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.