by Clarence E. Stowers | Jan 14, 2011 | Decisions, Fun Stuff, Leadership, Self-Leadership, Top 5
For better or worse, leaders put themselves out there, on display, for the entire world to see. Whether you’re a pastor, ministry leader, business owner, entrepreneur, supervisor, or hold no titles, at some point in your professional career, you’re going to be criticized. Recently, God’s overwhelming presence cut into my sermon time and I didn’t preach a full message. Boy, did the critics come out. They criticized me for using the Holy Spirit’s visitation for not wanting to preach. OUCH!
Criticism, even to the most seasoned professionals, is still a difficult pill to swallow and one that doesn’t go down easily or sit well with many of us. When someone publicly (or privately) criticizes you, take a deep breath and follow these guidelines:
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by Clarence E. Stowers | Jan 7, 2011 | 2011, Decisions, Empowerment, Goals, Money and Finance, Resolutions, Self-Leadership
I want to begin 2011 not by reflecting on the past, but looking towards the future of life as I see it. You’ve probably noticed I’m a technically progressive pastor/leader who keeps his ear to the ground. It’s my job to be a modern day Son of Issachar – one who “discerns the times & knows what to do.” (1 Chronicles 12:32)
Whenever we go through a major change in our culture, it seems we have to adjust to ‘the new normal.’ And today is no exception — as the U.S. economy struggles to recover from the financial crisis, Americans are being forced to reckon with more ‘new normals’ than we’d like.
Here are some of my predictions for 2011 and years to come:
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by Clarence E. Stowers | Dec 16, 2010 | Decisions, Goals, Self-Leadership, Success, Vision
There’s an old saying: Winners never quit and quitters never win. Wrong! What if I told you that successful people quit ALL THE TIME. Would you believe me? If not, I challenge you to keep reading.
Every new business, project, career, or ministry starts out exciting and fun. Eventually it gets harder and less fun, until it hits a low point (really hard), and it’s not much fun at all. Consequently, you find yourself asking if the goal is even worth the hassle.
According to bestselling author Seth Godin, what really sets successful people apart from everyone else is the ability to escape dead ends quickly, while staying focused and motivated when it really counts. He calls it “The Dip.” Successful people quit fast, quit often, and quit without guilt-until they commit to beating the right Dip for the right reasons.
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by Clarence E. Stowers | Dec 13, 2010 | Apple/Mac, Decisions, Goals, Self-Leadership
We were not created to have miserable and joyless lives. We were created to have abundant and joyful lives. But most of us, such a life is elusive at best and seemingly impossible at worst. Why? We have too much going on and are constantly inundated with requests to buy more and do more. The result is life that drifts towards complexity and paralyzes us from being productive. It’s no secret I enjoy using Apple products and admire Steve Jobs.
I’m not an Apple fanboy, but, I own an iPhone, MacBook, iMac, and Apple TV. The genius behind Apple IS NOT what they make, market, and sell. It’s what they’ve decided NOT TO DO. A few months ago, while reading the Cult of Mac, John Sculley, former CEO of Apple explained what makes Steve Jobs (Apple’s CEO) unique.
He said:
“What makes Steve’s methodology different from everyone else’s is that he always believed the most important decisions you make are not the things you do – but the things that you decide not to do. He’s a minimalist.”
John Sculley, former CEO of Apple, as quoted on the Cult of Mac (October 14, 2010)
Question: Have you created your NOT TO DO list for 2011?
by Clarence E. Stowers | Dec 10, 2010 | Decisions, Empowerment, Goals, Mind Dump, Self-Leadership, Top 5
We live in a changing world. Someone recently said, “the only constant in the world is change.” Let’s face it, we’re changing every year, month, and each week. Truthfully, how many of us look the same as we did five years ago? Not many! Things are changing right before our very eyes and what was on the cutting edge moments ago is now almost obsolete.
A friend recently shared how he went to purchase a case for his original Motorola Droid cell phone. When he asked to see a few cases, the salesperson laughed and informed him that his phone was old and suggested he should check eBay. Amazing! Why? The phone’s only 11 months old.
As pastor who tends to be ahead of the curve on what’s happening, understanding change and knowing how to lead change is an indispensable art in leading today’s church. Over the last 12 years I’ve led our church through some significant changes and here’s a few things I’ve learned about change:
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by Clarence E. Stowers | Dec 8, 2010 | Accountability, Decisions, Family, Fun Stuff, Goals, Humor, Other Stuff, Self-Leadership
On December 2, I celebrated my 44th birthday with family and close friends. During the week of Thanksgiving, we loaded up a rental minivan and hit the highway headed to Jackson, MS. We had a great time bonding with family, shopping, and of course – EATING! I’m happy my wife had a chance to see all of her relatives including her mother and grandmother.
(All the grandchildren posing for a pic…including my Shauntai – my wife)
Last week, my family and I shared a birthday meal together and I hopped on a plane to a much warmer place with a few close friends. You can call it an official “fellas” trip. We had a chance to catch up on old times and enjoy each others company in a “warm” & “stress-free” environment. In short, we had a great time. While away, I thought about my next steps in life…what they would look like…how I would approach the next phase of my life. It’s been said “when a man enters his 40’s he carries with him the experiences from the past and the anticipations of tomorrow.” Thus, I decided to create an organic…ongoing list called “Now that I’m 44.
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