In an earlier post, I referred to an Inc. Magazine article by Norm Brodsky in which he laid out six successful — and controversial — business ideas. I invited you to identify what leadership principles may have been in play to make those ideas successful in a business setting.

Here’s the first principle I saw:

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Donald Miller is a fairly polarizing figure. Though I tend to defer to the likes of CS Lewis and Ray Stedman, Don has re-shaped quite a bit of my theological thinking… whether it has been for better or worse!

Well, he is at it again, blogging about whether God has a plan in store for us. Check it out:

Does God Have a Specific Plan for Your Life? Probably Not. | Donald Miller’s Blog.

Anytime a successful leader identifies the maxims that lead to success, it gets my attention…

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We are all aware of the fact that many people who consider themselves Christian and have a strong interest in experiencing God have either dropped out of church altogether or still attend church but it’s no longer the primary place where they experience God.

There are so many reasons for that. They’ve found other ways and places to worship, often because church is not meeting the needs for spiritual development the way their parents and others discovered. They often find their real needs are not met and their questions are not answered in a way that makes sense in the world they live in.

Over the years I’ve always assumed that attending a church – any evangelical church – was better than becoming unchurched. But it is a common conclusion that some – even many – churches do more harm than good.

Let’s assume for the sake of argument that these committed, unchurched Christians are correct and that they and their families are better off not attending church. Scripture is relatively clear that the church is God’s is designed and ordained to reach out and minister to a lost and dying world. Some say the church is the hope of the world. No matter what you think about what I’ve just said, God wants to use each of us to impact the world.

So, what do we do about churches that are not growing or even in decline? What will bring people who have abandoned the church back? Part of what gives me the drive, energy and focus for what I love to do is built around all those questions.

Recently I spent several hours with a very good friend. She is a person that I would call “remarkable”. Many years ago she found herself alone with two small children and no job. She worked in her church on a volunteer basis and through that discovered she had lots of passion for people and their transformation. For years she has worked at making a difference in people’s lives on an individual basis. And now she is transforming communities.

That kind of passion is so amazing. Often I wonder if many of us get so involved in our daily routine that we forget we also have the ability to make a difference in the lives of those God brings our way. Think of all the people we meet, even casually. Do we take the time to build something significant into their lives? It often doesn’t mean doing something as dramatic as my friend. Sometimes it’s just listening and listening well. Maybe that’s equally significant.

Thankfully, as part of my work, I get to meet and speak with many people. Mostly they are talking with me about problems in the church they work in. But many times the more personal issues come up, and become our conversation. TMG is involved in this nearly every day. Coaching, listening, guiding and planning are what drives us as a company and individually. It is a value!

God is ready to use each of us in a “remarkable” way. We just need to pay attention to the opportunities he gives us.

Throughout my business career I have always found that those with whom I worked considered me a leader.  I listened to their comments and often wondered what they meant. I studied many leadership books, received mentoring and coaching, to really understand what is meant by leadership. I scour articles and publications on leadership. It is has become a quest!

One of the definitions often stated to know if you are a leader is to look back and see if there is anyone following you. I have found that to be the case in many, if not all, of my work life, church life and volunteer experiences. This has been a curse and a blessing.

In late 2008, I was told by the partners that owned my business, that they had made the decision to close the business and let all of the staff go. In my leadership role as President, it was my job to inform the staff and close the facility. This was devastating to me and the staff, who had worked so hard to make the business viable in this economy (in the building business no less) and put their heart and soul into doing the things that needed to be done to help the business thrive.

After closing the plant and saying goodbye to the staff, I began to search for what God had in store next for me and my family. Unlike many “C” leaders in financial institutions, insurance companies, and Wall Street there was no golden parachute provided by this Fortune 50 company. They boast as “caring for their associates” and are written about in bestselling books and magazines as a model company of the present and future in the U.S. In this case, they did only what they had to under law and then moved on.  Not the best example of what should be modeled in business in my opinion. Not a great example of modeling – matching your words with your actions!

All along God had been preparing me for what he had me to do next. He had been preparing me for a new leadership role that would touch my very soul to the core.

My brother-in-law, for many years had been asking me to get involved with him in his business. He had written many books on leadership, strategic planning and organizational development. All of which were areas of interest and giftedness for me. In those years I ignored his prodding.  I thought he was kidding.  Last fall he asked me to come join him at a session focused on strategic planning with a client. I said I would and this was the session that has changed my life’s focus as a leader.

I saw people respond to the material in a real and fresh way. They needed what was being taught and were responding to the urging of God. I could see for the first time that they needed to be lead to a place that would change their organization and change them from inside out. The passion that I felt, the experiences that I have had in my career, the worldwide travel, the poor leaders to whom I have been exposed, all came together at this place in time to push me into this new place of leadership.

This has been a very personal journey over many years, and a lot of frequent flyer miles (3 million on one airline and almost 2 million on another). I have accepted this role with excitement and passion; excited to see what God will do with us and the organization as we continue our journey.