Leadership & Market Place Ministry: January 2016

Saturday, January 30, 2016

18 Reasons Good Leaders Get Fired

Learning the lessons from this post may save your job.
On Friday, January 22nd David Blatt was fired as head coach of the Cleveland Cavaliers. This came as a shocking move because the Cavs were in the NBA Finals last season and Blatt had a winning record of 83-40. I mean, the goal of a NBA head coach is to win and Blatt won a lot…right? So why was Blatt fired and what does it mean to all leaders?
ESPN’s Brian Windhorst and Dave McMenamin recently wrote an insightful article entitled “Long Time Coming: End Comes For David Blatt’s Bumpy Cavs Tenure”. After reading their thoughts, I gleaned the following 18 Reasons Good Leaders Get Fired:

No One Respect Your Accomplishments – After Blatt’s first win last season, the team joyously mobbed their coach and presented him a game ball. Kyrie Irving said, “That’s his first NBA win. He deserves the game ball. It’s his first time in the NBA.” Blatt angrily pointed out to the media, “Not all of you know me that well but I’ve probably won over 700 games in my career.”
You Have Not Cultivated A Relationship With Your Top Producer – By all accounts, star player LeBron James and Blatt never had a healthy relationship. In fact, after his signing last seasons James showed no interest in meeting with Blatt.
You Are Not Doing The Job You Were Hired To Do – Blatt was hired to develop young talent and then team immediately assembled a veteran roster. One team source said, “David was hired to coach a developmental team and young players who would’ve wanted to please him. He ended up coaching a finished product where the players expected him to please them.”
Your Replacement Is Already On The Team – Tyronn Lue, who finished 2nd to Blatt for the Cavs head coaching spot, was then hired as Blatt’s assistant. In addition, Lue’s contract was the highest ever given to an assistant coach. This undercut Blatt’s influence from the very beginning.
You Lack Self-Awareness – Upon his hiring, Blatt mistakingly expected immediate respect from the team. He said, “I’ve been a head coach for 22 years. People overlook that too easily and, I think, unfairly. I am not now, nor have I have been for quite some time, a rookie coach.”
You Have Lost Influence With Your Influencers And They Are Implementing Their Own Ideas – At one point during the 2014-15 season, James moved away from Blatt’s offense and began running his own. James said, “I can do it on my own. I’m past those days where I have to ask.”
Your Influencers Are Now Being Influenced By Someone Else – After making those statements, it became clear James was now following Lue.
Your Team Is Insubordinate – The Cavs players were routinely heard complaining about Blatt to players of opposing teams.
You Do Not Hold Others Accountable – In an effort to create peace with James and other players, Blatt became far too lenient. This year as a sign he had lost the team, several players were not working hard and then showed up late for games.
You Lack Public Support – When asked by the media to support Blatt, James said, “Listen, man, I don’t pay no bills around here.”
You Appear To Lack Fundamental Knowledge For The Job – In a critical Game 4 of their 2015 playoff series with the Chicago Bulls, Blatt called a timeout he did not have potentially costing the Cavs the game.
You Are Making Bad Decisions Which Hurt The Organization – It got worse for Blatt in Game . He drew up a final play which had James taking the ball out rather than taking the final shot. James immediately changed the play and made the game-winning shot. He said, “To be honest, the play that was drawn up, I scratched it.”
You Make Irrational Statements Causing You To Lose Credibility – After Game 4, Blatt shockingly said, “A basketball coach makes 150 to 200 critical decisions during the course of a game, something that I think is paralleled only by a fighter pilot.”
You Have Lost Trust – Heading into the Finals, the Cavs had decided injured center Anderson Varejao would not unavailable for duty. However, Blatt shocked many in the organization by falsely telling the media regarding Varejao’s status, “Stranger things have happened in this world.”
People Must Compensate For You – James said, “I think every game is another learning experience for Coach Blatt. There’s coaches with more tenure in our league, obviously, and there’s guys with a better résumé than he has. But one thing he tries to do is just put us in a position to win, and then it’s up to us.”
Your Team Is Performing Poorly And Missing Expectations – This year the Cavs have not only lost but been blown out by the Portland Trailblazers and Golden State Warriors
You Begin Making Excuses – “I hear a lot of far-reaching conclusions, and personally, I don’t like it,” Blatt said. “I think this team is in pretty good position, although people choose to overlook that, which I don’t think is fair.”
Morale Is Lost And Things Appear Hopeless – Even after defeating the Los Angeles Clippers, the Cavs general manager David Griffin lacked joy or excitement. It was now time for a change.

A deeper look into Blatt’s dismissal shows his firing was no surprise at all. If you see any of the 18 warning signs listed taking place on your team, mend fences and make the necessary leadership changes TODAY. Otherwise, you too may become a good leader who gets fired.

Please click the link on the left to subscribe to this site and receive my latest FREE Ebook 969 Leadership Quotes: Timeless Truths From The 2015 Passion, Velocity, Orange and Leadercast Conferences. The lessons contained will inspire, equip, stretch and grow you as a leader. Enjoy!!!

10 Benefits To Being A Church Volunteer

During the summer of 1986, I was working in a grocery store while attending college. This job came with the unbelievable benefit of one unpaid week of vacation per year. So when July came I had a decision to make. Should I go to the beach for sun, fun and relaxation or should I make the strategic decision to teach 2nd graders in Vacation Bible School?
I did not realize it at the time but this one single decision put me on a path I would continue on to this very day. With the exception of two paid staff positions, I have served as a volunteer at my local church for the next 29 years.
As I reflect on the last three decades of my life, the following are 10 Benefits Of Being A Volunteer At A Local Church:

Volunteering At My Church Has Given My Life Greater Purpose – There are a numerous important causes in the world and quality places to volunteer your time. But for me, I made the strategic decision to serve at my church because it was there where my efforts could result in someone’s life being changed for eternity. It is in a local church where a person could be made brand new and become redeemed.
Volunteering At My Church Has Given Me Broader Perspective – Serving others has allowed me to focus on larger issues and others rather than always on myself.
Volunteering At My Church Has Given Me Lifelong Friendships – There is a unique relational bond which comes from “being in the foxhole” with someone and serving together. I have made literally hundreds of personal connections and lifelong friends because of volunteering at my church.
Volunteering At My Church Has Given Me A Healthier Self-Image – It may sound egotistical but there is a healthy sense of pride which comes from serving others and not being called to a lesser task. You just feel better about yourself when your life matters and makes a difference.
Volunteering At My Church Helps Others – Living an internally focused life benefits no one. Serving others relieves suffering, benefits the under-resourced, meets the needs of the marginalized, provides hope, and improves the quality of people’s lives.
Volunteering At My Church Has Made Me More Generous – Generosity is time, talent and treasure. Church volunteers give sacrificially of their time and talent BEFORE giving sacrificially of their treasure. It is a sequential process. By being generous with my time and talent, financial generosity has been a natural outflow.
Volunteering At My Church Taught Me How To Make Better Decisions – When I used to teach Sunday School in college, I could have gone out every Saturday night with the guys. However, I learned early in the process the best decisions come when you give up what is good (Saturday night with the guys) for what is best (studying on Saturday nights to serve others on Sunday mornings).
Volunteering At My Church Makes Me A Better Thinker – Being a quality volunteer requires sacrifice, study and preparation. Volunteering at my church has made me smarter.
Volunteering At My Church Has Given Me Lasting Influence – My daughter knows nothing other than her parents serving others. A privilege I never planned when I took my first volunteer role in 1986 was one day I would be passing on a legacy of service to the next generation.
Volunteering At My Church Will One Day Result In A Greater Reward – Like many of you, I look forward to the day when I hear my Heavenly Father say “Well done my good and faithful servant”.

At sporting events those in the stands pay to watch the game. Those on the field…GET PAID! The same is true for church volunteers.
If you are not volunteering in your local church, it is time to get on the field and start getting paid!

Thursday, January 28, 2016

3 Days Every Leader Has: “And Then We Wait”

Note from Brian: This is the monthly guest post written by financial author, teacher, and speaker, Joseph Sangl.
I recently posted the following statement on Twitter:
“Some days are for planting seed. Others for harvesting. But MOST DAYS are for preparing, tending, and waiting.”
It raised quite a ruckus and a chorus of people saying, “That’s the truth!”
Anyone who has been involved in gardening or farming knows this fundamental fact. In the spring time, there’s a mad dash to till the soil and get the seed in the ground. In just a few days or weeks, the work is over.
And then we wait. For the seed to germinate and sprout. For the plant to grow.
Occasionally we will need to tend the crop by eliminating weeds and applying fertilizer.
And then we wait for the time to harvest. While waiting, a good leader maintains their equipment by cleaning up the planting implements and preparing the harvesting equipment.
Then another mad dash occurs at harvest time. We work like crazy to get the crops “in the shed” before weather can destroy it.
And then we wait while maintaing the equipment for the next year. We prepare the soil for the next growing season.
The same is true for your finances and in your leadership. There are a few moments where a mad dash of effort and skill will be demanded. But there will be many more moments where all you can do is patiently wait, tend, and prepare.
It’s what you do during the “then we wait” moments that will determine how well you will perform in the “mad dash” times.
Are you preparing for your next mad dash?
We offer more than 100 free financial tools (Personal Note from Brian Dodd – I use these tools for my personal finances) to help you prepare financially for your next mad dash.
About Joseph Sangl: Joseph Sangl is the founder of I Was Broke. Now I’m Not., a financial organization dedicated to equipping people to accomplish far more than they ever thought possible with their money. He is the author of several books including I Was Broke. Now I’m Not., Oxen: The Key to an Abundant Harvest, and What Everyone Should Know About Money Before They Enter The Real World.

The Top 10 Leadership Posts I Read The Week Of January 18th

One of the many things I love about Jesus Christ is a relationship with Him makes us better people and better leaders. Jesus is always taking us from where we are to a better place.
If you truly believe Jesus is making us better leaders, you will love this week’s Top 10 list. You are about to get a lot smarter and effective!
Before getting to the Top 10, I want to make you aware of a very special FREE webinar next Thursday January 28th, How To Grow A Church 2016. You talk about getting better. I have seen the content and if you are pastor or church leader, this may well be the best event you attend this year. We all want our churches to grow. So click HERE or on the image at the bottom of this post for more information and to sign up.
The following are The Top 10 Leadership Posts I Read The Week Of January 18th:

5 Reasons People Don’t Sing At Your Church by Paul Alexander
8 Mistakes Churches Will Make In 2016 by Rich Birch
How To Raise A Narcissists (Or 4 Things You Don’t Want To Do!) by Kurt Bubna
16 Video Trends Going For 2016 by Mark Clement
100 Podcasts That Will Make You Smarter, Better and Wiser by Lolly Daskal via Inc.com
5 Tensions In Becoming A Movement-Making Church by Dave Ferguson via Aspen Group
Volunteer Engagement by Seth Godin. This should be read by all church leaders.
How Craig Groeschel’s Challenge At The GLS Changed Everything by Natalie Hunter of www.thegreatenlivening.com via The Global Leadership Summit
Why Blogging Makes Me Better (And You Too): The Top 10 Reasons Why I Blog by Clarence E. Stowers, Jr,
24 Of The Best Places To Get Sermon Illustrations by Justin Trapp

Well, that is my Top 10 for the week. What other great posts did you read?

INJOY Stewardship Solutions is proud to announce a FREE webinar with NewSpring Church’s Brad Cooper on Thursday, January 28th entitled How To Grow A Church 2016. NewSpring was recently identified as the 2nd-fastest growing church in America. Brad will discuss the secret sauce to church growth, the importance of change, the power of the Gospel, and much, much more. I’ve seen the content. This is a Can’t Miss event. Click HERE of on the image above to sign-up TODAY!!!

60 Leadership Quotes From Tom Brady And Peyton Manning

On Sunday, Tom Brady and Peyton Manning will face each other for the 17th time with the winner heading to this year’s Super Bowl. This is the greatest individual sporting rivalry of this generation. Brady and Manning are also two of the best leaders in sporting history.
On the eve of their probable final matchup, I wanted to pull a number of leadership quotes from each quarterback from previous posts I have written.
And if you have not purchased it yet, click HERE or on the image above to purchase your copy of Gary Myers’s definitive work Brady vs. Manning: The Untold Story Of The Rivalry That Transformed The NFL. It is an amazing book which gives a unique insight into the personal and professional relationship of two amazing leaders.
The following are 60 Leadership Quotes From Tom Brady And Peyton Manning:
Tom Brady

“I was raised by a great mom and dad who support me.”
“They love me unconditionally and I love them unconditionally.”
“As a human you care what people think…As a public figure you learn not everyone’s going to like you.”
“Some of the best motivation in life is trying to impress a girl.”
“She’s a great wife and even better mom.”
“It’s made me a better teammate.” – On having children
“You have your priorities and you make your priorities. My family is 1. Then football is 1A. When it’s family time, it’s family time.”
“When I’m playing football, I’m nowhere else. I’m in the present…How do you find balance? You live in the present.”
“You’re talking about some of the best athletes in the world playing a sport they’ve been playing a very long time with the best coaching, the best schemes, the best innovation, the best science.”
“I don’t think about it much at all.” – On his legacy
“It’s hard to keep a team together because the more you win, the more your guys are going to get paid.”
“The thing that’s most important for me is to win.”
“He’s very consistent. He shows up to work everyday, his expectations the same. He never lets up. He coaches me the same way he coached me my second year.” – on head coach Bill Belichick
“If he can yell at me, he can yell at anybody.”
“I don’t put myself in a position where the coach has to use me as an example.”
“They don’t care what you’ve done in the past. They don’t care. He doesn’t care. The other players don’t care. The owner doesn’t care. The only person probably holding on to it is you. None of that matters because if you want the best out of yourself, you have to keep pushing.”
“I’m been really lucky to be a quarterback whose been in the same system. We run plays in practice I’ve literally run a thousand times.”
“What do I see when I come up to the line of scrimmage? I see everything.”
“If you trust your teammate is going to do his job, those are the best teammates to have. It frees you up to be 100% focused on what you have to do.”
“We practice so many times that at the point of execution, subconsciously 90% of it is already done. So 100% of our brain can focus on the 10% of the adjustments.”
“Why do I want to be the best? I want to be the best for myself but I want to be the best for the guys I play with too cause it’s not about me. It’s their journey too and I’m part of their journey. And why can’t I do everything I can to help them out to.”
“Part of being a quarterback, part of being a leader is being on the field…Never give another quarterback a chance.”
“To me what separates really good players from great players – executive well under pressure. The biggest game. The biggest stage. That’s what playing quarterback is all about.”
“Every year has its challenges in different ways…You always got to work on something.”
“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. “
“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.”
“The most important one (year of your career) is this year, because that’s all we have.”
“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
“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.”
“You get hurt. They cart you off. They blow the whistle. The game continues.”

Peyton Manning

“You better be prepared to be game changers or you will be left in the dust.”
“Anyone who waits for someone else to initiate change automatically becomes a follower.”
“Every leader needs to master the intense conversations.”
“Decision-making is the currency to becoming a good leader.”
“I faced monumental decisions long before I was ready. But how you deal with ambiguity determines how you do everything else.”
“Nobody cares about what a player did last year.”
“Every leader needs people who will shoot straight with them.”
“The quarterback is expected to lead a team of fearless, talented multi-millionaires.”
“If you ever get into the huddle, you be the leader and you take control of that huddle.”
“People, organizations have become too comfortable. Lazy. Unimaginative. Launching old ideas.”
“Learn to thrive on being uncomfortable.”
“Invest in a coach.”
“It doesn’t matter how seasoned any of us are. We all need a coach. “
“I want to be coached. I get angry when I’m not coached.”
“As soon as someone stops learning to be coached, they’re in big trouble.”
“As a leader, delivering help trumps offering hope any day of the week.”
“Bravely adjust to realities.”
“Leaders cannot afford to allow changes to drag them down. They need to be stimulated by the changes.”
“Every year I set individual goals which I think will affect team success.”
“No one can lead without people to follow.”
“You’re going to receive a lot of criticism, most of it unsolicited.”
“A veteran employee doesn’t want to hear what a rookie employee wants to hear until you have earned their respect.”
“I got up from every hit.”
“You earn respect by working, not by talking.”
“It’s all about finishing. Halftime, you got to be careful. Don’t get comfortable.”
“I’ve always thought the NFL doesn’t owe you anything. Nothing is given. You have to go out there and earn it.”
“That theory of 10,000 repetitions. I passed that a long time ago.”
“It’s not embarrassing at all. I never use that word. There is a lot of professional football players in that locker room who put a lot of hard work and effort into it, to begin here (Super Bowl XLVIII) and play in that game. The word embarrassing is an insulting word.”
“I would rather be in the arena to be excited or disappointed than not have a chance at all. That’s football. That’s why everybody plays it. You have to take the good with the bad.”
“In life and in sports, we all know that nothing lasts forever. Times change, circumstances change, and that’s the reality of playing in the NFL.”

14 Practices Of Fast Growing Churches

The Book of Acts has literally come to life in Anderson, SC. NewSpring Church, launched in 2000 by Senior Pastor Perry Noble and 14 friends and family, now averages over 32,000 in weekend attendance with 18 locations. They were recently recognized as the 2nd-fastest growing church in America.
Recently, the team at INJOY Stewardship Solutions sat down with NewSpring’s Family Ministries Pastor, Brad Cooper to discuss why the church has grown so rapidly.
Below are 14 Practices Of Fast Growing Churches I gleaned from just a portion of this interview with Brad. To hear the full interview, sign up for this very special FREE webinar on Thursday January 28th entitled How To Grow A Church 2016. Click HERE or on the image at the bottom of this post for more information and to sign up. Now onto Brad’s comments.

Fast Growing Churches Started Small So Stay Encouraged – “We started as a Bible study with 15 people in 2000.”
Fast Growing Churches Rely On God – “God does it. God brings the growth.”
Fast Growing Churches Say “Yes” To Change – “If you invite change, the right kind of change, everything from organizational and systematic change…You’ve got to say ‘Yes’ to change.”
Fast Growing Churches Have Leaders Who Are Humble Enough To Change – “Starting with me as a leader, what am I willing to change?”
Fast Growing Churches Focus On Accomplishment, Not Activity – “We are always looking for clarity into what we are trying to accomplish.”
Fast Growing Churches Face New Barriers At Each Stage Of Growth – “If you’re hitting a barrier, welcome to the party. There is a barrier at 50. There’s another at 100. There’s another at 500.”
Fast Growing Churches Are Led By Leaders Willing To Address Issues – “Ministry barriers, hitting barriers is all the time what we do. If you are a leader and unwilling to do that, your ministry will stall out. Your church will stall out.”
Fast Growing Churches Have Clarity On Where They Are Going – “A fixed point calibrates where you are going…A vision statement is what you navigate by every day.”
Fast Growing Churches Define Their Vision – “You have to Define it. What is the vision statement?”
Fast Growing Churches Deliver On Their Vision – “You’ve got to Deliver on it. You have to deliver on the vision statement.”
Fast Growing Churches Defend Their Vision – “You’ve got to Defend it…You’ve got to know what to say ‘No’ to.”
Fast Growing Churches Continually Live Out Their Vision – “You’ve got to Do It Again.”
Fast Growing Churches Attract The Right People – “Vision is like gravity. You start attracting the right people to it.”
Fast Growing Churches Say “No” To Good Things So They Can Say “Yes” To Great Things – “You have to be willing to say ‘No’ to good things to say ‘Yes’ to great things.”

Brad is an amazing leader. Click HERE or on the announcement below to sign up for his full interview. You do not want to miss this.

7 Costs Of Creating A New Business Part 2: The Real Side Of Success

In 7 Costs Of Creating A New Business Part 1, Bryan Miles shared some of his struggles and realizations from starting several growing companies including MAG Bookkeeping. This post connected on a deep heart level with many business leaders. As a follow up, Bryan further shares with you how he and his wife Shannon handled these struggles and his reaction to these realizations. Trust me – his thoughts will make you a better leader.

Lessons Learned

A surprising phone call in 2013 from our accountant informing me that my federal tax bill was 10 times what I was expecting, due to restructuring a business as a corporate entity. I sought to understand why our tax bill was so high from our accountant and with the response I received, I decided that it was time to get a new accountant. Then I drank a beer and devised a plan to pay off this ridiculously high tax bill. I also have a better tax strategy in place today so that “gotcha” moments with taxes are less and less.
Spending two days in a hospital in 2012 because I thought I was having a heart attack. Come to find out, I was just under an insane amount of stress. Looking in the mirror I realized I was not in college anymore playing soccer. I was approaching 40 and needed a new strategy for taking care of my body and my stress levels. Today I consistently workout at least three times per week and I feel like I’m back in college – but I don’t look like I’m back in college.
Discovering that not everybody you work with is excited about your success. I won’t lie, this hurt when I realized it. The realization of this is the hardest part, but quickly I’ve moved past this because I cannot control how others perceive my success. They have a limited view of all that’s gone on to get to their perception of my success.
Getting two junk law suits thrown at us almost at the same time by an ambulance-chasing attorney and spending way more than I thought to beat the trolls away. We did an internal assessment of other areas to see where we could be at risk. Out of that assessment, we bought additional insurances and hired an ornery intellectual property attorney who eats trolls for lunch.
Realizing that certain friends enjoyed watching me fail in new business attempts. I realized that I needed to redefine my definition of the word “friend.” Genuine friends are very hard to come by. Do everything you can to find them in your life.
Making senior leadership hires from the outside where there is an insane amount of investment of time and energy, and not seeing the business result I was expecting. Not every business decision you make will be perfect or right. Showing myself grace was important because I’m very hard on myself and I expect a lot of my own leadership. Course corrections in your org charts should be handled with great care, a good amount of prayer, and a long-view strategy that gets you the result you’re expecting.
Facing down tough business decisions throughout the last five years and finding myself up at 3 a.m. way too many times. In many of those nights, God has been silent and fear has tap danced in front of me. Before starting these businesses, I never had nights like these. God is always with me. Just leaning into that realization makes me breathe easier and punch fear in the throat. God’s awake and He understands why I’m awake at that time as well.
When people see Shannon and I in pictures with Richard Branson, traveling to Necker Island, celebrating a recent press release on a business achievement, seeing my social media highlight reel of my vacations with my family … it’s easy to assume this is what success looks like. The things I’ve shared above don’t get shared on Facebook or Instagram, because they are ugly. But taking risk comes with equal parts of struggle and reward. This has been my attempt to show the real side of success … not-often shared. It’s mixed with failure, fear, unknown, and trials … all of which I am grateful for … and make success all the sweeter.

The #1 Thing You Can Do To Grow Your Blog And Platform The Experts Don’t Talk About

Michael Hyatt’s most recent podcast was named Blog Up Your Blog!: 10 Ways To Boost Your Blog Traffic This Week. You can watch it by clicking here. One of the things Michael does is give you the basic fundamentals for success. However, I think he and every other blogging expert I have read miss The 1 Thing You Can Do To Grow Your Blog And Platform The Experts Don’t Talk About. Let me explain.
This site was recently recognized as the 21st most read Christian leadership blog on the internet. However, it was not always this way. When I wrote my first post, my friend Chad Aukland subscribed that day. I call it a “mercy killing”. He got me off 0 subscribers. However, despite regular posts, I did not get my second subscriber for SIX months.
About one year into blogging I felt there were probably many people just like me who were looking for good Christian leaders to be following. They needed a go-to reference tool. So in November 2010 I wrote a post identifying 10 Christian leaders everyone should follow on Twitter.
Completely unplanned, I then discovered the secret to growing your blog and personal platform is GENEROSITY!!! If you want to grow your blog and personal platform, spotlight the work of others.
Seven of the 10 leaders mentioned sent me Thank You notes. They also retweeted the post. I then discovered a completely unplanned benefit was my site was now exposed to their audiences as well.
I was then reminded of an important leadership lesson I learned from John Maxwell years earlier. John brilliantly pointed out the greatest pastors were always pointing to other pastors and churches saying, “Look at what God is doing over there. Look at how God is using that pastor. Look at what type of people God is raising up in that church.” Great leaders are always pointing to others and telling their stories. They are generous.
I then decided to engage in the following blogging practices:

Provide two posts annually spotlighting some of the greatest Christian leaders on Twitter. Click The Top 30 Christian Leaders You Need To Follow On Twitter In 2016 Part 1 for this year’s initial listing.
Provide an annual post spotlighting some of the greatest Christian bloggers. Click The Top 30 Blogs Christian Leaders Need To Read In 2016 for this year’s list.
Each Friday spotlight the best leadership posts from other writers from the previous week.

These have become some of my most popular posts. Nothing has grown my blog and platform more.
The following are 5 Benefits of Being A Generous Blogger:

Generosity is honoring to God.
You become a trusted resource for quality content.
You often develop personal relationships with those you spotlight.
When they ReTweet your content, you gain access to their audience.
It sounds narcissistic but you feel better about yourself when you are generous.

Ralph Waldo Emerson once said, “It is one of the true compensations of this life that a man cannot help another without also helping himself.”
So if you want to grow your blog and personal platform, be generous and spotlight the incredible work of others.
The following are The Top 10 Most Read Posts Of December as determined by you the readers. Notice five of these are about what others are doing.

The following are 9 Hidden Gems which did not make the Top 10 but were personal favorites. I hope you enjoy them the second time around.

Wednesday, January 20, 2016

9 Questions Leaders Should Be Asking On A Daily Basis

True wisdom is in great questions, not great answers. Therefore, the very best leaders are the ones asking the best questions. Great leaders are curious. They are continual learners. Leaders are constantly evaluating everything through a leadership bias.
The following are 9 Questions Leaders Should Be Asking On A Daily Basis I was reminded off from recent events:

How Is My Character? – Your talent can take you to a place where your character cannot sustain you. The Cincinnati Bengals had enough talent to win this year’s Super Bowl. Unfortunately, they only had enough character to go 59 minutes into the first round of the playoffs. Guard your heart and mind. What is your behavior when no one is watching?
Do I Really Want To Get Better? – In the four NFL playoff games this past weekend, the team with the best quarterback won the game. Alex Smith, Ben Roethlisbeger, Russell Wilson, and Aaron Rodgers. This is not a coincidence. The answer to every problem is a leader. Do you really want to get better? Then do whatever it takes to get the right leader.
Am I Taking Enough Risks? – Great organizations are led by leaders who take risks. One of the most significant momentum shifts in college football’s championship game was when Alabama head coach Nick Saban converted an onside kick. Saban surely would be have been ridiculed if this would have failed. Pundits would have called him “desperate” and that he put his team in harm’s way. But Saban’s courageous decision positioned his team for success.
Am I Taking People For Granted? – Excellence becomes average when it is all you have. Speaking of the Alabama-Clemson game, the ratings for the national title game dropped by 15% from 2015. There are two theories for the decline. First, two Southern teams did not engage a large portion of the country. Second, people are becoming bored with Alabama. One of the greatest dynasties in sports history is making people yawn. Develop a spirit of contentment and attitude of gratitude. Otherwise, you will walk away from relationships which are adding tremendous value to you. Scary question, are people getting bored with your level of excellence?
Am I Hiring The Right People? – In Dee Ann Turner’s excellent book It’s My Pleasure, the Chick-Fil-A Vice President of Corporate Talent, makes the case you do not create culture, you hire it. Are you happy with your culture? If not, hire the right people.
Am I Being Patient? – Leaders are addicted to movement. They are always going somewhere. This is not always a good thing. Sports Illustrated reported in its January 11th edition that NFL teams who fire their head coaches reduce their win totals by 10% the following season. In addition, they reduce their odds of making the playoffs by 12%. We should take a long-term view of financial investments. And we should take a long-term view of those in leadership. Leaders are developed over time, not at a moment in time. Oftentimes, the best thing you can do as a leader is nothing.
Do I Know People Are Always Watching Me? – Leaders do not even know who all they are influencing. Leaders set precedent because each day they send people forth into a time we cannot see. Last week I was having lunch with Michael Lukaszewski of Church Fuel when a gentleman walked up to me and introduced himself. He said, “I see you on the platform at church making announcements.” Leaders must guard their conduct and behavior. They can never become emotionally or relationally lazy. The scope of our influence demands excellence at all times.
Am I Making A Difference? – Do you want to just make money or do you want to make a lasting difference? Sylvester Stallone created the Rocky movie franchise in 1977 – a staggering 39 YEARS AGO!!! And today it is more relevant than ever with the release of Creed. May all leaders be able to one day echo Stallone’s Golden Globes acceptance speech (shown above), “I want to thank my imaginary friend Rocky Balboa for being the best friend I ever had.” Making a difference means making something lasting.
Do I Love The People I Am Leading? – Do you truly love them? Do you care about them? How do you show it? Do your people know you love them? Pastors and church leaders, the lobby is the new green room. Quit hiding in the back. Business leaders come out of the office. Be approachable and willing to connect. Being introverted, a certain personality type, or “needing to pray” is not an excuse for avoiding people. And if you cannot be friendly, ask this question – “Am I surrounding myself with people who love people?” But understand, the people will one day follow those who love them. That’s the power of influence.

This is not an exhaustive list. I could add others like the following:

Am I Putting Jesus And My Family First?
Am I Investing In The Next Generation?
Am I Practicing Good Financial Principles?

But the 7 questions asked is a good enough list to get you started.

Leadership comes with a microphone. And the best public speakers in any industry are senior pastors. Preach Better Sermons is a free online event to help you learn sermon prep and speaking skills from some of the very best communicators in the world.

How To Hear God’s Voice

Have you ever heard God’s voice? This question we have all asked was addressed by Senior Pastor Dr. Crawford Loritts this past Sunday at Fellowship Bible Church in Roswell, GA. You can watch or listen to the full message by clicking here.
His insights were so insightful and challenging I felt they must be shared with all of you. The following are just some of his thoughts:

God is speaking more than we are listening.

How We Hear His Voice

His Word – The Bible gives context to every thought and impression we think we get from God.
Circumstances
Other People
Impressions – this is the Holy Spirit speaking in your life.

Apart from God’s Word (the Bible), we can’t say with absolute certainty we have heard from God.
Do you want to hear God’s audible voice? Have someone read the Bible to you out loud.
The Word of God is complete and lacking nothing. 2 Timothy 3:16-17 says, “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.”

How Can I Know God Is Speaking

Confirmation from Scripture.
The impression won’t leave you.
You are compelled to act on it.
It is confirmed by Godly people.
It is confirmed by circumstances.
It is confirmed by the outcome. Did it work?
You have assurance from the Holy Spirit.
Do I have peace after I obeyed?

Can I learn to hear God’s voice? Yes. Two things you should know:

God is speaking but we need to be in a place of listening.
God varies the volume He uses to speak with us.

Final Suggestions

You need to meet with God consistently.
You need to center your time with the Lord on His Word.
You must cultivate the discipline of silence.
Pay attention to persistent thoughts or desires.
Don’t lose the equity (of your time with God). Write down (journal what God said and did).
Test it. Watch what God does.

Crawford summed up his message by declaring, “Imagination minus Truth equals Error.”
Make sure you watch his entire message. It is an honor to have him as my pastor.
And remember to elevate the importance of the Scriptures in your life if you want to hear God’s voice.

Leadership comes with a microphone. And the best public speakers in any industry are senior pastors like Dr. Loritts. Preach Better Sermons is a free online event to help you learn sermon prep and speaking skills from some of the very best communicators in the world.

19 Leadership Quotes And Lessons From 13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi

There are some blog posts you write humbly and with a deep sense of respect and gratitude because it is about real people and the high price they paid. This is one such post.
Tonight, I sat in a movie theater awestruck as I watched 13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi. This movie chronicles the tragic events of the planned September 11th, 2012 attack by Libyan Islamic militants on an American diplomatic outpost resulting in the death of Ambassador Christopher Stevens and others. This was followed up by additional attacks on a CIA outpost located one mile away. Directed by Michael Bay, the film is based on the 2013 book 13 Hours by Mitchell Zuckoff and tells the story of the heroic efforts of six military contractors to stave off the attack.
This movie is RIVETING. GUT-WRENCHING. EDGE OF YOUR SEAT. WHITE KNUCKLED. INSPIRING. Pick whichever words or phrase you want. But every American should see this movie and be reminded of the price needed for freedom.
The following are 19 Leadership Quotes And Then Lessons From 13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi:

“We don’t have any support.” – Those in Benghazi had no ground or air support despite constant requests, both in advance and the day of the attacks. Our government did not even try. Leaders must support those on their teams.
“You’re hired help. Act like it.” – The CIA compound director made this degrading comment to military contractor Kris “Tanto” Paronto. Leaders must respect those on their teams and the skills they bring.
“Uncle Sam’s on a budget. Normal security measures don’t apply.” – The outpost the ambassador was staying in lacked basic security measures. Leaders must resource those on their teams and position them for success.
“A dozen years of military experience between them. Max.” – Contractor and former SEAL Jack Silva made this assessment of the ambassador’s personal security. Experience matters.
The ambassador’s compound gates were not guarded on the outside at all. Leaders must recognize the potential dangers affecting their organizations and then take the needed precautions necessary to protect their people.
“You’re not the first responders. You’re the last resort.” – Another comment from the CIA director. Great decisions are mostly made from the field, rarely from an office. Leaders, trust those who have their feet on the ground or the ones actually interacting with customers.
“None of you have to go but we’re the only hope they have.” – These are the words of Tyrone “Rone” Woods, the head of the military contracting team. Leaders are dealers of hope.
Leaders are about movement. Bureaucracy prevents leaders from effectively doing their jobs.
Training Matters – As an American, the training and skill of our brave men and women serving in the armed services should give all of us a sense of security. Because of these individuals, we get to live the lives we all enjoy as Americans. Leaders, you must be trained and then trust your training.
“I need your eyes and ears. Not your mouth.” – This was spoken by Mark “Oz” Geist to a CIA operative. There are times when talk is not only cheap, it is counter-productive. Leaders must have the self-awareness to know when to remain silent and be part of the solution, not part of the problem.
“It’s gone from a rescue mission to a suicide mission.” – Rone Woods put into words what all great leaders know. Leaders must be willing to make hard decisions and pay a higher price than others are willing to pay.
“Just another Tuesday night in Benghazi.” – There was a scene when the military were running through the streets, gunfire in the background, and people were calmly sitting down watching sporting events. The definition of dysfunction is when people, families or even nations are more comfortable in chaos and conflict than peace and love.
“You should’ve turned left.” – During the initial rescue, one of the exiting cars ignored the directions needed to drive away safely and suffered the consequences. Smart leaders are not only in authority but also under authority.
You Need To Be Calm During Chaos And Conflict – The level of calmness from the military contractors during the numerous gunfights goes beyond description. Great leaders are calm and have quiet minds during times of chaos and conflict.
Precision Matters – Because the contractors remained calm during the gunfight, they were able to operate with peak efficiency. Being precise allows you to conserve energy and resources. Being precise also gives you the margin to restore energy and rebuild resources.
“Warriors are trained to retire.” – Rone Woods. Leaders need an exit strategy.
“I walked into this country. I’m walking out.” – These are the final words of Geist whose arm was basically blown off. There are an epidemic of quitters in this world. People who quit their families. Walk away from responsibilities. Don’t press into issues. Are no longer willing to pay the price. Are no longer willing to “man up”. Great leaders do not quit. They are resilient and pay the price needed to get the job done and make it home safely.
“I don’t know how you survived. But I know how we did.” – The members of the CIA survived because of the training, skill and bravery of six military contractors. Our lives are made better each day because of great leaders. And our lives are better because of our military. The words “Thank You” seem so insufficient.
Family Matters – At the end of your life, all that will matter is your relationship with God and family. The movie had several poignant moments of the contractors reflecting on God and the their wives and children. I am convinced at the end of my life that is all I will be thinking about as well.

Once again, this is an AMAZING film. You will be left speechless and with a profound sense of respect and gratefulness for our brave men and women serving throughout the globe.
Disclaimer – this is a Christian site so be aware there is significant violence and language.

27 Leadership Quotes And Lessons From Andy Stanley On Making Vision Stick

Vision is a gift solely given to leaders. Vision is what marks you as the leader. Vision tells those following you, “We are going somewhere. We are headed towards a better tomorrow. Follow me!”
Regardless of the profession, no one communicates leadership principles better than Andy Stanley, the founder of North Point Ministries. This includes the subject of vision.
Andy has written an incredible book on this important topic entitled Making Vision Stick. In this book, Andy gives practical advice on how to construct, communicate, multiply, celebrate and live out the vision God has given you for your organization.
This book should be in every leader’s resource library. Below are just a few of the many insights from the book on the subject of vision. Make sure you pick up your copy by clicking HERE or on the image above.
The following are 27 Leadership Quotes And Lessons From Andy Stanley On Making Vision Stick:

“Vision doesn’t stick without constant care and attention.”
“One of the greatest challenges of leadership is making vision stick. Vision doesn’t have much adhesive.”
“The three primary obstacles to making vision stick are success, failure, and everything in between.”
“Success lures us into taking our hands off the wheel. Failure causes us to overcorrect.”
“Complexity can kill the original vision.”
“Vision is about what could be and should be, but life is about right this minute.”
“It is the leader’s responsibility to ensure that people understand and embrace the vision of the organization.”
“When a leader blames the follower for not following, the leader has ceased to lead. If the followers don’t get it, we probably haven’t delivered the vision in a way that makes it get-able.”
“It is better to have a vision statement that is incomplete and memorable than to have on that is complete and forgettable.”
“If the vision is too complicated for people to embrace, nothing changes.”
“To cast a convincing vision, you have to define the problem that your vision addresses.”
“Every vision is a solution to a problem.”
“A leader points the way to a solution and gives a compelling reason why something must be done now.”
“Casting a convincing vision once is not enough to make it stick. Twice isn’t enough, either. Vision needs to be repeated regularly.”
“To make vision stick, a leader needs to pause long enough to celebrate the wins along the way. Celebrating the wins does more to clarify the vision than anything else.”
“What’s celebrated is repeated. The behaviors that are celebrated are repeated. The decisions that are celebrated are repeated. The values that are celebrated are repeated.”
“Celebrations trump motivational speeches every time.”
“I’m convinced baptisms do more to drive home our vision than anything else we do.”
“Your willingness to embody the vision of your organization will have a direct impact on your credibility as a leader.”
“My passion comes and goes, but my commitment to what we are doing never wanes.”
“Vision drift is slow. In many cases, it begins with the introduction of something new to the organization.”
“Vision, not people’s random ideas, should determine programming.”
“The questions people ask, the stories they tell or don’t tell, and the things they complain about communicate a great deal about the stickiness of your vision. Questions communicate values.”
“Complaints are like questions. They communicate what a person values.”
“Stories reveal a great deal about what’s on the minds and hearts of the people in an organization.”
“We pray for what we are most burdened for. If nobody in my leadership circle requests prayer for someone who is far from God, that’s a big red flag for me.”
“Making your vision stick requires bold leadership. It will require you to develop a healthy intolerance for those things that have the potential to impede your progress.”

As you can see, this book will help you understand, craft and deliver vision more effectively. Click HERE to pick up your copy of Andy’s book Making Vision Stick.

The "strategic selfie" (business cards don't work)

Hey fellow Brand You's,

This past week I was in Atlanta for a big conference. It was pretty interesting ... the U.S. Secretary of the Treasury was a keynote speaker. This was a different type of event, for sure.
Anyways, as you can imagine there were a lot of people ...
And a LOT of business cards.
Oh geez. People were handing out business cards like it was Halloween. I collected so many in my suit jacket that I felt like I was carrying a deck of Bicycle playing cards ready to hit the blackjack tables.
The only problem was I threw all but 3 of them away.
I'm not saying they were substandard folks, or that I'm some elitist snob. I'm sure they're all remarkable people. The problem is their pitches / introductions / conversation starters were rather UNREMARKABLE.
I was literally struggling to remember the faces these cards belonged to.
With that in mind, I wanted to share a tactic I use called "The Strategic Selfie" (yes, I really call it that).
I have no blog post on this yet, so the best you can do is save this email. I do this to network -- and it works better than passing out business cards. I actually don't even carry business cards ... I do this instead.

Have a good conversation with a person
Take selfie with person
Post on social media and tag that person so they see it
Connect with them via social over time
Email them with the selfie so they remember who you are. (Do not assume they remember you, though.)
Make the ask

I did this just over the weekend to land Pat Flynn as a podcast guest.
I also did this to land Bob Burg (author of the best-seller The Go Giver), Kat Cole of FOCUSbrands (Cinnabon, Moe's, Carvel, and star of a recent episode of Undercover Boss) and more.
Here's my email to Pat Flynn. Adapt it, and network BETTER:
Hi Pat!
My name is Mike Kim, we met briefly at Podcast Movement last summer! (Tim Paige photobombed this, haha):
Inline image 1

Thanks again so much for all you do ... I've had some big wins of late because of people linked to SPI:

just accepted as a contributor to Entrepreneur.com following Kimanzi's advice!!!

meeting with Aaron Walker and other Nashville-based entrepreneurs in February after hearing him on SPI

launched a 7-person paid mastermind with a small list (less than 2000 at the time) and even smaller podcast audience at the time (obviously learned so much from you to make that happen)

was recently on Ken Davis' podcast sharing my story

I'm not sure how else to thank you other than sharing your content, and of course I know you have a new book coming out. Exciting!
Are you interested in doing a short 20-min podcast interview to promote the book?
My podcast doesn't have nearly the traffic you do, but it's ranked #1 in "personal branding" and "personal brand" in iTunes and gets about 7,000 downloads a month.
My audience is also outside the normal online entrepreneur crowd (lots of small business owners etc.) so I think Will It Fly would be a really relevant topic to them, and hopefully draw some brick & mortar biz people to the SPI audience!
I'm not a "big name guest" type show (it's usually solo) but I've had our mutual friend Ray Edwards (I'm in his mastermind), as well as pretty cool guys like Bob Burg, Cliff Ravenscraft, Lee Cockerell and a few others.
If you're not taking interviews, no worries and no hard feelings! Just thought I'd reach out and see if I can help.
Please let me know!
P.S. - I'm now in the 6th month of going full-time entrepreneur and love it. You were a huge part of that pivot. If you want to make sure I'm not some weirdo before you make a decision, this is the story of how it happened.
---
Pat accepted, and we're recording his podcast interview tonight in about 5 hours. I even got a free copy of his new book Will It Fly? It's pretty good. No, I cannot send you the copy of his book =)
So you can see in this email I've put a few soft links where Pat can check me out (in case he didn't remember me).
I also use a few bullet points to make the message scannable. The pic breaks up the copy, too.
So there you have it ... Mike Kim's patented Strategic Selfie: Proudly Killing Business Cards and Saving Trees Since 2012.
Mike
P.S. - what are you working on this week?

How Did Alabama Beat Clemson? In A Word – Leadership

This is not a post about any leadership deficiencies of Head Coach Dabo Swinney and the Clemson Tigers. In fact, Coach Swinney is one of the greatest leaders you can find. I have nothing but the highest respect for the Clemson program.
This is a post about the superlative leadership culture which exists in the Alabama Crimson Tide program. The following insights were gleaned from Sports Illustrated writer Andy Staples in the January 18th edition following the team’s fourth national championship victory in seven years. The following are just some of what makes the culture of the Crimson Tide so unique:
Head Coach Nick Saban – Let’s start at the top.
Coach Saban spent time last April with new 40-year-old Houston Cougars head coach Tom Herman. Herman was the offensive coordinator of the Ohio State Buckeyes who had just defeated the Crimson Tide in last year’s national semi-final.
Herman said, “Here’s this guy at what would seemingly be the top of the mountain and he’s always looking for ways to get better.” Unlike his public persona, Saban is one of the most curious coaches in college football. The following are some of the things he was hoping to learn as he made a priority of scheduling time with Herman:

What younger leaders are thinking.
How to better pace practices.
How to create more realistic match ups during practice.
Situational football.
What schematic changes are now necessary with the changing landscape of college football.

For more on Coach Saban click 15 Leadership Skills Necessary To Build A Sustainable Organization.
Assistant Coaches
Alabama employs the traditional nine assistant coaches. However, they also have five strength coaches and three mental fitness coaches. This is evidence the administration of the University itself is committed to making a financial investment in coaching. Quick question – how much do you financially invest in coaching?
Regarding the quality of the team’s coaches, longtime defensive coordinator Kirby Smart was just named head coach of the University of Georgia. The team’s offensive coordinator Lane Kiffin was considered a cancer by most after his dismissal from USC. But Saban knew something we all did not and took a chance on him. He is now one of the greatest offensive minds in college football.
Special teams, under the direction of Special Teams Coordinator Bobby Williams, was the difference in the game. Strength and Conditioning Coach Scott Cochran said of Coach Saban, “He pushed all his chips in” regarding Adam Griffith’s onside kick recovered by Marlon Humphrey. And of course, Kenyon Drake returned a 2nd-half kickoff 95 yards for a touchdown.
The Quarterback
The quarterback is always an extension of the coach on the field. After temporarily losing his starting job early in the year, Jake Coker returned in the 2nd half of the September 19th game against Ole Miss and did not lose a game the remainder of the season. Sensing Coker’s anger on being temporarily demoted, Kiffin said, “We don’t expect you (Coker) to agree with this decision. If you agree with it, you’re not competitive. We expect you to go prove it wrong.” To the delight of the Alabama faithful, Coker proved Kiffin wrong.
The Players
Saban teaches his players a concept known as The Illusion Of Choice. While there may seem to be many choices, there are only a few which actually lead to success. What made this Alabama team so unique was the strong locker room presence. In essence, this team was self-policed. Specific players mentioned as team leaders were the following:

Senior linebacker Reggie Ragland
Senior center Ryan Kelly
Heisman Trophy winner Derrick Henry
Offensive tackle Cam Robinson
All-American defensive ends A’Shawn Robinson and Jarran Reed

Leadership Consultants
The difference between successful and unsuccessful people is how they think. Regarding the team’s legendary “Process”, Saban said, “When I first started this, I probably had the same approach with everybody and thought everybody should buy into that approach. Now it’s more individual and what makes it happen for him, because success is always tied to action, but action is always tied to your thoughts.”
The following are the three Mental Fitness Coaches previously mentioned above:

Mental expert Lionel Rosen is a Michigan State psychiatry professor who first introduced Saban to the “Process” when Saban coached the Spartans in the late 90’s.
Trevor Moawad specializes in mental training and leadership.
Kevin Elko specializes in motivation.

Leadership Unity And Alignment
When strong leaders are in place and unified it provides your organization a gift known as Alignment. Alignment allows you to make strategic adjustments.
****Please note – You can only make strategic adjustments AFTER you have leadership UNITY and ALIGNMENT. You CANNOT successfully make strategic adjustments without UNITY and ALIGNMENT.***
Some of the changes the 2015 Alabama Crimson Tide made were:

Moving to a no-huddle.
Increased offensive tempo which included jet sweeps.
More nickel defense to combat spread offenses.
Instead of the standard two cornerbacks and two safeties (both who would normally weigh over 200 lbs), they got smaller and quicker by playing five cornerbacks.

Administration – Head Coach – Assistant Coach – Quarterback – Players – Consultants all Unified and Aligned. If you get this organizational structure right you will have a chance to be a championship organization as well.

Costs Of Creating A New Business Part 1

One of the defining characteristics of successful leaders is they are willing to pay a price unsuccessful leaders are unwilling to pay. Successful leaders pay a personal price in terms of time, money, self-denial, hard decisions, sacrifice, preparation and hard work.
Too many people want Easter without Good Friday. They want gain without the pain. They want the perks of leadership without paying the price of leadership. They want the public applause without the private preparation.
This is why I love Bryan and Shannon Miles, founders of several companies including MAG Bookkeeping. They are incredibly successful Christian entrepreneurs who have paid the price necessary for success. Recently, Bryan wrote about his journey.
Before you read his comments, if your organization needs bookkeeping assistance here during tax seasons, you know MAG Bookkeeping is willing to pay the price to make YOU successful. Now onto, Bryan’s thoughts:
No one ever told me that risk taking would come with so many upsides and downsides. It’s obvious when you enter into risk, you’re potentially sacrificing something for future gain, or at least the hope of it. While I’m grateful to have started a business that is succeeding, I was very naive to the cost and the toll of creating a new business.
I’ve also learned a lot about myself and my leadership through these past five years since starting our companies. One of those things is transparency. Transparency is important to those who care about you and are sincerely cheering you on. Below is my attempt to be transparent with you.
Over the last three quarters in our business Shannon and I have experienced some downsides and some upsides connected to the risk we took back in 2010. Oftentimes when I speak with people, they approach me with the lens of only success and want to talk to me about my successes in our businesses. They are surprised to hear me also share with them the rough patches connected to that success. When I share with them our struggles they slowly take off their rose-colored glasses and listen with an interesting look on their face.
Below are some struggles and some realizations we’ve encountered over the last five years in growing a business from nothing to something pretty substantial:

A surprising phone call in 2013 from our accountant informing me that my federal tax bill was ten times what I was expecting, due to restructuring a business as a corporate entity.
Spending two days in a hospital in 2012 because I thought I was having a heart attack. Come to find out – I was just under an insane amount of stress.
Discovering that not everybody you work with is excited about your success.
Getting two junk lawsuits thrown at us almost at the same time by an ambulance-chasing attorney and spending way more than I thought to beat the trolls away.
Realizing that certain friends enjoyed watching me fail in new business attempts.
Making senior leadership hires from the outside and making insane amounts of investment of time and energy, and not seeing the business results I was expecting.
Facing down tough business decisions throughout the last five years and finding myself up at 3 a.m. way too many times. In many of those nights, God has been silent and fear has tap-danced in front of me. Before starting these businesses, I never had nights like these.

In Part Two of this series on Risky Business, I will share with you how I handled these struggles and how I have decided to react to these realizations. Taking risks is not for the faint of heart. It comes with a set of challenges that unveil themselves to you way after the decision was made to take the risk in the first place. Risk also comes with a large amount of reward and I’m grateful for that. In fact, Shannon and I have been quite rewarded by our risk, but you have to understand the costs.

Tuesday, January 12, 2016

5 Leadership Styles: Which One Are You? (Infographic)

Brian Dodd on January 5, 2016 in Increasing Capacity

Top Management Degrees is a resource and website who are helping thousands of leaders get better. They recently contacted me about some incredible findings they have discovered about various leadership styles. I wanted to make their information available to you.
After reading, determine which one best describes you leadership style. And don’t forget to visit their site!

Source: TopManagementDegrees.com

Leadership comes with a microphone. I want to make you aware of a FREE January 14th online coaching opportunity. Preach Better Sermons will help you learn sermon prep and delivery from those three and many more of the best preachers in the world.

Why Your Church’s Baptism Numbers May Be Declining

Are your church’s baptism numbers declining? Many church leaders I speak with are at a loss as to why. They are preaching great sermons. They are doing everything possible to “close the back door.” Earnest prayers are being sent towards Heaven. In fact, many pastors and church leaders are working harder than they ever have before.
Those are all GREAT and NECESSARY things but the spiritual transformation in most churches is just not where it needs to be. There may be a very logical explanation. The solution may be in our deeds, not our creeds. Let me explain.
Today, I spent some time with one of the most dynamic spiritual leaders in America. Dave Adamson is the Social Media Director for North Point Community Church. His photography and devotions are currently the best thing going on Instagram. Make sure you check it out at AussieDave. You will be blown away!
Dave shared some interesting thoughts about the process people are now going through as they discover the love of Jesus Christ and enter a personal relationship with Him.
In the 1960s and 1970s, people first went to Church. Second, they heard the Gospel message there and came to Christ. And then third, they saw what the church was doing and got involved in a Cause. Notice the process:
Church then Christ then Cause
Then, in the 1980s and 1990s, people first heard about Christ and were won to Jesus. Second, they then found a Church home (often where their friends were) and then got involved in one of the its Causes. Notice the change in the process:
Christ then Church then Cause
Now in the 2000s, people are often first involved in a Cause. They are serving the poor and under-resourced. They are digging wells, cleaning up rubble, helping children, feeding and clothing the needy. Through this process they are being attracted to the person of Jesus Christ and His love. They accept Him as their Lord and Savior. Then they then come to a church. Notice the current process:
Cause then Christ then Church
People are often now being attracted to Jesus Christ first through Causes. So the question for pastors and church leaders regarding declining baptisms is what Causes is your church involved in?

Sex Trafficking?
Homelessness?
Clean Water?
Foster Care?
Homelessness?
Illiteracy?
Addiction?
Hunger?
AIDS?
Poverty?
Racial Reconciliation?
Public Health And Wellness?
All of the above?
Worse, none of the above?

People who are unchurched and far from God are attracted to and getting involved with organizations AND churches who are addressing social justice issues.
Churches who recognize this reality are first, creating pathways for people to get involved in providing solutions. And in doing so, secondly are introducing them to the One who can meet the greatest social justice need for all of humanity, forgiveness of their sins.
So in your next staff or elders meeting, if the subject of declining baptism numbers is introduced, evaluate your church’s effectiveness in addressing social issues and inviting the unchurched to join you. You may discover your issue there.

In addition to addressing social issues, nothing helps a church grow faster than better preaching. Therefore, I want to make you aware of a FREE January 14th online coaching opportunity. Preach Better Sermons will help you learn sermon prep and delivery from those three and many more of the best preachers in the world.

Comparing And Contrasting Nick Saban And Dabo Swinney’s Leadership Styles

This Monday evening the Alabama Crimson Tide and Clemson Tigers will compete for college football’s national championship. Each team is led by incredible leaders – head coaches Nick Saban and Dabo Swinney. Whether you lead a church, business, non-profit or athletic organization, there are countless leadership lessons you can learn much from these two men.
The following are two profiles comparing and contrasting what makes each so successful. As you read the 38 leadership lessons provided, you will notice how much Coach Saban and Coach Swinney have in common – They both are tied to Alabama, detail-oriented, hard working, builders of great staffs, self-aware and both are very successful CEOs.
First, Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney. The following are 17 Leadership Lessons From Head Coach Dabo Swinney I gleaned from a December 29th USA Today article which you can read in full by clicking here.

Dabo Swinney Struggled Early On – Struggle is necessary for success. He lettered three times under Crimson Tide head coach Gene Stallings after walking on the team in the summer of 1989 as a 19-year-old walk-on wide receiver.
Dabo Swinney Is Detailed-Oriented – He keeps detailed plans and tracks the Tigers’ routines as much as a year in advance.
Dabo Swinney Works Hard – While at Alabama, his positional coach Tommy Bowden advised him walk-on players must work twice as hard as those on scholarship.
Dabo Swinney Is A Continual Learner – Coach Bowden’s father, legendary FSU head coach Bobby Bowden, collected quotes and insight in notebooks. This is a practice he passed on to his son Tommy. Now Swinney does so as well.
Dabo Swinney Knows You Need Exposure And Experience – Many young leaders confuse exposure with experience. You actually need both. Swinney said, “I’ve only been at two places (Alabama and Clemson), but I’ve been at those places for a long time, and exposed to a lot of things. I’ve seen everything.”
Dabo Swinney Builds Long-Lasting Relationships – Smart leaders do not burn bridges. When Tommy Bowden became head coach at Clemson, Swinney joined his staff to coach the wide receivers.
Dabo Swinney Built Relationships Across Both Sides Of The Ball – Great leaders cross racial, socio-economic, geographical and religious lines to build mutually-beneficial relationships. Former Clemson athletics director Terry Don Phillips remembers passing Swinney’s office and continually seeing it filled with all types of players, not just wide receivers.
Dabo Swinney Genuinely Cares About People – Phillips noted, “The way he treated kids, the way he coached them, the relationships that he had with them, it became very obvious that Dabo was an individual and a coach that genuinely cared about the kids.”
Dabo Swinney Is A Great Recruiter – Regardless of your profession, infusing your organization with top young talent is key to your sustainability. Clemson consistently has Top 2o recruiting classes. Currently, they are ranked 5th in 2016 and sure to move up by the February signing date.
Dabo Swinney Is Authentic – Defensive coordinator Brent Venables says, “There’s not an ounce of phoniness in him. He’s got his guard down 24-7.”
Dabo Swinney Builds A Great Staff – Venables, hired from Oklahoma in 2012, is one of America’s top defensive coordinators. Clemson’s co-offensive coordinators, Tony Elliott and Jeff Scott, lead a unit which has scored over 500 points this season. This is a 25% improvement over last year.
Dabo Swinney Focuses Long-Term – He is big-picture and has a long-term vision for the program.
Dabo Swinney Also Focuses On Today – As mentioned earlier, he has the minutest details of Clemson’s day-to-day activities planned.
Coach Swinney Gets Alignment And Buy-In From His Players – He says, “We’ve got a good plan, but most importantly our players believe in it. That’s something that I’ve developed for years, not just the past seven years.
Dabo Swinney’s Team Continually Improve – The 2011 team won the ACC championship. The 2012 team won its bowl game against LSU. The 2013 team won the Orange Bowl against Ohio State. The 2014 team snapped a five-game losing streak against in-state rival South Carolina and also defeated defending national champion Florida State.
Dabo Swinney Is A CEO – He concludes, “I just work hard. I’m not afraid to fail. I don’t know everything, but I’m always trying to learn and get better. I do believe in being very organized. I’ve always been that way. I like structure. I like order. I try to run the program that way.”
Dabo Swinney Has Self-Awareness – He knows who he is. Coach Swinney says, “At the end of the day, you’ve got to be who you are. You’ve got to have a philosophy that you believe in. I learned that early on. You can learn from others, but you can’t be somebody else. You’ve got to do things your way. That’s all I’m trying to do.”

Now let’s take a look at 4-time national champion head coach, the legendary Nick Saban. The following are 21 Leadership Lessons From Head Coach Nick Saban I gleaned from a December 29th Bleacher Report article which you can read in full by clicking here.

Nick Saban Is The University Of Alabama’s Most Important Asset – Many people in the state of Alabama now consider Saban as “the most important asset in the history of Alabama athletics.”
Nick Saban Expects To Succeed – He says, “I guess everybody thinks you get it all when you win the game, but we’re expected to win the game. It’s misery if you don’t win.”
Nick Saban Is Always Looking Ahead – He continues, “It’s about 30 minutes of happiness when you do (win). But then what about next week? Because we’re supposed to win next week, too.”
Nick Saban Is A Perfectionist – And his drive for perfection is unmatched in the college coaching industry.
Nick Saban Builds A Great Staff – He handpicks his staff and has an obvious eye for coaching talent. Former assistants include Michigan State’s Mark Dantonio, Florida State’s Jimbo Fisher, South Carolina’s Will Muschamp, Florida’s Jim McElwain and now Georgia’s Kirby Smart.
Nick Saban Makes Others Successful – Working for Coach Saban is a great career move. As shown by the five head coaches above, it is an annual occurrence to see his assistants take head coaching positions at other universities.
Nick Saban Is Accessible To Other Leaders – Muschamp said. “He’s been tremendous in my career in helping me. I can still pick up the phone and ask him what he thinks.”
Nick Saban Has Tough Conversations – Muschamp continues, “He’s going to be honest, and you may not like the answer sometimes. But I appreciate the honesty and guidance he’s given me over the years.”
Nick Saban Creates A Culture Of Excellence – LSU linebackers coach Kirk Doll said, “He coaches those young men [at high school camps] as hard as he coaches his players at whatever school he is at. You get your money’s worth.”
Nick Saban Demands Alignment – He wants every level of the program to have the same intentions, work ethic and commitment to excellence.
Nick Saban Empowers People – McElwain said. “I can’t tell you how fortunate I was to be around him and a part of it. It doesn’t matter if it’s a coach or someone else in the organization. He hires great people and lets them do their jobs. It doesn’t matter if you’re selling popcorn or calling plays, everyone has to be going in the same direction.”
Nick Saban Is Focused On Preparation – Winning football games is a byproduct of doing everything else well. Saban understands winning comes much later. This is his legendary “process”. The program begins in the weight room, off-season conditioning and summer practice. Regarding the games themselves, ssistant coach Sal Sunseri says, “It’s the total preparation. Not just playing the game, but the mindset going into the game and how you’re preparing for it. You know it, you see it (opponents’ alignments and plays) and you react to something you saw seven or eight times on the field in Tuscaloosa.”
Nick Saban Is Detail-Oriented – Doll continues, “What Nick wanted everybody to do was pay attention to detail and work as hard as he worked. He didn’t want any little detail to go unturned. You take the recruiting, academics, in-season and offseason, and he has a plan for it. He has a plan for everything. This is how you do it.”
Nick Saban Always Arrives Early – Saban takes dress-rehearsal drives to the home of recruits so he will not be late. Sunseri says, “He didn’t want to be late, which is why we always did a dry run of getting to the house. When you’re supposed to be there at 7:30, you’re there at 7:25 waiting to get into the house. That’s just the way it is. He likes to be on time. He loves to be detailed.” For more on the importance of arriving early, read 12 Reasons Smart Leaders Hire People Who Arrive Early.
Nick Saban Is Willing To Assume Great Responsibility – Mushcamp concludes, “The staff, the recruiting, the public relations, he does everything the right way.”
Nick Saban Is An Individual Profit Center – Because of the success of the Tide football squad, Saban has boosted the state’s economy.
Nick Saban Creates Positive Change – When you hire the right leader like Saban, his/her presence changes everything for the better.
Nick Saban Works Hard – The speed of the leader is the speed of the team. Sunseri adds, “I think everyone’s trying to catch up to coach. His work ethic is relentless and his drive to be the best is unbelievable.”
Nick Saban Is An Ambassador For The Brand – So are all great leaders whether they realize it or not. Currently, the greatest ambassador for the brand of the University of Alabama is Saban himself.
Nick Saban Is A CEO – Sunseri concludes, “Here’s the bottom line. Everyone tells you that coach is hard and tough. No, he’s the boss. He’s the CEO. He expects you to do your job. If you’re not doing that, he’s tough on you. But if you do what you’re asked to do, he’s easy to work for. It’s not hard. It really isn’t.”
Nick Saban Has Self-Awareness – He knows who he is. The questions Saban enjoys answering the most are those related to football. At his heart, he is a “defensive-minded, unfathomably competitive, film-loving football junkie.”

So who do you think will win Monday night?