I recently discovered that a favorite blog of mine had some artificially inflated numbers…
I discovered it by accident…I wasn’t looking for it, but there it was…something I thought was true…I thought the blog did better than it really does…wasn’t true…
I was disheartened…saddened…confused…
Then I remembered…
The main battle for your organization’s long-term success doesn’t exist where you are…it exists where you are going…
Regardless of how great something may be now, this moment will pass. The successes created today will soon fade.
Take writing for example. Unless you are Rick Warren or a handful of others, the best selling authors have to continue to create new stuff to stay on the best sellers list for long. In the business world, the hottest products are only as hot as the next great update or until another “greater” product is introduced.
The fact is momentum dies. People lose interest. Motivation for what you are promoting fades. That’s more true now than ever before. If an organization wants to be successful over time, then it must be winning the battle for the future.
Here are three aspects or planning for future growth every organization must have:
Here’s a fun way to tell you about a cool app or two…
What would you name this guy? I created him with my Touch Board application on iPad. I use this application to illustrate when I’m meeting with a few people or less and want to draw out what I’m trying to say.
If you are an iPad user, here are some of my other favorite apps:
In the eighth year of his reign, while he was still young, he began to seek the God of his father David. In his twelfth year he began to purge Judah and Jerusalem of high places, Asherah poles and idols. 2 Chronicles 34:3 (Emphasis mine.)
I read this verse this morning and it spoke to me. I’m sure I’ve read it dozens of times, but today a new thought occurred to me while reading.
Here’s my dog NaJe…She’s named for our boy’s Nathaniel (Nate) and Jeremy. She’s been a special dog.
In honor of my dog’s 11th birthday…Let’s talk pets today…
Are you a dog lover, a cat lover, or neither?
As a leader, there are two qualities that really I value in other people, drive & selflessness. In most circles, these two words seem contradictory & rarely used in the same sentence. However, both of those words describe my good friend, Wayne Elsey. Wayne is the Founder & CEO of Soles4Souls. His drive has lead Soles4Souls to become one of the fastest growing non-profits in the country, but his attitude reflects total selflessness. A few months ago, I interviewed Wayne in my leadership series. You can read it HERE.
Don’t rush every decision…every movement you make doesn’t have to be made at rocket pace…
I recognize the pace of life and the speed at which the world is moving…
But sometimes wrestling for a while with a decision is the better option…
A few examples I’ve learned the hard way:
Driving back from Nashville yesterday I listened to sports talk radio. The subject was the same I have been hearing for weeks. Everyone wants to talk about what’s wrong with the Titans. Everyone has his or her own theory. As I said in a previous post, (Read it HERE) I am a not an avid sports fan. I love sports, I love watching sports, but I don’t memorize player’s names or keep up with many statistics, I just enjoy sports.
I do keep up with leadership however, and as I said in my previous post, I think the main issue for the Titans now is a leadership problem. When leadership is uncertain or unsettled, it will impact the entire team. That’s an organizational leadership principle, and it’s true because it deals with people, which mean you can see the principle at work in business, in churches, and on professional football teams.
So, as one who does understand the subject of organizational leadership, here are 5 leadership suggestions I offer the Tennessee Titans leadership:
As a pastor, sometimes it feels we wear a lot of hats. This is a random list I quickly put together of roles I sometimes get to play as a pastor:
We have almost created a culture where the term management is seen as a negative term. I believe this is dangerous.
With the rising interest in the field of leadership, the task of management is starting to get a bad name. Organizations don’t look for managers anymore, they look for leaders. It seems unpopular or not as appealing to say “I’m a manager” as it is to say “I’m a leader”.
In organizations today, leadership has overpowered management as the desired function. I understand it ….But…
