Part One of my interview with Jon Acuff, founder of the wildly popular website Stuff Christians Like and author of the book by the same name. Jon is a speaker, author, blogger, business leader, father, husband, and just recently considered a journalist..... Lots of laughs ahead. Part Two and Part Three will be ready later this week.
[vimeo]http://www.vimeo.com/12445591[/vimeo]
Trust is a huge part of having a highly functional team. One of the greatest talks I've ever heard on Trust and the importance of trust on a team is from Andy Stanley.
In fact, listen to a recent leadership podcast that Andy recorded. Great insights on this podcast. Highly recommend that you and your entire team take time to listen to this podcast together, and then discuss it. Our team did recently, and was incredibly valuable.
Here are a few main points and thoughts after listening to Andy talk about Trust vs. Suspicion:
1. Being trustworthy doesn't mean you'll be flawless and not make mistakes. Give your team freedom to make mistakes and then being willing to own up to it.
2. A great statement in terms of trust: I'll do what I said I would do, and if not, I will tell you.
3. As leaders, if our team fears our response when they mess up, because they've seen our response and don't want to deal with that, we need to change our response. Our response as leaders is determined by my personal maturity and security.
4. Ultimately, we create a culture of trust by trusting, and trusting more, and trusting even more.
5. Three things to blame when something goes wrong- blame a person, blame human nature, or blame the system. But many times, when the system is at fault and to blame, we still want to blame a person.
6. The tendency when something bad happens, or one of your team members acts in an untrustworthy fashion, is to try and create a system or a policy that will keep it from happening ever again- managing towards the lowest common denominator. One person messing up causes the entire system to change. This is not the right thing to do. All you'll do is create a culture where everyone thinks you don't trust them, and perhaps end up running off your best people on the team who are incredibly trustworthy because rules and regulations have been set up for one person, and not for everyone.
Had the chance to catch up with Phileena Heuertz and talk about her new book Pilgrimage of a Soul. Phileena is the co-director of Word Made Flesh, an amazing organization that ministers to the poorest of the poor around the world. Phileena is a fresh voice on spirituality, the contemplative life, justice, and activism. The tag line for the new book is "Contemplative spirituality for the active life," and that is what Phileena is helping us understand through her experience and life calling with Word Made Flesh over the last 15 years.
[vimeo]http://www.vimeo.com/12377968[/vimeo]
John Wooden was a legend. In all facets of his life- as a coach, as a father, as a husband, as a leader, and ultimately as a follower of Christ. He is without question the greatest basketball coach ever, and many would argue the greatest coach ever, period. His legacy was proven this weekend, as hundreds of athletes, coaches, celebrities, sports personalities, and enthusiasts lined up following his passing on Friday night to give soundbytes or do interviews to let the world know that they knew him.
I had the chance to meet Coach Wooden 5 years ago. He was a speaker/guest for a large leadership conference we were putting on, and at that time was 94 years old. Although a bit frail physically, his mind was incredibly sharp. He attended a small VIP event that we put on that included him and Coach Pat Summitt, from the Univ. of Tennessee, the two winningest coaches in NCAA history. He graciously shook hands of guests and took pictures, and then recited several of his poems for the crowd- it was legendary. I still get chills thinking about it. We presented him with a gift- a rare book that he had wanted for quite some time but had never been able to find. I remember so vividly his response- one of humility, surprise, and authentic joy. It was such an honor to try our best to give him a gift that he didn't have, but he gave us an incredible gift in return- a demonstration of what a true man is, what humility looks like up close.
We also asked him to sign 150 basketballs, to which he graciously agreed, and as he signed the basketballs, he carried on conversation with myself and several of our staff about some of his greatest games as a coach, his favorite players, a few stories about practice, and just general conversation. I was literally in awe of this amazing man and coach. He was persistent in signing the basketballs- several times we asked him if he wanted to take a break, and he graciously said no, but continued signing his name with UCLA centered underneath it. The same every time, on every basketball. When it was time for him to speak at the event, we escorted him across a long walkway in a golf cart, and as we did, I kept thinking to myself that I am sitting next to a legend. But what was so revealing about Coach Wooden was the way he made you feel when you were around him- like you were the most important thing happening at that time, and in no way did you ever feel inferior to him. He made you feel superior, like you were important. I am sure the same would be said by all the players who ever played for him.
There are so many things that Coach John Wooden has provided to our generation. Thanks Coach for making all of us better. For providing a legacy that will never be matched. For demonstrating leadership over the course of your life, and allowing so many of us to be inspired by your words, your Christian life, your legacy on the court, and the humility by which you lived.
You will be missed.
The latest edition of the Catalyst Podcast features an interview I recently did with Erwin McManus from backstage at Catalyst West. In the interview Erwin and I discuss the Doritos commercial, his new film company and studio, how to properly engage in the cultural conversation, some exciting projects that Erwin is working on, and several other items. Also included in this edition is a short interview with Craig Groeschel regarding the upcoming One Prayer Campaign that starts this weekend in over 1,000 churches all over the world.
You can listen here or better yet, subscribe and download from itunes.
When in doubt, be remarkable. Being Remarkable:
1. takes a lot of energy.
2. is not easy.
3. requires a constant sense of improvement, innovation and intuitiveness.
4. is a clear commission from God. God demands excellence from us, and to be great at what we do. Excellence is a form of worship.
5. provides platform, credibility and respect in the culture at large.
6. raises the game of those around you. Whether team members, peers, or competitors, or partners, everyone else feels a sense of responsibility to step up their game as well.
Part Two of my interview with Mark Batterson. [vimeo]http://www.vimeo.com/12106822[/vimeo]
- We have finalized our Catalyst One Day locations for the fall. August 26- Seattle, WA at City Church (Judah Smith). October 21- central Virginia at Thomas Road Baptist Church (Jonathan Falwell), November 18- Phoenix, AZ at Christ's Church of the Valley (Don Wilson). - Word Made Flesh and Chuck Anderson, one of the top designers around, have teamed up to create a limited edition t-shirt. The campaign was created by Kharma NYC as part of the "What Matters to Me" project. Only 150 shirts were created by Chuck for Word Made Flesh. Check it out.
- Let me reiterate...... You need to buy a copy of Scott Belsky's book Making Ideas Happen right now. In fact, buy them for your entire team and read it together. We are doing that with our Catalyst team.
- Congrats to Jamie Tworkowski and the team at To Write Love on Her Arms. Their full page ad is appearing TODAY in the USA Today, all because of winning a contest several weeks ago. Check out the ad and spread the word!
- Phileena Heuertz's new book just released today: Pilgrimage of a Soul. Great book.
- Really excited about attending Hillsong Conference in a little over a month in Sydney, Australia. Love the staff and team from Hillsong and can't wait to see them put on one of the best conferences in the world, period. Let me know if you are also going to be there. Would love to say hi.
Mark Batterson is the founding pastor of National Community Church in Washington, DC, and best-selling author of several books, including his most recent Primal. I always appreciate the chance to sit down with Mark, because he constantly challenges me to read more, create more, lead more, and live more. His next great adventure in a few days- swimming from Alcatraz Island to San Francisco! Amazing. In this conversation we talk about his latest book, the great commandment vs. the great commission, the need to stay focused as a leader, and some new projects he is working on.
Part two tomorrow.
[vimeo]http://www.vimeo.com/12079466[/vimeo]
DON'T DO THESE: 1. Believe that you are "the answer."
2. Stop honoring those who've laid the groundwork before you.
3. Write off all the folks who finally helped you "arrive," who might suddenly seem insignificant or unimportant.
4. Remove yourself from reality by surrounding yourself with "handlers" and those only interested in being "yes" men and women.
5. Regard yourself as crucial, and ultimately more important than all others, in connection to the success of the organization or project.
6. Stop learning since you now know everything.
DON"T DO THESE.
The latest edition of the Catalyst Podcast features a conversation between Susan Isaacs and Anne Jackson backstage at Catalyst West. Susan is the author of Angry Conversations with God, and is a renowned actress, comedian, speaker and author. Anne Jackson is an uber popular blogger, speaker and author of Mad Church Disease and the soon to release Permission to Speak Freely. In the interview, Anne asks Susan about her latest book, they talk about the Church, leadership, depression, the entertainment industry, and a host of other items.
You can listen here or download from itunes.
I worked on a ranch after college. Lost Valley Ranch in Colorado. An amazing place. I've written about it before. I spent lots and lots of time around horses- 150 total horses. 8 hours a day. And these horses taught me a lot. Actually a lot about Leadership.
1. make the correct thing to do really easy, and the wrong thing to do really hard.
2. whether you like it or not, you are ALWAYS training.
3. I would much rather have a horse I have to hold back, vs. a horse I have to spur to get going.
4. horses would rather eat, poop, and sleep vs. do any work.
5. horses reflect their trainer- if you train incorrectly, then horses will mirror that bad training.
6. consistency is key. Repetition and persistance are crucial for training to stick.
7. you must always lead them. Horses are naturally herd-bound animals, meaning the herd mentality will always drive their decisions, many times to their own detriment. They need someone to constantly guide them.
Every leader needs to make sure they are continuing to learn on a consistent basis. Here are a few current outlets for my learning. This is not an exhaustive list since the things I'm listening to, reading, or watching change on a pretty regular basis. But this gives a pretty good perspective for what is happening right now. 1. Andy Stanley Leadership Podcast- one of the best resources available.
2. Catalyst DVD sets- I don't get to hear most of the talks at Catalyst, but I always go back later and listen to every talk.
3. TED Talks- one of my favorite places to look for fresh content and inspiring new voices.
4. Seth Godin- through his blog and all of his books.
5. Fast Company- both their magazine as well as the website. Great content for innovative leaders.
6. Blogs from Michael Hyatt, Guy Kawasaki, TechCrunch, Robert Scoble,
7. Alltop.com- a great aggregator of blogs, links, and important info. Check out the Church section on Alltop for a listing of some good Church Leadership blogs to read.
8. Charlie Rose- one of the great interviewers of our time, and always has fascinating guests on his show. And you can watch all the interviews on the website.
9. Scott Belsky- his book Making Ideas Happen is everywhere in our office. On purpose. Practical stuff on getting things done.
10. Mashable- keeps me updated on everything in the tech, social media, cool new websites, and social networks space.
Here is part three of my interview with Reggie Joiner, founder and President of the Rethink Group, and author of Think Orange. Reggie recently started blogging on parenting, and will be launching a new blog in the next couple of weeks that is a more personal/lifestyle blog. [vimeo]http://www.vimeo.com/11771758[/vimeo]
Even though I previously posted Part One and Part Two, I'll include those as well so you can splice together the full interview.
[vimeo]http://www.vimeo.com/10548349[/vimeo]
[vimeo]http://www.vimeo.com/10548840[/vimeo]
1. bad tissue in the bathrooms- no one wants the equivalent of sandpaper at the office. invest in the good stuff. 2. charging for coffee- seriously. a bad decision all the way around. and while I'm at it, quit charging for snacks.
3. standardized approach to your office or cube. let your team add some flare to their area. please.
4. a faulty copier- I think there is an international conspiracy to make all copiers bad.
5. technology issues- computer issues, incompetent IT people, and slow responses will cripple your team. Invest here or else.
6. public recognition that is incorrect. make sure you know who actually did a great job before handing out the kudos at the company picnic or staff meeting to the wrong person. this is a total demotivator.
7. a new policy every week. whether it is expense reports, insurance, office furniture, parking, kitchen etiquette, dress code, IT, pets, pranks, profits, travel, meals, hiring, firing, vacation, talking, phones, dating, child care, meetings, conference rooms, dish policy, management, health care, etc., etc. etc. Change is good, but can quickly overwhelm the system. Constant change can be incredibly draining.
8. fun Police. there is one in every company, and their entire reason for living is to make you feel guilty for any kind of fun in the office. Punch them directly in the throat. Just kidding, sort of.
9. too many meetings- if you are an executive or team leader, this is usually your fault, because you feel like you need to schedule meetings in order to seem busy. Stop it. When in doubt, don't meet. Just execute. Don't talk more about it. Just get it done.
10. unmet promises- i'm guilty of this one. I admit it. and it is a morale killer. Leaders- don't throw out promises you can't keep because you feel like the leadership moment demands it. hold your tongue, or be prepared to deliver.
What would you add to the list?
Here is my recent interview with Craig Groeschel, founding pastor of LifeChurch.tv, author of the recent best-seller The Christian Atheist, and founder of One Prayer. We discuss One Prayer 2010, why this is such an important movement in the Church, how you can be involved, and what Craig sees as an encouraging shift among leaders.
One Prayer 2010 starts June 5, so get involved now!
[vimeo]http://www.vimeo.com/11771819[/vimeo]
Here are five favorite quotes right now for me: "Heart is what separates the good from the great." - Michael Jordan
"One-fifth of the people are against everything all the time." - Robert Kennedy
"Make sure the thing you're living for is worth dying for." - Charles Mays
"You can't build a reputation on what you're going to do." - Henry Ford
"It's what you learn after you know it all that counts." - John Wooden
Take a moment and watch these. You'll laugh. [youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CLmjVDQMQUs[/youtube]
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EkIs0GhH_p4[/youtube]
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SuJC0tlT_e0[/youtube]
Had the chance to sit down backstage at Catalyst West with John Ortberg, pastor of Menlo Park Community Church, author of a bunch of best-selling books, and a great leader and authority on spiritual growth and discipleship. The interview with John is featured on the latest edition of the Catalyst Podcast.
John also recently joined Twitter, so follow him!
You can stream the interview or download from itunes.
Everyone has benchmarks in their life. People, moments, places, books, friends, events, accomplishments, awards, etc. These benchmark moments help define your journey. Think of it as chapter headings for your story. Have you determined your life benchmarks? Have you written these down? Take a moment and write out these benchmarks. Do you see a story being weaved together? What do these benchmarks say about you?
Here are a few of mine:
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