Quick – Who makes the best pound cake in the world?

My Aunt Doretha used to make the best pound cake in the whole world. It was so rich and creamy. I remember visiting my Aunt Doretha one summer and she explained to me that it was called a pound cake because it used a pound of butter and a pound of sugar (talk about busting the diet). Although it may not have been healthy, it sure was delicious! As I reflect on my aunt’s recipe, I wonder if the pound cake would lose its taste if one of the MAJOR ingredients (sugar or butter) were missing? Would it remain rich and creamy or morph into chewy disaster?

In today’s politics, both Democrats & Republicans demonize those who attempt to move to the middle in an attempt to forge compromises and solve problems that meet the needs of all. We all suffer from this polarization. We desperately need more leaders in Washington who can collaborate.

Google gives an example of what could happen if people would collaborate:

To improve collaboration with others, there may be no greater source for “how to” than Dale Carnegie’s 1936 classic How To Win Friends and Influence People. The principles are timeless. Some of the techniques we can each use to strengthen our collaborations with others include:

1. Become genuinely interested in other people. Take the time to ask them about themselves, their points of view, their histories.
2. Be a good listener. Remembering we’ve been given two ears and one mouth, and using them in that ratio, is a great first step. Let others do the majority of the talking. Put yourself in the “reverent” listening mode, like the person you are speaking with is telling you the most important thing in the world. No multi-tasking while listening. No trying to get in a word edge wise.
3. Be empathetic. Try honestly to see things from the other’s point of view. Repeat key points of what you’ve heard. Even if you don’t agree with the idea, paraphrase your understanding of their thoughts and needs and refrain from judging.
4. Be open, supportive and encouraging in your collaborations with others. Encourage diverse perspectives. Seek to understand. Be optimistic and supportive when hearing other points-of-view.

In my humble opinion, there’s something wrong with leaders from every walk of life. It appears we’ve lost the art of collaboration. It’s the missing ingredient we all need if we’re to be successful in life!

Do you currently practice collaboration with others? If so, how? If not, why?

The mark of a great leader is how many great people will join his or her team. King David’s team was comprised of “mighty men.”  Because David attempted mighty things, only the mighty could keep up with him.  Those who could not keep pace could not join the team.

Don Bennett was the first amputee to climb Mt. Rainier.  His testimony is simple – if you try such a feat with only one leg, “you can’t do it alone.”  However, Bennett understood that not just anyone could help.  Bennett did not recruit his helpers in a nursing home.  He built a team of people who WANTED to climb a 14,410-foot peak and who COULD climb a 14,410-foot peak.  One who attempts mighty feats had better be capable of recruiting a mighty team.

David did just that.  His was one of the most celebrated teams in the entire Old Testament.  This group was the all-star team of his battle-hardened warriors.  Several things stand out as we consider how David pulled his team together.

First, he spent time with them in battle. These men were welded to David by the hot fires of battle.  His inner circle consisted of those men who had fought alongside him.  He knew their capabilities, because he had seen what they could do with their own eyes.

Second, he sacrificed for them. When three of his mighty men risked their lives to obtain drinking water for him during a battle, David refused to drink it, choosing instead to pour it out onto the ground (vv. 13-17).  That act of sacrifice communicated a depth of devotion and love that had to have impressed those warriors.

Third, they enjoyed victory together. Time and time again David and his mighty men faced seemingly insurmountable odds and saw God deliver them.

Finally, David honored them. These men were well known throughout the land as “David’s Mighty Men.”  That phrase served as a banner that set them as extraordinary.  As you read this account, one thing becomes clear: David knew he couldn’t do it alone.

We all have done things like starting a business with no business plan.  Quitting a regular and somewhat satisfying job to get back to our millionaire dreams.  For me decision making was always simple and fast.  “Just follow the heart.” I never cared to think if it was right or wrong and I don’t allow myself to regret past decision or choices.  This rule of thumb allowed me to make decisions which at times others thought were crazy and outrageous (at least I was happy).  Following your heart is like a roller-coaster ride and we can safely admit we enjoy it.

While it may not be specifically true, the heart has been considered the seat of our emotions. Within the heart is located a still, small, voice that some refer to as our conscience.

The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it?  Jeremiah 17:9

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