Tag Archives: Leadership

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Success May Be Stranger Than You Think

Has your all ever been not enough?

Let me explain.  I remember a day when I dotted all of my i’s and crossed all my t’s and still failed.  It happens to all of us sooner or later.  We plan, we work, we put in the time and still the results aren’t as we expected.

Maybe that’s the way you feel right now.  2019 was going to be your year but it’s nearly over and it’s kind of just fizzling out rather than exploding.  You worked the over-time.  You took the class.  You hit the gym…and yet it seems like something is just out of reach.

It makes me wonder how people in the bible must have felt.  I wonder what John the Baptist felt like at the conclusion of his ministry when he faced death by sword.  I wonder if he thought “What?…after all I’ve done for God?”.

But what if instead of feeling sorry for yourself, you took a different approach?  For example, what if you focused on all of the good things that happened rather than regretting the BIG thing that didn’t happen.

Maybe it wasn’t all about the BIG thing you thought it was.  Maybe it was about you growing and learning something new.

Let me tell you something I’ve learned about God!  In order for him to develop you he has to get you outside of your comfort zone.  Let me say it this way.  True growth is outside of your comfort zone.

Right now you feel like a failure.  But I’ve got news for you.  You were never responsible for the results of your endeavor.  You only had to take the necessary steps and put in the time.  The results were beyond you.  Rather than regretting what didn’t happen, think about how you will act in the future.

In the scope of your work, one day, or month, or year of setbacks really doesn’t make much of a difference.  In fact, if you don’t believe me, just remember that everybody loves a comeback story.

Now here’s another lesson I’ve learned.  It’s powerful!  Ready?

When you don’t get what you want, you always get a case of the mores.  Stop and ponder that idea for a few minutes.

I’ll work more.  I’ll put more time in.  I’ll pray more.  Suffer more.  Give more.  The problem with more is it doesn’t always work.  More money doesn’t always get the job done, when a divorce is on the horizon.  More time can’t buy back the time that was lost when you were planning on spending time with your daughter some other time.  More effort can’t buy back the vigor of youth you spent unwisely.

This post isn’t a sermon.  It’s a confession.  I’ve made all of the mistakes I’ve mentioned above and more.  In fact, I’ll make many more before I’m through.  But here’s the good news.  The good news is it’s still today.  We may have messed up in the past but today we can take a new step in the right direction!

So what’s that look like for you?  We all have 24 golden hours to spend as we like.  I wonder how much good one person could do in 24 hours time.  In fact, imagine all of the changes you could make in the next 24 hours.  You could start a new bank account.  Sign up for a class.  Cut up a credit card.  Take or plan a trip.  Work out.  Paint a room.

However, if we only focus on our setbacks, it’s easy to get discouraged and stop moving forward.  If everything always went smooth.  How could people watch you and learn what to do when things don’t go as planned?  Lets face it, your kids won’t need to know what to do when things go smoothly, but they will need something, an example, memory, or whatever to know what to do when things don’t work out as planned.

What I’m saying is that maybe while you were thinking all this time that you’re a failure, you’re really a success.  That’s not meant to be psychological mumbo jumbo.  I mean it.  Yes, you missed the ring, but in the process you got back up again.

This all came from a day out with my dog.  She’s not just any kind of dog, she’s a bird dog.  Today we hunted…HARD…and came home with nothing.  It would be so simple to chalk it up as a wasted day.  However that’s the farthest thing from the truth.  Today I learned that life is about more than getting everything we want.  It’s about utilizing the amazing resources we have and maximizing our contentment with what we have.

Today wasn’t a failure.  Today was amazing!  We walked through peak fall foliage and lazy streams.  We ate well.  We laughed.  We even made new friends.  And to top it all off a huge Pheasant Rooster posed before he jumped from atop  a stone wall and flew into the sunset!  I don’t know about you, but I’d call that a pretty good day.

So before you throw in the towel because things didn’t go as you planned, take some time and reflect on everything that went right.

Despite your setback, you are stronger and wiser and great things and times are looming on your horizon.

Although your Pheasant flew off into the sunset, remember this.  You remember the ones you missed more than the ones you hit!

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How Do I Escape the Pressure?

How do I escape the pressure?  This is a question I asked myself a couple of years ago after a particularly fruitful season.  I had learned that part of our jobs as leaders is to work outside of our comfort zone.  It turns out, that as you lead outside of your comfort zone, others follow and end up uncomfortable.  When that happens there are only two choices.  Go back or press on.  In my opinion, most decide to go back.

Speaking of pressure, just recently I learned that submarines have a crushing point.  That means that they can be made of titanium but as they descend to certain depths, there is a danger that they can implode.  However, if you were to descend in one of these submarines to the bottom of the ocean and you reached the point where the craft was about to implode you could do something amazing.  If you looked out the window you would see fish- flesh and bone fish with delicate bones and circulatory systems-  swimming around perfectly fine!  How can that be?

Maybe you’re finding yourself outside of your comfort zone right now.  Perhaps you feel you’re going to implode and sink to the bottom of the sea.  Your boss is making demands that he’s never made before.  Or, maybe it’s your finances….everywhere you turn there are expenditures and it seems like everything is about to crumble.  Perhaps it’s your fiancé.  You’ve given 2 years of your life to them and there have been diminishing returns…lately you wonder if they even love you.  Or, perhaps you’re a leader and the demands have grown to an unbearable degree and in your heart of hearts you’ve thought about doing something stupid.  Hold on!

God knew life wasn’t easy, so he has good news for us during times like these!

At this time, the apostle Paul was in prison but he wrote the Colossians to remind them that God had not forgotten about them.  He reminds them that though he himself is not there physically, Jesus is…inside of them!  Alive and well!  Doing a great work!

Paul writes, “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.  And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him” (Colossians 3:16).

If you abandon your post right now because the pressure is getting so intense, who’s going to lead.  It took a great deal of time and patience for God to get you to this point where he can use you the way he’s using you.  If you do what you’ve been thinking about, who’s going to raise your kids?  What about your testimony?  You’ve worked so hard to accomplish what you have….the last thing you want is to have a bad ending and to be unremembered.

I may not know you, but I want you to know that I’m proud of you if you are the type of person who keeps pressing on, despite the pressure!  Yes, it’s difficult and uncomfortable, but there’s good news!

The reason fish don’t implode at great depths is the same reason submarines don’t.  They don’t implode because the surface pressure inside of them matches the pressure outside of them.

The question is, how do we maintain the pressure inside so that the pressure outside doesn’t get to be too much for us?

For some of you it may mean believing that Jesus is who he says he is, for the first time.  For some of you it may mean trusting God to do what he says he will.  But there’s more.

The answer is God does.  That’s right.  If you have reached the point where you think you’re about to implode due to mounting external pressures, you can be sure that God is doing a work inside of you to withstand the outside forces.  And the deeper you go, the more he works on the inside to help you meet the great demands.

The choice is ours.  When we are in seasons of great fruitfulness, there are going to be accompanying pressures.  So be careful of wanting other people’s lives or ministries.  The greater their success, the greater the pressure.  Rather than being jealous, why not praise God for the work he has done in them and continues to do so that they can accomplish his purposes?  Maybe he’ll do the same for you as you learn to trust him more and more.

Yes, there are things we do besides trusting God to make the pressure go away.  However, when we take these routes the only keepsakes we have are regrets and sorrow.  But, if we trust him to help us withstand the mounting pressures, our experiences will deepen and we’ll be glad we did.

“Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ” (Philippians 1:6).

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Shrinking the Power Gap

My response to recent layoffs

Does the unjust use of power hit you in the gut? Me too. This realization comes with news of Twitter’s new CEO and his decision to “part ways” with 336 employees. Maybe you’re not a Twitter fan, but you’ve been effected by these kinds of leadership decisions.

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Let me start by saying I’ve been a Twitter user since 2009. Admittedly, I only recently realized what an enjoyable tool it can be. I made the mistake many people make. “Let’s tell the world all about ME”, instead of joining the conversation and helping others. O.K, I confess. Can we move on?

But it’s more than just the possibility of an enjoyable form of social media losing some of it’s quality. I’m not saying we should all pull the plug for a day, though some may do that. I’m just mostly bummed for 336 people who had a job last Tuesday and don’t have one today. If that’s hard to process, just imagine how you’d feel if you lost your job today. Right now you no longer have income. Why? Just because.

The because in this case is “we feel strongly that Engineering will move much faster with a smaller and nimbler team, while remaining the biggest percentage of our workforce.” So ultimately, it’s all about being a faster company at the expense of the people who created it. It’s not because it’s what’s best for everyone. We just want to be able to move faster. Toward what? Becoming a company who fosters insecurity in its employees?

But it gets better. CEO, Jack Dorsey shared: “Twitter’s product and engineering teams would endure the “most significant structural changes, with the rest of the organization to be streamlined in parallel.”  Which means “if you work for us today, there’s a good chance you won’t next week.” This is the kind of thinking wearying the work force around the globe. Why invest your time, talent and energies in something bigger than yourself, if what you pour yourself into will possibly swallow you whole? But Boa Constrictor companies and organizations continue these types of practices at the utter expense of small guys like you and me.  Seemingly.

So what can you do? Great question! I’m wondering myself.

Here are some of my initial thoughts.

Number one: Be a leader worthy of trust.

Leadership is a special endowment. As leaders we are to protect, nurture and pour into those we invest in. I don’t know about you, but I don’t want to do anything that will make the ones who work with me wonder how secure their future is. I want to do whatever’s in my power to make sure the team I lead is going somewhere, together.  I want them to know there’s a family portrait awaiting all of us in the Promised Land. How about you?

Number two: Time spent encouraging the disenfranchised is always time well spent.

My heart seriously goes out to the 336 people effected by this decision. I want you to know someone has taken notice and really cares. Thank you for your contribution!  We all rise up and bless you. Because of your labors and dedication we’re all able to experience one of the coolest platforms on the planet.  Your work matters!  We affirm you!

Number 3: I find it fascinating someone who heads up an organization fueled by collaboration and teamwork would go through the trouble of making such a monumental move after only 8 days behind his Mahogany desk.

I wonder what went through his mind. The loss of just one or a handful of computer programmers and engineers seems unthinkable, let alone 336! I remember losing my Grandfather and walking around wondering where to find everything on the family farm. Before I could just ask him and he’d show me. When you lose 336 employees, you can be sure things are going to be a number of challenges and setbacks. It doesn’t seem like a sound way to propel yourself forward as a business. What do you think?  

Number 4: The world is changing.

Companies want dedicated employees.  But whatever happened to companies and organizations who intentionally better the lives of their employees?  Is the age of job security so far gone she can’t be resurrected? Maybe this is all part of a trend where the disenfranchised and the dead rise up and industry is at our mercy. Why work for someone else, when you can work for yourself? Not saying you should quit your day job. But it might not help to move in the direction of independence.

Number 5: Don’t give up!

Never let the actions of a handful of people make you lose hope in the masses. Some of the people at the top are there because they excelled at putting themselves first. Not all, but some. Most people are decent human beings who enjoy helping and encouraging one another. Truth be told, that’s why some of them are “poor”. They give wholeheartedly to others and sacrifice their own comfort in the process. Hard to believe? Yes.  But true. They are amazingly beautiful people without a voice. If you don’t believe me, do a little research on the web and find out how God is using “ordinary” people. I’m especially excited about what is happening in Nigeria! I recently posted a quote by author Sam Adeyemi and made some wonderful connections with people in Nigeria. In some cases I was the first to follow some of them, despite the fact they had pages with great content. Why? The power gap. Let’s shrink it with every last bit of energy we have.

Imagine how you’d feel if you were posting spectacular content to social media forums and you had NO followers. Nada. Zero! Meanwhile, the ‘big names’ just keep getting bigger and richer. Funny how that works. Now imagine how you’d feel if you went on a site and saw you had 1 follower! I had the pleasure of being the first follower in two different instances this week. I admit, it felt pretty good.  Seems to me the company is small and nimble enough as long as that’s happening.

How about you? Does the power gap make you sick to your stomach or are you o.k with it? By power gap I mean instances where people use their own personal power at the expense of those who have none. I’m learning service is all about others, not myself. Everything doesn’t move faster when we look at people as dispensable cogs in a machine, but human beings who have dreams of their own. Let’s face it, most people dream of succeeding, not worrying how they’re going to feed their children.

Go out today and look for diamonds in the rough. Every one wants a sparkling diamond, but few want to invest in the ones who need work. How do we shrink the power gap? One person at a time. Small is the new big. You don’t just invest in individuals so that your organization will grow. You do it because it’s the right thing to do.  What are you doing to shrink the power gap?

Was there a time when you felt like someone used their power at your expense? How did it make you feel?

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Can We Predict the Future?

Unpacking a Great Truth in the Book of Romans

On my forty- third birthday I received the following text: “This will be your best year yet!” My thoughts were a blend of intense excitement and mild disbelief. How can anyone predict something like that with any amount of accuracy? Maybe you’ve had a similar experience. Someone said you were going to accomplish what seemed impossible. In reality, what you may think is impossible is completely possible in the eyes of others. Why? Because others often see in us, what we can’t see in ourselves.

                              .asian

One year later, my mentor/friend was right. Amazing things happened in the past year and continue to happen. Because he said they would? Maybe. It’s more likely he knew where the path I was on was headed. It’s not where we say we’re going that makes all the difference, it’s where we’re actually going. Again, my friend’s text made me scratch my head. Have you ever read the bible and scratched your head? In Romans 12:6-8 there is a passage that used to make me scratch my head: “Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, whether prophecy, let us prophesy according to the proportion of faith; or ministry, let us wait on our ministering: or he that teacheth, on teaching; or he that exhorteth on exhortation: he that giveth, let him do it with simplicity; he that ruleth, with diligence; he that showeth mercy, with cheerfulness.” (King James Version). Sounds good, right? But what in the world is Paul talking about?

Today I want to talk about prophecy or preaching and show and make a connection with another verse in this passage that clarifies things a bit. What is prophecy?  Prophecy in this case means prediction (scriptural or other). Sometimes we are able to predict accurately based on what the bible says as well as our life experience, our senses, etc.  “If you see someone headed for a cliff and they have no brakes, it’s not too hard to predict their future.” At the same time, if you see someone repeatedly taking the steps necessary to reach their goal, you can pretty well predict they will.

Again, it’s probably good to note that prophecy is based on evidence, be it scriptural or otherwise. Makes sense right? Sadly, there are people who know the bible from cover to cover yet use it as a sword to defend themselves and their philosophy. Their defensiveness and the fact they feel threatened are usually nothing more than evidence of insecurity and immaturity. I like to pray for these people rather than argue with them.  We need more people like these with firm beliefs and passion. But these types of people will never be truly effective until they gain a measure of self- control and discipline.

We need more people like these with firm beliefs and passion. But these types of people will never be truly effective until they gain a measure of self- control and discipline.

In fact, the prophesying Paul speaks of in this passage, directly addresses this very issue. If you read further along in the passage, Paul clarifies what it means to prophesy, he writes: “Let love be without dissimulation. Abhor that which is evil; cleave to that which is good.” (Romans 12:9, KJV). This is amazing to me! In our preaching, we tend to focus on how the truth applies to others. Paul knows this and he corrects this tendency by commanding us to focus on how the truth applies to us. It’s like Paul is saying: “Hey, Preacher (leader, Mom, Dad, boss, etc.) Be real, genuine, sincere in your love. Utterly defeat that which is evil. Glue yourself to the good and don’t let go. Take this medicine yourself before you go dishing it out to others.” The lesson is people need to see the truth being lived out as well as hear it. You know the addage: “Practice what you preach.”

Dissimulation is hypocrisy. Dissimulation is saying one thing and doing another when we think nobody is watching. Psalm 78:72 says of David: “So he fed them according to the integrity of his heart; and guided them by the skilfulness of his hand.” David’s key character traits were character and competence. As leaders, we’d do well to follow his example. Gene Getz said it this way: “A man who is able to teach is a person who is not in bondage to himself.” We’re not talking about a man or woman who is perfect. We’re talking about someone who is perfectly honest…with themselves and others. The Word of God will offend people, but God forbid that I should be the source of offense as a minister of the New Testament. According to this passage, I am to receive the charge if I am to effectively preach to others.

There’s just something about the cleaning of the inside of the cup that makes the outside clean. Some of you have experienced this while doing dishes. If you’re a politically correct recycler, you wash the peanut butter or mayonnaise jar out with a dish rag. In the process, you really have to reach down in there and swirl the rag to get out the last dregs. What happens? You know what happens. By the time you are done washing out the inside, the outside sparkles! What happened? In the process of working on the inside, the cloth and your hand came in contact with the outside.

In retrospect, the more we attend to the receiving of God’s word, the greater the impact we’ll make in preaching. You can call it what you want, modeling, show and tell, discipleship, leadership. The point is the people we lead will only grow as much as we grow. Which leads to the question, are you growing? If so, what steps are you taking to become all you were made to be? The fact is we cannot teach others the truth without knowledge of it ourselves.

Besides the bible, there are two other good places to begin our journey.

1)Read. Read. And Read some more. Pat Morley wrote: “I’m often amazed at how a man will get a hold of a book and how God will use the book to get ahold of the man!”. The leaders I see making a difference in their own lives as well as the lives of others are readers. Remember the addage “readers are leaders.”

2) Study a man or woman who has been successful in your area of interest. This is a big one!  Notice I said ‘study’, not copy. Remember, we cleave to that which is good. We see Ruth doing this in the Old Testament with her mother-in law Naomi. Take six months to a year and follow….o.k, stalk….a great leader. Find out not just what they say and do, but how they think. The temptation is to follow many. Select one leader in the covey and focus on him or her. There’s a reason they’re successful, find out why.

When my friend texted me, he wasn’t just believing I was going to experience good luck. He knew the secret that when it comes to success, we make our own luck. If you are living your life based on principles rather than luck, you can be sure the results you’re looking for are on the way. Don’t change a thing. Keep planting continually and you will continually harvest a crop. Remember, there are seasons when you just keep planting the seed and God gives the increase. The other side of the success coin isn’t failure, it’s growth. You will fall, you will make mistakes, you will fail. But if you’ll allow God’s Word and God’s people to speak into your life before opening your mouth and living your life, then you’ll have something to say to others. Those are Paul’s words, not mine.

In the weeks to come, we’ll talk about ministry, teaching, exhortation, giving, leadership and mercy. I hope you’ll stick around to see what the bible teaches us about these subjects!