We all have blind spots.  You can’t see them!  We can’t avoid them and probably will never get rid of them!  Seems obvious, but YOU aren’t in the best position to see your blind spots or to know how they are affecting the people you lead and the relationships you’re in.

Here’s what I’m learning as I lead:

Your greatest strengths can also do damage to your team dynamics. You tend to think that everyone values the same things you value and that everyone is good at the same thing that we are good at.

NOT TRUE!

Over the next few weeks I invite you to join me as I read Strength Finder 2.0.  Strengths Finder 2.0 is the follow up to Marcus Buckingham & Donald Clifton’s Now, Discover Your Strengths. The book includes a revamped version of the StrengthsFinder test that shows you not just what your top five strengths are, but also how you rank in the rest of the 34 strengths from Buckingham & Clifton’s model.

I recommend that you get the Strength Finder’s book. It’s a great tool to have on your shelf.  After reading the book and completing the Strength Finder survey, I will post my results and encourage you to do the same.  I hope this discussion will encourage you to become more aware of your own blind spots.  Please join me on this amazing journey.

Are you up for the challenge?

One of the primary tasks of a leader is to make good decisions.  Good decisions require accurately processed information and technology has made ‘getting’ information easy.  Computers crunch data and give it to us in digestible bits, but the human mind must still analyze that data and make the decisions.  Because King Solomon knew that leaders must make good decisions, he urged them to attain wisdom and mental discipline.

A leader must develop a disciplined and prudent character so that they will do what’s right, just, & fair.  The rub comes when the leader doesn’t know what is just right, and fair.  That’s why Solomon cautioned that ‘inexperienced’ leaders need wisdom.  Proverbs isn’t a decision-making textbook, but this wisdom-packed book is God’s gift to help us make the best decisions possible.

Proverbs 1:1-6 informs us that the proverbs to follow will help the reader develop the mental sharpness needed to process complex information.  Even though technology helps us gather and manipulate information, a sharp mind must still apply solid logic to that information in order to make good decisions.

The proverbs help us to accomplish this goal in a godly manner.  They sharpen the mind and reveal God’s insight to ensure that our decisions may be in sync with his eternal perspective.  Therefore, I encourage to read these verses again, this time including verse 7.  Then study the Book of Proverbs as a foundation for exceptional decisions making.

Question: Have you ever made decisions without consulting God?  If so, what was the outcome?

Congratulations to the Superbowl Champions New Orleans Saints – they deserve it!

Last Sunday, over 101 million people (surpassed the season finale of M.A.S.H.) tuned in and saw a great game.  Additionally, I’m led to believe the majority of those watching were equally interested in the commercials.  Many commercials made me laugh out loud (David Letterman, Oprah Winfrey, and Jay Leno & The E-Trade babies), while others confused me (men walking around in their underwear).

In my opinion, Google is the winner… Never thought a search engine would create emotion with a story just from searching…BRILLIANT!  You’ll notice the ad needs no catchy music, artwork, or flashy tricks to tell its story. They’re no gimmicks, no celebrity endorsement, no Photoshopped images, or any dubbed voices.

It’s the simplest of stories: A guy gets a girl.
Even shows you that you don’t have to know how to spell Louvre.

Here’s what I learned from Google’s ad:

1. Their ad was simple
2. Their ad showed the power of their product by demonstrating it
3. Their ad told an entire story
4. The Google logo was seen throughout. (Kinda nice to know who the actual advertiser is.)

What were your favorite Superbowl ads & what lessons did you learn from them?