Be a Better Leader, Coach and Teacher in 2016

2016 will be here in about 90 minutes.  Hopefully you have some plans to make 2016 better than 2015.  Hopefully you realize that you have the power to be better personally next year than in the one past.  We have incredible potential for self improvement and can grow tremendously when we apply ourselves.  Here are a few action steps to take to improve your leadership, coaching and teaching in 2016:

-Read More.  Commit to a reading plan in 2016.  Decide to read more non-fiction books than you ever have in the past.  My goal is 16-20 specific books that I selected to help me grow in many areas.  You can check out my post from a few days ago with the specific titles I am hoping to read through this year.  Pick books that will help you grow in areas that you need to improve or focus on the roles that you play in life.  I have heard of some great leaders who read up to 300 books in a year.  I am not there yet, but am doing far more than many.  In addition to books read more blogs (mine hopefully), more "smart" magazines, journals, etc.

-Sleep More.  Make 2016 the year you finally begin to give your body the rest it needs.  You have never been this old before and it is time to start taking care of your body better.  More sleep equates to not only more energy but more focus and alertness.

- Build and Develop one key relationship each month.  For instance in January you can focus on one team key member of your team, staff or organization.  Go to lunch, learn more about them and their interests.  Learn how you can help them and be a better servant to them.  In February find someone new to get to know and build and grow that relationship while still watering the seed you planted with the relationship in January.

-Get up earlier or Stay up later to Chase your Dream.  This may sound counter productive to the second suggestion of get more sleep.  I am not suggesting burning the candle at both ends, just one.  According to Author Jon Acuff in his excellent book "Start" you will have fewer distractions early in the morning or late at night.  Take care of your family and personal needs earlier in the day and spend some time chasing your dream once everyone is in bed.  If you are pursuing your dream between 7am-9pm you will find you have constant pulls on your attention, constant problems that need addressing.  Get up before everyone else in the house or stay up later and put in the work.  If your dream isn't worth getting up early for it is probably not much of a dream to begin with.

-Volunteer.  Find an organization, ministry or opportunity that interests you and volunteer.  Give the most valuable thing you possess (time) to help those in need.  You will be shocked at how much fun it can be to volunteer at something you really enjoy or have a passion for.  It will likely also pay off in a major way professionally as you will gain new skills and more importantly new contacts and relationships.

-Get Your Personal Finances in Order.  Check out the Dave Ramsey Plan if you need some suggestions of where to start.  When you are in a healthy position financially you can really focus on your leading, coaching and teaching.  Don't get bogged down by debt, worry or other financial concerns.  Become financially free to grow your potential.

-Save $$$$ - See above, but more specifically, save some money this year.  $1 a day can translate into close to $900,000 in 50 years, $100,000 in 30 years and $30,000 in only 20 years.  The discipline gained by saving just a few bucks a month will spill over into other areas of your life and benefit you greatly.

-Quit Doing Something.  All of us have many roles and responsibilities. In 2015 I was a College Basketball Coach, High School Soccer Coach, PE Teacher, Math Teacher, Youth Leader, Husband, Father, Soccer Ref.  I decided to focus on the important areas and drop one role.  The soccer reffing took the most time proportionally with the lowest rewards.  It has been deleted from my life.  I now have more energy and focus to pour into other areas.  Consider dropping your least productive role in favor of bolstering your other roles.  Obviously if you are married and have family those roles must stay, but is there something else you can drop?

Good Luck as you begin 2016.  I hope it is a blessed year for you and your followers.  Grow!

Lead Yourself and Your Home Part 2

We began the idea of personal leadership and leading your home in a recent post.  Here is Part #2 of that post.  This post will zero in on areas that we can and should lead in our homes. I Timothy 5:8 teaches that "if anyone does not provide for this own home... he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever."  Clearly, the Bible takes a very high view of providing for one's household.

Let's look at this more closely.  What does it mean to provide?  Does this relate only to material and physical provisions?  Does it go deeper than that?  I have heard many parents claim they are providing well, or that they are great providers because they bring home a 100K+ income and their kids are well clothed and live in a wonderful house.  However, these same parents are rarely home because they are spending countless extra hours working multiple jobs or overtime to "provide" for their families.  Are they more godly (and for our discussion, better leaders) than folks who work an honest 40 hours and devote large chunks of time to family, but only bring home a fraction of that larger income?

Here are my ideas of what good leaders provide to their homes:

-Good Leaders provide an income that can be used to meet physical needs.  Leaders find a way to earn money.  Some even earn a lot of it.  There is nothing wrong with making a lot of money if it is done honestly.  However, income cannot be used as an indicator of how well you provide.  If your household is fed with healthy foods, clothed in warm and nice clothing and your house is sufficient for comfort and protection, than you are providing.

-Good Leaders provide a spiritual foundation.  Whatever beliefs and values are important to you, your household knows and understands them.  They realize that when times are tough they have a spiritual center to which to turn.  They understand the basic value system and how it will guide them throughout their lives.  A good leader sets the spiritual/values tone for the home.  For me and my family that is a Christ-Centered lifestyle that seeks to honor our creator, God.  We sacrifice what we want to follow after Him.  Whatever it is for you and your household a leader provides that anchor.

-Good Leaders provide stability.  The people in your household should have a general understanding of how the day will unfold.  They know that someone will love them, be there for them and provide for their meals and other physical needs.  Good leaders provide stability which allows everyone in their home to flourish and grow.  I think this is one of the major differences between high achieving kids and under achieving ones.  Stability.  Kids who go to school with a full belly, clean clothes and the expectation that someone will be caring for them when they get home are far more likely to do well in school and extracurricular activities than kids who are hungry, ill clothed and wondering if anyone will be home at night.  Be a stabilizing force in your home.  Good leaders also provide stability by teaching and demonstrating to their kids that no matter what happens, mom and dad will stay married and that the family will not be ripped apart by divorce.  This knowledge, displayed and demonstrated everyday is a tremendous force in the life of a home.

-Good Leaders provide balance.  Good home leaders understand the balancing act that is required between work time, family time and recreational time.  Good leaders expose their kids to opportunities to grow and flourish without running them ragged.  Follow this link: Youth Sports Industrial Complex to read an awesome article regarding a lack of balance.  Tim Keown posted this article earlier today and it really hits home with me.  Find a way to balance your family's schedule so that kids can be successful and the family can be successful.  Find a balance between what is best for the kids and what is best for the family.  It will not hurt anyone for the entire family to spend an entire Saturday (gasp, yes all day) at home doing chores, relaxing, watching movies and enjoying themselves.

Here are a couple of stories about lack of balance. I recently had a conversation with a soccer coach who trains young athletes.  He was approached by a family who couldn't decide whether or not to spend a week at the beach together as a family because they felt the week off might set back their daughter and her soccer training.  Their quote was "she has worked so hard to improve her skills and position herself to play at the next level.  We hate to see it all go down the drain if we let her have a week off to go to the beach."  She was 7 years old.  I didn't know whether to laugh or cry, but it definitely left me heart broken.

Another time I was officiating at a basketball tournament.  It was the last game of the night and I had a game between two girls teams.  The game tipped off at 10:00pm on a Saturday night.  Each team was coached by a "yeller and screaming" type coach.  It was a U9 (girls under 9 years old) game.  These coaches were yelling and screaming at their players to "execute the screen and roll", "bump and hedge" on screens.  Again, I was heartbroken.  These kids should have been in bed or at least pajamas and they were getting screamed at, at 10:45 at night by somebody's dad for little, to no reason.

Please provide balance for your homes.

-Good Leaders provide Boundaries.  Good Leaders have learned that "NO" is a complete sentence that doesn't require further explanation.  Good Leaders have learned that "No" means "No."  Good leaders stand between the wickedness and lostness of this world and their loved ones.  They protect them physically and spiritually by carefully selecting what types of people, media and other influences are allowed into their homes.  Good leaders have kids who don't always like or understand their decisions at the time.  Good leaders stand firm and their families benefit greatly.

16 in 2016 Finalized List

I am compiling my reading list for 2016.  I started doing this in 2014 (14 in '14) and kept it going last year (you guessed it, 15 in'15).  I thought I was really doing awesome until I heard about President Teague at Lancaster Bible College who reads up to 12 books at any one time and Pat Williams a sports Executive who reads approximately 300 books a year.  That blows my mind.  I guess at my current rate by 2314 I will be up to 300 books a year.  Unfortunately I will have been dead for over 250 years at that point.

I would love to hear what books have been influential and beneficial to you over the years.  I am especially interested in books that can help me in one of my roles. I  am looking for books on leadership, coaching, teaching, personal finance, marriage, parenting, youth ministry, history, biographies of great people, etc.  No suggestion will be ignored.

Thanks for your help,

Paul

Here is the book list that I will try to read through in 2016:

Lead... for God's sake by Todd Gongwer
The Last Days According to Jesus by R.C. Sproul
No Corss, No Crown by William Penn
Under our Skin:  Getting Real About Race by Benjamin Watson
In a Pit with a Lion on a Snowy Day by Mark Batterson
How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie
Onward:  Engaging the Culture Without Losing the Culture by Russell Moore
Stop Acting Rich by Thomas J. Stanley
Inside Out Coaching:  How Sports Can Transform Lives by Joe Ehrmann
The Rockefellers: An American Dynasty  by Peter Collier
The Legend of the Monk and the Merchant by Terry Felber
Boundaries for Leaders by Henry Cloud
Condoleeza Rice:  An American Life by Elisabeth Bumiller
Skills and Strategies for Coaching Soccer by Allan Hargreaves
One Nation by Dr. Ben Carson
Guns, Germs and Steel by Jared Diamond

***Bonus Book: Start with Why:  How Great Leaders Inspire Everyone to Take Action by Simon Sinek

Please let me know if any of these look interesting and you would like to read through together and have a discussion.  We could grow together.

Lead Yourself and Your Home Part 1

The effectiveness of your leadership can be judged by your personal habits and how your family is doing.  Many leaders are extremely successful and even effective (see older post on effectiveness and success for precise, rambling discussion on those topics) in their professional leadership roles.  At least for the time being.  But how effective are they in leading themselves and those closest to them?  A leader will ultimately rise and fall based on the strength of their personal character and how well they lead their family.  I call this personal leadership and family leadership.  These two elements are far more important and have greater significance than any professional leadership.

In terms of personal and family leadership let's examine what the Bible has to say on the subject.  The Bible teaches us several traits that good leaders must possess.  Whether or not you believe the Bible to be the inerrant Word of God (as I do) or just a book full of some stories, parables and proverbs it can be used as a resource in many areas, including leadership.  The Apostle Paul wrote to several groups of people and identified key components of a leader's character that must be in place for them to lead inside the church.

In 1 Timothy 3:2-10 Paul lists the following qualities for leaders to display:  Above reproach, husband of one wife (more on that in the family leadership portion), temperate (self-controlled), prudent (wise), respectable, hospitable, able to teach, not addicted to wine, gentle, peaceable, free from the love of money, able to manage his household well (more in a coming post), in control of his children, not a new convert (experience), possess a good reputation, men of dignity.  In Titus 1 Paul again offers the same basic list of desirable qualities.

Let's pull out a few of the qualities that Paul highlights in each passage and apply it to leaders today.

Leaders should be Above Reproach:  Leaders must not place themselves in compromising situations whether financially, spiritually or morally.  There should never be a question about their actions or motives.

Leaders should be Temperate (Self-Controlled).  Leaders must be able to control their temper and passions.  We as leaders feel strongly about some issues and most of the time we are passionate and driven people.  We are also in high stress situations where emotions can be brought to a high boil.  We must be in control of our emotions.  (I used the "we" pronoun here because this is an area of personal struggle and growth for me).

Leaders must be Able to Teach.  Leaders see things before others and they want to go faster than others.  They are quicker to respond and usually more motivated to get things done than those they are leading.  Leaders must be able to explain their vision and teach others how they can help accomplish the mission.  Leaders must be patient teachers/explainers.

Leaders must be Free from the Love of Money.  This doesn't mean that leaders shouldn't and won't have money.  In fact, the financial rewards for effective leadership is often very high.  John Maxwell is a wonderful teacher and leader and I am sure a very generous man, but he is also incredibly wealthy, as he should be.  He helps millions of people through his leadership training books, videos, live events, etc.  He does his job well and is well compensated.  Leaders can be wealthy.  Money is not the problem, it is the Love of $$$$ that gets leaders into trouble.  Free your character from a desire to be wealthy and instead add a desire to help people.

Leaders must Possess a Good Reputation.  Leaders must have a good reputation in their communities, businesses, churches, etc.  Leaders need to be looked up to as wise and in control of their lives.  Leaders gain a good reputation slowly (over many years) but can lose it quickly (in a matter of seconds).  Guard your reputation closely.  Don't worry about what people think you are, be concerned with who you are.  If you take care of being the right kind of person, a good reputation will follow close behind.

Join me in a future post as we examine how a leader can "Lead Yourself and Your Home."  We will focus on a leaders role inside their home.

P.S.- Merry Christmas!

Go to College Debt Free

College loan debt is a big issue and it is likely only to get bigger.  As a teacher/coach/leader I hear many newly graduated students talk about how they are restricted in job and lifestyle choices because of a huge student loan debt.  There is a better way.  Go to college debt-free and graduate without the burden of having to pay anything to anyone.  Talk about freedom.  That should be the goal for the kids we are raising and the kids we are leading.

Nothing in this post is a silver bullet (like get a full academic scholarship because you are brilliant or a full athletic scholarship).  None of these will likely work by themselves to help your child accomplish college without debt.  However, if you take 5 or 6 or 7 of the 15+ suggestions listed you will be well on your way to accomplishing this huge goal.

Let me caution you:  If you are looking for an easy way or normal way, this article will not be for you.  Most of these suggestions are counter cultural and require hard work and discipline.  My philosophy would be work hard now, party when all your friends are repaying loans.

Two of the best resources that I have come across on this topic are "New School" by Glenn Harland Reynolds and "Smart  Money, Smart Kids" by Dave Ramsey and Rachel Cruz.  Citations below are credited to them.

Why is it a big deal to go to college debt free?

• Proverbs 22:7 - The Borrower is slave to the lender
• Student Loan debt is not allowed to be cancelled out in a Bankruptcy
• Courtney Mauna Story p. 14 in New School by Glenn Harlan Reynolds - She took out student loans in the amount of $120,000 to finance a degree in Women’s Studies/Religious Studies. Her degree did not help her get a job and she still owed over $700 per month in loan payments after college.
• A student loan can restrict your options and lifestyle after graduation. Instead of a college education opening doors in life, many times those with student loan debt find doors slamming shut. Instead of taking a dream job in a field where you love the work, can make a difference in the lives of others, debtors are forced to look for careers based solely on income potential.

How can you pay for college, get a great education and graduate debt-free?

• Begin Saving Now. Whether you are in the High School Class of 2016, 2022 or 2032 (like my son) saving a lit bit each week/paycheck/month can make a big difference.  $100 a month for 18 years is $60,000 when in an appropriately aggressive mutual fund.

**** I recommend that students from 6^th -12^th grade save 25% of all income (paychecks, gifts and allowances for college expenses).  I earned enough to pay for one semester of college working in a steakhouse for several years during High School.

• Maximize Scholarships and Grants. These awards never have to be re-paid. Smart Money, Smart Kids story on page 169 and 177. One girl filled out 2 scholarship applications every day from Christmas of her Senior year in HS until Graduation. She was rejected many times but earned enough in scholarships to pay for 3 full years of college. Another student who was admittedly very average in intelligence and test scores earned over $500,000 in scholarship $. She was able to go to a private undergrad school and a private Ivy League grad school for free. There are literally Billions of dollars available every year in scholarships. You have to work hard to find them, but they are there.
• Use Parents Discounts. Some colleges award scholarships or discounts to parents for various reasons. Christian Ministry, Military Service, Alumni parent discounts all exist. I knew a janitor at a local college who earned $20,000 per year, but whose kids got to go to the college for free ($20,000 discount). 
• Begin taking college courses in 11^th Grade. Knock out a semester or entire year of college before ever stepping on campus.
• Go to a Community College or local State University for 2 years before heading off to your final destination. CC/State College classes cost far less and allow you to commute saving on room and board. At Penn State University  ½ of expenses are room and board for PA students.  If you can knock out a year of college without paying room and board the savings can be incredible.
• Take summer courses. They are typically cheaper and no room and board fees.
• Live Off Campus. When I went to Liberty University typical room and board costs were around $10,000 per year (only 8 months). By renting a townhouse ½ mile from campus (closer to some classrooms than dorms on campus) my costs were around $400 per month for room and board or $5,000 for 12 months.
• Work While in College. You can make around $6,000 per summer break if you work full-time plus winter break earnings and around another $6,000 during the 8 months of college if you work 20 hours per week. That equals close to $13,000 in earnings or close to $50,000 during college. Many on-campus jobs just require you to be present (manning a desk or spot in the Library, Rec Center, Help Desk, etc.). You can do school work while getting paid to pass out a few basketballs or give directions to research material.  Where I coach we literally have kids getting paid to watch espn on the computer.
• Go to a College You can Afford. Refuse to go into debt.  Don't pay for the name.  Great, High Quality education is available at public Universities.  Do your research and you can probably even get a better, specialized education in a public setting than in a private college.
• Co-Op Programs. Find a business to pay for your college courses.  These programs exist, but they are hard to find.
• Stay in State... Or go WAY South. In State tuition rates are almost always cheaper than if you cross state lines to go to college. Many Southern colleges are desperate for students who have graduated from Northern High Schools. They offer huge financial incentives to students from Northeast High Schools.  
• Understand What you are Paying For. Are you going to a certain college because of the courses they offer, the professors that teach there, a certain program of study the connections you can make, the opportunities it offers or are you going because they have good food, nice dorms, a rock climbing wall, cool concerts and excellent sports teams? You can still go to football games at a college even if you don’t go there for classes.
• Go to a Free College. Yes, they do exist. Mostly they are military schools that require service after graduation but Moody Bible Institute is free as well.
• Go to a College that Pays you to Attend. Consider a school like Apprentice in VA. They pay you a salary, pay for your school and room and board.
• Consider Military Service.
• Finish in 4 years. Choose your major wisely, Stay on Track, Communicate with your Advisor and Pass your Classes. The less time you are in college, the better.
• Take Extra Courses. Almost all colleges charge by the semester, not by the course load. So a person taking 12 credits is paying the same as someone taking 18 credits.  120 credits/12 per semester = 10 semesters of tuition and room and board.  120 credits/18 per semester = 6.7 semesters.  If you've knocked out even a few classes over the summer or in High School you could be out in 3 years and save a ton of $$$ on room and board and tuition.

I realize that not every suggestion is going to help you, but hopefully you can find a few ideas in here that makes the dream of graduating debt-free a reality.   

John Wooden's Pyramid of Success

John Wooden was the greatest basketball coach of all-time.  He has been recognized by many publications as the greatest coach in any sport.  His UCLA Bruins Men's Basketball team won 10 NCAA National Championships in 12 years.  His team once compiled a winning streak of 88 games.  He has created numerous sayings, lists and proverbs that are still widely used by an adoring coaching following.  His legacy has been of winning games and living a life of character.  He was an extremely wise, but humble man.  Coach Wooden passed away in 2010 after living a long and full life.

One of Coach Wooden's most enduring contributions has been his "Pyramid of Success."  Coach Wooden began to notice a disturbing trend as a High School teacher and Coach.  He claimed "In the classroom I quickly became very uncomfortable- even distraught- with the standards many parents were imposing (unfairly, in my opinion) on their children, demanding top grades regardless of the youngster's raw ability, sincere effort, and good attendance.  On the basketball court, I would see an irate father belittle his son for not making the starting lineup.  'What's wrong with the boy?' I would be asked.  I had no answer.  The boy was doing just fine, the best he could and yet was derided for it.  There was nothing wrong with the boy; there was something wrong with the boy's father and his standard of success."

These observations drove Coach Wooden to compile his "Pyramid of Success."  It took almost 15 years to develop in totality, but when complete Coach Wooden had created his definition and visualization of what it takes to be successful.  Coach Wooden defined success as "The peace of mind which is a direct result of self-satisfaction in knowing you made the effort to become the best you are capable of becoming."

Check out the full Pyramid of Success


Coach Wooden often encouraged his players to strive for excellence.  To worry about the things that they can control, not the final score on the scoreboard.  He hated comparison to others as a measuring stick of success.  He implored his players to "Judge their success on the quality of their effort rather than how they stacked up in comparison to someone else in basketball, the classroom or life."  What a valuable lesson.

As a leader/teacher/coach it is often easy for me to compare myself to others or my team to another coach's team.  If we have a few more wins than someone else, I must be doing well, a few more losses and we must be struggling.  Coach Wooden denounced the thought process of  "Do our best and lose?  You're a loser.  Face a second-rate competitor or get lucky and win without giving your best?  You're a winner."  In his mind "both of these standards are wrong."  He taught "Should I feel like a failure after having done my best?  No.  Should I feel like a winner when I fail to deliver my total effort and ability?  No.  Coach Wooden's standard was to know that you had done your best, with what you have been given to reach your potential.

As leaders we need to stop comparing.  Quit looking around at other pastors, business leaders, directors and coaches to determine if we are successful.  Put all your energy in reaching your potential.  Your success is not determined by your standing amongst other leaders.  Your success is determined by how you do with what you got.  Results will follow process, but process is really hard to focus on when all you care about is results.  Do the right things for long enough and great results will follow.

I have used many resources to compile this post.  Here are the best resources I have found about Coach Wooden:

-The Essential Wooden:  A lifetime of lessons on Leaders and Leadership.  Wooden and Jamison (quotes from this blog were found in this book)
-They Call Me Coach.  Wooden.
-Wooden.  A Lifetime of Reflections on and Off the Court.  Wooden
-Coach Wooden One on One.  Wooden and Jay Carty

To learn more about Coach Wooden check out the link below.

Learn more about Coach Wooden

Leadership Multipliers

Last week I posted about "Leadership Destroyers."  Today I will talk about leadership Multipliers or "Things you can do to increase the effectiveness of your leadership (much easier to say Leadership Multipliers).  Hopefully this will not simply be a converse of the list of destroyers, but I am sure there will be some overlap.  Bear with me and try to improve in just one area.

Leadership Multiplier #1 - Be a nice person.  Don't be a Jerk. It sounds simple but it can actually be difficult to do.  Whatever you were before you gained some influence/power/position you will be more of as a leader.  If you are a nice person you will continue to be a nice person.  If you were a jerk, you will be more of a jerk as you gain some influence and power.  A few tips that fall into the "Be Nice" category for me:  Return your own shopping cart (Don't leave it in the middle of a parking space), Hold doors for people, look people in the eye and say "Thank-You" and "Hello".  Basically this rule boils down to "Treat all people the same regardless of whether they can do something to help you or not."  In fact, treat the people who cannot reasonably be expected to help you better than the people who have something to offer you.

Leadership Multiplier #2 - Be on time.  Nothing says that you value and care about people more than when you are on time to meet them.  It is selfish to be late for meetings and appointments.  When you are on time it sets the tone that you have concern for their needs and that you value their time.  Also, start and end meetings and practices on time.  Nothing bothers me more than a coach or leader who keeps kids (and most of the time their parents) waiting around after the assigned ending time.  Organizing your time is a key to Being on Time.

Leadership Multiplier #3 - Help your followers be better.  People will follow you when you can make their lives better.  If you are a coach help your players play better.  If you are a sales director help your salesman sell more effectively.  If you are a Pastor help your church members live a fuller life through Jesus Christ.  Whatever type of organization or group you led you will always have followers when you add value to the lives of your people.

Leadership Multiplier #4 - Serve.  Nothing sends a more powerful message to your followers than a leader who asks "What can I do to help you?"  The next time you are leading a meeting ask your key followers "What can I do to help you accomplish the mission?"  You might be blown away by the results.  Serving doesn't mean weakness, it means strength.  Are you secure enough to get your hands dirty and spend some long hours in the trenches.  It will greatly increase your effectiveness.

Leadership Multiplier #5 - Listen and then Act.  Your followers are on the front lines.  They know what is going on.  And trust me, they have opinions about how to produce results more effectively for your group.  Take the time to ask them their opinions.  Take their suggestions and implement changes.  For me it is difficult to listen without defending.  I typically will hear what a player or a student has to say, but I will quickly come up with defenses for why something I am doing is being criticized.  Give your followers room to express themselves, feel heard and emotionally breathe.  This can be a tremendous source of info for you and a great way to communicate your care and concern to your followers.  By listening and changing they will feel more invested in the organization and that they have the power to change things.

Leadership Multiplier #6 - Empower - Give your movers and shakers the opportunity to get their job done.  Support them with resources and get out of their way.  Salespeople need to be selling, High Scorers need to get the ball and volunteers need to be trained and turned loose to accomplish the mission.

Try implementing just one of these suggestions this week.  See what happens.  Maybe tackle another in a week or two.  In a month you could slowly begin to see amazing results in your organization.

Simple and Boring is Best

I was having a rather passionate exchange with my basketball team this evening (translation, I was yelling) when I came across the idea of Simple and Boring.  I was tired of seeing my team constantly try to make something happen, trying to force the issue and being too impulsive.  I wanted them to slow things down and make the game simple.  On the next five plays they ran all they did was make very boring, basic passes and each one lead to an easy basket.  It was the combination of many simple, easy and yes, boring parts working together that yielded spectacular results.  Let's hope this translates into better efficiency tomorrow.

We had been spending countless hours and tons of energy trying to accomplish the goal of making baskets. When I explained that I wanted simple, easy passes, with nothing fancy and nothing forced, it just clicked for them and we scored at will.  I kept yelling simple and boring wins games.  Simple and Boring do a lot more than win games.  They lead to a successful life.

I heard of a gentleman in his sixties who has never had a household income over $60k in a year.  Yet he is on pace to retire a millionaire (or very close to it) in a decade or so.  He has never hit it big on a single stock, never won (or played to my knowledge) the lottery.  He didn't inherit a significant portion of his savings.  He has simply worked hard, saved and invested, and generally been very boring with his money.  Simple and boring have worked wonders for him.  His kids are through college, debt-free, he owns his paid for home and drives paid for cars.  He is winning.  He has been simple and boring.

Football Coach and Analyst Herm Edwards offered this advice once to rookies in the NFL "One House, One Car, One piece of jewelry and definitely One Women."  He said to keep life simple and boring off the field to maximize your potential on the field.  His advice in paraphrase is "Simple and Boring."

Simple and Boring keeps you off the front page, out of the limelight and allows you to make steady progress in life without undue distractions.  Simple and Boring has you home by midnight, away from drugs and alcohol and hanging around the right people.  Simple and Boring provides stability for you and those you lead.  Simple and Boring is the soil in which great things can grow.

If you want the organization you lead to flourish and grow make sure that you are keeping things simple and boring.  You don't want "drama" or problems to surround you.  A great local company where I live that embodies the simple and boring philosophy is Martin's Potato Rolls.  They make very few products and most of them are pretty plain and simple (and delicious).  Yet their company has exploded in growth and sales in the past decade or so.  Their products are simple, their philosophy is not flashy, but they deliver on their mission of creating great tasting bakery products.  They win with the simple and boring mindset.

Keep things simple and boring.  Then repeat each day.

Leadership Destroyers

I don't know too much about Naval Destroyers but I am assuming that the name says it pretty well.  I assume that when a US Naval Destroyer shows up pretty much everything that it wants to take out is flattened and all threats are eliminated.  It can wreak total destruction and demolition.

Leadership destroyers act in the same way, except on an personal and organizational level.  This post will examine several types of things that will destroy your leadership and with it the organization.  Do not be tempted to look at these elements as shortcomings or faults to overcome.  Face them head on for what they are... Destroyers.  They will kill your leadership position.  Organizations can be rebuilt and leadership opportunities can be re-born following one of these occurrences but it will take years.

Destroyer #1 - Lack of Competence.  This destroyer arrives when the leader cannot complete the task he has been assigned.  They lack the skills and abilities to lead their followers in the right direction.  A lack of competence will destroy any leader.  Be sure to take on leadership opportunities that you are equipped to handle.  That doesn't mean that you shouldn't look to stretch and grow, but if you cannot sing at all don't become the church worship leader.

Destroyer #2 - Lack of Integrity in Financial Matters.  This destroyer has brought down many great leaders.  You must hold yourself highly accountable and make sure that all financial dealings in your personal life and organizational life are above reproach.

Destroyer #3 - Lack of Morality in Sexual Matters.  You cannot and will not get away with this one for long.  If you are not faithful in your marriage or are engaging in pornography the end result will be shattered and broken lives of your family and your entire organization.  Don't be fooled, you will get caught and the result will be destruction.

Destroyer #4 - Lack of Trust.  Stephen M.R. Covey's incredible book "The Speed of Trust" deals entirely with this topic.  I would highly recommend it for any leader.  Some of the other destroyers are covered there as well.

Destroyer #5  - Lack of Vision.  If you cannot see where you are going, where your organization is heading and how to inspire the group to get there you cannot lead.  I remember a story I heard about a local civic leader during the French Revolution who said "There go my followers, I better catch up to them to see where they are going so I can lead them there."  Clearly he was not the leader.  If you are not casting a vision for your followers and motivating them to reach it, you are not leading.

Destroyer #6 - Lack of (or Disfunction) of Process - Leading is managing as well as it is Leading.  You must be able to manage your day to day business.  The processes you put in place cannot become burdensome or challenging.  You need your followers to be freed from red tape and out creating opportunities for your organization.  In a business setting the disfunction could look like a top salesman spending half his day jumping through hoops to submit time cards, reports or other menial tasks.  You need your top performers to be growing your organization and spreading its mission, not filling out paperwork.  Create processes that allow your vision to come to fruition through your best people.

Destroyer  #7 - Lack of Caring.  Do you care more about the mission or about the people?  Do you use people to build your mission or do you use your mission to build people?  If you care about your people (whether followers or those you serve) the mission will take care of itself with minimal effort.  If all you care about is the mission you will constantly be looking for new followers.

YOLO - You only live once

I recently taught a Wednesday Night lesson to my teen group on "YOLO" or "You Only Live Once."  In modern culture (or at least the limited portion of it that I have been exposed to) the term YOLO (You Only Live Once) has been a justification for Hedonism.  Live it up.  Eat, Drink and Be Merry for tomorrow we will die.  I think the YOLO idea is best captured in Miley Cyrus.  The "go around naked, do MDMA and live it up, crowd has stolen the YOLO idea.

It is true to we will only live once.  The Bible teaches in Hebrews 9:27 that each person has been appointed a time to die.  We only have so long on this earth.  My idea and challenge to my teens was "YOLO"- so make it count.  You will only have one go around in this life.  Do something that will outlast you, do something to help others.  The YOLO crowd tells our culture to give in to your desires, fulfill your wishes and needs.  You only have one chance at this so live it up.

One man explored the YOLO concept in greater depth than any other person who has lived. King Solomon wrote about his experiences in the book of Ecclesiastes in the Old Testament of the Bible.  In Ecclesiastes 2:1-11 he explained exactly how he lived it up (and he did it better than anyone in history).  He built Amusement Parks for himself (imagine having Disney and Six Flags as your backyard), he hired singers for himself (He didn't need an IPOD, if he wanted to listen to music he hired the performers and had a concert), he built magnificent houses, a spectacular temple and other great works.  He had 700 wives and 300 concubines (think sex workers at his personal disposal).  He used drugs and alcohol in abundance.  He said that anything he wanted, he had.  Nothing that he desired was denied him in his pursuit of happiness through pleasure. At the end of the chapter, after listing all of his pursuits he said "It is like chasing after the wind."  He realized that pleasures and even pleasures in abundance cannot bring happiness.  No matter how hard you embrace the YOLO lifestyle you will be left empty, struggling and battling many issues.

What is the answer then?  How can we be happy, satisfied and make the most of the our One Life?  Let's turn again to Solomon and see what he says.  In Ecclesiastes 12:12 He says after everything has been heard the secret to a great life is "Love God and Serve Him."  Realize that you are on earth for a reason.  You are not an accident and you can have peace and satisfaction.  You can make a difference.  Embrace the YOLO lifestyle and realize that you will only live once, so make a difference with your life.

What's the Big Idea?

What's the big idea?  That usually gets shouted out at me as I am in a hurry in a store and come within inches of smashing someone with my cart or driving too fast or erratically.  It usually has a very negative connotation to be asked "What's the big idea?"  Let's look at that question in a different light in this post.

What is the big idea of the group you lead?  Whether a church, team, family, business or other organization we are all leaders.  Take a look at a specific area that you lead.  Ask the question "What is the big idea? in this leadership role.  If you could only have one idea, one concept, one mission in each leadership role, what would it be?  What would be the one idea that defined your business?  Your Classroom?  Your team?  Your Church?  I know that each leadership position carries many different roles and functions.  Each group of people we lead requires many different things from us.  I will list a few of my leadership roles and describe the different requirements of that position and the one word that we try to accomplish in each position.  If, like me, you have trouble coming up with one BIG IDEA for each position, really think about it and how you would define the mission to an outsider.  This exercise may help you to refine exactly what it is you want to accomplish in that organization.

Role:

PSU Mont Alto Women's Basketball Coach:  Some of the basic tasks that I have to do each day/week in this position include game and practice scheduling, recruiting, academic monitoring, budgeting and financial management, planning travel and many other tasks.  The BIG IDEA here is EXCELLENCE.  We strive to be excellent in every facet of things we do.  We preach excellence over success.  Excellence requires practice and preparation, whereas success can happen to anyone from time to time.  Excellence puts the focus on us, success puts the focus on being just slightly better than others.

Father and Husband:  I have a million things to do each day to be a Father and Husband.  The one Big IDEA that I am focusing on in this area is TIME.  I want to be there for my two boys and my wife.  TIME, in large chunks makes a huge difference in the lives of my family.  My presence provides stability, peace and comfort.

Youth Leader at The Open Door Church:  My one BIG IDEA here is SERVICE.  I want to serve the kids that I have the privilege to lead.  I want the kids to grasp and seek after a life of service.  That is the reason we are on earth.  To serve God and serve His people.

Hopefully that gives you an idea of the ONE BIG IDEA concept and how to define your leadership roles.  I know that thinking through these ideas today as I was out and about this morning has helped me gain clarity and a renewed sense of purpose in each of my leadership roles.

Live2Lead Notes #2

This is the second post on my notes that I took at Live2Lead simulcast.  We had some awesome speakers and I left feeling challenged to be a better and improving leader.  Valorie Burton shared an awesome talk on Resilience.  Here on a few notes on what she shared.

5 Commitments When Bad Things Happen:
1.) I will not feel sorry for myself.
2.) I will not continue to stare at the closed door.
3.) I will not let my fears win.
4.) I will direct my thoughts.
5.) I choose to believe that all things work together for good.

7 Things to do to be Resilient:
1.) Picture your possibilities
2.) Use your failures and mistakes as a learning tool
3.) Reach Out- Find a real or historical person to look to for inspiration
4.) Put things into Perspective - ****Awesome thoughts here for catastrophizers (people who always assume a worst case scenario.  She taught that you think do the opposite in unknown situations when tempted to assume the worst.  For example, If you get a note from your boss saying "I need to see you in 5 minutes in my office, don't think I am being fired, I will lose my family and become homeless by weeks end.  Start thinking about the opposite best case scenario.  Something like I will be promoted to CEO, earn 5 times my current salary and get a car and driver.  By going all the way to the other end of the thought spectrum it helps to balance us out and keep things in perspective.)
5.) Operate with Optimism -  Optimists live longer and better lives (Research shows that those things happen over time to positive people.)
6.)  Serve - How is someones life better after they cross my path?
7.) Embrace Joy

Burton was an excellent speaker who again challenged me to think better and live better.

Live2Lead Notes

Yesterday I had the privilege of attending a John Maxwell Live2Lead Simulcast at Shippensburg University.  Thanks to the generosity of at least several people and organizations I was able to hear some phenomenal speakers.  I was challenged to live a more intentional, people focused life.  I left the simulcast feeling fired up and motivated.  Hopefully I can pass along a little bit of the learning I did yesterday to you through this post.

The first speaker was Pat Lencioni, the founder of The Table Group.  His teaching is outline below (all his thoughts and ideas, none of mine, consider this the citation notation).

Two Requirements for an Organizations Success:
1.) Smart - All the important stuff - reading spreadsheets, creating strong policies, m)  Buiarket research, etc.
2.)  Healthy - Minimal politics and confusion, High Morale and low turnover among good people.

He claims that most businesses are Smart (or could be). He asserts that most businesses/organizations are failing or struggling to create the all important Healthy environment.  He gave several examples of how some organizations had the smartest and brightest people but still lagged behind their competitors because of a toxic work environment.  Excellent points throughout this portion of the talk.

Lencioni claims "The healthier our organization is the more we get to tap into our smart side."  He said "The best companies are not the smartest, they are the healthiest."  He repeatedly used Southwest Airlines as a model of a very healthy company.

Four Keys of a Healthy Business:
1.)  Build a Cohesive Leadership Team
2.) Create Clarity (know what you do)
3.)  Overcommunicate your Clarity (Tell everyone a hundred times what it is you do)
4.)  Structure to Reinforce your Clarity (Make sure your processes and procedures support your mission)

How to build a Cohesive Leadership Team:
-Build Vulnerability Trust - Leader must be willing to say "sorry, I screwed up" or "I apologize, I was wrong this time, but I will figure it out and get better next time."  Leaders have to be vulnerable before their followers.
-Conflict - Be all about finding the right answer, not looking to tear someone down.
-Accountability - Be willing to hold people accountable for poor behavior/bad attitudes.  This is very uncommon

6 Questions to Clarify your Clarity:
1.) Why do we exist?
2.) How do we behave?
3.) What do we do?
4.) How will we succeed?
5.) What is most important right now?
6.) Who must do what?

More session notes to be posted under a different post.

Coming in HOT!

My basketball team had a saying last year.  Started by one player and then spread to all of us.  We got in the habit of saying "Coming in hot."  At first it meant that a shot was going to clang hard off the backboard or that a pass had too much pace on it.  It then took on a meaning off the court as well...Maybe our bus was following another car a little close, we were "coming in hot."

Later on it developed into a phrase to be used when a player or coach was a little upset about a call and got a little fiesty with an official.  It could have been a player who was mad at a coach or an AD who was mad about something.  They were coming in hot.

As a leader you never want to enter a situation "coming in hot."  In my mind a picture is formed of someone racing down the hall, steam coming out of the ears and entering a room yelling.  Someone who comes in hot shoots firsts and apologizes later.  This is a good way to destroy trust and turn off followers.

Here are some tips to avoid "coming in hot" to situations:

1.)  Be sure you get all the facts before making a judgement.

2.)  Literally take a deep breath.

3.)  Go for a walk.  It will lower your stress and give you time to do #1 and #2

4.)  Wait a day!  Most problems don't demand immediate attention.  Allow 24 hours to let everything (and everyone) settle down a little bit before addressing the problem.

5.)  Talk to everyone and try to see the situation from everyone's perspective.  Put yourself in their shoes and see how the situation looks from their angle.

Some of the worst moments and situations I have ever been a part of have happened because people "came in hot."  Try to be a leader who diffuses tensions instead of a leader who inflames situations.  Pour water on fires, never gasoline.

Make Your Teammates Better

The mark of a truly great athlete or leader is that they make those around them better than they can be on their own.  That is why they are great.  Michael Jordan, Derek Jeter, Ray Lewis all had the knack of inspiring their teammates to reach new heights.  They made their teammates better.

Making a teammate better can happen in a number of ways.  The first way is by example.  Kobe Bryant and Michael Jordan are legendary for their work ethic.  They were literally the first ones in the gym and the last ones to leave.  Neither of these great leaders were much into giving rousing, inspiring speeches.  What they did to improve their teams is show up, work harder than everyone else and challenge even lower level players to play way above their talent would normally allow.  They also had tons of talent themselves.  They created an environment in which no one wants to let them down, no one can ever give less than their best each day.

Other players have given up what is best for them in an effort to improve those around them.  Many players in professional sports have taken a pay cut or salary modification in order to allow the team to sign other, talented players.  Sometimes players take on a lesser role in order for others to shine.  That makes the team better.  Some players give up shots (or whatever applies in a different sport) so that others can get more involved.  Lebron James is an excellent example of someone who lessened their role in order to win.  In Miami he could have rightfully taken most of the shots, demanded the ball more and been the center of the enterprise.  He deferred on the court and it ended up netting him 2 NBA championships.  He will most likely be most known for his failures at the end of his career, but never forget that he was/is a winner who wants those around him to succeed.

These concepts translate into the spheres that you and I are likely to walk in each day as leaders.  We ultimately will be measured as leaders by our ability to make others better.  We can do that in many ways.  We can be quiet leaders who simply do the right thing, time and time again, even when a shortcut would be easier.  People are watching.  By living with high integrity and personal responsibility we are encouraging our followers to do the same.  We don't have to give rousing speeches, we can inspire by adding value to peoples lives each day.

Leaders can make sure that the glory for successes are reflected to others.  Even when we earned the spotlight, the accolades and the attention we support and bless those in our circle if we distribute the credit to our followers.  The next time your time "wins" make sure that those in a support role get the vast majority of the credit and you will find you have followers ready to run through walls for you.

Leaders are Servants

"If you are not serving, you are not leading."  (Plagarized, I mean researched quote).  A leader is called to serve those they are leading.  Coaches, Teachers, Pastors, Employers, your job is to serve those that follow you.  Providing service to those you lead is a fundamental function of leadership.  Your position does not give you power over somebody, it gives you an opportunity to serve them, to make them better to build them up.  Providing opportunities for followers to excel and grow is how you can grow as a leader.

If the people or organization you are leading has grown stagnant, check to see if you are expecting to be served,  or if you are serving.  Servant-Leaders who put the cares and concerns of their followers ahead of their own work in dynamic, growing and thriving environments.

Sometimes the word "servant" has a very negative connotation.  The poor, waiting on the wealthy, the powerless doing the biding of the powerful.  It is quite the opposite.  A servant leader is on the lookout for how they may help and empower their followers.  Change the way you view service.  To serve others as a leader find ways to empower and encourage them to fulfill the mission.  Imagine if you had 10-15 followers who were all inspired to work hard (after observing you modeling this priceless behavior), were empowered to do their job and encouraged that you really care about them.  How could your organization, team or classroom take off under those circumstances?

A week or so ago I had the opportunity to model some servant leadership.  A student had spilled a drink in the cafeteria.  I quickly sprung into action and began cleaning it up.  I was able to model to 100+ students in the vicinity that no job is "below" me and that I am willing to help out when needed.  Being a servant leader changes the dynamic from "how can they help me to accomplish MY mission" to how can I help them accomplish OUR mission."  That can be a very powerful change that can bring tremendous results.  When the phone rings at odd hours do you think "Oh Great, now what" (that is often my response, unfortunately), or do you think "Oh Great, an opportunity to help someone."  It makes a major difference.  Try it out this week.  Serve your followers, instead of expecting them to serve you.  See what a difference it can make.

Leadership "ions"

Leadership is a high-calling.  It is a position many individuals strive for. That is a good thing.  The desire to become a great leader will help us all to become better individuals.  We are all leaders.  However, we don't all do it well.  Whether you lead a family, team, business, church, volunteer organization or other groups there are several essential qualities that all leaders must possess.  Your leadership will greatly improve if you can grow in these three key areas:

1.)  Organization - Leaders must be able to organize.  They need to first organize themselves.  They must be able to know where things are, how to find things and have a system in place to get things done.  Nothing is as frustrating to followers than leaders who are constantly losing things, not planning well and have a general air of dysfunction.

Organization is a state of mind.  It allows all other tasks to flow more smoothly.  It creates a winning environment.  The ability to organize a personal desk flows into organizing an office which then allows you to organize a group.  There are too many important things a leader must do each day to be worrying about where they put things or having to search for needed materials.  Organization flows outward from a leader.  If the leader is organized and on top of things, then their followers will also have to be organized as well.  If you want to take a concrete step to improve your organization today, try clearing the clutter in your workspace.  That one small step will hopefully spur you on to organize something else tomorrow. Your life will soon flow with increased efficiency.

2.)  Communication - Leaders must be able to communicate.  A very frustrating experience for a follower is having a leader with poor communication skills.  Your followers will never be quite sure of the expectations.  They will constantly be off balance wondering if what they are doing is correct.  Communication needs to be clear and concise.  It does not have to be overbearing.  You don't have to email/call/text three times a day to master communication.  Leadership communication that is clear up-front saves much time later.  Followers know what is expected of them, how to meet those expectations and what resources are available.  Good, clear communication will save the leader much time in the long run.

3.)  Vision - Vision is probably the most important leadership tool.  Vision takes a person from being a manager to being a leader.  Vision is the ability to see what needs done and then provides the steps to get it done.  Vision is the ability that inspires the followers to do more than they ever thought possible, to accomplish things that "couldn't be done."  Dr. Jerry Falwell had the gift of vision in greater quantities than anyone else I have ever been around.  He was a given a "God - Sized" vision to accomplish great things in Lynchburg, VA.  To see his 50 year old vision coming to fruition through Liberty University is truly amazing to me.  He dreamed big and inspired his followers to make it happen.

Practice your "ions" this week.  Make an improvement in each area and you will see amazing dividends in your life and in the lives of the people who follow you.

Kirk Cousin's Big Ten Speech

The Washington Redskins recently named Kirk Cousin's as their starting Quarterback for the upcoming season.  I have been a huge fan of his since hearing a video of his speech at a Big 10 Conference Event.  Just thought I would share an excerpt.  We need more men like him in sports.  You can youtube "Kirk Cousins Big Ten Speech" to watch a video of his entire speech.  It will likely be the best 8 minutes of your week.

"-- Being a college football player in today's culture is a privilege . . . a privilege that brings much responsibility.

-- We, as players, have a responsibility to give our all for fans who spend hard earned money to watch us play.

-- We have a responsibility to represent the name on the front of our jerseys, on and off the field, in such that a way that our fellow students, faculty, administrators and alumni have good reason to say . . . He's one of ours.

-- We have a responsibility to represent the name on the back of our jerseys in such a way that our parents, brothers, sisters, and family members have good reason to say . . . He's one of us.

-- We have a responsibility to work hard in the classroom, as good stewards of the education that has been given to many of us free of charge.

-- We have a responsibility to treat, with respect, the people who cover us in the media.

-- We have a responsibility to use the platform we've been given to provide a true example of what it means to be a young man to those 10- and 12-year-old boys who see us as bigger than life. I know this to be true, because just a few short years ago, I was one of those 12-year-old boys . . . and I remember well how I looked up to the players whose position, by God's grace, I'm standing in today.

-- We have a responsibility to develop and use our God-given talents to their fullest potential and to do so in a way that honors God and benefits others. I don't believe it's too far-fetched to think that we as college football players could make a significant positive difference in the youth culture of America, simply by embracing the responsibilities that accompany our place of privilege.

We could redefine "what is cool" for young people.

We could set a new standard for how to treat others.

We could embody what it means to be a person of integrity.

We could show to young people that excellence in the classroom is a worthy pursuit.

We could show that it's more important to do what is right, than to do what feels right.

While I believe we as players, do not deserve the platform we have been given . . . we have it nonetheless. It comes with the territory of being a college football player in the Big Ten.

May we as players have wisdom to handle this privilege and the courage to fulfill the responsibility we've been given.

Thank you and GO GREEN!"

Never Ask Them...

Never ask your followers to do things you are not willing to do yourself.  Don't delegate all of the unwanted and un-fun tasks off on someone else.  Be willing to pitch in and help out with the dirty work.  Stay later than everyone else, get there earlier.  Lead by doing.  I am blessed to work with leaders who are turning on the lights in the morning and turning them off in the evening.  They work harder and longer than anyone else.  That sets the bar pretty high for me as a follower.  I can never take it too easy.  I can never pass on menial jobs.  My leaders are doing the nitty-gritty, so I better get my hands dirty as well.

As a leader that doesn't mean that you should never delegate or never pass off tough jobs.  Make sure you are spending your time doing things that only you can do.  But at least every once in awhile pitch in after the meeting to tear down tables and chairs, clean up the gym after practice, sweep the floor if someone left it a mess.  When I see my boss cleaning or setting something up, it sends a very clear message to me:  No one is above anyone or anything around here.  Get to work to accomplish the mission.

That example of "whatever it takes, for as long as it takes" is a very powerful message to send to your followers.  Also, just being present with the ones you lead, performing manual labor, or some other task, allows you to get to know them better.  It teaches your followers that you value them and gives you great time to pour into their lives and allows you to learn from them.  The times that there is real honest to goodness hard work to be done are times that a leader can find out what type of staff they have.  Hard work reveals character.  The leaders and the followers.

Effort, Success and Effectiveness

I want to compare/contrast (mostly contrast) several approaches and outcomes of leadership.  The post will look at the topic of Effort (trying ones best) that results in failure, Success that accomplishes the job and Effectiveness which accomplishes the job but has added bonuses.  I believe that to become the leader you are called to be, the leader that your team needs you to be, requires you to become effective in your leadership.  Let's look at each term as I define them.  More importantly than the term, understand the definition, examples used and the attitude and mindset behind each one.

Tried, but Failed - In this leadership outcome you have tried your best (I don't have a category for leaders who fail to give 100% effort  because it is hard to consider them leaders at all) but come up short of reaching the goal.  It could be winning a game/championship, making a sale, or whatever applies to your situation.  Like everyone else in this category you probably have a few really good excuses why the goal couldn't be reached.  Maybe you didn't receive enough resources, enough support or encouragement, maybe you had some negative people who actively worked against you.  Whatever the circumstances were, you didn't get the job done.  You didn't lead your team to victory.  Obviously this is not a great place to be as a leader.  Ultimately, your job is to get results.  The Army General has one job "Get Stuff Done" and you failed to live up to that expectation.  We have all been in this category before.  Let's move out and find a way to get results.

Success - My definition of success is that you got the job done.  See the Army General above.  Whatever the obstacles you faced you found a way to accomplish your mission.  You led your band to districts, you completed a tough race, you inspired your students to achieve a passing grade in Calculus.  Whatever the job was that needed done, got done because you made it happen.  To me success is a very "Me" oriented word.  I know successful people.  They can be counted on to get the job done, but how they do it is not always pretty.  People get run over, people get hurt, people get ruined.  This is the attitude of "my way or the highway" the mantras are "get out of the way, the train is coming through" and "your either with me or against me."  These people get stuff done.  They get results.  You are just glad when they leave.  Yes, they are successful at accomplishing tasks, but the toll is large.  People are soured towards them, their victories are hollow.  At the end of the day their success is all they have.  They have ruined relationships and companies as they pursued their victory.

Effectiveness - I am definitely biased towards the concept of effectiveness.  It takes success to another level.  In effectiveness leaders return results, but do it in a win-win way.  Leaders who strive for effectiveness find ways to win and make sure their followers win as well.  When leaders effectively lead a group to the top of the mountain that group cannot wait to take on another challenge with the same leader.  Effective leaders use their organizations to build people, never use their people to build their organizations.  Get results, build people in the process.  Effective leaders will never wear out their followers.  They will attract new followers.  Everyone wants to be on a winning team, especially when they get to partner with an effective leader.

The In Demand Leader

Two types of leaders are always in demand.  The Firefighter and the Bridge Builder.  If you can become one (or even both)of these types of leaders you will become in demand.  Your opportunities for influence will increase.  Your value to your current employer will skyrocket and prospective employers will view you as a highly sought after commodity.  Better yet, you will be able to more effectively serve those around you.  You will be able to add value to the most important people in your life.

The Firefighter - Firefighters are brave, selfless heroes who save others from dangerous situations.  The popular saying goes "they are running into burning buildings, while everyone else is running out."  They save people who are in need.  They problem solve.  They keep small fires from becoming large fires.

The "Firefighter Leader" is someone who solves problems and makes everything else run smoothly.  When you get to a point that you "bring solutions, not problems" you become increasingly valuable to your organization.  You are the person who comes to meetings with solutions to problems.When everyone else is bailing out and running for safety, you are the person who can fix everything.  Firefighter leader are proactive as well.  They anticipate needs and problems before anyone else in the organization which allows them to be quicker to see the solution.  They do not allow little "fires"/problems to become a big problem.  They find solutions before any major damage is done, while protecting the people they are in charge of.

The Bridge Builder - Bridges connect two separate things.  They connect two parts of town that were previously separated by a river, creek or ravine.  They make life easier and help everyone to be more connected.

The "Bridge Builder Leader" connects people.  They come along and see two people who could have a mutually beneficial relationship and puts them together.  Bridge Builders connect people to ideas.  They teach and instruct.  They lead a follower to find answers through books or new ideas.  They are constantly connecting.  They connect people to opportunities.  They are constantly looking to make someone's life better through helping them be better connected to people, ideas and opportunities.

Become a "Firefighter or Bridge Builder" today.  Find ways to solve problems and help people connect with other people or ideas that can change their lives.

Why They Play

Have you ever stopped to ask yourself, as a leader or coach, why are these kids/young adults playing for my team or being led by me?  I haven't included teachers in this article because often the kids are in your class simply because they have to be.  Sometimes a kid is forced to play your sport, join your band or be part of your club.  But the majority of the kids are there willingly because they want to be.

WHY?  Why would they give up close to 20 hours per week to play the sport you are coaching (apply this to whatever it is you lead, I am just using sports terminology)?  Why would they go through the pain and physical hardships to be in shape to compete for your team?  Why do they come to practice when many of their friends are heading to the pool during the summer?  Why are they lifting weights, buying training DVD's, going to camps, etc?  Remember, they could always be doing something else.

I have heard all the macho coaches echo "they play for my team because they love to compete and they love to win."  Baloney.  If they really have such a love of competition why aren't there hundreds of entrants into the local fair's tomato growing contest and pie bake-offs.  I know that kids do enjoy competition, but not for the reasons you think.  Kids want competition because it forces them to get better themselves.  Beating someone isn't the reason they are playing for you.

Kids will sign-up for your team, join your club or band/choir for two reasons.  FUN and BENEFITS!  Studies have shown that the number one reason kids are involved in extracurricular activities is because they are fun and provide them benefits.  Some reasons they are fun include:  Time with friends, chance to improve their skills, something to do after school, they are already good at it and sports gives them a chance to shine.  Benefits include:  Fitness and overall health, a chance to leave school early on occasion, a chance at a scholarship (I think this is one of the worst reasons for a kid to play sports), recognition in the community/school/etc, clothing/team gear.

Kids will have a desire to win to a certain extent, but typically that is about the 8th out of 10 reasons why they join a sport or club.  It is typically number 1 only among the coaches and adults.

Young people want to do things that are fun and provide them benefits.  Don't get too caught up in your own ego.  They like you as a leader in relation to how much fun you provide and the access you provide to the benefits.

Keep Fun at the forefront of the group you lead.  Provide safe and exciting opportunities for your young people.  And let's be clear:  By fun I don't mean the roll the ball, fool around and then go for ice cream kind of fun.  By fun, I mean a well structured, organized group time that is upbeat and challenging.  An opportunity to grow and reap the benefits of being part of your organization.

The Art of War for Leaders

Sun Tzu wrote the Art of War around 2500 years ago in China.  The book is loaded with practical wisdom for coaches and leaders.  I have written a longer article relating the book for coaches.  This post is excerpts from that article which was adapted from the book.  I hope you can find a few practical pieces of advice from one of the greatest leaders the world has seen.

How to Treat Followers:
-"If you are careful of your men, and camp on hard ground, the army will be free from disease of every kind, and this will spell victory."
-"Regard your soldiers as your children, and they will follow you into the deepest valleys; look on them as your own beloved sons, and they will stand by you even unto death.  If, however, you are indulgent, but unable to make your authority felt; kind-hearted, but unable to enforce your commands; and incapable, moreover of quelling disorder: then your soldiers must be likened to spoilt children; they are useless for any practical purpose."

When to be Aggressive in Pursuing your Objective:
-"Security against defeat implies defensive tactics; Ability to defeat the enemy means taking the offensive".
-"The clever combatant imposes his will on the enemy, but does not allow the enemy's will to be imposed upon him."

Preparation:
-"Ponder and deliberate before you make a move."
-"He will win, who prepared himself, waits to take the enemy unprepared."
-"If you know the enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles."
-"The experienced soldier, once in motion, is never bewildered; once he has broken camp, he is never at a loss."
-"The enlightened ruler lays his plans well ahead; the good general cultivates his resources."

Leading
" The general who advances without coveting fame and retreats without fearing disgrace, whose only thought is to protect his country and do good service for his sovereign, is the jewel of the kingdom"

Flexibility
"He who can modify his tactics in relation to his opponent and thereby succeed in winning, may be called a heaven-born captain."
"The general who completely understands the advantages that accompany variation of tactics knows how to handle his troops.  The general who does not understand these, may be well acquainted with the configuration of the country, yet he will not be able to turn his knowledge to practical account."

Inspiring
"He will win whose army is animated by the same spirit  throughout all its ranks."

I would gladly email you the entire 7 page article which goes much more in-depth if you are interested.  Drop me a line at coachpaul82@gmail.com for more information or post a comment on the blog.

Love Like Jesus Does

Mahatma Gandhi said " I like your Christ.  I do not like your Christians.  Your Christians are so unlike your Christ."  The fictional character Scout Finch in Harper Lee's recently released book Go Set a Watchman asks "Why doesn't their flesh creep?  How can they devoutly believe everything they hear in church and then say the things they do and listen to the things they hear without throwing up?"

I asked my teenage Sunday School class "What is a Christian?" and "What does a Christian Do?"  Clearly there is a perceived disconnect in the world between Jesus Christ and how Christians (Christ Followers) live out their lives.  Almost everyone worldwide appreciates Jesus' ministry and teachings, even if they are not followers of those teachings or of Him. But Billions have decided that while Jesus Christ is good, His followers have turned them off. How can I help close the gap between what I do and what I say I believe?  How can I be a better testimony/light in a dark world to the non-believers I come into contact with each day?  How much has my life fed into this disconnect?  Hopefully not much, but unfortunately I am a sinner, saved by Grace, who makes many mistakes.  My sins (and yours) cost all Christians credibility with the non-believing world. I love Christians and believe that Jesus Christ and His followers are the only hope for this world.  I just want us who call ourselves followers of Jesus to do a better job of living like He did/would.

Here is what I found when I dug into my Bible in search of answers to "What does a Christian Do?"  Isaiah 58 tells us "Is this not the fast which I choose, to loosen the bonds of wickedness, to undo the bands of the yoke, and to let the oppressed go free and break every yoke?  Is it not to divide your bread with the hungry and bring the homeless poor into the house; when you see the naked, to cover him (v. 6 and 7, NASB).  I John 3:17 and 18 tells us "whoever has the world's goods, and sees his brother in need and closes his heart against him, how does the love of God abide in him?  Little children, let us not love with word or tongue, but in deed and truth."  I continued to find verses in a similar thought-pattern.  Ezekial 18:5-9 (excerpts) "If a man is righteous and practices justice and righteousness  (emphasis added)... does not oppress anyone, but restores to the debtor his pledge, does not commit robbery, but gives his bread to the hungry and covers the naked with clothing... he walks in My statutes and My ordinances so as to deal faithfully - he is righteous and will surely live, declares the Lord God."

Practices Justice and Righteousness and Deals Faithfully.  If Christians would focus on these few words of recommendation from the Lord, I believe we could close some of the gap between how Jesus lived and how we live and act.  Righteousness means doing the right thing, in a desire to follow after God's commands for our lives.  To practice Justice and Deal Faithfully entails some works. From these verses I see that Christians should be feeding the poor, sitting w/ the lonely, healing the sick, clothing the naked and hanging out with people who are less fortunate than us.  Our love, with is derived from Christ's love should be overflowing to the point of flooding the lost, dark and dying world we live in. I suggest that if a few million Christians would start acting in this manner (how Christ lived when he was here on earth) we could literally change the world in a matter of months.

Pillars of Protection and Excellence

I have heard the saying "He is a pillar in the community" many times.  I have always read it or heard it and just kept going.  I haven't really thought too much about what that saying means until recently.  A pillar is a heavy duty object that upholds something else.  It can be used to provide a support and stability to a pier, a building or other structure.  A person who is a pillar is one who is an ideal, who supports and upholds a community and provides stability.

We would all agree that the more solid pillars that are involved in a building project the more stable and safe the building will be.  A building with 10 pillars is going to be more stable and safe than a similar building with only 8 pillars.  The more the better.  We could also agree that certain buildings will require more pillars than others.  The amount of needed pillars will vary from one building to another depending on many factors like foundations, types of weather and other demands that will be placed upon the building.

I want to apply the idea of a Pillar to the concept of parenting, teaching, coaching and leading young people.  The young people we come into contact with throughout our week as teachers, coaches, youth workers, and community leaders all are in need of pillars in their lives.  And the more the better.  Some will require more than others, but all young people need pillars. Pillars are sources of help, stability and protection.

My theory is that the more strong, quality pillars that a young person has in their lives, the more likely they are to succeed in transitioning from a teenager into a productive, outstanding adult.

Who can be a pillar for a young person?  Most importantly are the young person's parents.  Kids who come from homes with two parents are far more likely to succeed statistically speaking.  Not every family is blessed to have a two parent home.  These kids need to be around a larger amount of non-parental pillars.  Success can and should still be achieved by the young person, regardless of their home life.  Not only do parents need to be pillars for their children, they have the responsibility of placing their children in a place to be influenced by other pillars.  Other great pillars are grandparents and aunts/uncles.  When these close family members are invested in being a pillar to their young relative great gain can be had.

Non-Family pillars are a great source of strength for the young person.  These can include coaches, pastors, youth leaders, teachers and other community sources.  Employers can be a great source of help and stability to a young person as well as they begin looking for a career path.

As a coach, teacher, youth leader please be a pillar in the lives of the young people you are around.  Bless them with your time, insights and care.  You cannot do the job alone, but you can be a major source of comfort and blessing to young people.  You can fill their lives with stability, love and care.  You are called to make a difference in their lives.

We cannot accurately determine (like an algebraic formula) with certainty how a young person will turn out based on the pillars.  Sociologists can make predictions and find averages.  However, many young people with few pillars will excel (Like Dr. Ben Carson), while other young people with a seemingly unlimited supply of pillars will fail.  Ultimately it is up to the young person to make the choices that will shape their lives.  Hopefully, with the right amount of pillars they can be guided into a life of excellence.