There is profit in hard work, but mere talk leads to poverty. Proverbs 14:23 I’m sure there is a good reason for the phrase “Work-Life Balance” but I fail to see what the fuss is all about. Forgive me HR professionals or perhaps agree with what I am about to say. Whenever I hear someone say they’re looking for a job that provides a work-life balance, I have an instant reaction of confusion as if the person’s opening statement was “One plus one equals two”. Did they really need to say that? Who doesn’t want to enjoy their life? But never in my life have I worried about having balance.  The Myth of Work-Life Balance If I don’t have it, it’s probably because I am pursuing something of greater significance than balance. If I don’t have balance, and I need it, and I can create it, I do just that.

We all experience disappointment. It’s personal. It’s emotional. It drains you of energy and discourages your optimism. In fact, it’s a force that can erode your dreams, and even your values. Maybe it’s a goal not achieved or a hope not realized. Maybe it was a promise unfulfilled, an agreement broken, or the typical over-promise and under-deliver pledge lived out before your eyes. Disappointment can cause you to pull back from relationships and give less than your best. The truth is clear: Most disappointments are tangled up in relationships. The familiar feeling can be summarized in the phrase, “He let me down.” Leaders experience disappointment too. Sitting in the leader’s chair is a very difficult reality to describe. It’s a constant, never-ending, existence of demands. Your team looks to you for direction, answers, justice, and understanding. And you cannot accomplish the vision without them. You’re all in it together. Dealing

An Overview of 1 Timothy 6 Generosity in Leadership I’m surprised how few leadership talks address the issues surrounding money. I’m not talking about how to make more money. Plenty of talk about that. I’m not talking about investing money. Plenty of talk about that. I’m not talking about spending money. Plenty of talk about that. I’m talking about being generous with money. Popular Studies Reveal Multiple Outcomes and Benefits of Generosity Enhanced Well-Being Improved Physical Health Stronger Social Connections Reduced Stress and Improved Mental Health Positive Impact On Others Increased Sense Of Purpose And Meaning We shouldn’t give, to get, but that’s how it works. And every honest leader knows the difference between giving and giving generously. Generously is a big word. It’s not always a big number but it is always big to the person who gives generously. It’s never about equal gifts, it’s about equal sacrifice. How

AN OVERVIEW OF 1 TIMOTHY 5 There’s a lot of effort, work, and talk about culture within organizations. Peter Drucker has been credited with the statement, “Culture eats strategy for breakfast, every day”.  I believe that. I am also amazed how Scripture emphasizes the same… dating almost 2000 years ago. Consider how the Apostle Paul was working to shape culture in the early church through the pastor’s leadership and three clear community values: honor, care, and protection. Three Culture-Building Values 1st culture-building value: Honor “Never speak harshly to an older man, but appeal to him respectfully as you would to your own father. Talk to younger men as you would to your own brothers. 2 Treat older women as you would your mother, and treat younger women with all purity as you would your own sisters.” 1 Timothy 5:1-2, NLT The teachings of the church aim to create a model

Maybe I am wrong but it feels like our world is more divided than at any other time in my life. It seems the line that is being drawn between conservatives and liberals, religious and non-religious, one generation and the next, one nation and another, is more like the walls of Jericho than an imaginary line.  Jericho Archeologists have uncovered a couple of interesting facts about Jerico’s wall. It appears there were two walls. One was built on top of a retaining structure due to a steep embankment. This means the outer wall might have been over twenty feet high. The second wall, located on higher ground provided additional protection from enemies and must have presented itself just as daunting. These walls were used for military purposes. To protect the people of the city and its natural resources. What Will It Take? The biblical account of Jericho comes down to

Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise. Wise Achievers are wired differently. Most of them use to-do lists. Lists are helpful if you’re going shopping and you don’t want to forget certain items. Nothing is helpful if you go grocery shopping when you’re hungry, list or no list. You’ll spend twice the money because everything looks so good!  Productivity Wisdom for Achievers Generally, I do not recommend to-do lists for achievers. Why? Achievers typically have a high response trait. What is a high response rate? On the positive side, people with a high response rate get crap done and get it done fast. They don’t like disorganization, loose ends, unread emails, pending items, and broken promises. They work fast. On the not-so-positive front, they tend to be tactical more than strategic. They are often busy but not always moving toward the most important milestones and

The Power of Music: Nostalgia, Influence, and Faith You’ve heard the term, “That’s Music to My Ears”. It implies a happy response to good news. But more than that, it hints at the power of music—its ability to touch hearts, shift moods, and trigger memories instantly. Music isn’t just sound; it’s emotion, memory, and message all wrapped into melody. Nostalgia and reminiscing through music Whenever I listen to one of those surfing Beach Boys songs, I wanna throw on the board shorts, roll down the convertible top, and hit the beach even if it’s 40 degrees outside! When I listen to Classic Rock, I get this strange rush of rebellion and courage even though I don’t know what to do with it. When I listen to Classical music, I feel underdressed if I’m not in a tuxedo.  Whenever I hear Motown, I look to see if my girl is in

Some people have to work at it. Some don’t. If you’re one of those who have to work at it, look to someone you admire. Look to someone who has grown beyond their temperament into a truly interesting, likable human being. I know of someone like that. So let me use a few paragraphs to describe this person. Admirable and Likable Qualities He is positive. I cannot find anyone who knows him that would disagree with me. Even if things didn’t turn out the way he wanted, he had an “ole shucks” kind of response. Then he would get right back at it. Positive people usually carry a wheel barrel full of laughter. He is no exception. Positivity and laughter live in the same house. He is an encourager. Of course, he is. Who is positive, has a great laugh, and does not encourage? Exactly. No one. Even when I

Just this past week, several executive conversations revealed an elevated sense of anxiety. As we dived below the surface of symptoms, we discovered what they all had in common. Uncertainty. Symptoms of Anxiety in Uncertain Times SYMPTOMS: difficulty sleeping, negative and defensive thinking, nervous energy, depression, a sense of threat and fear, aggressiveness, a lack of focus, and looking over the fence. Factors Influencing Anxiety During Seasons of Uncertainty I’ve experienced seasons and events of uncertainty multiple times in my life. Sometimes I navigated these well and other times, not so much. The level of anxiety we experience during times like these is probably associated with several factors: Our holistic and mental health prior to the season The weight of what is at stake Our experience in dealing with uncertainty The object of our faith Coping Strategies for Dealing with Anxiety in Seasons of Uncertainty So if you’re not sure

“Wisdom is the reward you get for a lifetime of listening when you’d have preferred to talk.” – Doug Larson. Leaders have a bias toward action. That’s a good thing until they stop listening and learning. Unfortunately, many have. When you are listening, it is impossible to do anything else. Listening requires the alignment of all of your faculties. Your body language, your ears, your eyes, your mind, your voice, a complete commitment. There’s so Much More to Listening You’re listening when you use your voice to gain more information, more understanding, more clarification. It’s a process of uncovering what another believes, feels, and wants. So, listening is much more than keeping our mouths shut. Tell the truth. When you rewind your last significant conversation, what really happened? You heard enough already so you started formulating your response instead of listening. Since we have been on both sides of the

People who accept discipline are on the pathway to life, but those who ignore correction will go astray. Proverbs 10:17, NLT Decluttering your life isn’t just about your home—it’s about your calendar, your commitments, and your mental space. Achievers get a lot of things done but they also find themselves over-committed and overwhelmed. Somehow you end up in the same place over and over again. For some, it seems to happen every year, every three years, or perhaps every seven years. You find yourself in a place of being over-committed, overwhelmed, and unproductive.  It’s not that much different than your house. A few years go by and you wonder where all the junk cluttering your garage, basement, attic, closets, and shed came from. You slowly but surely added more stuff that you didn’t need or at least don’t need anymore. So, how do you clean up your life as a

“The rare individual who unselfishly tries to serve others has an enormous advantage.” Dale Carnegie The timeless book How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie was first published in 1936 and has sold over 30 million copies. That’s not surprising—the principles in How to Win Friends and Influence People are as relevant today as they were nearly a century ago. At its core, it’s about the power of kindness, sincere interest in others, and unselfish service—qualities that never go out of style. My wife enjoys people. She has a great laugh. In fact, whenever I hear her laugh, it stops me in my tracks. I’m at least curious to learn what it is that’s making her laugh. Most often, it doesn’t matter. When she laughs, it makes me laugh. It’s contagious. Serving Unselfishly My wife serves others with the same intensity. She also does not hold back.

Learning is a muscle. The more you exercise it, the stronger it gets. Learning transforms you by constantly providing new perspectives and insights. The best way to deal with disappointment is to gain value out of it. You do that by squeezing and learning from it. If you’ve lost something or someone, if you’ve failed, if you’ve encountered something unpleasant, what did you learn? Seriously. This is not fluff. It’s a legitimate question. We have observed and documented that failure and disappointment play a significant and positive role in the lives of overcomers and achievers. When you choose to learn from the not-so-pleasant events, you build muscle instead of flab. Flab comes from doing nothing with failures and mistakes. The Role of Learning in Growth This is true for organizations as well. A healthy organization is not perfect, but it is a learning organization. What is a Learning Organization?  In

Do your planning and prepare your fields before building your house. Proverbs 24:27 There is wisdom, respect, and results to be gained by understanding and applying this ancient proverb. It’s a first things first principle and the power of delayed gratification. It’s a principle of stewardship, honor, and wise leadership. Do your planning… First, use your God-given ability to think and plan. Create your work in your mind first. Imagination and planning is the first creation. Think it through carefully. Take it to a higher level by including others. Your plans will get even better and wiser if you do. Prepare your fields… Second, lay the groundwork. Use whatever resources you have, investing them heavily into the work. Resource work. Feed the work. Put the initial profits back into the work. The work is the priority. Furthermore, the work is what produces the fruit. The work gives back to you

We cannot change what we are not willing to acknowledge Even the most organized and strategic among us fall into seasons of chaos where we seem unable to focus, anxiety is high, task lists seem endless, and our schedule is like a runaway freight train. Fortunately, I’ve put some hard work into building two playbooks. My personal and professional playbooks have the power to help me regain focus, lower my anxiety, eliminate the majority of pesky tasks, and reorganize my calendar into a purposeful and positive direction. Otherwise, I would be another victim showing up to work, meetings, and gatherings unprepared, unsettled, and not fully present. Like many, I would become a trainwreck, overpromising, and under-delivering. So I started building playbooks. In my late twenties, while I was on a quest to get the right things done, I started building personal and professional playbooks. Prior, I got a lot of