Reflection and Learning What did I learn this week? I ask myself this question at the end of every week and then turn my attention to the details of the week ahead. It’s a habit I practice and document in my playbook. While recording a podcast with Ryan Hawk, the host of The Learning Leader Show, we connected, especially on one specific topic: helping leaders get better. Since we both work with leaders, we are very interested in how they navigate time and priorities. The Importance of Mastering Time We advise leaders on the ways of mastering their schedules and priorities. Yet, some respond by saying, “You don’t get it.” What they mean to say is that we don’t understand the demands and unpredictable nature of corporate America. That’s just not true. Here’s the truth: If we continue to live hectic, reactive lives, we will get worse. Over just a

It’s a Saturday morning at the pool. I volunteered to be a timer for my grandson and a couple of his teammates. Meanwhile, athletes are in the water preparing to swim the mile. As the event is about to begin, a thought crosses my mind: “I don’t think I have ever swum a mile”. Love for the Sport I’m amazed at my grandson’s progress in this sport. He is creating a name for himself. NO one is putting pressure on him to be in the pool at 5:30 AM, six days a week, just to be back in the pool later that afternoon. He’s doing work for the love of it, the sport, winning, and his teammates. As the swimmers hit the water after their impressive dives, music blares through the natatorium’s sound system. It is an upbeat atmosphere as family, friends, and teammates watch and cheer them on! I,

Unforgiveness as a Weakness The idea that unforgiveness is a sin may be too harsh for you to digest even though I maintain its veracity.  If so, at least start by considering it a weakness. Withholding forgiveness is a weakness. Is it that simple? I think not. Unforgiveness: A Destructive Weapon It’s not just a weakness, It is a destructive weapon that knows no boundaries. It’s cancerous. Perhaps even more destructive than the original offense because by withholding forgiveness, a sin is empowered to live on. It not only lives but morphs into all kinds of darkness in the lives of numerous people penetrating generations yet to come. The Ripple Effect of Unforgiveness Many of these family tree victims will be ignorant of the source of their affliction. Some of these encumbrances will seem unrelated to the historical offense because the most damaging offense was unforgiveness. This willful act breeds

If you’re a sports fan, you know retaliation is the foul that is almost always noticed and penalized by the referee. No matter the protest afterward, it’s the retaliator, not the original offender most often punished. The Make-Up Call Then again, there is the make-up call. An honest referee knows what’s going on. If he believes the protest, the original offender better not provide any reason whatsoever for the zebra to stop playing. And so goes life. We seek to find justice, yet always fall a bit short. The Playground Analogy If you have ever broken up a fight on the playground, you will hear the phrase “He started it!” I’ve always found that line of thinking a bit humorous, as if there were no history to consider. Usually, for two to fight, someone has had enough. Someone stepped over the invisible line. And to everyone’s surprise, a fight breaks

The secular world would like to destroy the word sin. She likes the phrase “poor decisions”. To sin is certainly a poor decision but not all poor decisions are sins. Three Kinds of Sin Let’s keep it simple. There are three kinds of sin: childish, adolescent, and adult. Childish Sin Little kids sin but the damage is not usually too severe. They lie, hit, bite, and steal. At first, parents are a little shocked they gave birth to a demon-like child. Once reality sets in, character development becomes the goal. It’s not too hard to forgive a kid. Adolescent Sin Adolescents sin too. The sins of teenagers are more tricky because they live on the border of two countries. On one side is childhood and on the other, adulthood. Sometimes they sin like a kid and sometimes like an adult. The consequences for each should be different but adults should have the wisdom

I’ve been told repeatedly that I ask tough questions. I like hard. I don’t like easy. Easy is boring. Easy does not grow me. It makes me soft, lazy, and unready for the faithful challenges ahead. So, carrying on from last week, let me ask you: “What is your purpose?” Starting the Year with Intention As you step into the new year, what is your purpose? Perhaps you are walking into a new job or opportunity of some kind. Maybe you are entering a whole new chapter in your life. Or maybe, everything seems as it always has and you can’t quite commit all of you to that one thing. Knowing your purpose Knowing your purpose is what creates vision. And without a vision, goals are just what seems convenient and obvious. That’s why too many of us get up in the morning and “just” go to work because that’s

The Power of Purpose To have a purpose is to have something to live for. When we lack a clear and consistent purpose, we are functionally and philosophically lost—our inner compass is broken. If our purpose has little hold on us, we will easily become distracted and ineffective. Consider this: a common war tactic is to distract the enemy from their primary assignment or purpose—and then take it from them. In many ways, this happens every day to those who lack a clear and compelling purpose. Furthermore, a sustainable vision—and the goal steps leading there—are birthed from purpose. Visions and dreams often fail because they haven’t been cultivated from the deepest part of the soul. A good idea, after all, is not the same as conviction. Once purpose truly takes hold, vision and values follow naturally, adding dimension and texture to our lives. The Role of Writing in Purpose Writing

The Purpose Driven Life is a book authored by Rick Warren. It has sold over 50 million copies and has been translated into 137 languages. The first four words in the book are: It’s not about you. I was around the age of forty when I first read the book. The content was impactful, but in my opinion, nothing stood out more than those first four words. They struck me like an arrow at the center of my heart, and in that moment, they also released me from a heavy burden I had been carrying for years. It was a weight I had placed on myself—to prove something to myself and perhaps even seek validation from others. Although I was raised in a Christian home and was already living what many would consider a “successful” life—happily married with two healthy children—I still needed to hear those words. I remember the

The Athlete’s Mindset If you want to know how to lead like athletes, start by observing how professional athletes lead their lives. They approach everything with focus, discipline, and purpose. You should aim to lead like professional athletes who play for a team. When you begin to think about your work as athletes think of their sport, your mindset will shift. Likewise, viewing your workplace as a sports arena can completely transform your approach. See Yourself in the Game – Lead Like Athletes Do As you visualize your current work role, how does it relate to a player on the field or court? Are you the star performer? Maybe you’re the steady and reliable cornerstone. Or perhaps you’re the team captain. If you can see yourself as any of these, you’re already starting to understand how to lead like athletes. Prioritize Your Well-being Athletes care for their physical well-being. They

Leadership is like gardening. Leading a healthy life or leading others well is much like gardening. While visiting my parents in Arizona, I had the opportunity to plant three Red Tips (a bush-like plant). I’ve always enjoyed gardening and well-designed landscapes. It’s therapeutic while also useful for learning about life and leadership. Below is an example of how gardening provides lessons on leadership: Plant in the Right Place Plant in the right place (sun and/or shade exposure and in the correct region of the country) = do everything you can to make sure the new team member is fit for the job (experience, temperament, skill sets, life situation, etc.). Therefore, just like in gardening, positioning matters in leadership. The environment must be right for growth. Dig the Hole Big Enough Dig the hole big enough so roots can easily establish themselves = Do everything you can to remove obstacles from new

Acknowledgment. It’s the first step to any kind of change, isn’t it? What are we afraid of? Why are we so defensive? What are we trying to protect? Acknowledgment Starts Within As I consider the caption, my mind is directed to my personal habits, relationships, desires, and goals. Acknowledging a problem is not the solution but it is the beginning. If we don’t at least begin by acknowledging the problem, we will only repeat what we don’t admit because we repeat what we don’t repair. The Power to Change Lies Within Much of our power to change is found on the inside. We often underestimate the ability God has given us to grow and restore our lives and relationships as well as any environment we desire to influence. Acknowledgment is Ownership and Action Acknowledgment is not just about owning and embracing what is broken; it is also about owning and

Give instruction to a wise man, and he will be still wiser; Teach a just man, and he will increase in learning.  Proverbs 9:9 Believe it or not Friend, your leadership is either improving or declining. It is impossible to stay in the same place. You’re either getting better or you’re starting to become like a broken record. A broken record (for those too young to remember) is when the needle on your record player gets stuck in the same groove playing it over and over again. That becomes so irritating, you shut the whole thing off or you throw away the record. Growth Requires Intentional Effort Last week, I was listening to a speaker talk about personal growth. I wrote down many points and statements that struck me. Four points stood out as something I should ponder more deeply. Maybe these will inspire you as well: We cannot change

He who guards his mouth preserves his life, but he who opens wide his lips shall have destruction. Proverbs 13:3 Julian Treasure is a well-known international speaker on sound communication skills. In particular, among many other topics, he shares the Seven Deadly Sins of Speaking: Gossip Most gossip is misleading or worse. Don’t participate. Judging Judging closes doors. When Lincoln disliked a person, he chose to get to know him better. This habit proved to be more profitable. Negativity The world is looking for solutions, not people who simply curse the darkness. Negativity is a fixed mindset. It almost takes a miracle to heal. Complaining Cowards complain because they are always speaking away from the problem. They believe the problem is always out there somewhere and never within their own abilities to make a difference. Excuses Owning your failures and growing from them draws people to you. On the other

“It was good for me to learn that you are a person of faith.” These words were spoken to me recently by a new client. I’ve heard similar statements dozens of times before, so it didn’t surprise me. I don’t like to use the word client because it feels transactional. My vision for each new relationship is friendship and perhaps partnership. For whatever the stated reason, we come together to seek understanding and renewed purpose and direction for the days ahead. Most of my “clients” are aware that I pray for them and our meetings. It’s what I do because I recognize we need assistance. I pray for things like trust, openness, new discoveries, courage, truth, and whatever seems to fit the context of our relationship. Sometimes I forget to pray. It doesn’t happen much, but when it does, I am often reminded of the fact during the meeting and

The knowledge worker cannot be supervised closely or in detail. He can only be helped. But he must direct himself, and he must direct himself toward performance and contribution, that is, toward effectiveness. Peter Drucker When Boards Overstep Their Role I once watched a board of directors make a decision about what they believed the CEO should be doing. Unfortunately, they got it dead wrong. Notably, none of them had ever served as a CEO. Funny how that works. More importantly, they had never learned a key principle: Leaders lead and boards govern. These are two different roles with two different purposes. As a result, the leader chose to leave the organization. He understood the truth: “Good leadership thrives where leadership is valued.” Leaders, managers, and team members all join an organization to serve its mission. However, if they must be supervised like a child playing near a busy street,