospitals and organizations. Good leadership won’t suffice. We need great leadership. There is a difference.
Good leaders get people to believe in them.
Great leaders inspire people to believe in themselves.
Good leaders say “Watch what I can do.”
Great leaders say “Let me show you what you can do.”
Good leaders catch fish for others so they can eat today.
Great leaders teach people how to fish so they can eat for a lifetime.
Having worked with countless leaders over the years in businesses, schools and professional sports I’ve realized that great leadership is really a transfer of belief. Great leaders share their belief, vision, purpose and passion with others and in the process they inspire others to believe, act and impact. Great leaders are positively contagious and they instill confidence and belief in others.
Great sales managers inspire their sales people to believe in themselves and their product/service. Great school principals inspire their teachers to believe they can make a difference. Great teachers inspire and empower their students to believe in themselves. Great pastors inspire their congregations to serve and impact the community. Great sports coaches inspire their teams to believe they can win. And the people who have changed the world have been those who instilled in others the confidence to step up, serve, take initiative and create positive change. You don’t need a title to be a leader. You just need to lead.
Below is an article taken from “The Practice of Leadership” blog. Hope you enjoy!
“’Have we made it impossible for bright rising stars and maverick go-getters to live within our organization?’ When we become too preoccupied with policy, procedure, and the fine-tuning of conformity to organizational standards, in effect, we have squeezed out some of our most gifted people.” – Hans Finzel, “The Top Ten Mistakes Leaders Make”
The word maverick is defined by Wikipedia as “an unbranded range animal”, “One who does not abide by rules” or “one who creates or uses unconventional and/or controversial ideas or practices”. The word originates from Samuel Maverick (July 23, 1803–September 2, 1870) who was a Texas lawyer, politician, land baron and signer of the Texas Declaration of Independence, “maverick” was first cited in 1867, after Samuel Maverick came to be considered independent minded by his fellow ranchers because he refused to brand his cattle.
Hans Finzel in his book “The Top Ten Mistakes Leaders Make” provides the following ideas to assist organisations in working with Mavericks:
Legitimate mavericks who can bring you into the future:
care not just for their own ideas but for the goals of the organization;
are making a difference in their position;
are willing to earn the right to be heard;
are influencing others and producing good results.
How to encourage the true mavericks who can help you:
Give them a long tether – they need space to soar.
Put them in charge of something they can really own.
Listen to their ideas and give them time to grow.
Let them work on their own if they wish.
Leave them alone and give them time to blossom.
How to stifle the mavericks in your midst:
Create as many layers of management as possible for decision making.
Keep looking over their shoulders.
Make your policy manual as thick as possible.
Send everything to committees for deliberation make them wait.
Mavericks are essential in every organisation. Giving them the encouragement and space to contribute makes all the difference. Mavericks matter… because they bring us the future.
“Organizations change of necessity and for a variety of reasons. But the single biggest impetus for change in an organization tends to be a new leader in a key job … someone with a fresh perspective who sees that the status quo is unacceptable.” – John Kotter, “What Leaders Really Do”
1. You will receive a body. You may like it or hate it, but it will be yours for the entire period this time around.
2. You will learn lessons. You are enrolled in a full-time informal school called life. Each day in this school you will have the opportunity to learn lessons. You may like the lessons or think them irrelevant and stupid.
3. There are no mistakes, only lessons. Growth is a process of trial and error experimentation. The “failed” experiments are as much a part of the process as the experiment that ultimately “works.”
4. A lesson is repeated until it is learned. A lesson will be presented to you in various forms until you have learned it. When you have learned it, you can then go on to the next lesson.
5. Learning lessons does not end. There is no part of life that does not contain its lessons. If you are alive, there are lessons to be learned.
6. “There” is no better than “here.” When your “there” has become a “here,” you will simply obtain another “there” that will, again, look better than “here.”
7. Others are merely mirrors of you. You cannot love or hate something about another person unless it reflects to you something you love or hate about yourself.
8. What you make of life is up to you. You have all the tools and resources you need. What you do with them is up to you. The choice is yours.
9. Your answers lie inside you. The answers to life’s questions lie inside you. All you need to do is look, listen, and trust.
There is an old story about a lady at the airport who stopped in the concourse to buy a Kit Kat candy bar to eat while she was waiting for her plane.
In the crowded waiting area she spied an empty seat at the end of one of the rows. Rushing to get it, she quickly leaned her hang-up bag against it, placed her purse & several other small items on the table between her & a rather large man seated there, & then turned to straighten her hang-up bag.
With everything finally in order, she was ready to eat her Kit Kat candy bar. But to her surprise, as she started to reach for it, she saw the man in the next seat unwrapping her Kit Kat candy bar, & she watched in utter amazement as he broke off a section & ate it.
She thought, “Well, my goodness, I’ve never seen such gall.” She glared at him, & he looked at her, but no words were exchanged.
She was so furious at what he had done that she decided that if he was going to be that brazen about it, she could be brazen, too. So she reached over to him, broke off a piece & ate it herself. Then he broke off another piece & ate it. It became almost a duel between the two of them to see who would get the most. Quickly the candy bar was consumed, & she sat there just boiling that someone would be so rude & so presumptuous as to eat half of her candy bar.
Well, after a few minutes of silence, the man got up & left & then came back with another Kit Kat candy bar. He unwrapped it, broke off a piece & started eating. She thought, “Well, since he ate half of mine, I’m going to eat half of his.” So she reached over & broke off another piece & ate it.
Once again the same scenario was repeated until the whole candy bar was gone. She sat there thinking, “This is the most ridiculous thing that has happened to me in all my life.” She continued to glare at him, & he looked at her, with neither one saying a word.
Just then, over the intercom came the announcement that her plane was ready for boarding. So she opened her purse to get her boarding pass &, to her utter embarrassment, there was her Kit Kat candy bar. She had eaten half of 2 of his candy bars, & her’s was still in her purse!
I like the story of an unusual account of how the news of the Battle of Waterloo reached England. The report from the battle ground back in those days was first carried by sailing ship to the southern coast and then by signal flags to London. And when the report was received at Winchester, the flags on the cathedral began to spell out the message, “Wellington defeated.” And then before the message could be completed, a heavy fog rolled in and with that heavy fog the gloom of a nation filled the hearts of the people. But then, when the mist began to lift, it became evident that the signals of the Winchester Cathedral had really spelled out this triumphant message. “Wellington defeated the enemy!” Too often we allow the future to be colored by what we understand at the moment and it keeps us from moving forward. Trust God in the midst of transition and conflict. Let go of resistance to change. Let go of panic, release yourself again into His hands. God is for you and God will see you through. Trust in him.
A graduating student at United Theological Seminary in Dayton, Ohio, had just received his appointment from the bishop. He was grousing and grumbling because the appointment didn’t fit what he felt he deserved. Another student, in a loving but unsympathetic way patted him on the back and said, “You know the world is a better place because Michelangelo didn’t say, ‘I don’t do ceilings.’”
He lifted up Jesus for his friend to see because he understood that To Serve Is To Follow.
And if you stop to think about it, that’s the spirit of servanthood. The world is a better place because a German monk named Martin Luther didn’t say, “I don’t do doors.”
The world is a better place, because an Oxford don named John Wesley didn’t say, “I don’t do fields.”
Go from the beginning of the Bible to the end, and you will see over and over again the story of men and women who had servant hearts, minds and spirits. And the world is a better place, because:
These days, leaders are looking for ways to keep their employees focused and motivated during challenging economic and business conditions. With layoffs, pay freezes, furloughs, and 401K cuts, there’s plenty of bad news going on that a leader can’t control that can drag a team down.
What does a “motivating environment” look like? When it’s 5:00pm, and most of the department is on the way out the door and your team is still working hard and having fun at the same time. A motivating environment is when people are pushing themselves harder than any boss could ever push them. It’s when people are giving it their all when no one is watching and no one may ever know. They’re giving 110% because they want to, not because they have to.
So what can a leader do to create this kind on environment? Here are 10 ideas, in order of importance:
1. Create motivating work. THE most important thing any leader can do to create a motivating environment is to make sure the work every member of the team is doing is strategic. That is, the work is important to the success of the business. When you feel like what you are doing is making a difference, it’s energizing. On the other hand, there’s no worse feeling than knowing your work just doesn’t matter. Any job can be strategic. I’m sure you’ve heard the story of the two bricklayers; one of them saw his job as stacking bricks. The other saw his mission as building a magnificent cathedral. Same job – different worldview.
Making sure work is strategic is the best form of job security a leader can give a team. It’s every leader’s job to scrutinize every team member’s work like a CEO looking for jobs to cut. If the work is important, it’s less likely to be eliminated.
2. Hire A players and get rid of C players. A players (high performers) tend to be self-motivated to begin with. When you create a team of A players, they feed off of each other. The standards are raised, the energy level increases, teamwork improves, and there’s a low tolerance for anything less than excellence. On the other hand, one or more C players (poor performers or bad attitudes) can infect a team like a cancer, breed resentment, and drag everyone down.
3. Don’t micromanage – get out of the way. A players don’t need to have a manager breathing down their necks – in fact, it drives them crazy. Show your employees that you are interested in what they are doing, but you trust them to make their own decisions and do things differently than you might do them.
4. Promote your team’s work. As a leader, it’s your job to be your employee’s PR agent. Make sure their good work gets noticed, recognized, and appreciated. Don’t worry about over promoting your team’s good work – most managers love to get good news. Just make sure the bragging is about them – not about you.
5. Loosen up the rules and bureaucracy. As long as your team is focusing on what’s really important, and performing at a high level, cut them some slack. Don’t hassle, give them flexibility in work hours, and protect.
6. Don’t be a jerk. Sounds simple, but as leaders, we’re all human. No one sees themselves as a jerk, and no one wants to be a jerk. The key is to be open to feedback. Ask a few trusted team members to let you know if you’ve done or said something insensitive or clueless.
7. Get personal. Get to know your employees as people learn about their families, their career goals, and truly care about them. I know a leader who when one of his employees went above and beyond the call of duty, and put in extra hours, he would send a hand written note to the employee’s spouse along with a gift certificate for a night out. He recognized the effect the job was having on his employee’s home life, and wanted to let the spouse know what a great job he was doing and how much he appreciated her support. While that may not be appropriate for everyone, it’s an example of showing your employees you care about their personal lives, not just work. Don’t let your employees get carried away and miss out on important family events – let them know that family always comes first.
8. Set a good example. Be motivated, enthused, energized, and passionate about your own work and the work of the team.
9. Encourage camaraderie during work hours. Bring in a pizza now and then, go out to lunch, and celebrate milestones. Notice I said during work hours. I don’t believe a leader should intrude on people’s own time in the name of teambuilding.
10. Pay people for what they are worth. Yes, compensation is important, but I’ve listed it last. While pay is not a motivator, it can be a de-motivator if people feel they are underpaid. Do everything you can as a leader to fight for well deserved merit increases, promotions, and bonuses.
The above was taken from: The Great Leadership Blog
Children were asked to share “qualities to have in love….”
“One of you should know how to write a check. Because, even if you have tons of love, there is still going to be a lot of bills.” (Ava)
“Tell them that you own a whole bunch of candy stores.” (Del)
“One way is to take the girl out to eat. Make sure it’s something she likes to eat. French fries usually works for me.” (Bart)
…How to make love endure….
“Don’t forget your wife’s name. That’ll mess up the love.” (Erin)
“Be a good kisser. It might make your wife forget that you never take out the trash.” (Dave)
…The role of beauty in love…
“It isn’t always just how you look. Look at me. I’m handsome like anything and I haven’t got anybody to marry me yet.” (Brian)
“If you want to be loved by somebody who isn’t already in your family, it doesn’t hurt to be beautiful.” (Anita)
…Confidential opinions about love…
“Love will find you, even if you are trying to hide from it. I have been trying to hide from it since I was five, but the girls keep finding me.” (Dave)
“I’m not rushing into being in love. I’m finding 4th grade hard enough.” (Regina)
I read this recently on the leadership now website and thought it was insightful and worth sharing. Enjoy!
What’s happened to the economy has been likened to a tsunami as well as an implosion. When the undersea earthquake and subsequent tsunami hit in Indonesia in 2004, the world was stunned by the devastation that took place. It triggered earthquakes around the globe as far away as Alaska. It happened in a very short amount of time. This kind of event takes shape over a period of time and then erupts with incredible force. What happened this past year is similar in that respect — it’d been brewing for some time. When it hit, it was like a tsunami, which caused other economies to start crumbling as well. We are all familiar with that scenario. What we need to do now is deal with it.
The aftermath of a tsunami requires surveying the damage, picking up the pieces and moving on. Some people have bigger losses than others, but everyone has to keep going.
When it comes to implosion, it’s more of a cave-in than a wipe-out, but equally potent. We saw the effects of an implosion watching the towers fall on 9/11. It’s a domino effect. We won’t sink because we can swim, but let’s not go the way of dominos. Let’s be smart and learn to think for ourselves in positioning ourselves for what comes next. Here are a few survival tips:
Pay attention to national and international news and finance coverage at least several times a day, preferably hourly. In volatile times, vigilance is necessary.
Absorb, assess, and then act. Knowledge without action is impotence.
When a tsunami hits, there’s no time for procrastination. Keep your momentum in tune with the times.
Avoid your comfort zone — it’s probably outdated anyway.
If you’re honest, you should know the questions that should be asked, as well as the answers. That’s probably why there’s so much confusion out there today.
Remember The Blitz. That can put things into perspective. Things may be tough and getting tougher, but we’re not being bombed day in and day out either. If you don’t know what The Blitz is, use your time wisely to study WWII to find out.
Is your life half empty or half full? Half is better than zip. Count your blessings.
Realize that fear is the exact opposite of faith.
Resolve to be bigger than your problems. Who’s the boss?
Don’t negate your own power. Whatever you’ve been dealt, know you can deal with it.
It is difficult to see things that are beyond our reality. We live lives that are narrowly focused, conditioned by our environment, traditions and habits. The name Hans Lippershey is not a famous one, but he made a tremendous contribution to the world of vision. In l600, he created the first telescope. He was a Dutch spectacle maker. One day two children came into his shop and were playing with some of the lenses scattered around. They put two together which greatly magnified a weathervane across the street. Lippershey capitalized on the discovery and made a profit selling his new lenses to the military.
This all happened in Middleburg, Netherlands. Several others claimed to invent the telescope about the same time. Galileo is the most famous but even he credits Lippershey for its creation. Most everyone doubted the creation at first. It was hard for them in that time to envision things could be magnified. It was beyond their reality. Even when our vision is enhanced by technology it is sometimes impaired by our lack of faith. Ironically, it took two small children at play to make it all happen. An unexplainable event shaped the beliefs of society and enabled them to see.
The below article was taken from a John Maxwell article. I think that most of us will be able to glean something from this:
8 Steps for Connecting with People
#1 Don’t Take People for Granted
Weak leaders get so caught up in the vision of where they’re going that they forget whom they’re trying to lead. Instead, leaders would be wise realize that connecting to people and developing them are the surest ways to gain influence. Results happen through relationships.
#2 Possess a Difference-Maker Mindset
A hesitant and indecisive leader doesn’t enliven the hearts or imaginations of people. On the contrary, leaders who influence and inspire have a difference-maker mindset. They connect with others by passing along an infectious confidence in their ability to succeed.
#3 Initiate Movement Toward People
Freight cars sitting on the railroad tracks won’t go anywhere by themselves. They will rust and collect dust unless a locomotive makes contact and connects to them. Similarly, most people stay parked due to self-doubt, fear, or absence of vision. It takes the connection of a leader to tap into their potential and rouse them to action.
#4 Search for Common Ground
Anytime you want to connect with a person, the starting point should be shared interests. If you’re attentive to the hobbies, histories, and habits of those you lead, then you will find ample areas of common ground. Launch out from these areas of agreement to build rapport.
#5 Recognize and Respect Differences
We are capable of finding common ground with others, but at the same time we need to acknowledge that we’re all different. The greatest influencers realize that differences ought to complement rather than clash. When you demonstrate regard for diverse personalities and meet people on their terms, they will appreciate your sensitivity and connect with the understanding you’ve shown.
#6 Learn the Key to Others’ Lives
People have core motivations that vary drastically, and a leader has to discern them to forge a connection with others. Generally, the key can be unearthed by examining what a person has already done in life and by discovering what he or she aspires to do in the future. Once you’ve found the key, do not exploit it. Turn the key only when you have the person’s permission, and always use it for his or her benefit – not your own.
#7 Communicate from the Heart
Nothing repels people like a phony leader. Be authentic when you speak, and align your actions and words. People respond to passion, and they will latch onto a vision when it’s communicated directly from the heart.
#8 Share Common Experiences
Shared experiences cement a relationship. For this reason, it’s wise to be intentional about eating out with teammates, inviting them to join you on an errand, or taking in a play or ballgame together. The more time you invest in those you lead, the greater the connection you will forge with them.
If your in leadership you know and understand the value of influence. You and I can never rise any higher than our level of influence. I guess no one has brought this to light more than leadership guru John Maxwell. Below is some thoughts about influence taken from his website:
Everyone wants to be the best. If you aren’t the best, then chances are you’re looking to see who is and trying to emulate them. Put simply, influencers attract imitators.
Lately, Hyundai has proved to be a leader in the auto industry. While sales of competitors have slowed to a crawl, Hyundai has been cruising in the fast lane and gobbling up market share along the way. Other automakers are taking notice, and copying Hyundai’s strategies.
A decade ago, Hyundai introduced its eye-popping America’s Best Warranty, providing 10-yr, 100,000-mile powertrain protection. Rivals scrambled to follow suit, upgrading their own warranty offerings. More recently, Hyundai unveiled its Assurance program to give car buyers security in light of economic instability. Within months, GM released its Total Confidence plan, and Ford responded with the Ford Advantage.
Despite a terrible market, Hyundai’s influence has thrived. How has the Korean automaker been able to pioneer innovation within the American market?
Three Reasons for Hyundai’s Influence
1) Building Trust
Hyundai entered the U.S. market with a splash in 1986, selling more than 126,000 cars. Unfortunately for Hyundai, the splash was followed by a thud as buyers were greeted with a host of quality defects. The abysmal quality of its cars made the South Korean automaker the laughingstock of the industry. “How do you double the value of a Hyundai?” asked one joke, “Fill the gas tank.”
Reeling from quality concerns, Hyundai had to reestablish trust with wary consumers. In an attempt to do so, the company settled upon a marketing plan to offer over-the-top security to customers willing to buy Hyundai. Dangling the incentive of America’s Best Warranty, Hyundai won back the business of skeptical buyers.
However, convincing customers to buy was only half the battle. Could Hyundai satisfy them and earn repeat business? Thankfully for Hyundai, it was able to deliver quality and fix its image. In stepping up its caliber of manufacturing, Hyundai equaled and, in some cases, surpassed the Japanese automakers in measures of quality. By doing so, the company won back the trust of customers.
2) Initiating the Relationship
In rough financial times, customers don’t magically appear at your doorstep. The people and companies that go farther than others to connect with customers gain influence. While competitors withdrew high-profile advertisements to save money, Hyundai aggressively marketed itself during the Super Bowl and the Academy Awards.
3) Having a Timely Message
Not only did Hyundai invest to reach out to customers, it also crafted a compelling message that resonated with the concerns of American consumers. Unveiling the Assurance program, Hyundai assuaged potential buyers’ fears of job instability. At a time when rivals begged the government for a bailout, Hyundai pledged to bailout its customers who fell upon hard times.
The qualities that have allowed Hyundai to accelerate forward can enable you to excel as well. If you’re serious about growing in influence, trust is a must. Also, don’t wait for circumstances to thrust you into the spotlight; take action to initiate relationships in which you can lead. Finally, be aware of the context in which you’re leading, and communicate a message suited for the climate.
Archbishop Desmond Tutu once said, “When a chap is in love, he will go out in all kinds of weather to keep an appointment with his beloved. Love can be demanding; in fact, more demanding than law. It has its own imperatives. Think of a mother sitting by the bedside of a sick child through the night, impelled only by love. Nothing is too much trouble for love.”Jesus makes it clear as he draws near the cross that his motivation is love. He is choosing to make this sacrifice. He is choosing to be faithful to what God has put before him.
There is a tale that in the first century a man came to Tertullian, a father in the early church. And in trying to justify some compromises the man had felt he had to make, commented, “I have to live, don’t I?” to which Tertullian is reported to have said, “Do you?” The challenge is to focus away from self and to others, to ask where our real values are-survival only, or living as to make a difference.
Leo Tolstoy said, “The only certain happiness in life is to live for others.” It is when we see the world with a larger level than self. It is when we become concerned with others that we find the depth of God’s love for our lives.
The story is told about a pastor who was enjoyed telling stories to the children. He’d bring all the children to the front of the sanctuary, they would sit on the floor, and he would tell them a story. One day he said: “Boys and girls, I want to tell you a story about someone who likes to live in the woods, but sometimes we can see him in our yards. He has a big bushy tail, and likes to eat nuts. Anybody have any idea what I’m talking about?”
No takers.
He said: “I’m talking about a creature that lives in the woods, sometimes in our yards, big bushy tail, eats nuts, likes to climb trees, jumps from tree to tree–now, does anybody know what I’m talking about?”
One kid raised his hand to take him out of his misery. The pastor said: “Do you know what I’m thinking about?”
The kid said: “Yeah. I know the answer should be Jesus, but it sounds like a squirrel to me.”
That’s a little of how it is with the Gospel of John. Just when you think you know what the answer should be, a different meaning presents itself. As you read through John, you find that it is full of double meanings and multi-layered levels. It’s very different than the other three gospels. I heard one pastor say: “If Matthew, Mark, and Luke are Rembrandts . . . John is a Picasso!”John’s purpose was to prove Jesus was the Messiah sent from God. But he used symbolism and metaphors to communicate that message.
Investor Jim Rogers has collected his advice for success in life in A Gift to My Children: A Fathers’ Lesson for Life and Investing. Using examples from his life, this inspiring book makes a good quick read for anyone. Here is a good example from a chapter that offers three good habits for life and investing:
Be a Self-Starter. When Rogers was young he got a job with Mr. Booker, a local home builder. “At first, I couldn’t even hammer a nail straight, and the men on the job weren’t shy about pointing this out. But when we were awaiting deliveries of building materials or had nothing to do, I’d gather up the scrap lumber o sweep up the sawdust or whatever else I could find. ‘Say what you want,’ the contractor told them, ‘but this kid never stops. He has the right attitude, he has the proper approach, and I want him working for me.’ Eventually I did learn to drive nails as quickly as anyone, dig foundations, install roofs, and all the other skills necessary to do the job. If it weren’t for my work ethic, I might never have gotten the chance.”
Attention To Details Is What Separates Success From Failure. “In investing, as in life, the small details often spell the difference between success and failure. So you must be attentive! However trivial it may seem, you must research and check each and every piece of information you need to make a decision. Leave no questions or nagging feelings of uncertainty uninvestigated. The most common reason why people do not succeed is that their research is faulty or limited to the confines of what is immediately available. Only through meticulous research will you obtain the knowledge necessary for success. It requires abundant work and diligence, but the effort will give you a distinct advantage over your competitors.”
Live Your Life With a Dream. “When you begin something, you may not always have a concrete picture or vision of he future. But if you continue to be passionate and work hard at what you truly love to do, then you will eventually find that dream. Which may morph into yet another dream. And another.”
When you hear ‘bottom line,’ you most often think of financial statements. That is true when you think of the bottom line as the net income after all cost of goods sold, SG&A, operating expenses, etc. Some might look at EBITDA or net profit or some other formula they have created over the years.
Yet, there is another bottom line that is much more important. It is your personal bottom line. Haven’t heard of that? We all have one. Every one of us has a bottom line that we rarely review. Most of us just look at the inflows, but never look at the things that take away from what comes into our lives.
The real bottom line is simply this: what is the faith and hope that is left over once the cares of the world, the delight in riches and desire for other things are taken out. The real bottom line is what you are once the world takes a big chunk out of you.
The traditional life formula might look like this:
Positive Circumstantial Inflow (new job, salary, promotion, accolades, weekend plans, for some – faith)
Minus
Cost of Living (actual dollars to live lifestyle – vehicles, homes, trips, etc.)
Minus
Personal Cost of Opportunity (the real human cost of lifestyle and position – time, cost of relationships, etc.)
Equals
Net Living Gained (what is left over, hope, faith, trust)
Our society normally focuses solely on inflow (what we can get). We rarely count the cost of our chosen lifestyle (that is why we are in the financial malaise we are currently experiencing). We almost never count the personal cost of opportunity (that is where divorce comes from, in my opinion – no one understands what the job or promotion does to marriages or kids). If faith or hope makes it through the formula, you end up with perseverance and character. If not, people normally end up with divorce and or distant marriages, etc.
Think about it. Take your current inflow opportunities (salary, position, etc.). What is the cost of living of living that lifestyle you think is required of that opportunity? Subtract that. Now, what is the personal cost of opportunity (what does the boss or company expect – travel, time at the office, morals, etc.). Subtract that from the inflow line as well.
What is your Net Living Ratio? Is there any room left for your family or for you? Have you lost yourself in the process? Where is your hope and faith? Is it in the opportunity or is it in something bigger?
The current loss of confidence in our society is primarily because we have put our hope in sources of inflow. When they stall or recede or are depressed it causes the vast global society to shrink back and to become depressed. We have put our hope in the wrong things.
Think about it… In the good times our society puts hope into revenues (how much you make, status, position, etc.). In the bad times we moan and complain because we don’t see the increase of opportunity because those revenues are not there. Our focus is on the top line inflow as a society. That is circumstantial living. We allow what happens at the top to affect our whole livelihood.
Faith is built on bottom line wisdom. Hope is still found when all expenses have been taken out. It is about Net Living, not top line only. Take some time and evaluate your life portfolio. How solid are you? Is your cost of living more in line with reality? Have you re-prioritized your personal life? Or are you spiraling down with a world focused on the wrong things. These are the discussions that will make you more whole in time.
Recognition. “I don’t know of any test or software program that can make the kinds of subtle, personal distinctions that differentiate an interest from a burning passion. A mentor who has already found the Element in a particular discipline can do precisely that. Mentors recognize the spark of interest or delight and can help an individual drill down to the specific components of the discipline that match that individual’s capacity and passion.”
Encouragement. “Mentors lead us to believe that we can achieve something that seemed improbable or impossible to us before we meant them.”
Facilitating. “Mentors can help lead us toward our Element by offering us advice and techniques, paving the way for us, and even allowing us to falter a bit while standing by to help us recover and learn from our mistakes.”
Stretching. “Effective mentors push us past what we see as our limits. Much as they don’t allow us to succumb to self-doubt, the also prevent us from doing less with our lives than we can.”
Below was from an article written by Jon Gordon that I read recently that was a response to a graduate:
A young man asked me the other day if I had one piece of advice to give him, as he graduates college, what it would be. I told him to be humble and hungry.
Be humble. Don’t think you know it all. See yourself as a life-long learner who is always seeking ways to learn, grow and improve.
Be humble. See everyone as a teacher and learn from everyone you meet.
Be humble. Be open to new ideas and strategies to take your life and work to the next level.
Be humble. When people tell you that you are great don’t let it go to your head. And when they tell you that you stink, don’t let it go to your head.
Be humble. Because the minute you think you have arrived at the door of greatness it will get shut in your face.
Be hungry. Live and work with a passion to continuously improve and set new goals and milestones.
Be hungry. Seek out new ideas, new strategies and new innovations to push yourself out of your comfort zone.
Be hungry. Invest the time, energy, sweat and dedication to be your best.
Be hungry. Focus on being the best you can be and strive to get better every day.
Be hungry. Because you can’t ignite the world unless a fire is burning inside you.
Be hungry. With a commitment to pay the price that greatness requires.
As I shared this advice with the young man I hoped he wouldn’t just remember it for now but for the rest of his life because being humble and hungry is not only meant for the young but for all of us who want to be our best. Whether you are in business, education, healthcare, the ministry, the arts or sports… remember to stay humble and hungry and everything else will take care of itself.
Motivational speaker Jon Gordon shared the below thought:
Change: I find that learning for me tends to max out after I have been absorbed in something for a period of time. The easiest way for me to get around this is to change something else. It doesn’t mean that I can’t start learning something different but I tend to lose my focus, lose my learning energy after about 20 or 30 minutes. (I might be ADD.)
There is an old story about a lady at the airport who stopped in the concourse to buy a Kit Kat candy bar to eat while she was waiting for her plane.
Below was from an article written by Jon Gordon that I read recently that was a response to a graduate:
