(Inspired by and dedicated to a great group of leaders I have had the privilege of working with over the last 12 weeks.)
It was a lonely life, but Jesse’s baby boy made the most of it. His brothers probably learned the same way he did, but had gone on to other exploits.
David? He was confined to the idiot patrol. He was his father’s shepherd. And it was there – alone with the dumbest animals on the planet – that David learned to be a leader.
He was alone when a lion came and seized a lamb from his flock. He was alone when a bear did the same. He was alone when he delivered those sheep from the valley of the shadow of death. And the passion, courage, and wisdom he gained there – alone – forged pathways of leadership in Israel that were still in place years after his death.
Goliath? That was just mop-up duty.
It’s true that leadership is on display when everybody else is looking. It’s also true that leadership is being forged when no one is. You may feel you’re in a wilderness, stuck making up silly songs to sing to the sheep. In fact, you may assume that your solitude or lack of position means you’re no leader at all.
Nothing could be further from the truth. Here are eight ways to influence an entire generation, even when nobody is looking to you as the obvious solution to their leadership needs. [click to continue…]
Who are you?
No, that’s your name. Let’s try again.
Who are you?
You’re already answering that question with what you say, how you spend your time, how you spend your money, how you relate to other people, and how your emotions are triggered. But let’s look a little deeper.
Who. Not what are you, but who? I was scrolling through LinkedIn the other day and was fascinated by the “what” language people used to describe themselves. Of course, there are the standard job titles such as Senior Loan Officer and Whatever Bank. But then there are the more creative types like, “Thinker, Writer, Philanthropist,” “Dreamer,” and “Solution Architect.”
Sorta made me want to come up with my own list. Recliner tester. Dog herder. APA Policeman (if you have to ask what APA is, never mind). I don’t think I’ll list any of those, however. There is a difference between what you do and who you are. [click to continue…]
(A Conversation)
I don’t know. I just don’t get it.
Get what?
Why I feel so… I don’t know… alone, I guess.
Alone? You’re married.
Yeah, she’s stuck with me, I suppose.
You’re a leader in your church.
Well, even there I more on the outside looking in. It’s like people see me coming and turn away. One time I smelled my pits to see if I had B.O.
I think I can help you.
Oh yeah?
I think so.
So what? There’s some big secret that everybody knows but me?
It’s no secret.
Well what is it? [click to continue…]
I think Peter was left handed.
I’m referring, of course, to Simon Peter of the New Testament, not Peter Gabriel, Paul and Mary’s friend Peter, or Laurence J. Peter of The Peter Principle.
Oh, I’m sure his mama beat it out of him since left handedness was considered a disability, if not a sign of evil back in the day. But evidence of Peter’s right-brained dominance abound… [click to continue…]
You may or may not know the name Andrew Mason. But I’ll bet you’ve heard of Groupon, the famous deal-of-the-day website where Mason was CEO.
These have been hard times for the company – nobody is denying that, and if you’re interested in the business and numbers side of it you can find it here.
What interests me is the leadership Mason showed in leaving. In an email he sent to all his employees then posted publicly (“it will leak out anyway”), Mason showed some class, humor, honesty, and most of all accountability. Take a look: [click to continue…]
Nehemiah discovered a gap between what was and what should be.
What was – local thugs were keeping the holy city of his fathers in ruins as the people there had tried to rebuild it for 40 years.
What should be – a city with a wall around it.
In that discovery, he made a risky decision. It wasn’t enough to pray or weep over it. He needed to take action. So Nehemiah aimed for The Gap. And 52 days after his arrival in Jerusalem, the wall was completed.
Moses was hiding from his past on the back side of the desert when he discovered a gap between what was and what should be.
What was – the cries of the oppressed Israelites had reached the ears of their God.
What should be – a nation of slaves set free to inherit the land of God’s promise.
In that discovery, he made a risky decision. It wasn’t enough to stand there and try to argue with a burning bush and the God who was calling him. He needed to take action. So Moses aimed for The Gap. And weeks later, he and a few million of his family members stood at the edge of the Red Sea.
This is the essence of leadership. [click to continue…]
The other night I ran into an old friend I hadn’t seen in years – namely because he had moved away. Doyle had always been such an encouragement and support to me in whatever endeavor I was involved in at the time. But as a friend, Doyle offered something else – something that every leader needs. He offered me the gift of perspective.
The first time we got to know each other was over lunch. We had served on a couple of planning committees together and I had admired his wisdom and kindness. Lunch on that day was no different. I heard his story, and shared mine with him. I talked about the fact that I was living in a parentheses period – an in-between time in my work. (I was serving as a men’s pastor at the time, but anxious to get back to being a senior pastor.) Doyle’s primary word (and that of everybody whenever I’ve been anxious to make a quick move) was, “Stay where you are.” Actually he said, “I can’t think of anything more important than working with men.”
After sharing more joys and frustrations, he (lovingly!) asked me a slap-in-the-face question:
[click to continue…]
I’ve been wanting to do this for a while now, and this seems like a good time as another semester has drawn to a close. Ever since I’ve been teaching on a college or graduate level, I’ve had the privilege of reading – and learning – from some pretty profound writers.
In this case, I’m not talking about the great books and journal articles I get to lead students through. I’m referring to the papers and other written assignments that I have to grade. At my peak earlier in the year, I was grading bout 25 papers a day.
As you may expect, most of the things I read are rather average, and some are, um, well, below average. But every once in a while, somebody blows me away with their ability to creatively, powerfully express a truth. Sometimes it’s just a sentence. Sometimes it’s a paragraph.
Over the years I have collected my favorite student quotations. So in the tradition of my “Half-Baked Ideas that I’m still thinking about,” I wanted to share seven with you.
Drink these in slowly. Let them “bake in your oven” for a while. You’ll be richer for it. Click here and brace for impact!
Q – Please give me one ‘nugget’ of wisdom from your own experience of authentic Christian leadership.
A – Okay, here goes. This sounds like I’m stupidly stating the obvious, but it’s amazing how easy it is for people with leadership positions or aspirations to forget it:
Leaders go first.
They’re the first to serve.
First to see the future.
First to take action.
First to offer their lives and experience as an example. [click to continue…]
Leading people is like pulling a wagon.
It can be complicated and frustrating to over-analyze or steer from the rear. [click to continue…]
(Inspired by and dedicated to a great group of leaders I have had the privilege of working with over the last 12 weeks.)
