Growth
Motivation
I try to workout regularly. In fact, I haven’t missed a workout in 4 months. Don’t get too excited. My training times are pretty tame. But I’d like to address something that is truly a “game-changer” for me. I would guess that in the past four months there were many days where working out wasn’t…
Read MoreExpect the unexpected
“Expect the unexpected.” On a surface level, this doesn’t sound like a leadership principle. It’s more of an observation. Life has a way of throwing you curveballs. Nobody “expects” to be in a car accident or to have a global pandemic foisted upon them. But it happens. So where does good leadership fit? Well, consider…
Read More“One bell”
There is an unseen factor that growing businesses and ministries share. The fact is most people ignore it. People will look at any business or a ministry in my world and say, “Why is it growing?” They attribute growth to this or that, but one of the factors that is most commonly overlooked is unity…particularly,…
Read MoreGood leadership requires good preparation
“Tomorrow’s unknown crisis is not something to avoid in fear. It requires our attention and deliberation. We just need to have the courage to face the truth of our future’s uncertainty. We just need to be prepared.” That was a quote from Christopher Manske, an author and investment guru. Good leadership requires good preparation. Even the…
Read MoreFirst impressions
First impressions are lasting impressions. We understand this when we’re dating. But this principle applies throughout your lifetime. Years ago I took my staff to Disneyland. But, it wasn’t just to have a fun time. I wanted my team to deeply understand “customer service” in a ministry setting. By the way, how we treat people…
Read MoreParkinson’s Law
My dad had Parkinson’s disease. You may know someone who has it. I’ll save the conversation about the condition for a later blog post. Something with the same name sounds like it might be related…but it’s not. It’s something called “Parkinson’s Law”. What is it? It’s the old adage that work expands to fill the…
Read MoreGreat athlete, poor coach
Great athletes don’t always make great coaches. It’s one thing to play a sport with excellence. It’s another thing to teach and show someone else how to do it. Wayne Gretzky, known as “The Great One” in hockey circles had major shortcomings as a head coach. Magic Johnson attempted coaching the L.A. Lakers, but was…
Read MoreBad dream
It’s the middle of the night. You wake up from a dreadful dream. You shake it off, but you just can’t go back to sleep. It’s a common experience with kids, but how about the rest of us? Sometimes those moments in the “wee” hours leave us filled with fear. Thinking about our health, a…
Read MoreFortune cookie effect
I read about something leaders call the “Fortune Cookie Effect”. I have never heard the phrase, but I sure have seen it in operation. So have you. Simply put, the “Fortune Cookie Effect” is a prediction that causes itself to become true. Some call it a self-fulfilling prophecy. You’re the one that makes it come…
Read MoreConnections
If you want to influence somebody, first you need to build a connection. Influence presupposes a link, a correlation, a rapport or a bond with the person. When you’re in sync with somebody, you have a better shot at leading.. The over-used word for this is “relationship.” I’m a bit reluctant to use it because…
Read MoreSeeing clearly
Is it OK to admit that I need glasses to read? I’ve been blessed to have 20-20 vision my whole life. Now I can’t read anything without help. I have to admit that it was pretty easy to take good vision for granted. Today however is a different story. As a matter of fact, you…
Read MoreThe fastest path to change
My apologies to so many books on change and there on some good ones. “Switch” by Chip Heath is one. “Who Moved My Cheese” is a classic title. They’re both must reads for any leader, but I found that one of the fastest things you can change in any situation is you. This is a huge…
Read MoreLearned helplessness
Helplessness has a few sides to it. There is a “cuteness” to it. We’ll say things like, “Oh look at that poor dog, he looks so helpless.” In those situations, you’re almost compelled to act to help out. There is the side of economic and social loss where someone loses their ability to survive and…
Read MoreWait for the marshmallow
When I was a kid, I would have loved participating in a chocolate cake-eating experiment, but there was no such thing. Believe me, I would have found it. However, there actually was a famous marshmallow-eating experiment conducted at Stanford University. Children were tested to see if they could resist eating a marshmallow. If they could…
Read MoreFind the surprise
Things that surprise us are easier to remember. I was in high school at a Sadie Hawkins dance. Afterward, I took my date for a drive in my Mom’s car. When we stopped, we were leaning against the car. We both commented about how quiet the desert was that night. All of a sudden, above…
Read MoreA friend of mine died today
A friend of mine died today. He was working on his roof and fell. It looked bad from the beginning, but he got better and better. But in the middle of his first day of rehabilitation, his heart stopped. His family was devastated. So was I. What do you say to his wife, the love…
Read MoreWhat do I need to focus on?
With every “smartphone” update, there are new features to try out. My latest update features a way to “focus” your attention on a specific project without distractions. This is really helpful for me given my propensity to wander. But, it reminded me of the importance of figuring out “what do I need to focus on?”…
Read MoreTry try again
If at first you don’t succeed, try, try again. If you’ve heard it once, you’ve heard it a hundred times, right? It probably was an encouragement to you when you were in grade school, but how about now? That phrase really doesn’t motivate me much. I’m guessing the same is true for you. But what…
Read MoreA day wasted?
In the Diary of Brooks Adams is an entry about a special day when he was eight years old. He wrote, “Went fishing with my father; the most glorious day of my life,” and through the next 40 years there were constant references to that day and the influence it had on his life. Brooks’…
Read MoreThe “journey” in journeyman
How do you love people in need? Whether you grew up going to Sunday School or not, you probably have heard of the phrase, “The Good Samaritan”. It refers to a parable told by Jesus Christ. The point of His story is a foundational example of what it means to be a Christ-follower. Passing on…
Read MoreVisa and answered prayer
Before entering many countries, you must have a visa. A visa allows a foreign citizen to travel to the port of entry and authorizes the immigration inspector to grant admission into the country. An accurate visa is a pretty big deal, right? Well, on a recent trip to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, guess who put the wrong…
Read MoreNever give up!
Winston Churchill’s first words as Prime Minister to the House of Commons on May 13, 1041, were, “I have nothing to offer but blood, toil, tears, and sweat.” It’s interesting to note that Churchill was unpopular with many Conservatives and probably most of the Labour Party. But, in the midst of war with Germany, he…
Read MoreSweeping dirt
I recently went to Cairo, Egypt. What a captivating city, rich with history and culture. The Egyptians are a proud people with a fascinating culture. While waiting in a car adjacent to a very busy street, I noticed an older man. He was in the middle of traffic sweeping the dirt from the highway into…
Read MoreWant to improve your leadership?
Most of my real estate friends would agree with this statement: “The three most important words in real estate are – location, location, location.” To be sure, location is huge in both residential and commercial sales. That being said, “What might be the three most important words in developing and growing in leadership?” Most experts…
Read MoreThree Important Things
What are the 3 most important things a parent can teach a child? According to a New York Post survey published December 16, 2018, they are, “Be respectful,” “be thankful for what you have” and “honesty is the best policy.” That’s not a bad list. Seems that if we got these three right, we’d have…
Read MoreGet activated!
I received an updated credit card this past week. It came with a sticker attached that read, “THIS CARD CAN NOT BE USED UNTIL ACTIVATED.” I’m certain you’ve had cards with similar instructions. My wife smiled and said this is not a bad warning label for Christ-followers. She’s right. There is a decision of dedication…
Read MoreWith words, leaders lead
I attended a Bible study with CEO’s and other leaders from the Phoenix area. The theme of the study was this: “Words are the most powerful tool of leadership.” That thought has stayed with me. With words, armies march. With words, peace starts. With words, love begins. With words, relationships end. And with words, leaders…
Read MoreAvoiding the wrong things
Leadership understandably means doing the right things and making the right decisions. But have you considered that equally important is making sure you don’t do the wrong things? These may be obvious, but here are two for a punchout list for you to consider. Don’t take credit for someone else’s work or accomplishments. I happened…
Read MoreDoing “random”
I have a friend visiting this week. When dinnertime arrived, I asked, “Where do you want to go?” She said, “Let’s do random.” That’s a code word for “Let’s not plan, let’s just go.” There was a palatable feeling of disorder that washed over me. Now, those that know me, know that I’m not the…
Read MoreWhen character is lost
Billy Graham said many profound things, but among them was this statement, “When wealth is lost, nothing is lost; when health is lost, something is lost; when character is lost, all is lost.” Why is it that character plays such a huge part in leadership? Character is fundamental to effective leadership because good character builds…
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