Leadership & Market Place Ministry: November 2014

Saturday, November 29, 2014

10 Practices Of Leaders Who Build Sustainable Ministries And Businesses

I want to help build and be part of sustainable churches and organizations. So do you. The real question becomes how do you create something which is lasting? Something which lives beyond you? Something which impacts both this and future generations?
In the July/August edition of Inc. magazine I was introduced to the website TheDistance. This site is dedicated to “stories about hard-working, long-lasting businesses and the people behind them.” Written by Wailin Wong, this month’s story chronicled the history of Horween Leather Company, Chicago’s last remaining tannery.
The following are 10 Practices Of Leaders Who Build Sustainable Ministries And Businesses we learn from this incredibly successful organization:

Sustainable Ministries And Businesses Have Consistent Leadership – Constant turnover in leadership results in dysfunction and a lack of sustainability. Founded in 1905 by 30-year-old vice president Nick Horween’s great-great-grandfather, five generations of Horweens have led the organization.
Sustainable Ministries And Businesses Prioritize Excellence - Bill Hybels famously said, “Excellence honors God and inspires people.” The Horween Leather Company have developed “customers who are championing a revival of consumption based on quality.”
Sustainable Ministries And Businesses Eliminate Short Cuts - While all competitive tanneries moved operations overseas for lower-cost labor, Horween evolved into the luxury maker of high-end leather products.
Sustainable Ministries And Businesses Never Lose Their Sense Of Urgency – Andy Stanley has said, “The greatest enemy of future success is past success.” What Andy is warning us against is the dangers of complacency. Nick said, “If the customer can’t tell the difference and you charge a premium, you’re out of business. So it just has to be the best you can make it. You put all the best stuff into it so you can get the best out of it, and get your price or don’t sell it.”
Sustainable Ministries And Businesses Embrace Change While Staying True To Their Core Values – Horween’s first product was strips of horsehide used to sharpen razor blades. The tannery then pursued new customers and markets when safety features changed. Horween’s business is currently 40% footwear, 40% sporting goods and the remaining 20% a variety of other leather products.
Sustainable Ministries And Businesses Leverage Their Expertise – CEO Steve Bock of Shinola, one of Horween’s top clients, says, “This is a 100-year-old company that has really built a tremendous amount of expertise over that period of time.”
Sustainable Ministries And Businesses Develop A Culture Of Hard Work - Success often smells like sweat. The philosophy of Horweens leaders is”you don’t make leather at a desk. You have to be out in the plant.”
Sustainable Ministries And Businesses Have A Competitive Advantage - The Horween Leather Company’s competitive advantage is their quality. Skip Horween said, “It needs to be the best it can be because that’s really our competitive advantage. We’re not cheap. If you came to me and said, ‘Wow, I need a million of something in a really big hurry,’ you’re probably in the wrong place.”
Sustainable Ministries And Businesses Develop Deep, Long-Standing Relationships - If you are a football fan, you deeply appreciate the Horween Leather Company whether you realize it or not. Their consistent excellence helped win and build a long-relationship with the Wilson Sporting Goods Company, the official maker of NFL footballs. Their client list also includes Chrysler, Studebaker and John Deere.
Sustainable Ministries And Businesses Stay Relevant – The Horween leadership has consistently made modern upgrades to keep pace with such items as environmental regulations.

Consistent Leadership, Prioritize Excellence, Eliminate Short Cuts, Have A Sense Of Urgency, Change, Leverage Expertise, Work Hard, Use Your Competitive Advantage, Develop Long-Standing Relationships and Stay Relevant. If you maintain these 10 practices, you too may have a sustainable ministry or business.

10 Leadership Practices Of Stay-At-Home Moms

My wife Sonya and daughter Anna

When I talk to people who do n0t read this blog, the main reason they give is they do not consider themselves to be leaders. They think to be a leader you must have someone “under you”. This is especially true of many of the women I speak with.
We need a fundamental shift in our thinking of what a leader is. Leadership is not about position but rather influence. Leaders don’t need people “under them” to be people of tremendous influence.
The top influencer in my life other than Jesus Christ is my wife Sonya. Sonya doesn’t consider herself to be a leader because she is a stay-at-home mom. She rarely reads my posts because “she hears it all the time anyway” (that’s funny) and “I don’t lead anyone. I’m a stay-at-home mom”.
I began to wonder how many people out there must think like her - people who do not have a title or an office so they do not consider themselves leaders. My hope is this post gives people a new perspective.
This post is dedicated to all stay-at-home moms who have incredible influence and leadership skills they may be completely unaware of. The following are 10 Leadership Practices Of Stay-At-Home Moms:

Stay-At-Home Moms are the greatest servants I know.
Stay-At-Home Moms sacrifice personal desires and public recognition for the success of others.
Stay-At-Home Moms have superior organizational skills.
A husbands performance is in direct correlation to his wife’s confidence in him. Stay-At-Home Moms give their husbands confidence to perform well throughout the day.
Stay-At-Home Moms are great time managers. They productively utilize marginal time.
Stay-At-Home Moms manage the family’s financial resources and stretch a dollar.
Stay-At-Home Moms create a warm environment to come home to. For more on that subject, click here.
Stay-At-Home Moms rise early and make sure all of their family’s needs are met.
Stay-At-Home Moms make investments in their children which last generations.
As a husband, Stay-At-Home Moms are an unbelievable privilege to provide for.

Proverbs 31:29 says “Many women do noble things but you surpass them all“. Proverbs 18:22 also says “He who finds a wife finds what is good and receives favor from the Lord“. I could not agree more.
So this is a message to all stay-at-home moms, thank you so much for how you leverage and steward your influence. To your husbands and children, you are the greatest leaders in the world!!! Readers, tell me how stay-at-home moms have influenced you.
For more on this topic, read Tim Parson’s wonderful post Five Leadership Lessons From A Stay-At-Home Mom.

Tuesday, November 25, 2014

The One Thing All Pastors And Church Leaders Need

The following is a guest blog from this site’s friend and partner MAG Bookkeeping. If your church needs bookkeeping or virtual assistance, there is no one I recommend more. You can contact this wonderful organization by clicking HERE. Now, onto The One Thing All Pastors And Church Leaders Need:

Sir Humphrey Monmouth was a wealthy merchant in 16th-century London, who’d made his fortune selling cloth and clothing to London’s elite – many of whom were members of the clergy. Monmouth met, in 1524, a young theologian who was preaching at St. Dunstan’s Church (now St. Dunstan in the West on London’s Fleet Street) named William Tyndale. Tyndale was in need of a place to stay – and someone to support him – while he started making plans to start the work Tyndale believed God had laid on his heart. That work was nothing less than producing the first vernacular (or “ordinary language”) version of the Bible in English.

Monmouth invited Tyndale into his home, paid all his expenses, and when Tyndale had to flee to continental Europe later in the year because of the increasing pressure from church officials to stop his translation, Monmouth gave him money to aid in his travel. And Monmouth didn’t forget him. When Tyndale had finished his first edition of a vernacular Bible while living in Germany in 1526, copies were smuggled back into England hidden in bolts of cloth – many of which were purchased by (you guessed it) Sir Humphrey Monmouth.

Tyndale eventually paid for his defiance of church officials with his life. But before he died, he left behind a translation of the Greek Scriptures that made up approximately 90 percent of the King James Bible (published in 1611). Tyndale introduced into our language phrases like…

“Let there be light” (Genesis 1:3)

“In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God” (John 1:1)

“Blessed are they that mourn for they shall be comforted” (Matthew 5:4)

“Our Father, which art in heaven, hallowed be thy name” (Matthew 6:9)

“In him we live, move and have our being” (Acts 17:28)

We’re not saying that Tyndale couldn’t have completed his calling from God without Humphrey Monmouth, but there’s no doubt that Monmouth’s service and support helped Tyndale along his way. Monmouth’s relationship with Tyndale helped get the Word of God into the hands of ordinary people in England long after Tyndale had left Monmouth’s house.

Any pastor or church leader – anyone who’s trying to fulfill God’s calling on his or her life and lead people in expanding His kingdom – needs support. They need people around them to provide service, encouragement and connections.They need a team to take care of their administrative needs, someone to handle the details so they can more effectively do the work they’re called to do. They need a Humphrey Monmouth – someone who can provide support and encouragement, who can handle the financial details of the ministry with the highest levels of accuracy and integrity.

That’s who we want to be at MAG Bookkeeping. We want to be your Humphrey Monmouth, the financial and procedural support you need to help you more effectively carry out your ministry. If you’d like to see how we can do that for your church, contact us today.

For more on William Tyndale’s life and work, check out these resources:

The British Library – Tyndale’s Bible

UK Christian Heritage Site biography of Tyndale

Pastor John Piper’s biography of Tyndale

Gospel Patrons (the book that inspired this post)

Image credit: The William Tyndale Memorial Statue in Victoria Embankment Gardens

9 Signs A Leader Needs To Improve

No leader is perfect. We have all seasons when we do not hit on all cylinders. Seasons when our communications lack clarity, when our people skills divide rather than unify, and when the decisions we make miss the mark. Simply put, there are seasons in a leader’s life we must simply improve.
LeBron James of the Cleveland Cavaliers is a great leader but he is going through a season in which even he must improve. The great ESPN.com writer Brian Windhorst recently wrote a post entitled “LeBron the leader must step up.” As I read Windhorst’s article, I gleaned 9 Signs A Leaders Needs To Improve:

A Leaders Needs To Improve When Their Team Is Performing Poorly – The Cavs have a 5-7 record and are currently on a 4-game losing streak.
A Leaders Needs To Improve When They Are Complaining About Those They Lead – After a recent loss to the Toronto Raptors, James called his team “fragile”.
A Leaders Needs To Improve When He/She Lacks Energy – During poor stretches of play, James has done a series of little things like not get back on defense.
A Leaders Needs To Improve When They Make Unnecessary Mistakes – James leads the team in turnovers with four a game. This is due to a number of “foolish passes” he often makes.
A Leaders Needs To Improve When He/She Does Not Include Others – James has become overly reliant on pick-and-rolls with teammate Anderson Varejao rather than including others.
A Leaders Needs To Improve When They Undermine The Authority Of Other Leaders – James has been dismissive of Head Coach David Blatt. He even as far as to admit he “didn’t look for (Blatt’s) guidance” in dealing with teammates.
A Leaders Needs To Improve When They Lack Self-Awareness – Unbelievably, James said this past weekend, “I can’t be negative at all…I will never do that to these guys.” All evidence to the contrary.
A Leaders Needs To Improve When They Do Too Much – In fairness to James, he is being asked to be the team’s leader scorer, top rebounder, best passer, motivator, hardest worker and team psychologist. A leader must get work done through others rather than doing all the work themselves.
A Leaders Needs To Improve When They Lack Patience – James said, “I have a low tolerance for things of this nature. So it’s something I’m working on, as well, which I knew from the beginning that that was going to be my biggest test to see how much patience I’ve got.”

James is one of sports’ great leaders. He will improve as will the Cleveland Cavaliers. James is just going through a tough leadership season. What is one area listed on this list you need to improve in?

20 Things All Successful Leaders Do

Nowhere in the Bible does God call a leader to an easy task. All leaders will face challenges. It is simply unavoidable. Therefore, developing the skills necessary to deal with and find solutions to challenges are critical to a leader’s success.
One of my favorite leaders in any industry is Alabama Crimson Tide head football coach Nick Saban. Coach Saban has an incredible ability to communicate complex leadership principles in easy-to-understand language. Nowhere was this better displayed than this week’s SEC media tour.
The following are 20 Challenges Leaders Face gleaned from three separate visits Coach Saban made with ESPN personnel. The First Take interview is shown above.
July 18th SportsCenter

Leaders Must Evaluate Reality – “We didn’t end the season last year like we did the previous two when we had success.”
Leaders Must Establish Core Values – “You get everybody to buy into the principles and values that helped you be successful in the past. Can’t complain. Can’t judge.”
Leaders Must Provide Clear Job Responsibilities – “Everybody’s got to do their job for the team.”
Leaders Must Develop Good Decision-Making Skills – “The three most critical factors to me in a quarterback: Decison-making and judgement – processing information quickly and making a good decision. Being a good leader and being accurate when you throw the ball.”
Leaders Must Possess High Energy – “Players respond well to him (Lane Kiffin). He’s brought a lot of new energy, intelligence and ideas.”

July 22nd The Herd radio program with Colin Cowherd

Leaders Must Have Some Fun – “I’m having more fun now than ever before because I think the challenges are greater especially with the players.”
Leaders Must Instill Good Habits In Others – “The disparity of the players coming in in terms of how they think of things, what they do. How do you challenge them? How do you help them develop the right habits and be successful because it used to be the player was afraid NOT to do what the coach said. Now these guys are like, ‘I’ve arrived.'”
Leaders Must Properly Evaluate Their Personnel – “Evaluating. Another part of recruiting that people sometimes underestimate.”
Leaders Must Continually Upgrade Their Skills – “Lane’s issues were maturity in handling public relations.”
Leaders Must Make Hard And Unpopular Decisions – “Sometimes you have to know that you can’t make decisions based upon public opinion when you know there’s enough positive assets there to help the organization.”
Leaders Must Be Personally Accountable – “Even if you have illegal contact with a player, he tweets it that you talked to him. It’s (recruiting) so transparent you have to do things correctly.”
Leaders Must Create Boundaries For Those On Their Teams – “I like for our players to not get so engrossed in the attention they get from that type of communication (Twitter) that they lose focus on the things they need to do to be productive people, students and players. That’s where I draw the line on it.”
Leaders Must Manage Their Emotions – “I’ve learned how to manage players better. When you get emotional with players that’s where you make mistakes.”
Leaders Must Have Self-Control – “I pray I don’t get angry because that’s the times you do things you’re sorry for.”

July 22nd ESPN First Take

Leaders Must Not Make Excuses – “As coaches you’re a competitor. If you recruit a kid and you lose him, you’re always looking for a reason. One of the easiest reasons is the other guy did something illegal. I don’t buy into that.”
Leaders Must Have Integrity And Be Above Reproach – “The #1 thing that blows up my future and blows up any coach’s future is if you violate NCAA rules. So that’s a big risk to be taken over winning a football game.”
Leaders Must Be Detailed, Disciplined And Well-Prepared – “I could see it coming (the loss to Auburn)…I saw our players change a little bit in terms of entitlement they had. They lost respect for winning and when you do that you lose respect for what it takes to win. Attention to Detail. Preparation. Discipline.”
Leaders Must Fight Against Complacency – “We didn’t finish the year like we needed to…From the foundation, we started losing some of the principles and values the organization was built on and I think it all came from complacency.”
Leaders Must Establish A Corporate Identity – “The attitude of our team is completely different going into to this season than it was a year ago because we’re trying to reestablish our identity.”
Leaders Must Understand The Importance Of Their Influence And Steward It Well – “Football is a great team game and then there’s one position, quarterback.”

What other challenges do you face as a leader?

5 Words Every Great Church And Business Have Said

“You have to give more than you’ve done before, because we want to achieve something we’ve never done before. And that’s to take the Cup home.” – Germany head soccer coach Joachim Loew

Whether you lead an athletic team like Coach Loew or a church or business, smart leaders know to accomplish things you have never accomplished before you must do things you have never done before.
I was reminded of this truth as I read Grant Wahl’s profile on the World Cup champion German national soccer team in the July 21st edition of Sports Illustrated. The following are 13 lessons from this team who said, “We’ve never done that before” which have major implications to great churches and businesses:

Great Churches And Businesses Develop Young Talent – The German soccer federation (DFB) launched a developmental program in 2003 for ages eight to 14.
Great Churches And Businesses Hire Staff Dedicated To Developing Young Talent – German youth programs have academies staffed by hundreds of coaches and scouts who are tasked with producing technically skilled players.
Great Churches And Businesses Budget Money To Developing Young Talent – The German Bumdesliga clubs contribute approximately $130 million annually into their academies.
Great Churches And Businesses Give Responsibility To Young Talent – This is in stark contrast to European teams who purchase superstar athletes rather than prioritize the development of young talent. As a result, young German talent are thrust into high-competitive, high-pressure situations earlier than their competitors.
Great Churches And Businesses Has Stable Leadership – The program is designed for players to only have four coaches throughout their youth career causing as minimal disruption as possible.
Great Churches And Businesses Plan For Unexpected Events By Building Margin – Germany lost several talented players, specifically Marco Reus and Iklay Gundogan, prior to the tournament as well as Sami Khedira prior to the championship game. Yet they won anyway.
Great Churches And Businesses Have A Deep And Talented Bench – During the World Cup finale, the Argentine reserves made little to no impact while two German back-ups, Andre Schurrle and Mario Gotze, combined on the game-winning goal. Coach Loew said, “From the beginning we knew we were not only the 11 players on the field. We would need 14, and (all 23) must be in top shape during the entire tournament.”
Great Churches And Businesses Has Options – Having a deep team provides leaders a multitude of options. Eight different players scored goals while six had two or more. Germany’s Phillip Lahm said in a July 14th USA Today article, “Whether we have the best individual players or whatever does not matter. You have to have the best team.”
Great Churches And Businesses Prepare For The Future – The German team had seven players on their team 25 years or younger. Lowe said in the same USA Today article, “We have lots of great players in Germany who are very young. Lots of young players who are still able to do lots of things during their career.”
Great Churches And Businesses Embrace Change – The Brazilian team rested on past laurels and were unwilling to implement new ideas. Brazilian head coach, Luiz Felipe who resigned shortly after an embarrassing 7-1 loss to Germany, said, “What Brazil is suffering from in both their sports and their national politics is an inability to actually make proper changes.”
Great Churches And Businesses Created Environments Conducive To Success – Felipe continued, “It’s not something (in Brazil) where you be like Germany and just say, ‘O.K., let’s invest in an amazing network of youth training.’ You just can’t do that in Brazil because of the poverty and corruption and lack of infrastructure.”
Great Churches And Businesses Have A Bias Toward Action – Coach Loew concluded in his USA Today interview saying, “Champions will do what you have to do and bring this thing to its final end.”
Great Churches And Businesses Are Willing To Give More Than They Have Ever Given Before – Lowe concluded, “You have to give more than you’ve done before, because we want to achieve something we’ve never done before. And that’s to take the Cup home.”

If you do these 13 practices you, too, may also accomplish more than you have ever accomplished before.

10 Things Needed To Serve Churches More Than 10 Years

Last week I had the privilege of attending the National Association Of Church Business Administrators Conference in Orlando. It marked the 10th time in the last 12 years I have been a part of this annual assembling of church leaders.
Working for INJOY Stewardship Solutions, I have gotten to build personal relationships with a large number of the other exhibitors. Over the years, I have seen many people wishing to work with churches come and go. I have seen the flash-in-the-pan individuals who initially make a big splash but just as quickly disappear from the church service landscape. I have also seen a faithful handful who have stood the test of time and are still making a significant impact in helping the Bride of Christ fulfill her mission and vision.
During one of the breaks I had the opportunity to spend extended time with Dennis Moses, the Vice President of Religious Institutional Banking for Bank of the West. Dennis has been faithfully serving churches with the bank since 1996 – 18 years and counting. During this time he and I have become great friends. There is no one I recommend more to churches who need to borrow or refinance significant amounts of money.
As I think about Dennis and others who have stood the test of time serving churches, I gleaned 10 Things Needed To Serve Churches More Than 10 Years:

Those Who Serve Churches More Than 10 Years Truly Love Jesus – Serving churches is too hard not be called to it. You must love Jesus and deeply desire wanting to spend significant time with Him daily in prayer.
Those Who Serve Churches More Than 10 Years Deeply Love The Church – The church is not a “market” someone has discovered. The church is the Bride of Christ. Some are called to the business community. No doubt. But for those given the choice between selling soap, software or widgets or serving THE redemptive instrument of human history, the Bride of Christ, the local church, how could you possibly do anything else?
Those Who Serve Churches More Than 10 Years Unconditionally Love Pastors – Pastors are very smart. They intuitively know when someone is selling them or serving them. If you do not love pastors, they will quickly sniff you out and you will not last.
Those Who Serve Churches More Than 10 Years Are Skilled Craftsmen – Not only must you WANT to help pastors, you must be ABLE to help pastors. You must be a continual learner and constantly improving your ability to help those in church leadership.
Those Who Serve Churches More Than 10 Years Are More Concerned With Helping The Church Than Making A Sale – Dennis is one of the best at this. If you try to make a sale with a pastor, you likely will not. However, if you simply want to help the church succeed and do not care if you get the sale or not, you will get an exponential number of sales.
Those Who Serve Churches More Than 10 Years Respect The Industry – People who serve churches all got into this industry for the same noble reasons – to help pastors and churches. They now travel and spend much time away from their families. They face a similar enemy, Satan. They provide incredible value to church leaders and deserve respect.
Those Who Serve Churches More Than 10 Years Build Strategic Relationships – There are many aspects to serving churches – bankers, builders, architects, printers, stewardship companies, etc… Building relationships across disciplines is key to long-term success.
Those Who Serve Churches More Than 10 Years Help Others Succeed – When I work with Dennis, I always get a sense he is deeply committed to my success as much as his. As a result, I joyfully invest in his success as well.
Those Who Serve Churches More Than 10 Years Think Long-Term – Don’t burn bridges. Not getting a partnership with a church today is not an indication you cannot serve them tomorrow. Even if not selected, if you serve the church well, you will have another opportunity to serve them in the future.
Those Who Serve Churches More Than 10 Years Become Trusted Experts – Food jsut taste better coming out of a crockpot than a microwave. There is a self-confidence and maturity which comes from faithful years of service. A depth of understanding about the issues church leaders face is developed and extremely valuable.

If your church is looking for someone to help your church with a particular need you are facing, please let me know. I’ll be glad to recommend someone who will serve you well.

8 Practices Of Top Young Leaders

Whether you lead a church, business, non-profit or a sports organization, the enlistment and development of young leaders is critical to your long-term success. In the July 11th edition of USA Today, writer Bob Nightengale profiles the best outfield in baseball, the Pittsburgh Pirates.
While their talent is rare, what makes the Pirates’ outfield so intriguing is their respective ages. Center fielder and reigning National League MVP Andrew McCutchen is 27 years old, left fielder Starling Marte is 25, and rookie right fielder Gregory Polanco is only 22 years of age.
As I read the article, I gleaned 8 Practices Of Top Young Leaders:

Top Young Leaders Focus On Results - It is a mistake to think top young leaders are shallow and braggadocious. McCutchen says, “We let our actions do all of our talking. We don’t need anything else.”
Top Young Leaders Are A Privilege To Lead – Pirates manager Clint Hurdle says, “You can manage and coach your entire career, and not have the opportunity to work with three young players of this caliber.
Top Young Leaders Inspire Others - Leaders focus on what people can do, not what they can’t do. Hurdle continues, “You can’t help but dream and envision what they’ll do. And they’ve got so much quiet confidence there’s nothing they don’t think they can do. I would never put a ceiling on them.”
Top Young Leaders Are Often Your Organization’s Hardest Workers - The most valuable asset a leader brings to an organization is energy . Teammate Jared Hughes says, “It’s awesome to see the amount of energy they bring into the game. Everyone knows it’s the best outfield in the game, but the amount of hustle and hard work they bring really differentiates them from the rest of the league.”
Top Young Leaders Create A Fun Atmosphere - One of the challenges mature leaders face is the importance of staying young. Young leaders help keep our thinking young. Polanco says, “I’m having a lot of fun. It’s everything I dreamed of.”
Top Young Leaders Influence Other Young Leaders And Make Them Better – Hurdle says, “The beauty of it is that we have a North Star in center field (McCutchen) and these guys can all draw to it and be magnetized from it. (His) approach, day in and day out, the way he plays the game, the way he gets down to first base every night of the season. They know that they can’t let up, or he’ll show them up.”
Top Young Leaders Are Highly Competitive - Young leaders thrive in environments with healthy competition. Pirates assistant coach Nick Leyva says, “They’ll deny it, but they want to be better than each other. So they just feed off each other.”
Top Young Leaders Are Extremely Valuable And Secured For A Long Time - Churches and organizations should prioritize securing the services of their top young leaders for extended periods of time. They are that valuable. McCutchen is under contract through 2018, Polanco 2020, and Marte 2021.

17 Leadership Quotes And Lessons From Dawn Of The Planet Of The Apes

Dawn of the Planet of the Apes is a visual masterpiece. Andy Serkis deserves Best Actor Oscar consideration for his physical performance and portrayal of Caesar, the leader of the primates. In addition to the film’s incredible special effects, the relationally complexity of the characters is as good as I have seen this summer.
Similar to 2011’s Rise of The Planet of the Apes, this movie is full of leadership lessons. The following are 17 Leadership Quotes And Lessons From Dawn Of The Planet Of The Apes. I would like to thank my good friend Jeff Shortridge for helping contribute to this post.

“Scars Make You Strong” – After being scarred in an attack from a grizzly bear, Caesar taught his son that struggle is necessary for strength. Scars are also a reminder healing has taken place.
Successful Leaders Have Options – Because there was no alternative power source, the humans were forced to repair a dam located where the apes inhabited.
Choose Your Inner Circle Wisely – Sometimes those closest to us are in our blind spot. One bad leader on your team can destroy everything you set out to do. Koba continually undermined Ceasar’s leadership and ultimately attempted a coup.
Make Sure Your Inner Circle Shares Your Vision – More than one vision brings division.
Choose An Inner Circle Who Can Handle Pressure – Malcolm, leader of humans, had an immature leader on his team who panicked when he stumbled on two apes in the woods killing one. As a result, Malcolm spent extraordinary amounts of time and energy trying to regain trust.
Leaders Must Address Rebellion Immediately – Smart leaders identify bad morale and deal with it before it deals with them.
Trust And Unity Must Be Aggressively Protected – Trust is the foundation of quality relationships. Likewise, trust takes a lifetime to build but can be lost at a moment in time.
Beware Of Personal Agendas – Koba was looking for an opportunity to forward his own agenda. So much so, his own vision eclipsed his loyalty to Caesar. Caesar mistakingly thought Koba would be loyal because he had brought Koba out of captivity. Be aware – just because you made an investment in someone’s life does not guarantee loyalty.
Leaders Are Limited Because Of A Lack Of Forgiveness - All of the movie’s conflict results from Koba’s lack of forgiveness from his time being experimented on by humans.
Great Leaders Bring People Together – It takes two strong leaders to bring diverse parties/organizations together. While completely different, Caesar and Malcolm were able to forge a working relationship between the primate and human communities.
“I Chose To Trust Him Because He Is An Ape. I Think Ape Is Better Than Human. I See How Much Like We Are.” – Leaders build common ground by focusing on what unites us more than what divides us.
“People Always Seek Strongest Branch” – Your leadership is only as strong as your followers perception of you. Caesar knew during a time of crisis his followers could not see him as weak.
Many People Follow Fear – Fear is a great influencer. Though unsustainable, you can rally people with the use of fear tactics. Corrupt people, in particular, will exploit you and your organization’s weaknesses.
Leaders Prioritize Family – Even when Caesar was under great pressure he always took time to care for his wife and son. In addition, he protected them as they were being escorted into the city into harms way near the film’s conclusion. It was his love for his family which saw him through the most difficult times.
Leaders Must Have The Courage And Conviction To Make Hard And Unpopular Decisions – Sometimes you have to break your own rules to establish order. Caesar’s number one rule was “Ape does not kill Ape”
The Importance Of Loyalty – Loyalty does not make you a leader but disloyalty disqualifies you from leadership. Those who are truly loyal to you will stand by you even if shunned for doing so.
“Koba Fight For Koba” – Leaders either serve others or serve themselves.

21 Lessons Pastors Can Learn From LeBron James’ Letter About How Top Leaders Think

“In Northeast Ohio, nothing is given. Everything is earned. You work for what you have. I’m ready to accept the challenge. I’m coming home.” - LeBron James

On Friday, June 11th Sports Illustrated writer Lee Jenkins posted a letter from LeBron James announcing his return to the hometown Cleveland Cavaliers. To say James is a high-capacity leader, a high-capacity performer, a high-capacity influencer and high-capacity giver is a gross understatement.

Pastors, while you may not have LeBron James in your church, you do have high-capacity leaders and James’ essay gives you great insight into how these type of individuals think. The following are 21 Lessons Pastors Can Learn From LeBron James About How Your Church’s Top Leaders Think. I will give my thoughts on each item followed by the James’ quote from his announcement.

Your Church’s Top Leaders Remember The Sacrifices They Made To Become Successful – Struggle is necessary for strength. “Before anyone ever cared where I would play basketball, I was a kid from Northeast Ohio. It’s where I walked. It’s where I ran. It’s where I cried. It’s where I bled. It holds a special place in my heart. People there have seen me grow up. I sometimes feel like I’m their son.”
Your Church’s Top Leaders Want To Make A Difference In The Lives Of Others – Top leaders have matured and no longer care about titles, positions or parking spaces. They want to make a difference. “I want to give them hope when I can. I want to inspire them when I can.”
Your Church’s Top Leaders Think Big Picture - High-capacity leaders must see how their efforts help make a larger vision become reality. “My relationship with Northeast Ohio is bigger than basketball.”
Your Church’s Top Leaders Have The Courage To Make Hard Decisions – There are perks to leadership and there is a price to leadership. One price leaders must be willing to pay is hard and unpopular decisions. “I was leaving something I had spent a long time creating.”
Your Church’s Top Leaders Learned From Their Mistakes - Leaders cannot be afraid to fail. They must simply be willing to learn from their failures. “If I had to do it all over again, I’d obviously do things differently.”
Your Church’s Top Leaders Are Grateful To Those Who Have Invested In Them – Top leaders know they did not get to where they are without the help of others. They are deeply grateful and remember fondly those who helped them along the way. “These past four years helped raise me into who I am. I became a better player and a better man. I learned from a franchise that had been where I wanted to go. I will always think of Miami as my second home.”
Your Church’s Top Leaders Desperately Long For Authentic Relationships – Top leaders are collaborators. They want to serve in the context of community. Many are actually lonely. Your top leaders want meaningful friendships. “I went to Miami because of D-Wade and CB. We made sacrifices to keep UD. I loved becoming a big bro to Rio. I believed we could do something magical if we came together. And that’s exactly what we did!…We are brothers for life.”
Your Church’s Top Leaders Want To Control Their Own Message – The internet and social media has provided top leaders an ability to become their own media outlet. “I want an opportunity to explain myself uninterrupted.”
Your Church’s Top Leaders Desire Influence, Not Attention Or Position - Top leaders do not want a position. They want influence. “I’m not having a press conference or a party. After this, it’s time to get to work.”
Your Church’s Top Leaders Focus On Accomplishment - Smart pastors create opportunities for high-capacity leaders to accomplish something INSIDE their church rather than forcing them to seek those opportunities OUTSIDE the church. “When I left Cleveland, I was on a mission. I was seeking championships, and we won two…My goal is still to win as many titles as possible, no question. But what’s most important for me is bringing one trophy back to Northeast Ohio.”
Your Church’s Top Leaders Are Deeply Loyal – Leaders understand the importance of investment. What they have invested their time, financial resources and life in matters deeply to them. “I always believed that I’d return to Cleveland and finish my career there…I started thinking about what it would be like to raise my family in my hometown. I looked at other teams, but I wasn’t going to leave Miami for anywhere except Cleveland.”
Your Church’s Top Leaders Are Most Influenced By Their Family - When dealing with top leaders, always remember how important decisions will impact the leader’s spouse and children. In our household, if you win over Sonya and Anna Dodd, you have won over Brian Dodd. “To make the move I needed the support of my wife and my mom.”
Your Church’s Top Leaders Do Not Burn Bridges. They Build Them. - Great leaders put the success of the organization over their personal feelings and understand the importance of long-lasting relationships. “I’ve met with Dan, face-to-face, man-to-man. We’ve talked it out. Everybody makes mistakes. I’ve made mistakes as well. Who am I to hold a grudge?”
Your Church’s Top Leaders Want To Know If Projects And Initiatives Are Actually Achievable – Your top leaders deal in reality, not fantasy. Commitment will be low if they feel projects or initiatives are not achievable. “I’m not promising a championship. I know how hard that is to deliver. We’re not ready right now. No way.”
Your Church’s Top Leaders Want To Invest In Next Generation Leaders – Few things excite leaders like the opportunity to invest in other leaders, especially younger one. “I see myself as a mentor now and I’m excited to lead some of these talented young guys. I think I can help Kyrie Irving become one of the best point guards in our league. I think I can help elevate Tristan Thompson and Dion Waiters.”
Your Church’s Top Leaders Will Passionately Own The Results - Your top leaders will take their responsibilities seriously. So give them tasks worthy of them getting involved with. “I feel my calling here goes above basketball. I have a responsibility to lead, in more ways than one, and I take that very seriously.”
Your Church’s Top Leaders Want To Impacting As Many People As Possible - Making an impact in a single life is important and cannot be discounted. However, top leaders want to impact large numbers of people. “I want kids in Northeast Ohio, like the hundreds of Akron third-graders I sponsor through my foundation, to realize that there’s no better place to grow up.”
Your Church’s Top Leaders Care About Leaving A Lasting Legacy – Top leaders care about their legacy. They want to accomplish something great with their lives and are intentional about it. “Maybe some of them will come home after college and start a family or open a business…Our community, which has struggled so much, needs all the talent it can get.”
Your Church’s Top Leaders Are Attracted To Big Vision - Churches with a big vision attract top leaders. Churches with a small vision do not attract top leaders. “In Northeast Ohio, nothing is given. Everything is earned. You work for what you have. I’m ready to accept the challenge.”
Your Church’s Top Leaders Love Your Church – “I’m coming home.”
Your Church’s Top Leaders Want To Be Appreciated And Loved – Pastors, LeBron is idolized in Cleveland. Now you don’t want to go as far as idolatry but you do want to prioritize thanking and showing appreciation to your top givers, your top volunteers and the top leaders in church? Be aware, if you do not consistently show appreciation, they may return to their own Cleveland – a place where they are loved.

Monday, November 24, 2014

5 Realities of Leadership

5 Realities Of Leadership

I remember taking my daughter on her first rollercoaster ride! As you can imagine it was quite a memorable experience for all. After taking the ride and making that memory together, I began to think about what leaders can learn from rollercoasters. Trust me! It will be worth the read.
The following are 5 Realities Of Leadership:

You have to pay a price to ride the rollercoaster. Leaders, there is an upfront price that you must pay in order to lead. In addition, you must continually keep paying a price if you wish to keep leading.
There is always a long line to ride the rollercoaster. Leaders, don’t get too overconfident regarding your importance. If you think the organization cannot go on without you, remember there is always a long line of people who would like your seat.
The learning curve is often vertical. Rollercoasters take you up a steep incline at the beginning of the ride to gain speed. Leaders, in today’s world, the learning curve is a straight up because organizations demand immediate results.
The track has many ups and downs, hard turns, and is often bumpy. Leaders, I don’t have to tell you that leadership is not always easy. Take comfort, if the path were smooth and straight, there would not be a need for leaders.
When the ride is over, you can wait to do it again! Does that say it all for leaders or what?! As fast, bumpy, and out of control as things can seem to get, we wouldn’t trade it for anything.

The exhilaration of accomplishing an assignment with others, the terror, the screaming, the laughter, the raising of your hands, and the wind blowing in your face. It’s all part of rollercoasters and it’s all part of leadership. Would you rather do anything else?!
Also, it was a memory my daughter and I will never forget. I have long forgotten the price I paid for us to ride the rollercoaster together. I’ll never forget, however, how much I received in return. Leadership is exactly the same way.
Leaders, what was a huge price you paid that was worth every penny?

20 Leadership Lessons On Building A Healthy Staff Culture – Live Blog From 2014 NACBA Conference

This week I am being dispatched by Injoy Stewardship Solutions (ISS) to attend the 2014 National Association Of Church Business Administrators (NACBA) Conference. In an effort to grow in my skills to better add value to pastors and church leaders, I will be live blogging throughout.

If you are attending the event, please stop by our booth #514. I would love to connect in person and give you a free copy of my book the 10 Indispensable Practice Of The 2-Minute Leader along with a study guide. Also, if you have not signed up for our FREE July 22nd online event How To Grow A Church, click here to do so today.

The session I attended today was conducted by Dr. William Wilson, founder of The Center For Healthy Churches. William’s session was entitled Building A Healthy Staff Culture. The following are 20 leadership quotes I captured during the session:

Anywhere where people are working together there is the potential for healthy or unhealthy relationships.
Five Expressions Of Health In Churches – Spiritual, Structural, Emotional, Physical, Financial
The church is a world prone to dysfunction and discord.
Maintaining confidentiality is not a bad idea. Maintaining secrets is a bad idea.
The less people know breeds rivalry and pits people against each other.
Any change is met with resistance.
Dysfunctional church staffs are always silos…There are a lot of activities that encourage isolation.
The lay people take cues from the staff. The imitate everything they see the staff doing. If you have triangulation in the staff, you will have in the congregation.
The #1 filter everyone uses is “What does this mean to me?”
One of the best things you can do is say, “You know, we need to talk.”
Senior leadership on a staff is critical to setting tone and direction. It is hard for those leading in the 2^nd chair to influence tone and direction. It is hard. Not impossible.
Trust is behavior and you can behave yourself into a different type of culture.
You want people to be honest with you without being brutally honest.
Staff who work in the financial arena know how much people value transparency.
Show loyalty to the absent…Create a culture where people are honored even when they are not in the room.
Keeping your promises increases the level of trust.
Healthy congregational leadership teams are always asking how they can get better. They are not afraid of feedback.
Staff and clergy need to be more like the lawyers who argue all day and then say, “So where are we going tonight?”
One of the key things to building trust in a culture is you know someone is going to ask you if you did what you were supposed to do. Accountability is key to a healthy culture.
I bet everyone in the room could name three people on your who are trust accelerators…And you could name the trust decelerators…We are going to build our organization around people who are accelerating trust. And we’re going to hold people accountable and measure that.

Sunday, November 23, 2014

22 Leadership Quotes And Lessons From The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1

Earlier today I went to the 9:00 AM showing of the much anticipated movie The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1. Good thing I selected an early showing because the young lady working the ticket counter told the gentleman in front of me 11 of the day’s next 12 showings were already sold out.
As the third part of the popular book and movie series, the following are 22 Leadership Quotes And Lessons From The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1:

Older Leaders Must Build Bridges With Younger Leaders – I do not understand the popularity of The Hunger Games series but young people love them. I cannot get excited about any storyline featuring the sanctioned killing of children by other children. Also, these movies have always seemed average in terms of entertainment value at best. And finally, missed expectations. This installment is primarily about propaganda and political maneuvering. But young people think differently than I do. They obviously dress differently. They listen to different music. As a leader, I don’t have to like their preferences but it is important to respect their world and build bridges with them.
Great Leaders Want To Work With Other Great Leaders - The more leaders you have, the more effective your team will be. What drives this movie is the incredible cast which includes the incredible Jennifer Lawrence (Katniss Everdeen), Julianne Moore (President Alma Coin), Philip Seymour Hoffman (Publicist Plutarch Heavensbee), Woody Harrelson (Haymitch Abernathy), and Donald Sutherland as President Snow among others.
Leaders Are Incessant Team Builders – When recruiting Katniss to be the revolution’s spokesperson/Mockingjay, Coin said, “The revolution is about everyone. All of us. And we need a voice.”
Developing Leaders Is A Process – Heavensbee said regarding an insecure Katniss, “People don’t always show up the way you want them to.”
Leaders Give Others Confidence And Security – Coin said, “Never let them see you bleed.”
Leading By Fear And Deception Is Unsustainable – Snow led by force, execution, lies and military might which resulted in a revolution by his followers.
Great Leaders Are Servant Leaders – When negotiating the terms of her involvement, Everdeen’s final request was, “My sister gets to keep her cat.”
Leadership Is Temporary – All leadership is temporary and therefore, must be stewarded well. Heavensbee said, “Anyone can be replaced.”
Leaders Bring About Positive Change Over Time – Coin patiently acknowledged, “The thing with revolutions is they need to be kindled.”
Leaders Need To Position Their Teams For Success – When filming Everdeen’s propaganda videos, they realized she would be more effective being filmed in the field rather than a studio.
Leaders Need A Supportive Team – Gale Hawthorne, played by Liam Hemsworth, was incredibly supportive of Katniss and critical to her success throughout the movie.
Leaders Bring Solutions – Coin encouraged Katniss by saying, “Everything old can be made new again, like democracy.”
Leaders Bring Out The Best In Others – Image consultant Effie Trinket told Katniss, “We will make you the best dressed rebel in history.”
Great Leaders Make A Significant Difference In The Lives Of People – “Everyone will want to kiss you, kill you, or be you.”
Leaders Do Not Confuse Activity With Accomplishment – President Coin asked Katniss about going into the field, “And if you’re killed?” To which she replied, “Make sure you get it on camera.”
Leaders Run To The Action, Not From It – In a scene in which a hospital was being attacked, rather than being taken to a bunker, Katniss and Gale engaged the fighter jets in battle.
Leaders Are Dealers Of Hope – Katniss wanted the other precincts to have hope. She said, “I want the rebels to know I’m alive.”
Leaders Provide Clear Direction – Rather than being passive, she went on, “We must fight back.”
Leaders Are Resilient – Katniss defiantly told President Snow, “You can torture us and burn us and bomb us. Fire is catching…If we burn, you burn with us.”
Leaders Value Character Over Competence – Finnick Odiar said, “It takes 10 times longer to put yourself back together than it does to fall apart.”
Leaders Are Defined By Their Actions – “Poison is the perfect weapon for a snake.”
“It’s the things we love most that destroy us.” – I have some strong thoughts about President Snow’s famous quote. If you most love Jesus Christ, you will receive life and life abundantly. If you love something other than Jesus, then I agree. You will be ultimately destroyed.

Once again, The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1 was not for me. How about you?

Saturday, November 22, 2014

6 Reasons Leaders Fail

Have you recently experienced failure as a leader? If so, I have some good news for you. Failure is part of a leader’s journey. The question is never will you fail? You will. It is unavoidable. The questions is what will you learn from the failure which will help ensure success in the future.
This past Monday, November 17th, the UConn Huskies women’s basketball team suffered a surprising loss to the Stanford Cardinals. Most experts still consider the Huskies the clear favorite to win the NCAA Championship in March. However, there are several lessons all leaders can learn from UConn’s loss.
The following are 6 Reasons Leaders Fail I gleaned ESPN’s Michelle Smith’s article recapping the game:

Leaders Fail When They Are Not Positioned For Success – Leaders must focus on what only they can do. While star player Breanna Stewart had a solid game with 23 points, she did not receive much support from her teammates. Her teammates’ off-night allowed the Cardinals to focus their efforts on Stewart taking away what she does best.
Leaders Fail When They Do Not Receive Consistent Support From Their Teammates – If a teammate misses the mark, you may fail as a leader. The talented Kaleena Mosqueda-Lewis scored 10 3-pointers in her previous outing against UC Davis. Against Stanford however, she did not make her first field goal until less than 10 minutes remained in the game.
Leaders Fail When They Make Unnecessary Mistakes – It is acceptable to make mistakes, just not unnecessary ones. Mosqueda-Lewis also had poor time management and a turnover late in the game.
Leaders Fail Due To Lack Of Leadership – A leader’s success is largely determined by the number of quality leaders around them. Former star player Stefanie Dolson graduated leaving a void which has yet to be filled.
Leaders Fail When They Miss Opportunities – As Stanford began to mount a second-half rally from 10 points down, no one on UConn stepped up to counter the offensive.
Leaders Fail Sometimes Because They Are Simply Human – And here is the good news. As mentioned previously, UConn simply had a bad night. Their shots did not go in. Mistakes were made. These things happen. Do not over-react. The UConn Huskies will be just fine.

And it is possible you will be just fine also. Maybe you had talent, skill, a great team, a solid plan and proper resourcing. You may have just had an off-night. Learn from your mistakes. Keep improving. Keep working hard. If you do this, you are already a success privately. It just has not showed up publicly yet but it will.

Friday, November 21, 2014

17 Inspirational Leadership Quotes And Lessons From Tony Robbins

There are few people on this planet as captivating as Tony Robbins. When he speaks, people listen. And you can’t take your eyes off of him. This is the power of charisma and positive energy.
Tony appeared on today’s edition of The Herd With Colin Cowherd radio show. I felt his inspirational comments should be passed on to you. His thoughts will make you a better leader.
The following are 17 Inspirational Leadership Quotes And Lessons From Tony Robbins:

One of my first breakthroughs was with Andre Agassi.
There’s a state all athletes and everyone gets into where you can’t even remember your own telephone number…Sometimes you get into a state where you’re in the flow.
Great athletes know how to turn it on but they do it unconsciously…There are physical triggers that change your state.
When negotiating, if you’re a star, the owners pick up the difference (increase in state tax from one state over another).
It’s not how much you earn. It’s how much you keep.
Don’t wait to retire to a great place. Consider moving.
Millennials are crazy for it (soccer).
Honestly, I was never a motivator. I’ve always been a strategist…Without a strategy, motivation is like running around like a chicken with your head cut off.
Everything in my life has been about modeling the best.
My biggest skill set is building and turning around businesses.
I just love transforming people and teams.
Everyday you have one focus. If you find a way to do more for others than anybody else does, you don’t have to worry about your life. Your life will turn out just fine.
It’s very simple. Hunger. Hunger to be more. To do more. To give more. To create more. – On the one common thread highly successful have that others do not.
Intelligence is incredibly valuable. But there are a lot of highly intelligent people who can’t find their way out of a paper bag.
Hunger, that driving force that says, “I will not settle.”
Many people have hunger for a certain period of time. Then they get comfortable and drift back down.
People are rewarded in public for what they practice intensely in private. Their hunger is what made them who they are.

Wednesday, November 19, 2014

25 Reasons Why Christian Leaders Are Important To Teenagers

Tonight I had the privilege of attending a dinner celebrating a group of teenage Christian worship leaders who recently completed a mentorship program. As I sat through the evening and spoke with many involved, I reflected back to when I was a teenager and the impact Christian leaders had in my life.
The same values I received from Christian leaders I saw being played out in these teenagers’ lives as well. Using tonight as an example, the following are 25 Reasons Why Christian Leaders Are Important To Teenagers:

Christian leaders told me I mattered and was valuable to God.
Christian leaders loved me when no one else seemed to.
Christian leaders taught me the Word of God.
Christian leaders saw my gifts and invested in them.
Christian leaders allowed me to make mistakes in a safe environment.
Christian leaders were in it with me for the long haul.
Christian leaders helped me get better at my tasks and assignments.
Christian leaders gave me a vision for my life.
Christian leaders gave me a platform and loaned me theirs.
Christian leaders cheered me on.
Christian leaders built a relationship with me away from church.
Christian leaders introduced me to other like-minded Christian teenagers.
Christian leaders modeled hard work, perseverance and how to finish what I started.
Christian leaders gave me access to other adult Christian leaders.
Christian leaders taught me life skills.
Christian leaders affirmed things I was feeling intuitively.
Christian leaders gave me confidence.
Christian leaders helped me understand my identity.
Christian leaders taught me to never settle for second best.
Christian leaders filled a leadership void in my life.
Christian leaders held me accountable.
Christian leaders taught me how to pray.
Christian leaders were there during pivotal moments in my life.
Christian leaders modeled what Christ-followers looked like.
Christian leaders were my best friends.

And they still are to this day.

Tuesday, November 18, 2014

10 People I Listen To When They Speak On Leadership

There are hundreds of great communicators in today’s world who speak on the subject of leadership. Everyone has their own preferences as to who and what style they enjoy hearing. I personally enjoy those who speak in the following fashion:

Concise Language – They pack a lot of information into as few a words as possible. I love leaders who are Tweetable.
Clarity – This makes their thoughts understandable and easily transferrable to others I may be leading.
Intensity – I enjoy leaders who convey a sense of urgency.
Focus On Results – I want to listen to people who help equip me to accomplish my God-given calling and assignments.
Timeless – Trends come and go but truth is timeless. I enjoy leaders who if I read their thoughts in 10 years, the principles are still relevant.

John Maxwell is my spiritual hero and favorite all-time leadership speaker. However, the following are currently the 10 People Who When They Speak On Leadership I Listen:
Pastors

Bill Hybels – To read Bill’s thoughts from the last two Leadership Summits, click here, here and here.
Bryan Loritts – If you are unfamiliar with Bryan, click here to receive his amazing session notes from Catalyst ’13. I feel Bryan will be the next great national Christian speaker on the subject of leadership.
Carey Nieuwhof - Carey writes the finest Christian leadership blog on the web. He is also an amazing speaker which you will learn by clicking here, here and here.
Perry Noble – Perry is one of my favorite speakers because of the sheer transparency in which he deals with leadership issues. Click here and here to see what I am talking about. Warning – fasten your seat belt and get ready to be challenged!
Andy Stanley – Andy is the world’s greatest communicator of leadership principles. Click here, here and here and see if you don’t agree.
Rick Warren – My favorite Ted Talk ever was conducted by Pastor Rick (shown above). Click here to read his comments which impacted the lives of thousands of business leaders across the globe.

Sports

Tom Brady – If this name surprises you, read the hotlink on his name as well as the 9 leadership quotes listed below from his July 25th ESPN interview.
Urban Meyer – Coach Meyer motivating style is absolutely captivating. Click here and here to read what I am referring to.
Louis Riddick – This ESPN studio analyst is my favorite leadership communicator currently. If you are not following Louis on Twitter, do so today. Click here for the most unique and insightful leadership insights I have come across this calendar year.
Nick Saban – Arguably the greatest recruiter in college football history, this four-time national championship head coach is obviously a master communicator. Click here for his comments from this past week’s SEC media tour.

Bonus – Business

Seth Godin – Seth is never short on brilliant insights. Click here and here for examples.

ESPN July 25th Interview with Tom Brady:

The World Is Run By Tired Leaders – “The hard part about training camp is once you wear down it’s hard to recover because you’re at it six days a week.”
Leaders Must Continually Improve – “Every year has its challenges in different ways…You always got to work on something.”
Leaders Constantly Evaluate – “It’s a real benefit to our offense knowing what guys are capable of, knowing the skill set they have to compete at an NFL level.”
A Leaders’ Confidence Flows From Their Memory – “That’s the difference between a rookie year and a second year. Guys have done it, proved it, and now you have confidence going into the next season that we’re actually good at some things. And those are the things you want to build on. “
Leaders Are Dealers Of Hope – “Everyone’s got a lot of hope this time of year.”
Leaders Must Be Disciplined And Work Hard – “Everyone’s always in the middle and you really don’t know what kind of team you are until November or December when the mental toughness of the team, the discipline, the work ethic of the team has taken ahold.”
Leaders Sense And Seize Opportunity – “The most important one (year of your career) is this year, because that’s all we have.”
Leaders Prepare Or Repair – “A lot of luck and a lot of great education from some really important people in my life that have taught me how to take care of myself, how to prepare myself mentally and physically for what we’re up against. It’s probably not what a lot of people do. It’s probably not the norm for most players. But it’s what’s worked for me.” – on keeping a high level of commitment
The Most Successful Leaders Have A Deep Passion For What They Do – “I made a commitment to myself because I love the game; I want to play for a long time. There’s nothing else I’d rather do. I make a commitment in the season and the offseason to do that. It’s a fun thing for me. It’s not like working out is a very hard thing, coming out and playing football in the middle of May is a hard thing. I love doing it.”

Now you know why Tom Brady is on the list…as well as the other 10 leaders listed above. What leaders inspire and equip you the most?

12 Practices Of Older Leaders Who Stay Relevant

As a 48-year-old man with gray hair I have to work very hard to stay relevant. There is a natural tendency to grow tired of the old, faithful things and replace them with what is new, what is shinier. We get bored and disastisfied quickly and easily. What may surprise you is this is especially true with people.
As a result, I am always trying to get better by studying the latest trends, reading cutting-edge publications and websites, visiting the most relevant churches, interacting with young people and generally trying to stay fresh. If not, being put on the bench is an environmental reality in the leadership world.
This is why I loved Austin Murphy’s July 28th Sports Illustrated profile of eight-time Pro Bowl, two-time MVP, Super Bowl winning and future Hall of Fame quarterback Drew Brees. Entering his 14th season, the 35-year-old Brees has gone through incredible lengths to remain in top physical condition and at the top of his profession.
As I read the article, I gleaned a number of critical insights for older leaders wishing to remain successful in their chosen field. So as a gift to all my fellow leaders over the age of 40, the following are 12 Practices Of Older Leaders Who Stay Relevant:

Older Leaders Who Remain Relevant Use Marginal Time Wisely – How do you use your down time? While Brees has earned the right to enjoy his off-season, he spends his marginal time in San Diego doing extensive physical conditioning.
Older Leaders Who Remain Relevant Hire A Coach To Continually Improve – Coaches provide expertise and accountability. They push us to get better. Brees has hired Todd Durkin to prolong his career.
Older Leaders Who Remain Relevant Embrace New Methods And Technologies – While attending Purdue University, Brees did Olympic-style training – bench press, squats, clean and jerks, and dead lifts. Now Brees is on the leading edge of training techniques strengthening his core, increasing his flexibility and rotational strength.
Older Leaders Who Remain Relevant Study Current Trends – Brees works extremely hard during the off-season so he can focus on film study and the mental preparation needed to excel during a NFL regular season.
Older Leaders Who Remain Relevant Arrive To Work Early – While many young leaders must learn time management skills, many successful older leaders realize an early start improves preparation and puts you ahead of the competition.
Older Leaders Who Remain Relevant Prepare For Real Life Situations – Brees says, “I don’t do things in here at one speed, then do things on the field at another speed. It’s all the same. Obviously, when I’m doing weight exercises, there’s proper form. But once you have that down, you try to do it quickly, with intensity. Because that’s how it happens on the field.”
Older Leaders Who Remain Relevant Are Resilient – Nine years ago Brees had a well-documented shoulder injury where he dislocated his joint, had a partially-torn rotator cuff and a tear of his labrum.
Older Leaders Who Remain Relevant Are Efficient And Make Few Mistakes – Workout partner Tank Carer says of Brees’ workout, “He’s really meticulous about doing the (exercise) movement perfectly. I’m trying to model that, because obviously he’s been in the league a long time.”
Older Leaders Who Remain Relevant Embrace Hard Work – You must continually outwork your competition. Brees says, “A full workout on the TRX can absolutely destroy you.”
Older Leaders Who Remain Relevant Make Hard Work Serious Fun – While the pace of Brees’ training is torrid and individual breaths become a valued commodity, he has learned to have fun both personally and with his training partners.
Older Leaders Who Remain Relevant Do Not Waste Time Or Opportunity – There is a difference between sensing opportunity and seizing it. Opportunities come and opportunities go. Then opportunities come no more. Brees says, “There’s no wasted movement, no wasted exercise. Everything has a purpose.”
Older Leaders Who Remain Relevant Prioritize Family – Organizations do not love you unconditionally. Your family does. In addition, a man’s performance is largely dependent upon his wife’s confidence in him. One of Brees’ workout partners is his wife Brittany Brees. Brittany also happens to be pregnant with the couple’s fourth child.

If you are an older leader like I am, save this post and refer to it often. Let’s learn from Drew Brees together. The leadership community is better when seasoned leaders are a part of it. We need not be marginalized or discounted.