5 Simple Ways to Grow as a Leader

5 Simple Ways today to Grow in your Leadership: 1. Read- leaders are readers. Pure and simple. I recommend business books, Christian living, historical biographies/autobiographies, and magazines. And of course the Bible as your #1 source.

2. Serve- jump in and help wherever needed. Ultimately, just keep Leading- more and more and more. The more you lead, the better leader you will be. The more you serve, the better servant you will be. And believe me, if you keep asking to take on leadership in your organization, you will continue to have more responsibility piled on you.

3. Watch- find those who are great at what they do, and stalk them. I kid of course, but be intentional about watching closely how they lead. And learn from those around you. Everyone. Who are more experienced, wiser, and have something to offer. Find a few leaders who you want to learn from, and seek them out. Ask them for advice.

4. Pray- the prayers of a righteous man accomplish much. Pray for wisdom, pray for favor, pray that your influence will be expanded. And pray for humility.

5. Connect- hang around other leaders. Go where other leaders are. Catalyst, Leadership Summit, Leadercast, Hillsong Conference, etc. Local gatherings. Small roundtables. Large conferences. Lunches. Receptions. Whatever. Osmosis really does work when it comes to growing as a leader. And getting outside of your "norm" is essential to growth- many times just hearing how another leader is handling a situation will bring great clarity and perspective.

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2012 Challenge for our Catalyst team

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Here are 10 points we discussed and committed to as a Catalyst team earlier this year in January. Thought I would share them so as to motivate or inspire you to challenge your team as well: 1. Authentic. Be Real. Human. approachable. Guard against hubris.

2. No sideways energy. Communicate. Focus. Guard against silos and wasted energy.

3. Stewardship. Each of us embracing and understanding our role in what we've been given and required to manage and uphold through the Catalyst platform. Not just the leader.

4. Expertise. see myself as an expert. Individual responsibility and organizational responsibility.

5. Receive what we create. Become our own customer. That God would speak to us like He would any attendee at our Catalyst events. Guard against the mundane.

6. Guard against cynicism. Behind the curtain we have to guard against this. Fight it at every turn. And call it out if we see it.

7. Excellence. We are the best in the world. Confidence not arrogance. Act like it. Maintain a standard. Guard against being lazy and pessimistic.

8. Serve one another. Jump in and help. Get it done mentality. Not just at events. All the time. Be willing to do whatever it takes.

9. Protect and maintain a "make it happen" culture. Guard against the phrase "it's not my job." and guard against creating clicks.

10. Get better every day. Guard against complacency.

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8 Points on Leading Artists

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Okay, so alot of us who run organizations, or manage teams, or have staff direct reports, are leading those who consider themselves to be ARTISTS of some sort. Whether it's musicians, or designers, or writers, or entertainers, or worship leaders, or those who sketch/paint/draw, I'm going to lump them all together for the sake of this conversation and my thoughts on how to best lead them.

Disclaimer: we are ALL artists. In regards that we all are called to create things of excellence. Some of us are way more "Artistic" at our core than others. That is who I'm talking about here. You know who they are on your team. Guaranteed.

I'm also VERY INTERESTED to hear from you on how you best lead/manage artists. Please comment below and share your thoughts.

Here are a few of my thoughts:

1. Start with reality. Artists are different. Not in bad weird way. But in a great weird way. So just begin with this, and it will help tremendously.

2. Lead, don't manage. Share vision, inspire, and let them loose. Managing an artist type like you would an accountant, or a project manager, or a typical hard charging type A, is not a good idea.

3. Be very specific on areas that most think are ambiguous. Most leaders think that because artists are spontaneous and spatial in their thinking, that they don't want specifics. So alot of leaders will be totally ambiguous in their interactions with artists. But just the opposite. Most artists need and desire very clear, focused and specific direction. They don't mind boundaries; in fact, they welcome them (more insight on this from my friend Tyler Reagin here).

4. Give them room to dream. This might mean they need to spend an afternoon at a coffee shop or in the park or at the lake. Let them do that.

5. Include them in the process. If you simply tell them what you want once you and everyone else have decided, you'll probably get it. But including them in the creative process will create more buy in and probably a better outcome.

6. Allow them to decorate and make their area "their own." Their office or cube or space needs to reflect who they are. Otherwise, finding inspiration could be tough in the office.

7. Release them into their areas of greatest strength. Don't burden a great artist with tasks and responsibilities outside their strengths. If it's a money thing, pay them less but let them do what they are great at. Most artists care way more about doing their "art" anyway.

8. Aggregate artists in "pairs" and team lead them. I like to always have at least two artists in a meeting, on a team, working on a project, sitting together, and ultimately working together. It gives them more energy and allows them to vent to each other. Also, if you have personality conflicts with artists on your team, then "team" lead them. Don't take it personal, but figure out the best way to release them and inspire them. It might be that you are not the best person to do that, and it's okay that someone else on your team is.

 

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Tuesday's inspiration video: Rachel's gift one year later

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One year ago, 9 yr old Rachel Beckwith was tragically killed in a car accident. Since then, because of her commitment to giving up her birthday for helping others, over 60,000 people have been provided access to clean water. Her life continues to be an inspiration to so many. We interviewed Scott Harrison (founder of charity: water), Samantha Paul (Rachel's mom) and Ryan Meeks (Samantha and Rachel's pastor) at Catalyst Atlanta last October, and committed to send Samantha to Ethiopia this week to see up close one year later the wells that Rachel helped build.

Here is that story:

[vimeo]http://www.vimeo.com/46300983[/vimeo]

You can also read the full blog post from charity: water here.

 

Two Vital Questions for Leaders

Asking the right questions is crucial for leaders. Many times the questions you are asking are way more important than the answers or solutions you are giving. I was reminded of two crucial questions for leaders when recently reading an article by Alan Webber, co-founder of Fast Company. Alan talks at length about these 2 questions in his book Rules of Thumb. These are crucial questions for leaders to answer, both for themselves as well as the organizations they lead.

1. What keeps you up at night? This one is a familiar question for most leaders. What makes you cry? What makes you mad? What are the things that nag at you? This question has to do with what you are passionate about. What are the problems in the world you want to help solve? Usually the things that keep us up can be incredibly frustrating to us until we get them solved.

2. What gets you up in the morning? This one is less familiar to most of us, but probably even more important. What keeps you and your team committed? Engaged and excited? This question has more to do with purpose. Do you look forward to jumping in to the career or current job you have on a daily basis? Especially as things get tougher and more demanding than ever, we need to make sure we are laser focused and determined and locked in on what motivates and drives us.

Spend some time this week thinking about these two questions and how it effects what you are working on and where you are spending your time.

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Are You the Best?

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Are you operating at Good, Better or Best? Good is what is expected of you. It is slightly above average, and requires some focus and determination to get there, but is relatively easy to achieve.

Better is just that- it's better than good. Being better means you are typically comparing yourself to what is good. Your standard is tied to outdoing good. And good is slightly better than average. Better gets you mentioned at the company picnic, probably gets you a raise on a continual basis, ensures some "atta-boys" from your co-workers, and looks good on a resume.

Best is where you want to live. Best is greatness. It's about a standard that requires you to give everything you've got and all the talent you've been wired with to reach your full potential. Best means there is no one better than you. Best is a standard unto itself. Best has no comparison. Best is award winning, status defining, and legacy creating. Best is the top of the mountain.

Are you good, better or best at what you do? Who you are? How you lead? How you live?

God demands our BEST. Not just a good show. Not just being a good father. Not just being an average follower of Jesus. Not just being better at your career than someone else. Not just leading a bit better than your c0-worker down the hall. Not just being an average mother who is "okay" at stewarding a family and juggling a career. God wants us to be the BEST. Period.

I don't want to just have a good team, or put together a good leadership event, or be a bit better at what I do than others. I want to be the Best in the world. Good NFL teams don't set out to be good. They set out to be the best- winning the Super Bowl.

Being the best requires focus, determination, intentionality, lots of hard work, learning all the time, never giving up, pushing the envelope, and making sacrifices. And we all know when our performance is not our best. When our writing is not our best. When our attention is not at it's best. Our families know it. Our friends know it. Our staffs know it. Our bosses know it. And God knows it.

Make sure your standard is not just being a bit better than average. Or only being a bit better than your competitor. Your standard is being the BEST. God demands it!

Young Influencers List, July Edition

Here you go, the July Edition of the Young Influencers List. You can see all the past lists here. 1. Cass Langton- overseer of all things creative at Hillsong Church in Sydney, and she is creative director for Hillsong Conference.

2. Ryan Wood- dir of public awareness and partnerships for Sevenly, an innovative cause-driven non profit in LA.

3. Noel Russell- she's a designer/merchandiser at Topson Downs, and former senior creative manager at Wal-Mart.

4. Enuma Okoro- writer, speaker and author of Reluctant Pilgrim.

5. Corey Evan- songwriter, pastor and worship leader, most recently from Atlanta but now in Bloomington, IL.

6. Jeff Goins- writer, blogger, and idea guy.

7. Peter Haas- senior lead pastor of Substance Church in Minneapolis, and author of Pharisectomy.

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Create a "No Meetings" Policy

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I have to be honest- I despise most meetings. Now don't get me wrong, some meetings are important and needed. I love brainstorming and creative meetings when there is lots of energy and ideas being thrown out. I like meetings where ideas are being moved to completion. I like meetings where we are solving problems and coming up with solutions. But meeting for meetings sake is unproductive, demoralizing and a waste of time. Too many organizations and churches build their "get it done" culture around "let's meet about it." A meeting becomes the default for everything. Here are a few thoughts on meetings:

1. Always try your best NOT to meet vs always looking for an excuse TO meet.

2. If you can solve an issue or figure out a solution or agree through email or a quick 30 second in person conversation or phone call, don't schedule a meeting.

3. Most meetings ultimately should instead be quick stand up conversations for no more than 5 minutes. Get to the point, and move on.

4. Many "managers" plan meetings so they'll actually have something to do and can justify their existence. This is not great management.

5. You DO need to meet on a regular basis with your team or staff and connect, cast vision, laugh, etc. More for creating culture than anything else.

6. Instead of a culture that defaults to "let's meet about it," build a culture that thinks "let's go make it happen." When in doubt, don't meet. Just go make it happen. Execute. Take the project to the finish line. "Ship it" as Seth Godin says.

7. Leaders- if at all possible, don't schedule a meeting, unless it is really needed and leads to action. And if a meeting is required, LESS participants (as a general rule) is better and more strategic than MORE participants. More than 5 people in a meeting trying to get something done bogs down the process.

8. Always ask following a meeting: "Did we accomplish anything? Or just create more work and more bureaucracy?" Consistently measure the value of each meeting, and get rid of it if you're not accomplishing anything.

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Leaders: Find a Confidant

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Leaders are called to be courageous. And confident, yet humble. Being Confident is important. But change out the "e" for an "a" in confident, and this is also a huge need for leaders: A CONFIDANT.

Dictionary.com defines Confidant as "a close friend or associate to whom secrets are confided or with whom private matters and problems are discussed."

A few thoughts on having a confidant:

1. This is not someone on your team who reports to you or is a peer.

2. This is not your boss. And for non-profit and church leaders, this is probably not someone on your board.

3. This is probably not a family member, since family members seem to only see one side and not the whole picture.

4. Make sure it's someone with honesty and integrity, who you are 100% sure won't talk to anyone else about what you are sharing. Loose lips sink ships.

5. It is someone you can rely on, share with, lean into for tough decisions, gripe about things, and receive counsel from.

6. There are lots of executive coaches out there. And I don't think it's necessarily a bad idea for your executive coach or life coach to potentially be a confidant. But ideally, your confidant is not someone you pay to help you.

7. A confidant doesn't make decisions for you, they ADVISE you. Don't allow your confidant to be your final decision maker.

8. Nothing to gain- make sure your confidant is not motivated one way or the other by the outcome of your decisions. For example, as a professional athlete, many look to their agents as their confidants- but ultimately that can be a bit risky, since the agents job is to get more money for the athlete, thus gaining more money themselves.

9. Confidants are more for listening, than they are talking. Advice and counsel many times can be best given by being a sounding board than a clanging gong.

Top Ten Influential Athletes in US the last 10 years

Over the last 10 years (since 2002), which athletes have had the most influence on our culture? An interesting question for sure. I know there will be lots of debate on this one, but here are the Ten I would suggest: 1. Tiger Woods

2. Kobe Bryant

3. Jimmy Johnson

4. Derek Jeter

5. Peyton Manning

6. Lance Armstrong

7. Lebron James

8. Michael Phelps

9. Tom Brady

10. Shaquille O'Neal

 

Who would you add? 

Your Song (s) right now

What is the song right now that is on repeat on your iPhone or in iTunes at your desk in the office? Your theme song you might say for the dog days of summer...

I have five songs right now that are on repeat:

Come to the Water- from the new Brett Younker album

I Surrender- from the new Hillsong Cornerstone album (releasing tomorrow!)

No One Higher- from the newly released North Point Inside out Live album, and soon to release on the North Point Live album.

I Know You- from the new Bellarive album

10,000 Reasons- been out a while, but this Matt Redman song is epic!

What you got?

 

 

 

10 Leadership Reminders

1. Be responsible. If you say you are going to take care of it, then take care of it. 2. Be professional. Arrive on time. Actually be early. And be organized.

3. Be the best. Get better every day at what you do.

4. Be humble. Talk less. Listen more.

5. Be proactive. Not reactive. Respond and initiate before being told to or asked to by your boss or peers.

6. Be focused. When it's time to make it happen, you discipline yourself to take it across the finish line.

7. Be trustworthy. Your word is your bond. And your reputation. Honesty always trumps.

8. Be optimistic. See the best in people and opportunities.

9. Be curious. Learn constantly. Read everything you can. Ask questions. Add to your information quotient daily.

10. Be passionate. Love what you do. Do what you love.

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MAKE plans Now to attend Catalyst Atlanta- BEST Rates on tickets end TODAY

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Make plans now to join us for Catalyst in Atlanta October 3-5, 2012 at Gwinnett Arena. The BEST rates on ticket prices end TODAY (Thursday, June 28), so go ahead and register your group today.

You won’t want to miss the Catalyst Conference, where 13,000 young leaders will converge for the leadership experience of the year, including high-octane speakers, powerful worship, innovative programming, and an experience unlike any other. I'm really excited about this year's theme of "MAKE." We'll be tackling the process of "The Making of a Leader," and how the process of being "MADE" is so important to leaders.

Hear from leadership authorities including Andy Stanley, Patrick Lencioni, Francis Chan, Matt Chandler, Christine Caine, Craig Groeschel,  and Perry Noble, along with several innovative thinkers and practitioners like Emmy award winning Executive Producer of Survivor Mark Burnett, Harlem Children’s Zone founder and TIME 2011 Most Influential People list Geoffrey Canada, Equal Justice Initiative founder Bryan Stevenson, musician Israel Houghton, uber blogger and best-selling author Jon Acuff, and best-selling authors and TED Talks sensations Susan Cain and Simon Sinek.

Plus, Catalyst Labs will feature innovative thought leaders like David Platt, Reggie Joiner, Michael Hyatt, Mark Batterson, Tim Elmore, Lysa Terkeurst, Carlos Whittaker, Eugene Cho, Bob Goff, Lynne Hybels, Tullian Tchividjian, Jen Hatmaker, Jon Acuff, Leonce Crump, Bianca Olthoff, Esther Havens, Britt Merrick, Joy Eggerichs, Ian Cron, Charles Jenkins, Kevin Palau, Herbert Cooper, Leroy Barber, Jonathan Merritt, Bobby Gruenewald, and others. 

A special registration rate of $199 is being made available to you (over $120 savings). To take advantage of this Exclusive offer, call 888.334.6569 to speak with the Catalyst Concierge team, or register HERE and use RATE CODE FOB.
Again, Best Rates on Catalyst tickets end TODAY- Thursday, June 28th, so register now. Call 888.334.6569 to speak to a Catalyst Concierge, or register online. Catalyst will sell out, so make sure and register early!

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Decisions, Decisions and more decisions....

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Leaders are decision makers. Period. Whatever the time of year and season of life, lots of decisions are probably on your desk or in your to do list waiting to be pushed forward. It's something we must do. Constantly. So here a few thoughts on making decisions:

1. Understand that it's part of your job. Making decisions as a leader is normal and ordinary and required. It's why you are a leader. Embrace it.

2. Sleep on the big ones. For big decisions, always sleep on them. The extra time will allow your decision to be made without the spontaneous emotion that comes with a spontaneous response.

3. Know your values. As Roy Disney stated, "It's not hard to make decisions when you know what your values are." Many times indecision occurs because of lack of clarity on vision and values.

4. Understand the context. Do your homework and make sure you are informed. Plus be aware of the situation- in the case of a good/bad decision, those are pretty easy. In the case of a better/best decision, those take a bit more time to push forward and get to a final decision. Different decisions require different levels of involvement, awareness, and information.

5. Just do it. Create a culture of action in your organization. Many leaders quickly become overwhelmed with several decisions in front of them and then unintentionally paralyze the organization by avoiding them all. Create a system of action that demands completion and execution, and ultimately your system/culture will demand decisions from you.

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Pastors and Business Leaders- Learn from each other

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A couple of years ago Mike Myatt interviewed me and asked some great leadership questions. Not sure how good my answers were, but in any case, you can watch the entire interview here. One of the questions he asked me was "what can Church leaders learn from Business leaders, and what can business leaders learn from church leaders?" Good question.

I thought I would provide a few more thoughts around this issue here.

Church Leaders, here are a few things you can learn from Business Leaders:

1. collaboration- business is built around partnerships and collaboration. Many times you will see competitors in business partnering together if it makes business sense and they can create a profitable return. We have a tendency in the Church to be protective, selfish and isolated, whether it's between denominations, associations, or other churches in our communities. Especially the pastor right down the street from us.

2. excellence- if a business doesn't create a great product, no one will buy from them and they will go out of business. And if you aren't good at what you do, whether a designer or consultant or restaurant owner or UPS driver, then you won't last. Sometimes in the church we have the tendency to make excellence a low level priority, and we don't demand that staff members constantly get better. I've written several times about doing what you do with excellence. And pastors, don't be afraid to ask your business leaders to get involved in helping you create excellence with what you do.

3. execution- the business world is built on "getting things done on time." Again, without this as a core value, businesses will fail. Church leaders can learn a ton regarding execution from the business leaders sitting in your seats or pews on Sunday morning.

4. measure success- businesses measure their success mostly based on return on investment- the idea of creating a profit. There are definitely other factors, but that one is key. You have to measure your success in order to know if you've accomplished your mission. In the Church, many times we are not as intentional at measuring our success because we're in the "people" business. But I believe the Church is doing the most important work in the world, and to not hold ourselves accountable and constantly measure whether we are creating "Kingdom" profit is not good stewardship.

Business Leaders, here are a few things you can learn from Church Leaders:

1. relationships first- the currency of getting things done in the Church is through relationships. Many times in business we are so focused on execution and profit and margin that we forget about the relational currency we are building or not building.

2. income for greater purposes- Business leaders- Look for ways to create a "triple bottom line" in your business. Meaning you find ways to give back and be generous and help those in need. This has become the new standard for many businesses- no longer are you only measured by what profit you make- but now measured by what kind of investment you give back to the community. Church leaders understand this.

3. leadership- some of the best leaders in the world are on staff at Churches, especially those who lead volunteers every week. If you can get hundreds of volunteers motivated and excited and committed to serving, then there are all kinds of leadership lessons we can learn from you and implement in the business world.

4. passion and calling- great ministry leaders have a sense of calling on their life that is inspiring. They do what they do with great passion, many times sacrificing a higher paying job or other opportunities because of the specific purpose God has laid on their life. Business leaders should have the same level of passion, purpose and calling for their vocation. There is NO sacred and secular. It's all sacred. Your calling as a business professional is not second class, so run after it with a desire to truly live for God in the marketplace.

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10 Organizations creating great worship music

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Here are some organizations (churches primarily), that in my opinion, are writing, creating, singing and releasing great songs for the entire Church around the world to sing. This is not an exhaustive list or a top ten list. Just wanted to provide this so you will be able to check out all of their music and maybe include some of their songs into your rotation and put on your iTunes list. 1. Passion- Chris Tomlin, Kristian Stanfill, Christy Nockels, Matt Redman, David Crowder and more

2. Hillsong- Darlene Zschech, Reuben Morgan, Joel Houston, Pete Wilson and more

3. North Point- Eddie Kirkland, Seth Condrey, Casey Darnell, Todd Fields, Candi Shelton and more

4. Bethel/Jesus Culture- Kim Walker-Smith, Chris Quilala, Jenn Johnson, and more

5. Holy Trinity Brompton/Worship Central- Tim Hughes, Ben Cantelon and the Worship Central band

6. Reach Records/Reach Ministries- Lecrae, Tripp Lee, Tedashii, and others

7. New Life Church/Desperation Band- led by Jon Egan, and birthed out of Desperation Ministries, the student ministry of New LIfe Church

8. Fellowship Missionary Baptist Church- Charles Jenkins and the Fellowship Choir

9. Elevation Church- Wade Joye, Mack Brock, Chris Brown, London Gatch and more

10. Austin Stone- Aaron Ivey, Jimmy McNeal, Kyle Lent, and more

other organizations to check out: Victory World Music, Bayside Church, Gateway Worship, Lakewood, 12Stone.

Who else would you recommend? 

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Register Today for Catalyst One Day Arkansas with Andy and Craig

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Catalyst One Day is coming to ARKANSAS! Make plans now to attend this great day of leadership training on Thursday, August 23, at Cross Church Pinnacle Hills in Rogers, Arkansas, in the heart of Northwest Arkansas. TODAY is your last chance to get the best rates on tickets for this event, as low as $79. Register TODAY to get the best rates and bring your whole team!

If you are a leader in Oklahoma, Kansas, Missouri, Arkansas, and even Louisiana, make the drive and join us.

Our presenters are Andy Stanley and Craig Groeschel for this one day leadership event focused on the topic of Creating Healthy Organizational Culture. This practical leadership experience includes 4 sessions of content, Q and A, dynamic music, and a full day of practical insight from two of the principal voices on leadership in the Church today.

Whether you are a pastor, non profit leader, business professional, or entrepreneur, the leadership principles of Creating a healthy Organizational Culture taught by Andy and Craig in this unique format apply to all of us. So pastors- bring your business leaders with you! And we'll also have the North Point Worship band with us for this One Day event.

Visit the Catalyst One Day Website to register to attend & get the best rates available! Use Rate Code FOB when registering to get tickets as low as $89.

Again, Best rates end TODAY, Thursday, June 14, so register today to reserve your spot!

[vimeo]http://www.vimeo.com/17821342[/vimeo]

What Poisons a Team Quickly

I've been reminded recently of the constant tension on a team. And.... the Tension is Good. We talked about this and leaned into this phrase before, and actually dealt with it as an event theme back in 2010 at Catalyst Atlanta. The right kind of tension is important for teams, as well as for individuals. It stretches and shapes and allows for growth. But there are other things that can creep into a team and poison it quickly. Things that sneak up fast and before you know it, start to define the team and take everyone off course. In the wrong direction. Headed the wrong way.

Here are a few of the poisons to make sure and avoid:

1. Arrogance- Pride comes before the fall, and for teams, the same holds true. Jim Collins talks about this at length in his book How the Mighty Fall. Humble confidence is the ticket.

2. No communication- this one is the most common poison for all teams to have some form of. The remedy? Overcommunicate. Be intentional and make sure folks are in the know. For team leaders, this one is tough. I struggle at this.

3. Me first, vs. We first- see this alot on high profile sports teams. Or with celebrities. As they say, there's no "I" in team. A WE first mentality starts at the top with the leader who has to set the tone in word AND deed. If you are hearing "it's not my job," then it's time for a gut check.

4. Jealousy and Cynicism- many times these go hand in hand and one follows the other. The remedy? Confronting it head on. Don't allow jealousy or cynicism or cliques to form. Stomp it out immediately. Team members have to confront it with each other, as many times the team leader won't be aware of this until later.

5. Distrust- either not trusting the leader, or not trusting each other. A killer of morale and momentum. Trust comes with time, but also is fueled by interaction and shared experiences. So make sure you are creating opportunities for trust to be built within and among your team.

6. Lack of Vision, and Lack of reality- this usually shows up in the form of a team lacking self awareness. And starts at the top with the team leader. One of the roles of a team leader is to constantly cast vision, but also to confront reality head on and make sure everyone is aware of reality. Don't allow your team to live in fantasy land. You should cast vision constantly, yes, but you should also deal with reality constantly.

What else would you say poisons teams in your experience?

Young Influencers List, June edition

Here you go, the June edition of the Young Influencers List. You can view all the past month's lists HERE.

1. Brad Montague- staffer at Freed-Hardeman University, the idea maker behind the Go! Conferences, and also the founder of Love in Stereo.

2. Amanda Sudano-Ramirez- singer, songwriter and part of the musical duo JohnnySwim. Amazing music.

3. Sam Farmar- London based documentarian, TV producer, director and reporter. Works with the BBC and other news outlets.

4. Thea Ramirez- founder and President of Adoption Share, working with pregnancy centers around the US to provide adoption options. And no relation to Amanda above...!

5. Pete Wilson- Worship Leader and Pastor at Hillsong London.

6. Jarryd Wallace- runner for the US Paralympic track team. One of the top Paralympic runners in the world. Check out this NY Times article.

7. Tedashii- rapper and hip hop artist based in Dallas, part of the 116 Clique and Reach Records.

Have recommendations for future Young Influencer Lists? Leave them in the comments section. 

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