It’s not hard to find leadership insights. You see them everywhere, if you’re looking. One place I see them, interestingly enough, is from the saddle of my bike. Okay, full disclosure: I haven’t actually seen 324 insights, but it sure seems like it.

The other day I saw another one.

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Over the last several months one of our associates has been leading a church through the Strategic Planning Process. The church is learning and doing well. Actually, because of distance, travel accessibility and financial constraints, the entire process has been done live online. So everyone can see each other and there is direct feedback. It’s certainly not like working face to face, but it’s not bad either. And our guess is that they are learning so much, just as we are.

One thing about this particular group is that they are culturally in a different context that causes all of us to recognize just how much we are alike even in our differences. But God is still God and his Truth is still his Truth no matter what the context.

Now the leadership there is really the most remarkable part of this whole process. They are completely engaged, teachable and good hearers/listeners. The person who is what I’ll call the “point person” has taken what we are teaching and made it come alive through all kinds of great communication. The graphics and look of what is given to the group to work through, ponder and consider for their church is so well done, not just because of the way it looks, but mostly because of the insight it brings to those who are learning. We also are learning from them.

Now here’s one more remarkable thing. The point person (leader) group is a woman! That’s right. Almost unheard of in our church circles! But so refreshing is her response to the material and her ability to communicate it to their church, that it is a great blessing to work with her, but also learn from her. She is truly a gifted leader. Someone that does not bully her way through “the system” but leads, just leads. We thank God for her example and for her church that allows her to use her gifts in this way.

This year’s inductees into the Pro Football Hall of Fame included arguably the best receiver ever to strap on a helmet: Jerry Rice.

I wonder…

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Life Long Learning

One of the values we have corporately is the value of Life Long Learning. To live out this value corporately it means that we as individuals must be committed to personal learning.
This week I had the opportunity to attend the Willow Creek Association Global Leadership Summit. I intentionally carved out time in my schedule to be in a place that I could learn more about leadership and get perspectives from fourteen leaders around the world. The speakers were men and women I had heard or read about in the last year.
There was a common theme in all of their talks – never, ever, ever, ever, give up!
We as leaders face all kinds of trials (actually problems) each and every day. They are people issues, client challenges, we wrestle with an overreaching government bureaucracy, and on and on it goes. These trials can derail us from reaching our goals and being the company or person we envision.
I too face these kinds of situations and actually at times say to myself – is this really worth all this effort, pain and heartache? Is this really where God has me to serve? Am I really helping leaders be better leaders or helping churches strategize and envision their future well?
This week I had the opportunity for leadership development. I intentionally put myself in a place that challenged, encouraged, intellectually stimulated me, and gave me many tools for meeting the challenges I personally face. The result is that today I am renewed emotionally, spiritually and can move forward with new energy and conviction – to never, ever, ever, ever, give up!
All this happened because of a value in my life of Life Long Learning. Our values do matter!

In this continuing series, I am using an article from Inc. Magazine in which Norm Brodsky outlined 6 successful business ideas. I’ve identified some leadership principles I see that may have driven his approach to business.

Here’s another principle I see: (more…)

This post is part of a series on leadership principles found in six controversial business ideas. Norm Brodsky put the ideas on the table in a recent article in Inc. Magazine.

Here’s the next principle I saw:

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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.