Measure Carefully

For almost all of my adult life I’ve been a communicator. The platform varied depending on the environment—in the classroom, on athletic fields/courts, in small groups, from a stage, and one-on-one. I feel it’s one of my gifts and something I continue to work to sharpen as my life path continue to evolve. There have been some hard lessons over the years as I haven’t alway communicated in a healthy or constructive way. Damage was often done because I didn’t realize the full power of this gift and didn’t always use it to build others up.

The truth is that all of us are communicators. The size and proximity of our audience may vary, but we all convey information, thoughts, and emotions to the people around us. To understand the impact of what we say it is important to remember a simple truth: our words have weight. Whether we always recognize the result or not, the things we speak will affect others. Those closest to us can often be most wounded by our words. A leadership position in our career also adds weight to what we say and can have unintended consequences if we are careless.

Considering the responsibility of being a communicator might lead us to choose not to share things at all. The better choice is to take a few moments to think about what we have to say before we speak. Once those words leave our mouths they can’t be taken back.

The Measure of My Success

Henry Singleton was the founder of Teledyne and a strong leader with a charismatic personality. His persistent will and passion elevated his company to one of the fastest growing in America and created many admirers of his business acumen. In 1978, Forbes magazine featured his leadership and summed it up with a powerfully revealing phrase: "Singleton will win no awards for his humility, but who can avoid standing in awe of his impressive record?"

While this may have brought him financial gain and admiration from his colleagues, it isn't something I want said about me. I certainly want to see success and to be able to influence people positively, but I don't want to sacrifice humility to make it happen. I may be making this more black and white than it needs to be, but it seems I need to decide if I want my success to be measured by my solely by my accomplishments or by my character.

When you think about it in those terms it doesn't seem like a difficult decision.

Which Way?

I ran in my first 5K this morning and had some goals going into it I hoped to achieve. I was close to my goal for my overall time, but didn't win a medal. There was an interesting development in the race as confusion arose over the layout of the course. This led to almost all of the runners turning down the wrong road and running 2.2 miles instead of 3.1 miles. I had run the course a few times based on an online map so I didn't think we were on the right track. Instead of following the runners in front of me, I chose to double back to get back on course even though it cost me and put me in a definitive minority. I don't regret the experience or my decision even if it didn't turn out exactly as I had hoped.

Life will present opportunities to either choose to follow the crowd or set your own course. Hopefully, we're aware enough to know what is right and can stick to that direction even if we don't end up running with the crowd.

At This Moment

There is an inner part of a leader that is programmed to desire greater things. When we acknowledge it, we realize that we genuinely want to be part of something more. We want our life to have powerful influence and impact. Leaders want to see growth increase and blessings in our life multiply.

As I think about asking God for these things and imagining the potential, I find myself asking this simple question, "Where are you presently being obedient?" We can't begin to think about where our next leap of faith will be if we aren't being faithful to the moment we are in.

The opportunity for future faith is formed through present obedience.

Follow That Leader

Jimmy Fallon has revolutionized The Tonight Show. He has gained a loyal following while adding a new dimension to a television standard that has existed for decades. In a short period of time he has boosted ratings while becoming one of the most coveted appearances for actors.

Jimmy has convinced actors to take part in ridiculous contests that bring embarrassment, pies in the face, and being soaked with water. They will enthusiastically lip sync to all genres of songs, inhale helium to read things, and take risks that could potentially reveal weaknesses in their talents. Even though they know this potential exists they still love to be on his show. 

How does he get them to do this? How is he persuasive enough that they will willingly engage in such frivolous activities? I don't think there is a magic formula, but I believe Jimmy exhibits certain qualities that make this is a reality: 

• He never asks them to do something he won't do himself.
• He laughs at himself as much as they laugh together.
• He has earned credibility through consistent character. 
• He is a genuinely nice guy which is refreshing in a place of pretension.
• He takes risks which are aimed at engaging the audience and never at ridiculing anyone.
• He trusts the team around him even when their ideas seem outlandish.
• He obviously has fun at what he does and doesn't take himself too seriously.

These qualities make for a good late night show, but I think they make for a pretty good leader as well. 

That'll Be Our Little Secret

When I was younger I would periodically watch PBS and the Bob Ross show, "The Joy of Painting." I realize that may not sound very appealing to some people, but there was a certain specialness to Bob. He was very calming and had the tremendous ability to make a blank canvas into a masterpiece of nature. He would start with his palette of colors and in 25 short minutes end up with a beautiful natural landscape. 

Bob became a cultural icon due to his painting prowess (and awesome hair) but also his leadership skills. He had a way of making painting look easy enough that I could do it. His descriptions and demeanor actually made me believe that I could paint something like he did even though I never picked up a brush. Bob's teaching style was encouraging and even though you were watching someone paint it was engaging. 

That's what good leaders do. They have the ability to lead people through processes and inspire them to believe they can be successful. 

Owning It

I wrote yesterday about the ill-fated decision of the Seahawks that cost them their second consecutive title. While that choice is still being ripped to shreds by many I have to give Head Coach Pete Carroll credit for standing tall. He didn't try to pass the blame off any his players or assistant coaches. Pete quickly took credit for the decision and accepted any responsibility that comes with it.

This is what good leaders do. They don't try to place the blame on others around them or avoid any responsibility for their poor choices. As difficult as it may be, they step up to receive the negative criticism and admit their contribution to the mess. This type of transparency builds respect with the team you work with and strengthens loyalty. Any other response would erode those relationships and weaken the foundation of the team.

As a leader you won't always make the right decision, but you can always choose to take responsibility for your choices.

Meeting of the Minds

I'm in Arizona this week attending the XP Summit,a conference for executive pastors. I am still relatively new to this role, which is also new to our church. We are still working to determine what works best for us. 

It's always interesting to hear from people in different areas of the country about the methods which work best for them. It's a relief to hear some struggles are common regardless of geography and experience. Sharing ideas and best practices will only help shape us all even as we strive to make things work in an ever changing environment. 

An executive pastor I met this week said, you have to figure out what works best for your situation and be ready to be flexible as you go. That's an accurate description of leadership regardless of the type of organization. If you aren't able to adjust, you will hinder organizational and personal growth.

Avoiding Complacency

I was watching an ESPN segment about the coaches from Alabama & Ohio State on the day of their big game earlier this week. Nick Saban and Urban Meyer are recognized as two of the top college coaches in their profession as their teams are consistently successful and they have multiple national championships. One of the journalists was commenting on how both men have continued to maintain high levels of performance through the years. He said that both men believe that complacency is the enemy and obsessive attention to detail is the solution. 

I believe it's possible for most people to find occasional success in parenting, leadership, and even sports. The key to consistent success is in refusing to allow complacency to set in. It's established in the discipline of repeating positive behaviors while staying hungry enough to fight for what is important. 

Lack of Leadership

I have been a Florida Gator fan all of my life. I watched the second half of our annual rivalry game with FSU yesterday and wasn't too surprised when we ended up losing. While I had certainly hoped that we might be able to pull off the upset it wasn't unexpected when we fell short. 

I didn't catch all of the game, but the part that I did see had some pretty clear leadership lessons. It was very obvious why FSU is now undefeated over their last 28 games, are the defending national champions, and will have an opportunity to defend that title very soon. Florida on the other hand is wrapping up another unsatisfactory season in a minor bowl game and is already looking for another head coach. The game spoke volumes about the way successful leaders and teams operate.

1. They are disciplined: the Gators had 9 penalties for 100 yards and had several potential drives thwarted due to the inability to play disciplined football. Undisciplined leaders lose control of their emotions in tense circumstances.

2. They don't waste opportunities: the defense of Florida forced FSU's quarterback (and reigning Heisman trophy winner) into four interceptions and yet only managed to score six points off of those turnovers. Leaders don't let opportunities to move forward slip by without maximizing the impact.

3. They are focused on proper execution: even though their kicker kept them in the game, he ended up missing two field goals that would have ultimately given them the win. Even if circumstances are not ideal, winners find ways to be successful by executing at the right time.

4. They know how to shift momentum in their favor: Florida had a chance to put the game away early when they had a lead of 9-0. They were about to score near the FSU goal line when their quarterback threw an interception that was returned 94 yards for a touchdown. Instead of potentially being up 16-0 Florida was only up 9-7 and momentum had shifted. Leaders learn to divert negative circumstances for the betterment of their organization.

Lifelong Coach

I saw a segment on ESPN today that highlighted Mike Krzyzewski, head coach of the Duke
University Blue Devils and the USA men's national team. There were four sports journalists talking about his career and influence and three of them were former players of his. I have great respect for Coach K, but was left with more appreciation for his character and leadership after listening to his proteges. There were several leadership principles that he obviously practices and should be applied by compassionate leaders as well.

He always wants his players to be better.
This wasn't just geared towards better athletic performance, but in being a better person overall. Being a better person makes you a better teammate and overall contributor.

He never stops coaching you.
One of his players said that even though it had been over 30 years since he had played basketball for him, he was still coaching him in life decisions and character development. This shows genuine compassion for the long haul and not just for immediate results.

He wouldn't tell us what to do, but would ask you the right question to get you to think.
The most effective leader will help you discover the best path as you discover more about yourself.

He's not just about basketball, but is about developing people.
Coach K understands that basketball can help to teach life lessons and shape our character more than just teach us how to play a game. A career as a basketball player will eventually come to an end, but the lessons learned will carry on throughout the rest of life.

His players would do anything he asked them to do because they trust him.
Effective leaders have committed followers because of the level of trust they have established with each other. Earning complete trust comes through consistent servant leadership and a belief that the leader is invested in you and not just what you can produce.

Good Beginning

The Kansas City Royals are in the World Series for the first time since 1985 and I couldn't be happier. It's refreshing to see someone new on the main stage and I'm hoping they are able to pull of the final four wins they need to be champions. It's been a long journey of struggling and rebuilding for them and while their success is the culmination of  dedication and talent, there have also been some decisions made that have helped them achieve their goals.

A couple of years ago the Royals traded away a great outfielder for a couple of pitchers (James Shields & Wade Davis). At the time, many people were unsure that this was the best move, but it is certain that they would not be winning today without taking this risk. Sports journalist Andy Martino wrote the following about the Royals management:

"The Royals did have a sharp view of exactly where their franchise was: Their timetable for contention, and their own talent. Now they are in the World Series, with Shields starting Game 1. Perhaps self-awareness is the new market inefficiency.

When you talked to Royals people in the winter of that trade (and now), you saw that they knew what they were..."

Visionary leaders are not only consumed with the potential of what might be possible, but are also keenly aware of current circumstances. Can we effectively assess ourselves, our families, and the other people we lead? Are we able to accurately measure the present even as we look to the future? A powerful dream is compelling and it requires an properly measured beginning to become a reality.

At Bat

I saw online this morning that my beloved NY Mets are changing hitting coaches once again. They
fired the first coach about halfway through this season and promoted the guy they let go yesterday. When you compare the team's batting results under both coaches they are very similar.

These parallel statistics could point to the ineffectiveness of both men to identify problems and communicate solutions. It could also be very revealing about the players they are attempting to improve. Perhaps the issue isn't with the coaching philosophy, but the talent and focus of the players they are working to help. If they continue to bring in hitting coaches and see the same results it might hint of a problem that isn't related to leadership or instruction.

At some point, a leader is doing the best they can with what they have. The results may not be at the level that is hoped for, but changing the leader may not elevate the level of performance either.

A Class Act

While most of the baseball world was focused on the retirement of Derek Jeter yesterday, he was not the only player to retire. Bobby Abreu, an 18 year veteran, also hung up his cleats as a player. He is more well known as a member of the Philadelphia Phillies, but retired as a New York Met who had signed him to a one year contract. Once Bobby made his intentions known the Mets brought him back up to the major league level and let him start his final game. After he got a hit in the fifth inning, manager Terry Collins had a pinch-runner come into the game for him which allowed Bobby to receive a standing ovation from the home crowd. It was a respectful moment and gave Bobby a chance to be celebrated even though his retirement may have been overshadowed by a more well known player.

Terry Collins' actions showed great respect for Bobby and his years of service. It's a perfect example of how great leaders take the opportunity to recognize others for their contributions. Celebrating employment anniversaries and special occasions lets other people know that they are valued. Leaders should look for these moments to turn the spotlight on others as often as possible. It engenders loyalty, creates a team mentality that can't truly be forged without it, and reveals the true heart of the leader.

Too Far

How do you know when you've gone too far?

Stephen Tulloch plays for the Detroit Lions and managed to end his season this past Sunday from his own mistake. He sacked Aaron Rodgers and enthusiastically celebrated his somewhat routine play by demonstratively jumping up in the air. Unfortunately for him, he tore his ACL when he landed and will now have reconstructive surgery and miss the rest of the year. I'm sure he's frustrated at suffering such a serious injury stemming from his own over-excessive celebration.

I actually feel pretty badly for Stephen. While I haven't suffered a physical injury from a foolish reaction, I have certainly caused damage by going too far in other ways. I've allowed my mouth to get out of control and hurt others in the spirit of "being funny". I've let my emotions get the better of me when circumstances were changing. I've done some foolish things that have (un)intentionally afflicted people that I care about. I've made ridiculous decisions that have had negative short-term and long-term consequences as well. 

We all have the opportunity to avoid these types of decisions. Will we learn from the mistakes of others and avoid inflicting damage or will we foolishly decide that we need to experience the pain for ourselves? Sometimes it's a blending of both that teach us the best lessons, but I would much prefer to let someone else be the example I can learn from.

Golf and Leadership: Guest Post from Mark Miller

This guest post by Mark Miller was originally published on 

Wednesday, May 14, 2014 at www.greatleaderserve.org. 

I had the opportunity to play in a golf event to raise money for a good cause. The course was amazing, the weather was perfect and I was playing with my son. What could be better? The only thing missing was a consistent golf swing.

When I was younger, I played a lot of golf. Then, after my children were born, I played almost none – it was too time-consuming and too expensive. Now, as I’ve gotten older, I’m trying to play more. In part, because of my son’s desire to play. I do love the game. I find it both maddening and sublime.

Those who don’t play have no idea of how hard it can be. Let’s face it, it doesn’t LOOK hard – as someone told me once, “The ball’s not even moving like most other sports…” Ugh!

As I hit one errant shot after another recently, I was reminded how many parallels there are between golf and leadership. The one idea that came to mind most often – leadership and golf are both games of recovery.

What are you supposed to do when you hit a bad shot? For those non-golfers who may be reading this: I’ll answer the question for you, because I think the same principles apply when you and I hit a bad shot in our role as leader.

Don’t make it worse by doing something crazy. The only birdie I had today came after a lousy tee shot. After my drive, I was about 240 yards from the hole on a par 5. Rather than try a heroic shot over the creek to a heavily bunkered green, I hit a layup shot. My third shot, with my wedge, stopped 6 inches from the hole with the tap in remaining for a birdie. Now, what I almost did was play the 1 in a 100 shot with my 3 wood from 240 yards out. That would have been crazy. Don’t follow a bad leadership move with another one.

Don’t beat yourself up. This is harder than it sounds. When I missed an 18 inch putt today, hitting the ball 3 feet past the hole and then missed the putt coming back, it was hard to have a good attitude. 3 putts from 18 inches out!!! However, if you can’t let your mistakes live in the past, they will poison your future. Let it go.

Learn from your mistakes. In golf, there’s an old saying that has always helped me: The flight of the ball never lies. Translated, if you look at the flight path of the ball, you can be assured of where the club face was at impact. This provides a huge opportunity for learning. I never want to waste a bad shot – I try to learn something from every one. The same goes for my leadership mistakes; I don’t want to waste an opportunity to learn.

Focus on the next shot – not the last one. Just recently, someone asked me if I knew the most important shot in golf. I didn’t. They said, the next one. What’s the next leadership move/decision you need to make? After you’ve learned from your last leadership shank, move on to what’s next. Learn from the past – just don’t live there.

Golf is a mental game. Bobby Jones said,

Competitive golf is played mainly on a course 5 ½ inches wide… the distance between your ears.”

Leadership is played on that same course. Don’t let your thinking lose the game for you.

Mark Miller, Vice President of Organizational Effectiveness for Chick-fil-A, believes that leadership is not something that’s exclusive; within the grasp of an elite few, but beyond the reach of everyone else.  In the tenth anniversary edition of The Secret, Miller reminds readers of a seemingly contradictory concept: to lead is to serve. With more than 600,000 books in print, Mark has been surprised by the response and delighted to serve leaders through his writing.

The 10^th anniversary edition of The Secret will be released September 2, 2014. 

Changing Gears

When I was a kid I rode my bike everywhere-school, the beach, the library, my friend's house-basically anywhere I needed to go. As long as I had the energy, my local destinations were almost unlimited. My ten-speed bike wasn't fancy, but it fit my needs. While riding I very rarely changed gears, but just relied on my legs to power me down the road. I suppose that I could have made it easier on myself now and then if I switched gears, but I was usually just focused on the ride and not so much on changing speeds.

Life doesn't operate at one speed either. Different seasons place different demands on energy, personal focus, creative thought, and community interaction. There are circumstances that call for an increased work load and investment in other people. If we learn to develop different gears of leadership we can make these times flow more smoothly. If we aren't able to do this we find ourselves expending tremendous amounts of energy to find success when there are more efficient ways to get things done. It's the principle of adjusting to the pace of life and being able change gears when necessary. Otherwise we'll exhaust ourselves trying to keep up.

Owning the "Oops"

The Colorado Rockies are the worst team in the National League West division and sit 14 games out of first place. Last night, they chose to honor one of their better players, Troy Tulowitzki by giving away 15,000 jerseys with his name on the back. Sadly, the team misspelled his name on the jerseys that the fans received. That means that someone didn't do a quality check to make sure things were printed correctly before the big day. This also means that someone didn't know how to spell the last name of the best player on the Rockies either. It's an embarrassment for the organization and a tough day for a few employees in particular.

While this is a big mistake that is garnering national attention, it is also a big moment for the Rockies leadership. They could have chosen to cast the blame on one employee, fire them, and try to move on. They instead have modeled good leadership by owning up to the mistake and offering a new jersey in the future with the correct spelling. A true leader is willing to admit when they make a mistake without casting blame and then works to make the situation right. This is true of leaders in organizations as well as family leaders. Our willingness to own up to errors and work to correct them inspires loyalty and sets an example for others to follow.

It's inevitable that we will make mistakes, but we determine our reputation and legacy by how we respond to them.

Contingency Plan

The big sports story of the day centers around NBA star LeBron James and his decision to sign with his
hometown Cleveland Cavaliers. This brings an end to his four year championship run with the Miami Heat and has shaken up the landscape for other free agents. Pat Riley is the president of the Heat who orchestrated LeBron's arrival and had made great overtures to keep him in south Florida. I'm certain that Pat is greatly disappointed in the decision (as are many Heat fans) and I know the sports shows will be full of predictions for what comes next. 

Just this week I was wondering what the Heat were going to do if their team didn't come back together they way they had imagined. Pat Riley is a highly successful leader and while he might have been knocked off stride, I am sure he has given thought to what his next steps should be. While Riley will have to revamp, I feel certain that he is not scrambling for alternatives at this point. He may not have the circumstances that he desired, but he also didn't wait until this decision was announced to start thinking of what to do. 

Effective, visionary leaders are always imagining possibilities and thinking through potential obstacles to be overcome. There will always be surprises in leadership and leaders with longevity learn to prepare themselves mentally for those occasions. Being completely unprepared for unexpected outcomes puts us further behind in making future adjustments.

Let Them Lead

We had our youth worship band lead for the adult service this morning at Northridge and they did a
phenomenal job. It's obvious that all of them are talented and that others have taken the time to invest in them. All they needed for us to know what they were capable of is a chance to show us.

There are young leaders in all of our churches, schools, and communities that are waiting for a chance to lead. If we truly place a value on helping them mature and developing them then we have to provide an opportunity to do something. There will be speed bumps along the way and sometimes a very steep learning curve, but if we don't step aside to let young leaders lead they won't ever discover what they are really capable of. It's the only way for them to believe in themselves and have the courage to keep using what God has given them.