Saw a leadership principle at work yesterday. My wife had a free day and desired to do some outside work, so she spent the morning raking dead leaves out of the flowerbed.
Our front beds are filled with crocuses, irises, daylilies, daffodils, tulips and many other spring perennials. They will come up and bloom with little work. They are established plants; every year dependable.
But lying all around them are the few scattered remnants of the fall foliage. Dead leaves now brown and withered and looking pathetic. Clearing them away, the colors of the new plants just pop.
Sometimes as a leader we need to clear away some of the “dead leaves” around us. Sometimes before the beauty of new growth, a new initiative, a new strategy can be discovered and truly appreciated. Some of the old dying or dead things need to be cleaned away.
Have you looked around the flower beds over which you have care? Is it time to break out a rake?
Thursday, April 10, 2008
Tuesday, March 18, 2008
St. Patrick Who?
I sat in the coffee house the other day, and overheard an interesting conversation. It was the day after St. Patrick’s Day. The day after the wearing of the green. The day after green beer in NYC and Chicago. The day after the “Kiss Me I’m Irish” pins, the day after “The Everybody Is A Little Irish Today” signs went up. I realized how true it was that so few of us know anything about the day, the man St. Patrick.
We know he’s English and one of the patron saints of Ireland. He had something to do with snakes, didn’t he?
In the midst of the wearing of the green, it is too bad we cannot see the character that shaped the man we call Saint.
This was his prayer.
Christ with me, Christ before me, Christ behind me, Christ under me, Christ over me, Christ to the right of me, Christ to the left of me, Christ in lying down, Christ in sitting, Christ in rising up. Christ in the heart of all who may think of me! Christ in the mouth of all who may speak of me! Christ in every eye which may look on me! Christ in every ear which may hear me!
No wonder they called him Saint.
What prayer shapes your life?
We know he’s English and one of the patron saints of Ireland. He had something to do with snakes, didn’t he?
In the midst of the wearing of the green, it is too bad we cannot see the character that shaped the man we call Saint.
This was his prayer.
Christ with me, Christ before me, Christ behind me, Christ under me, Christ over me, Christ to the right of me, Christ to the left of me, Christ in lying down, Christ in sitting, Christ in rising up. Christ in the heart of all who may think of me! Christ in the mouth of all who may speak of me! Christ in every eye which may look on me! Christ in every ear which may hear me!
No wonder they called him Saint.
What prayer shapes your life?
Friday, March 14, 2008
Lessons from the Snow Bank
Wow, did it snow last weekend! It started at about noon on Friday and snowed through Saturday evening. By the time it was over, 19.7 official inches of snow lay on the ground in our area. Throughout the storm I was being reminded of important leadership lessons.
Sometimes no matter how well you plan, you can’t stop a storm. Good leaders try to head off storms through good planning and management of resources. Costs are weighed, risks analyzed and decisions made, but sometimes you can’t stop a storm. For about 30 hours snow fell and nothing could stop it. Well laid plans for a men’s retreat were hampered and Sunday morning services were impacted. Both were events that had been well thought out and planned, but each was at the mercy of the storm. All we could do is let the storm pass and begin to dig out.
Every leader will eventually find himself at the mercy of a leadership storm. A time when circumstances cannot be altered, only faced and endured. Some leadership storms will occur just because circumstances arise. I remember a leadership storm over the qualifications of an elder that blew up at our last church. No one foresaw it coming, but once is began nothing could stop it. All that could be done is face the storm, let it pass and dig out from under it.
Facing a storm is not necessarily a sign of incompetence; some storms simply cannot be avoided. They can be frustrating, a lot of work and they can force us to change plans, but they are not necessarily a sign of failure.
Good leaders know that eventually storms will blow. When they come they are not afraid of the snow.
The Man in the Frosty Window
Sometimes no matter how well you plan, you can’t stop a storm. Good leaders try to head off storms through good planning and management of resources. Costs are weighed, risks analyzed and decisions made, but sometimes you can’t stop a storm. For about 30 hours snow fell and nothing could stop it. Well laid plans for a men’s retreat were hampered and Sunday morning services were impacted. Both were events that had been well thought out and planned, but each was at the mercy of the storm. All we could do is let the storm pass and begin to dig out.
Every leader will eventually find himself at the mercy of a leadership storm. A time when circumstances cannot be altered, only faced and endured. Some leadership storms will occur just because circumstances arise. I remember a leadership storm over the qualifications of an elder that blew up at our last church. No one foresaw it coming, but once is began nothing could stop it. All that could be done is face the storm, let it pass and dig out from under it.
Facing a storm is not necessarily a sign of incompetence; some storms simply cannot be avoided. They can be frustrating, a lot of work and they can force us to change plans, but they are not necessarily a sign of failure.
Good leaders know that eventually storms will blow. When they come they are not afraid of the snow.
The Man in the Frosty Window
Monday, March 3, 2008
The Big Fifty
Hit the Big number this week. Didn’t feel any different, but faced a melancholy mood most of the day. Why? Because now in my childhood eye that once looked forward, I am old. That’s right! By my own declaration I am an old man! That’s how life looked as a kid; thirty was middle age, fifty was old, and next was dead.
I don’t feel real old. But I know time is leaving its mark. My knees make more noise in the morning than rice krispies. My arm is just barely long enough to read a menu. The hair that disloyally abandoned my head sprouts in areas hair just shouldn’t turn up. The excitement of the five letter word “candy” has been replaced with a fondness for a new five letter word “fiber.” The “night out” has developed a fondness for “cat naps.” My wife and I get a night away and sometimes the most exciting thing that happens is sleeping in.
I cannot deny it. I am not the man I was twenty years ago, ten years ago. The mirror doesn’t lie. And, I am glad for it.
It is a wiser man that pens these words than the man twenty years ago; a man who has had zeal tempered with experience. It has produced a steeled vision and passion for my calling.
A less shallow man has discovered deep rivers of intimacy with God, my wife, my son, my daughter. True friendships have been forged over these years; men who have sharpened my iron.
A more committed man turned fifty this week; more committed to pursue the Savior. To complete the task He calls me to; to run, to finish stronger than the man of twenty years ago.
This leader has discovered there is a lot that’s old about being fifty. But good leaders embrace growth that aging brings to our character.
Hey, I’m 50! I’m not the man I was!
Thank God!
I don’t feel real old. But I know time is leaving its mark. My knees make more noise in the morning than rice krispies. My arm is just barely long enough to read a menu. The hair that disloyally abandoned my head sprouts in areas hair just shouldn’t turn up. The excitement of the five letter word “candy” has been replaced with a fondness for a new five letter word “fiber.” The “night out” has developed a fondness for “cat naps.” My wife and I get a night away and sometimes the most exciting thing that happens is sleeping in.
I cannot deny it. I am not the man I was twenty years ago, ten years ago. The mirror doesn’t lie. And, I am glad for it.
It is a wiser man that pens these words than the man twenty years ago; a man who has had zeal tempered with experience. It has produced a steeled vision and passion for my calling.
A less shallow man has discovered deep rivers of intimacy with God, my wife, my son, my daughter. True friendships have been forged over these years; men who have sharpened my iron.
A more committed man turned fifty this week; more committed to pursue the Savior. To complete the task He calls me to; to run, to finish stronger than the man of twenty years ago.
This leader has discovered there is a lot that’s old about being fifty. But good leaders embrace growth that aging brings to our character.
Hey, I’m 50! I’m not the man I was!
Thank God!
Friday, February 22, 2008
The problem with problems
We’ve fallen into a great trap. I see it in myself most days. You see I’ve begun to have a problem with problems.
Like anyone else I love it when my day or a few days pass by problem free. I enjoy the ease of life of work in those periods of carefree schedules.
Unfortunately, like to many others I cherish and covet those days. It’s too easy to see problems as set-backs, stumbling blocks, energy traps so when problems spring up I feel like I’m encountering a bad day.
But is it true? Where would we be without problems? Leaders understand problems cause us to think and rethink situations mulling our possible choices. Problems force us to wrestle with issues we would otherwise avoid.
Problems are the catalyst of change in a leader’s life. Problems motivate us to work hard, to study, to learn, to grow, to analyze, to plan, and to execute. Without problems it would be too easy to coast- to go with the flow – to simply maintain rather than advance.
James understood this when he wrote, “Consider it all joy when you encounter various types of trials.”
Like anyone else I love it when my day or a few days pass by problem free. I enjoy the ease of life of work in those periods of carefree schedules.
Unfortunately, like to many others I cherish and covet those days. It’s too easy to see problems as set-backs, stumbling blocks, energy traps so when problems spring up I feel like I’m encountering a bad day.
But is it true? Where would we be without problems? Leaders understand problems cause us to think and rethink situations mulling our possible choices. Problems force us to wrestle with issues we would otherwise avoid.
Problems are the catalyst of change in a leader’s life. Problems motivate us to work hard, to study, to learn, to grow, to analyze, to plan, and to execute. Without problems it would be too easy to coast- to go with the flow – to simply maintain rather than advance.
James understood this when he wrote, “Consider it all joy when you encounter various types of trials.”
Thursday, February 14, 2008
A Leader’s Heart on Valentine’s Day
Two worlds are merged. The singleness of the past evolved into a future duet. A dance of love and excitement unfolded. Two hearts, two dreams mingled into one. Through the days of me-ness we learned to seek we-ness. The Forgiver’s bond on our hearts lit a light of hope in the dark days; a season of brilliance yet discovered set before us. When resentment and disappointment was sewn by the hand of the deceiver, patience and long-suffering won the day.
When others have run from the vows, when others have settled for less, we will endure, we will persevere, and we will press on because of the secret we have learned. One-ness is not discovered in an arrival but chased as a present future.
Complete in Him yet not complete in each other, knowing more lies ahead, the gate is open, the chase continues together we run toward all it means – “AND THE TWO SHALL BE ONE.”
May every leader graced with a mate, chase the oneness destined for them. May there be joy in the running.
When others have run from the vows, when others have settled for less, we will endure, we will persevere, and we will press on because of the secret we have learned. One-ness is not discovered in an arrival but chased as a present future.
Complete in Him yet not complete in each other, knowing more lies ahead, the gate is open, the chase continues together we run toward all it means – “AND THE TWO SHALL BE ONE.”
May every leader graced with a mate, chase the oneness destined for them. May there be joy in the running.
Friday, February 1, 2008
Forgetting Names
Okay I admit it. Forgetfulness is frustrating. I work hard at remembering names. I repeat them when I hear them. I use them again right away. I even make notes on my PDA or on scrap paper. But even with all this effort names can still escape me. They slip away.
For my dad it is much worse. Since his stroke, the aphasia makes recalling names even more difficult. He’s called me Tim, Gregg (my nephews) and Chris (my son). The aphasia gets in the way of recalling the correct name. He knows he has used the wrong name, but he cannot recall the true name.
That is just like God. Okay bear with me in this.
David Teems wrote, “God has written a law of forgetfulness against his omniscience.”
Wow. Did you catch that. God has written a law that won’t let him remember our birth names. The names that reflected our birth character he can’t recall.
So when he looks at us instead of calling out “liar”, or “cheater” or “thief”. . .
Instead of calling out “disgrace” or “loser” . . .
Instead of remembering our true birth name, “sinner,” . . .
He calls out to our souls a new name, “beloved,” “son,” “daughter,” “co-heir,” “precious.”
Every time my dad stumbles over a name I’m reminding myself that my other Father forgets names also. My God cannot recall my “birth” name. He calls me by another.
Saint.
For my dad it is much worse. Since his stroke, the aphasia makes recalling names even more difficult. He’s called me Tim, Gregg (my nephews) and Chris (my son). The aphasia gets in the way of recalling the correct name. He knows he has used the wrong name, but he cannot recall the true name.
That is just like God. Okay bear with me in this.
David Teems wrote, “God has written a law of forgetfulness against his omniscience.”
Wow. Did you catch that. God has written a law that won’t let him remember our birth names. The names that reflected our birth character he can’t recall.
So when he looks at us instead of calling out “liar”, or “cheater” or “thief”. . .
Instead of calling out “disgrace” or “loser” . . .
Instead of remembering our true birth name, “sinner,” . . .
He calls out to our souls a new name, “beloved,” “son,” “daughter,” “co-heir,” “precious.”
Every time my dad stumbles over a name I’m reminding myself that my other Father forgets names also. My God cannot recall my “birth” name. He calls me by another.
Saint.
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