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by | Nov 22, 2011 | quote

Everyone who’s ever taken a shower has an idea. It’s the person who gets out of the shower, dries off and does something about it who makes a difference. Nolan Bushnell

REPOST: The Best Kept Leadership Secret – Be a Servant

by | Nov 21, 2011 | Empowerment, Excellence, Leadership, Servant Leadership

I’m excited to share some thoughts regarding leadership.  Recently, I googled the word “leadership” and it reavealed 141 million hits!  Wow!  Now I understand why many are confused when it comes to defining leadership.  Since this is our first session, I’d like to begin by sharing the “best kept” leadership secret – BE A SERVANT.

The phrase “Servant Leadership” was coined by Robert K. Greenleaf in The Servant as Leader, an essay that he first published in 1970.  In that essay, he said:

The servant-leader is servant first… It begins with the natural feeling that one wants to serve, to serve first. Then conscious choice brings one to aspire to lead. That person is sharply different from one who is leader first, perhaps because of the need to assuage an unusual power drive or to acquire material possessions…The leader-first and the servant-first are two extreme types. Between them there are shadings and blends that are part of the infinite variety of human nature.

The difference manifests itself in the care taken by the servant-first to make sure that other people’s highest priority needs are being served. The best test, and difficult to administer, is: Do those served grow as persons? Do they, while being served, become healthier, wiser, freer, more autonomous, more likely themselves to become servants? And, what is the effect on the least privileged in society? Will they benefit or at least not be further deprived? (Source: Greenleaf Center for Servant Leadership)

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The Single "BEST" Way To Cast Vision

by | Jun 20, 2011 | Apple/Mac, Excellence, Leadership, Technology, Vision

No specs…No “ours does this does yours…”

Not even the name of the product spoken in the ad.

One word to describe this entire ad campaign: Classy. Such a big contrast from ads with robotic space ships or trash talking the competition or the “hey mom, look what I can do” type of ads that we see from the competition.

The Lesson: Focus on the experience & tell a compelling story.

Paint a picture of what could be and what should be!

I’m trying to figure out how the church can show how life “could be” and “should be” with Jesus (John 10:10).

Goodness…they really know what they’re doing don’t they.

The ONE Trait All Leaders (Should) Have In Common

by | May 18, 2011 | Communication, Decisions, Leadership, Self-Leadership, Vision

Jesus was an innovative teacher who taught in an innovative way.  He came on the scene to explain God to a group of people who were confused about God.  They saw God as as distant, demanding, and unapproachable.  Therefore, Jesus used word pictures, parables, and fatherly imagery to show how God desires a relationship with His people. Jesus’ innovative way of teaching upset the status quo and ultimately played a part in His crucifixion and death.

What’s the lesson:  Innovation is costly!

Jeff Bezos, CEO of Amazon.com recently shared his approach to innovation—both how to do it and how to stay focused when critics question high-risk projects.  You can read the entire article HERE.

He said:

I believe you have to be willing to be misunderstood if you’re going to innovate. That’s actually a serious point. If you’re going to do something that’s never been done before – which is basically what innovation is – people are going to misunderstand it just because it’s new.

Jeff Bezos, Founder & CEO of Amazon.com (BusinessWeek.com April 17, 2008)

I agree with Bezos’ thoughts on innovation and see why most leaders play it safe and copy others.  Innovators drink from the fountain of being misunderstood while ultimately paving the way for others.

Question: Do you agree or disagree with Jeff Bezos’ statement?

Would You Invest In You, Inc.?

by | May 12, 2011 | 2011, Accountability, Decisions, Empowerment, Excellence, Goals, Self-Leadership, Vision

I recently heard someone say, “Life is a cruel joke and I ain’t laughing.”  I agree wholeheartedly.  In fact, the majority would agree that life comes at you fast, doesn’t play fair, and is downright unpredictable!  Wouldn’t you agree?  Since life doesn’t play fair, why should you?  If you plan to excel, you’d better learn how to “hack” life and make it work for you.  Hack life, what in the world is that?  “A life hack a clever solution to a tricky problem,” according to UrbanDictionary.com.

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