The Fear Factor

The opening chapter of the book of Joshua is one of my favorite in the entire Bible. It is a chapter of hope and inspiration. Joshua must take over the leadership role from Moses. The greatest leader in the history of the Jewish people; the mediator who provided the 10 Commandments from God Himself; the human voice calling down the 10 plagues on the nation of Egypt; the leader at the parting of the Red Sea; and redeemer of the people out of the slavery in the land of the pyramids. How do you follow a leader like that? How do you fill the sandals of a legend? How do you take over after 40 years of Moses' impact?

God gently and yet firmly promises His hand of success to Joshua as the new leader stands firm on God's word. The first chapter records God's exhortation to Joshua to be strong and courageous three times in just four verses (1:6-9).

I especially like Joshua 1:9 because it implies two areas of struggle for Joshua. Both of which ring in my ears with the sounds of reality. This passage reads, “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.” Notice the two factors that will attempt to rob the leader of strength and courage: the fear factor and the failure factor. This blog will explore the first factor....stay tuned for the failure factor in the days ahead.

The Fear Factor: do not be terrified. After 40 years of wandering, it is now time to enter the promised land and conquer the enemies that lie ahead. Joshua has been to the land (one of the original spies) and seen the giants up close and personal. After so many years of gathering manna it was now time to pick up weapons and claim the inheritance.

As I read this passage, the TV show, The Fear Factor, quickly came to mind. This reality show brought contestants together to face their fears head on. Each show was made up of three stunts. The first stunt was a physical stunt testing the fear of physical inadequacies (jumping from one building to another, holding on to a rope extended from a helicopter flying 50 feet above a lake). The second stunt was aimed more at the mental challenges of fear. Eating live bugs, or immersing one's entire body in disgusting or intimidating animals (in a tank with alligators, lying in a box filled with tarantulas). The last fear usually consisted of some extreme type of stunt seen in an action film involving heights, water and vehicles.

Scripture does not delineate Joshua's fears but I can think of at least three (just like the show) that would be good possibilities. First, the fear of human inability. Joshua was just a man following in the shadow of the great Moses. Did he have the talents needed to lead the people? Were his skills adequate to do the job? Second, the fear of doubt. Did Joshua really hear the call of God on his life? Maybe it was just some bad baloney (spoiled manna). Maybe someone younger should be taking charge. Were his ideas too old? Was his physical body able to keep up with the challenges ahead? Third, the fear of the plan. Will his plan really work? As the leader, he will have to make an incredible amount of decisions that will affect thousands if not millions of people. Was his plan strong enough to stand up against the enemies of the land?

The last part of Joshua 1:9 gives the assurance and solution to the Fear Factor. Joshua can be strong and courageous because of God's presence with the leader. “Do not be terrified....for the Lord your God will be with you...” Notice the little term for. Whenever I see it in the Bible I read it for the f(ollowing) o(bvious) r(eason). For is a term that prepares its readers to hear the reason for the previous declaration. Don't be afraid – why? For the following obvious reason – God will be with you wherever you go.

Joshua was capable. His talents and skills were adequate. Why? Not because he possessed some superhuman power; not because he was smarter than the enemy; not because his armies were stronger than the giants of the land. Rather it was because God was going to be with him wherever he went.

Joshua's plan would be successful not because of his great strategic insight; not because of the projections and statistical analysis of a research team; not because superior planning (marching around a city seven times and then blowing trumpets is not included in the top ten military approaches). No, the plan will work because the Lord his God was going with him.

Joshua's call was real. Verse 9 begins. “Have I not commanded you?” This five word rhetorical question is so powerful.

“Have I” - God, the Creator/Sustainer/Sovereign History Maker/Almighty One

“not commanded” - no suggestion here; no guidelines; these are orders, God told him, He is requiring him to lead the people.

“you” - not Caleb, not your best friend, not the priest – you. The call is personal, individual – it is just you and ME. And I will be with you wherever you go.

These are great words for leaders who are following after God. I would encourage any leader to read this first chapter in Joshua. Note the heart of the leader; pay attention to the requirement of obedience to God's word; and draw strength and courage from God's promises.

Basketball 101

I love basketball. I am a fan from the couch; and in my younger days I thoroughly enjoyed running up and down the court looking for the assist or setting up for my jump shot. I got more of a charge out of making a good pass than I did out of scoring points. Playing defense was like playing a chess match. My goal was to outguess the offensive player in order to intercept a pass, block a shot or steal the ball. I sure experienced my share of fouls, turnovers, and missed layups, but all-in-all the game of basketball is such a great team sport demanding total collaboration.

I grew up in West Virginia and I remember playing organized basketball on my school’s team. We had a group of talented players, but we never won the championship because we never really functioned as a team. We had two major stars (Randy and Curtis) – they were the best ball handlers, the best shooters, and the fastest players in the school. They also had the biggest egos, the greatest need to score the most points, and the deepest desire to be in the spotlight. Both of them were black holes – you could pass them the ball but once the ball went to them, it never came back out – they could be counted on to shoot the ball from any angle and any spot on the court. They were also the first to complain when another player missed a shot or made a mistake. Victory was always their crowning moment while defeat was always someone else’s mistake.

Our school did not lack for talent but they experienced a dearth of team players. Randy and Curtis held all the individual statistics and rode the crest of basketball stardom. But there were one or two other schools, with less talent but more cooperation, that beat us every year.

Effective organizations are very much the same way. Most often the competitive advantage that some companies have over others is not the level of talent, or the star CEO. It is rather the buy-in of the people and the shared vision they have toward a common goal. Teamwork within an organization is one of the keys to success. The star can often cause discontent and jealousy. A massive ego usually results in a decrease in the motivation of others. Hogging the praise and failing to share the ball with teammates, tends to turn unity into a group of silos – each employee looking out for number one.

One of the things I love about basketball is the need for all five players to perform as a unit. A rebound leads to a kick out pass which results in a fast break that ends in a great pass for a slam dunk. I so enjoy a half court offense that whips the ball around the perimeter, then inside, then back out for the open three-point shot. I have seen organizations function this way as well. Discussions bounce back and forth with a variety of opinions and perspective being shared then agreement is solidified which leads to great solidarity in the decision. I have seen team members yielding their personal agendas for the benefit of the company. I have watched effective leaders as they parcel out the praise to many for the roles played in the overall success of a project. Team is powerful when it works. 

A Leadership Collage

Leadership is the dynamic, interactive process of creating, communicating and transforming vision into reality. With this working definition in mind, leadership takes on the aura of metamorphosis – the changing of the present into a better tomorrow.....the moving forward with greater excellence.....the growing and maturing of innovation.

Let me suggest a few pictures of leadership that might help define the multifaceted layers of this abstract concept. Leadership gives direction like a compass. As an organization strives to find its way in the midst of a foggy forest, leadership can point the people to true north. A compass is not influenced by the opinion of others or the pressure of peers; it is based upon a constant reliance on the pull of absolute truth.

Leadership provides light within the shadows of doubt and the darkness of despair. Leadership is like a lighthouse projecting the bright beam of guidance to ships that need a sense of security. Illuminating the shore and the danger of the rocky coast, the lighthouse provides a warning of the unseen and shouts of clarity in the storms of uncertainty.

Effective leadership creates a culture of excellence. Leadership shapes the priorities and mission of the organization. Leadership is like the potter who fashions a lump of clay into a vessel of great value. Like the potter at the wheel, so a dynamic leader carefully forms and shapes the tasks, and the agenda, and the people, and the program of the organization. Leadership involves creativity and an eye for quality. The potter holds great power in his/her hands... the power to craft and the power to destroy... the power to shape or the power to crush. Effective leadership exercises the power of symmetry and balance.

Leadership takes people from the present into the future aligning them with a vision that yields great fruit. Leadership has destination at its core. Leadership is like a bridge. Having the opportunity to hike the Grand Canyon about a year ago, I was so impressed with the topography of the environment. At times the rugged cliffs were impassible if it were not for a bridge that spans the chasm allowing the hiker a safe path to follow. To traverse the Colorado River without a bridge would be treacherous at best and deadly without care. Leadership plays the role of a bridge allowing an organization to move from today to a better tomorrow.

 

Leadership also adds adventure and excitement to an organization. Leadership brings about change, challenges people to take a certain amount of risk, and provides the expertise for a safe arrival at the journey's end. Leadership is like a jet pilot. I have never touched a jet fighter, let alone flown with an air force pilot, but just watching the Thunderbirds from the ground takes my breath away. The speed, the accuracy, the precision, and the excitement of those jets flying in formation is thrilling to watch. Leadership has a way of offering that kind of adventure to a group of people. The more the organization trusts the leader, the faster the plane can fly. The greater the skill of the leader, the more accurate is the flight toward the destination, and the greater the commitment to the mission, the greater the thrill of the ride.

Finally, every significant organization has a final product, an end goal, a bull's eye of focus. Leadership needs to design a blueprint for success. Leadership is like an architect. A vision is not a nebulous blob or a fuzzy picture. Vision has clarity, focus, and definition. Leadership draws the floor plans...leadership creates the building... leadership constructs the infrastructure... leadership lays the foundation, raises the walls, places the rafters, plumbs, wires, paints and furnishes the rooms.

Leadership is quite difficult to define. Sometimes a word-picture paints an image that captures an aspect of leadership. And sometimes that picture resonates with meaning that helps clarify the abstract. If you have such a word-picture, I would love to hear from you.

The Anatomy of Authentic Leadership Pt.2

In my last blog submission, the topic of integrity and authenticity was explored using the metaphor of the human body. The Bible utilizes this picture in the book of Proverbs as Solomon provides wisdom that is so relevant to today's leader. In part one of this two-part reflection, I gave some quick comments on the first two parts of the body mentioned by Solomon: the ears and the heart. Let's complete the picture by touching on the last three aspects of his anatomical portrait of leadership.

“Pay attention to what I say; listen closely to my words. Do not let them out of your sight, keep them within your heart; for they are life to those who find them and health to a man's whole body.

Above all else, guard your heart, for it is a wellspring of life.

Put away perversity from your mouth; keep corrupt talk far from your lips.

Let your eyes look straight ahead. Fix your gaze directly before you.

Make level paths for your feet and take only ways that are firm. Do not swerve to the right or the left; keep your foot from evil” Proverbs 4:22 – 27.

Pay attention...listen closely – the ears! Above all else, guard your heart as a wellspring of life – the heart! Solomon continues, “Put away perversity from your mouth; keep corrupt talk far from your lips” - the mouth.

Perversity is taking what is good and proper and turning it into something evil. I can think of nothing easier than using words to do just that; twisting the truth to say something that is misleading; exaggerating the facts until reality is not to be found (the little fish is all of a sudden a record catch); the sarcastic comment that turns excitement into criticism, announcements into argument, optimism into opposition. Corrupt talk manifests itself in so many different ways – lies, slander, gossip, teasing, bullying, intimidation, manipulation, rationalization, and even false flattery. Did you notice Solomon's intensity in his exhortation – keep this kind of talk far from your lips. Don't get close to it!

There are lots of diseases of the mouth from gingivitis to stomatitis to candidiasis to cheilitis to burning mouth syndrome to cancer, but Solomon warns of the spiritual disease that I have called Acid Tongue. Another disease that will corrupt the anatomy of authenticity. 

The eyes - “Let your eyes look straight ahead. Fix your gaze directly before you.” The disease of Wandering Eyes can cause spiritual blindness. Turing your eyes to the right or to the left takes your focus off the straight and narrow path. As we walk down through life, there are so many temptations that are calling our name. It is much like my experience at the Mercado in the Dominican Republic. The cross between a flea market and a carnival, the Mercado is filled with vendors and tourists all making deals for the best prices on the merchandise. Every price is subject to barter and every offer is open to a counter offer. Walking down the narrow aisle ways is an adventure in itself, Every vendor is calling out for your attention. Every booth is inviting you in to see the very best prices. Every shop owner is vying for your eyes. So it is in life, so it is in leadership. Many voices calling out wanting you to look their way.

This powerful verse in Proverbs reminds me of one of my favorite songs written by Helen H. Lemmel – not because of the melody as much as for the words, “Turn your eyes upon Jesus; Look full in his wonderful face. And the things of earth will grow strangely dim, in the light of His glory and grace.” Sandi Patti in her song, “Upon This Rock”, puts it this way: “When others see with earthly eye just what they want to see, you will see the things that never die; you will know and recognize by simple child-like faith the priceless truth that others will deny.”

The feet – four phrases of Solomon spell out four keys for the leader. First, “make level paths”- every authentic leader must make deep commitments to doing the right thing. The temptation to cut corners must be avoided to maintain integrity. Second, “take only ways that are firm”- a leader's decisions must be based on the universal truth of God's word. The world view of the leader must be the rock, the sounding board, the scale of justice that prevails in the board room, the office, and at home. Three, “do not serve” - straying to the left or to the right (first with the eyes and now with the feet) leads into disobedience, sin, and failure. Reputation takes a lifetime to build and only one foolish mistake to destroy. Four, “keep your foot from evil” - a leader must be aware of who he is and where he is going. I was out jogging the other day and I was just not paying attention to where I was going. The next thing I knew, I was ankle deep in the mud. The leader must run the race with a great sensitivity to where he is placing his feet. The spiritual disease of Crooked Feet can cause the leader to trip and fall, greatly impede his progress, or derail him off the narrow track.

The ears – the filter of advice and philosophy. The heart – the emotions of the leader. The mouth – the words that edify or destroy one's ministry. The eyes – the ability to focus on the mission and vision of life. The feet – the path of action that transforms a leader's vision into reality. Avoid the diseases and lead with authenticity and integrity.

The Anatomy of Authentic Leadership

Most leaders desire to lead with integrity. I know of very few individuals that use their office of leadership to intentionally rob, cheat or slander others. And yet, despite good intentions, some leaders find themselves in the midst of compromise.... some make small choices that lead to other small choices that open the door to temptations that lead to destruction. How do leaders safeguard against moral and ethical failure? Having recently read a great book written by a wise monarch, this very question seemed to be at the core of his comments.

The writer uses the human body as an object lesson for protecting one's integrity. The monarch is King Solomon and the great book is Proverbs. Listen to his incredible advice:

“Pay attention to what I say; listen closely to my words. Do not let them out of your sight, keep them within your heart; for they are life to those who find them and health to a man's whole body.

Above all else, guard your heart, for it is a wellspring of life.

Put away perversity from your mouth; keep corrupt talk far from your lips.

Let your eyes look straight ahead. Fix your gaze directly before you.

Make level paths for your feet and take only ways that are firm. Do not swerve to the right of the left; keep your foot from evil” Proverbs 4:22 – 27.

Notice in this charge how the total man is addressed. Failure can occur in so many ways and the battle for integrity can be fought on a diversity of fronts. Solomon mentions five parts of the body that must be readied for the war of ethics: the ear, the heart, the mouth, the eyes and the feet. These five key areas make up the anatomy of integrity. Let quickly look at each one.

The ear is the first mentioned because without the ear, no advice can be heard...without hearing there can be not application. “Pay attention...listen closely.” Sure sounds like a mom/dad correcting their child during those early years of life. Sounds a lot like a coach who is able to see a flaw in an athlete's game. Sounds like a teacher passionately communicating his/her love for reality. Notice that the exhortation is much more than just hearing the words; it is focusing, understanding, comprehending, wrapping one's mind around the depth of the ramifications of the truth...pay attention...listen closely. As we strive for integrity in our leadership we must strive to avoid the dreaded disease called degenerating eustachian tubes or clogged ear – “he who has an ear, let him listen to what the Spirit says to the church” (Rev. 2:7).

Once those words make it into your ears, notice how they travel – “do not let them out of your sight” – they need to navigate to your eyes; “keep them within your heart” - they need to sink deep within the innermost part of your being. How important and powerful are these words of truth? They are life to those who find them (not just hear them but discover them, engage them, apply them) and they are health to the whole body.

The heart is of prime importance in the anatomy of integrity. Solomon highlights the priority of the heart by imploring his reader, “Above all else, guard your heart.” The seat of emotion and passion drives so much of life – compassion, love, gentleness, kindness, mercy all flow from the heart. And yet Jeremiah says that the heart of man is desperately wicked. And so, housed in the heart is also jealousy, lust, greed, and pride. And so top priority is to guard the heart, to protect the emotions and to propagate purity in the control center of our beings. When a life is guided by an unguarded heart, misaligned or wrong emotion begin to make choices that the intellect would never desire. Immoral and unethical decisions are often made when the emotions are in control and consequences are just not thought through.

The heart is described as the wellspring of life. When you consider the positive emotions found in man, (joy, peace, happiness, love, compassion, enthusiasm, humor, excitement, anticipation, fulfillment, curiosity, determination, etc.) it is easy to see how the heart is the source of life's satisfactions. Out of the heart flows one's zeal of life, the zest for the future, and the zip of the present. One of the nation's leading causes of death is heart disease (coronary heart disease (CHD) is a narrowing of the small blood vessels that supply blood and oxygen to the heart) – so in leadership one of the greatest causes of failure is CHD (calcified heart disease) as the wellspring of life is replaced with attitudes and emotions of lust, evil, death and destruction.

Listen and pay attention with ears of faith! Make guarding the heart a priority! Next blog – we take a quick look at the final three aspects of the anatomy of integrity: the mouth, the eyes, and the feet.

Good and Perfect Gifts

It is difficult for me to read the Bible without hearing the voices of leadership crying out for attention. Most of the verses of the Bible are not aimed directly at leadership and yet the exhortations to the followers of Jesus seem to be amplified when the reader puts them in the context of leadership. For example, listen to the powerful words of James 1:16-18, “Don't be deceived, my dear brothers. Every good and perfect gift is from above coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows. He chose to give us birth through the word of truth that we might be a kind of firstfruits of all he created.”

Don't be deceived! Deceived about what? These verses seem to indicate that the deception rests in the role of God in our lives. Notice the incredible description that James provides of the nature and activity of God. God is the giver of good/perfect gifts (no mistakes, no tricks, no manipulation); God is the Father of light (no darkness, no sin, no deception); God is changeless (no shadows, no moods, no contradictions). God possesses a sovereign will (he chose to give us birth). He provides spiritual creation (he chose to give us birth). He is the agent of truth (he chose to give us birth through the word of truth) and he acts with a divine purpose (he chose to give us birth through the word of truth that we might be a kind of first fruits).

So how does this relate so much to leadership? There are several ways, but let me share one in this blog. It involves the deception that often accompanies the good and perfect gifts that come down from the Father of lights. The good things of life are sometimes the objects of huge temptations. The good and the fun often take on the faces of perversion. The genuine gift can be displaced with counterfeit currency. When you evaluate the ineffectiveness of men and women in leadership, you can often trace the crash to one of the following five areas.

First: taking the good and perfect gift of art and creation and perverting it into pornography. This deception ruins leadership by taking the beauty of God's craftsmanship and majesty and warping it into objects of lust and sensuality. How many leaders have fallen into the trap of pornography allowing the addiction to destroy their effectiveness, steal away the cultivation of loving relationships, and rob them of hours of productivity.

Second: taking the good gift of competition, athletics, and hard work and perverting them into cheating, winning at all costs, and revenge. How fun is a race, a contest, or a board game. But some leaders have fallen into destruction because winning the game became the all-consuming goal of life. Winning was worth more than ethics. Being on top was more desirable that reputation, honesty, or integrity.

Third: taking the good gifts of relationships of life and twisting them into immorality. I have become so disheartened in recent years with the immorality of leadership in our country. From the presidency to athletes to teachers to priests to coaches to Christian leaders, immorality screams from the headlines on a weekly basis. The exchange of sexual intimacy within the bonds of marriage for the alternatives of adultery and homosexuality brings havoc on the legacy of leadership. Clinton, Tiger, Haggard, Sandusky, etc. etc. etc. My, how the powerful can crash and burn when the good gift is abused.

Fourth: communication is an incredible gift. Being able to share with someone else your thoughts, your dreams, and your insights is a marvelous gift. I cannot imagine how awful it would be to forfeit such a gift. And yet man has managed to so pervert the art of verbal communication that profanity fills the mouths of singers, actors, writers, neighbors, parents, role models, and even children. God's name is used extensively across our country but how often it is associated with a curse or an expression of frustration. OMG is such a common phrase that has so cheapened the holiness of the Creator that many conversations are literally painful to my ears.

Finally: even the good gift of food can be abused. According the the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, during the past 20 years, there has been a dramatic increase in obesity in the United States and rates remain high. More than one-third of U.S. adults (35.7%) and approximately 17% (or 12.5 million) of children and adolescents aged 2-19 years are obese. Do we live to eat or do we eat to live? I am not saying that you cannot be a good leader if you are overweight. But I do believe that being physically fit can help an individual be more effective in their leadership role. More energy, better stamina, greater focus can all be impacted by proper diet and weight. Even the great tastes of God's good food can be shifted into a temptation of deception.

“Don't be deceived, my dear brothers. Every good and perfect gift is from above.” Choose wisely and lead effectively.

The Leadership Tightrope

What do Maria Spelterini, Jean Francois Gravelot, William Leonard Hunt, and Stephen Peer, all have in common. Who?..... OK, these are not the most easily recognizable names, but they have all accomplished an activity with which we can all identify – they all tightrope walked across Niagara Falls. Maria, the first woman (and only) to cross the falls. She made five successful walks on July 8, 12, 19, 22, 26, 1876. Jean Francois Gravelot, better known as The Great Blondin, made nine crossings in 1859. His most difficult crossing, August 14, 1859, occurred when he carried his manager (Harry Colcord) on his back. William Leonard Hunt (aka, The Great Farini) crossed on August 15, 1860; and Stephen Peer made the death defying stroll on June 22, 1887 .

I don't know if you noticed or not, but the tightrope walk across the Niagara is in the news this month. Nik Wallenda (33 years old), a seventh generation member of the legendary Flying Wallendas circus family, is planning on walking over the falls on June 15, 2012. Nik plans to walk across the 160-foot gorge on a 2-inch wire some 60-70 feet above the water.

I can only imagine the experience, the preparation, the practice, and the anxiety of making such an attempt. However, in some ways leadership is very much like walking a tightrope. Balance is critical and the temporary loss of equilibrium can cause disaster to the walker. We have a Wii game that involves a tightrope walker. The player stands on a balance board and walks in place. As you walk the Wii character moves from one building to another on a tightrope. If you fail to maintain your balance, the Wii character falls off the rope.

As I thought about the tightrope of leadership, six areas of balance came to my mind. I am sure that there are a lot more examples that could fit this model, but let's consider these six for the sake of this blog posting.

One, the balance of People vs. Paper. This common tension is between tasks and individuals; the to-do list and the personnel needed to do the list; the paperwork on the desk versus the morale and inspiration of the employees. A proper balance between the two is essential to stay on the rope. Too much emphasis on the paper and the leader alienates his team. Too much emphasis on personal relationships and the critical tasks of the organization can be fumbled and corporate consequences can be crushing.

Two, the balance between Empowerment and Authority. A difficult decision for most leaders involves the use of power. With certain positions comes a degree of power – what the leader does with that power often defines his/her effectiveness. How much does the leader give away by empowering others to embrace higher levels of responsibility and how much does the leader maintain on his/her desk? Giving or keeping; sharing or restricting; letting out the rope or holding on to it.

Three, the balance between Trust and Accountability. Valuing the talents of others and trusting them to perform at the highest quality is a major building block to effective leadership. On the other hand, setting deadlines, requiring updates, and overseeing the vision is just as important. These two concepts are often two weights that must be balanced. Walking this tightrope is dangerous and tricky. Too much trust and not enough accountability can end in a incomplete job and disappointing results. Too much accountability and not enough trust smacks of micromanagement and sends messages that devalue the work of others.

Four, the balance of Collaboration and Independence. When does the leader make the decision and when does he consult others? When does a situation call for the leader to come to the plate and hit the ball himself and when does the situation call for the brainstorm of the leadership team? When does a committee just stir the pot of confusion and when does it serve as a sounding board for creative alternatives? A leader must walk this tightrope in the daily decision making that fills his/her agenda. Wisdom in this walk has the potential of providing vision while assuring buy-in from the stakeholders of the organization.

Five, the balance of Grace and Consequences. In order for a company to move forward, creativity must be encouraged, accepted, and rewarded. Creativity involves risk – risk will sometimes result in failure – failure must be embraced as a positive indicator of movement. In order to establish a culture of creativity, grace must abound and creative employees must not fear failure. On the other hand , failure due to incompetence or irresponsibility cannot be overlooked. Trying something new that ends in poor results should be different than maintaining the status quo that ends in poor results. Compassionate understanding, supportive encouragement, and praise for innovative ideation.... or disappointing criticism, plans for improvement, and concern for contract renewal.... this tightrope is not always easy to discern.

Six, the balance of Humor and Sobriety. I love to laugh. I have been in many situations over the years that I have turned to humor in order to cope with the tension of a particular situation. A mentor in my life told me 25 years ago, “Don't forget to laugh, otherwise life can get mighty grim.” The other side of the leadership coin is the need to communicate urgency, the ability to share with genuine sobriety, and coming to the bottom line with sincere reality. Too much humor and no one takes the leader seriously – get real! Too much sobriety and the leader comes across too serious – lighten up! This tightrope is no laughing matter and balance must be maintained for effectiveness.

As you face some of the tightropes described above or encounter some of your own, consider these three pieces of advice. One, try to stay calm. The fear of falling often causes an individual to fall. Two, remember the idea of balance. Neither the right or the left is necessarily bad, but when one side pulls you out of balance, your entire effectiveness can tumble. Three, tightrope walking takes lots of practice – don't start with the rope 50 feet in the air – try some walks from the height of about 6 inches. The fall does not hurt nearly as bad.

Nehemiah 3 – A List of Names

In Nehemiah 1, we find the leader with a burden when he hears that the walls of Jerusalem are in ruin. This chapter tells of Nehemiah's earnest prayer to the God of heaven on behalf of the people living in the ruined capital city with burning gates. His burden is noticed by the king, his boldness extends to petitioning that king for help, his plan is blessed by the heavenly God and the earthly king.

Nehemiah Chapter 2 finds the leader in Jerusalem discerning the reality of the destruction and the urgency of the problem. He researches, he prepares, he plans, and then he casts his vision to the people. The chapter ends with the people shouting in one voice the cry of action and demonstrating their commitment by picking up the bricks of restoration.

Chapter 3 is an incredible chapter, but don't attempt to read it in public unless your love to pronounce name after name of the Jewish builders. All 32 verses contain the account of the personal engagement of individuals in the rebuilding of the walls. The names do not mean much to me, but some of the details of the people are fascinating. Keep in mind as we look at the specific details that the entire chapter projects the need for community, the essential aspect of unity, and the combined effort of all the individuals to reach the goal.

The first individual mentioned in chapter 3 is Eliashib, who just happens to be the high priest. My mental picture of the high priest is that of a pious, distinguished, rabbi-type man dressed in a flowing robe with a turban on his head attached with the message, “Holy unto the Lord.” The high priest is the central spiritual figure in the life of Jerusalem. His position demanded respect and his authority in spiritual matters set the tone for the nation. But here, we see the high priest rolling up his sleeves, putting on his jeans, and getting his hands dirty with the work of rebuilding. It is not a coincidence that he is listed first, for rebuilding the walls of the city was primarily a spiritual activity; it required a serious commitment to God; and it demanded a sacrifice greater than the animals offered in the temple.

From the high priest we move to the general population. In verse 3 and again in verse 5 specific names are not mentioned – just the men of Jericho and the men of Tekoa. I find the men of Tekoa especially interesting for two reasons. First, their group involves the only negative statement in this chapter, “The next section was repaired by the men of Tekoa, but their nobles would not put their shoulders to the work under their supervisors.” The men were willing but their leadership was not. Second, not only did the men of Tekoa build one section but they rebuilt a second section as recorded in verse 27. Bravo for these men willing to ignore their nobles and go the second mile in the reconstruction project.

I love some of the professions that are mentioned in this chapter, often working side by side to bring restoration to the city. You can find the goldsmiths in verses 8, 31, and 32. These craftsmen are artists who are using their talented hands to lay brick; their gifted hands, that are their source of livelihood, are now being cut and bruised by the rocks of repair. Notice that the perfume-makers (v. 8) are right beside their artist friends. These chemists-salesmen would most likely be way out of their skill set, but none-the-less they are laboring with all the rest. Merchants (v. 32) are listed as well as participants. The business men and shop owners have joined the workforce with a shared vision of raising the walls of the city.

This effort was a trickle-down effort as well. The rulers (v 9-19) shouldered personal responsibility in the effort. It was not air-conditioned offices and supervisory assignments for the leader – no they were working side by side with the merchants and the artists. I really like the ruler mentioned in verse 12; Shallum included his daughters in the rebuilding process. Talk about a family activity that will be remembered for a lifetime – those girls had the opportunity to participate in a nationwide effort to restore the spiritual history of their country.

Not everyone did the same amount of work. Some did more than others, but countless people were involved. Some repaired 500 yards of the wall (v. 13) while some concentrated on the wall right in front of their houses (v. 28). Some built out of obligation while Baruch zealously repaired his section (v. 20) - I would have loved to have seen him work. I can imagine the inspiration and encouragement Baruch must have been to those around him.

As I read this chapter over a couple of times, I suddenly realized that Nehemiah is not mentioned as a participant in the process. Could it be that this great leader was resting under an olive tree while the people worked? Maybe he was standing lookout and protecting the people from the threats of the enemy. But no...Chapter 5:16 reads, “I devoted myself to the work on this wall. All my men were assembled there for the work.” Nehemiah and his men were in the thick of of the masonry adventure.

The results of all this community effort? Chapter 4 verse 6: “So we rebuilt the wall till it reached half its height for the people worked with all their heart.” The work had begun. In fact, the work was half way to completion. But what I love about this verse is the reason for the success – for the people worked with all their heart. Motivation, commitment, and inspiration can accomplish great things when they are combined with unity of purpose and a shared vision. From the leader to the high priest to the artist to the youth of the community, this group of people demonstrated strength of purpose, powerful determination and resolve, and a collaborative support to accomplished amazing results. There are lots of good lessons to apply from this chapter of names.

Top Ten Mistakes Pt 2

Hans Finzel wrote a powerful little book in 1994 called “The Top Ten Mistakes Leaders Make.” It was relevant when I first read it a decade ago. I recently pulled the book off the shelf and began to sift through the contents - I quickly realized that we continue to face many if the same pitfalls as leaders in the 21^st century. I decided to mix some of my ideas with the major concepts presented by Dr. Finzel in a two part blog. The first submission explored the first five mistakes. With no surprise this second part will reflect on the final five problems defined in Finzel's book. If you want a quick and enjoyable read on leadership from a Christian perspective, I would recommend this insightful and humorous 200-page book.

Mistake #6 – Dirty Delegation. In the introduction to this chapter Finzel makes two powerful statements: “Overmanaging is one of the great cardinal sins of poor leadership,” and “Nothing frustrates those who work for you more than sloppy delegation with too many strings attached.” Dirty delegation often appears in one of three ways. First, it can take the form of micromanaging. Assigning a task and then looking over the shoulder of the new owner of the task. Micromanaging is like having your boss stand over you while you are typing a document pointing out every time you misspell a word or making editorial changes before you have had opportunity to proofread your work. Second, dirty delegation can take the form of giving responsibility without any authority to make decisions. You are to plan next month's orientation of new employees, but you are required to seek the boss's approval on every detail of the plan. Third, dirty delegation can also consist of dumping responsibility with no direction of accountability. The new leader has been given the task and is left alone to sink or swim without help, insight, advice, or deadlines.

Mistake #7 – Communication Chaos. You would think in the world of technology with email, twitter, facebook, and texting, that we would be a well oiled communication machine, but we are not. Technology has just given us more means to transmit more messages in a shorter amount of time than ever before. That empowerment causes us to be overwhelmed at time with strains and threads of communication links. It also give more opportunities to fail in our communication attempts, more avenues to miscommunicate, and more holes through which meaningful messages can be lost. One day I was concentrating on responding to my emails. For every one email I was able to answer, three new ones appeared in my inbox. I was further behind at the end of the day than I was at the beginning even though I worked the entire day trying to communicate. Once an email is sent the sender thinks that you have read it, formulated a response, and have the answer somewhere in cyberspace. If they do not receive an answer within a few hours, they feel rejected, angry, or frustrated that you are not a good communicator.

Mistake #8 – Missing the Clues of Corporate Culture. Establishing core values and defining the vision for the organization are absolute keys for effective leadership. Without the flags of the institution clearly defined and flying high as banners from every flagpole of the company, employees will find themselves questioning the identity of the organization. Finzel says that corporate value statements are “like glue...they help the leaders hold an organization together; they are like a magnet...they attract newcomers as members, employees, customers, or donors; they are like a ruler....by which a leader can measure how his or her group is doing” (p. 143).

Mistake #9 – Success without Successors. Let me share some bullet statements provided by the book without much commentary:

“Pride tightens the grip of leadership; humility relaxes and lets go” (p.157).

“Letting go of leadership is like sending your children away to college; It hurts, but has to be done” (p. 157).

“Leaders who stay too long do much more damage than those who don't stay long enough” (p.159).

“Organizations live and die on the basis of their flow of new leadership talent” (p. 161).

“How we pass that torch might just be the ultimate measure of our leadership success” (p. 177).

Mistake #10 – Failure to Focus on the Future. Vision is at the core of my definition of leadership. Leadership is the dynamic, interactive process of creating, communicating, and transforming vision into reality. I blog often about vision. I feel so strongly that vision is absolutely key to the health of an organization and the speed in which that organization is moving toward a meaningful goal. Finzel provides a quote from T.E. Lawrence that I have written in my treasure book of leadership gold:

All men dream; but not equally.

Those who dream by night in the dusty recesses of their minds

Awake to find that it was vanity;

But dreamers of day are dangerous men,

That they may act their dreams with open eyes to make it possible.

Ten deadly mistakes, any one of which can collapse an entire organization or destroy an individual leader. Ten pools of quicksand looming to suck the life and energy from effective leaders. Ten cliffs to avoid at all costs. Lord, help me to walk carefully and seek forgiveness when I fall.

Finzel, H. (1994). The top ten mistakes leaders make. Wheaton, Ill: Victor Books.

Top Ten Mistakes

I was recently looking at some of my leadership books and noticed a volume written almost 20 years ago (copyright 1994) by Hans Finzel called “The Top Ten Mistakes Leaders Make.” I remember how relevant it was when I first read through it well over a decade ago. I pulled the book off the shelf and began to review the material between the covers. I quickly realized that we have not learned that much since the 90s. Many of the top 10 would still make the most wanted list. I thought it might be helpful to review Dr. Finzel's ideas with a few insights from my own experience. During this post I will explore the first five mistakes and in the next few days conclude with the last five leadership errors.

Mistake #1: The Top-down Attitude. The abuse of power, authority and position to accomplish the leader's agenda seems to be at the heart of this mistake. Finzel summarizes this deadly fallacy in the following quote, “You would think people would have learned by now. Yet it still keeps cropping up, that age-old problem of domineering, autocratic, top-down leadership. Of all the sins of poor leadership, none is greater and none is still committed more often, generation after generation” (p 22).

I call this the Rehoboam syndrome. When Rehoboam became king of Israel after the death of his father, Solomon, the people approached him with pleas of mercy and cooperation. Solomon had ruled the people with a top-down attitude that is depicted as a heavy yoke. After contemplating the request of the people, here is Rehoboam's reply (found in 1 Kings 12): “My little finger is thicker than my father's waist. My father laid on you a heavy yoke; I will make it even heavier. My father scourged you with whips; I will scourge you with scorpions.” That's the kind of statement that makes you want to sign up for volunteer work, doesn't it?

Mistake #2: Putting Paperwork before Peoplework. Finzel makes a powerful statement in this chapter of his book, “It is almost necessary to be a workaholic to make it as a Christian leader” (p 41). There is something about the American view of success that demands a full schedule, an overflowing plate of responsibilities, and a calendar with very little margin. Leadership effectiveness is often measured in the number of tasks accomplished off the ever-growing to do list. The buzz word in today's society is multi-tasking not multi-sensitivity to the needs of others.

Even with the explosion of social media, the emphasis is on the media more than the social. Close friendships, strong relationships, deep conversations, quality time of dialog and discussion rarely happen in the network of Facebook or the electronic world of email. In fact the availability of social networks has curbed the skills of verbal communication. Listening is become a lost art form and empathy has been replaced with a quick text ending with a sad face.

Mistake #3: The Absence of Affirmation. Finzel points to five significant ways that we can affirm others: Listening (James 1:19); Empathizing (Romans 12:15); Comforting (2 Corinthians 1:3-4); Carrying burdens (Galatians 6:2) and Encouraging (1 Thessalonians 5:11). I really like this quote from the book, “Even if you have to correct someone, good supervisors are people who can step on your toes without messing up your shine and give people a shot in the arm without letting them feel the needle” (p. 60).

There are many people (myself included) that live for words of affirmation. A genuine compliment and words of honest praise fuel my motivation tank for weeks. The opposite is true as well – harsh words of criticism and blame shifting pointed in my direction will crush my spirit and send me in a spiral of discouragement that is difficult to stop.

Mistake #4: No Room for Mavericks. I believe that innovation, ideation and creativity are absolutely critical for the health of every and any organization. However, the creative individual is often labeled as a rebel, a misfit, and a maverick. Their ideas are often squelched, ignored, and discounted by those in the ivory tower of authority. Finzel shares that one of the best ways to eliminate the innovation of the maverick is to send his idea to a committee for review. The book shares a few comical (but painfully true) statements about committees, “An elephant is a horse designed by a committee....A committee keeps minutes and wastes hours... The best committee has three members – with two of them out of town.... A committee is made up of the unfit trying to lead the unwilling to do the unnecessary.” (p. 74-75)

Mistake #5: Dictatorship in Decision-Making. I have worked for many dictators over the years and have not enjoyed the experience very much. Collaboration and a spirit of joint decision making can do so much to empower the members of a team. Some of the insights of Finzel are well summarized in his description of how dictators operate: They 1). hoard decisions. 2). make decisions alone, in a vacuum. 3). view truth and wisdom as primarily their domain as the leader. 4). restrict decisions to an elite group. And 5). surprise their workers with edicts from above.

Finzel concludes this chapter with some words worth repeating, if not framing, “When the best leader's work is done the people will say, 'We did it ourselves'” (p. 96).

Note the emphasis on people in these first five mistakes. Authority and power need to be shared. People need to be affirmed and empowered. These mistakes do not involve a lack of commitment to the work at hand, a laziness that leads to mediocrity, or an incompetency in the talents needed to perform tasks, Rather, they are all about relationships and the failure to connect with grace, sensitivity, and mercy.

Coming up....mistakes 6-10.

Finzel, H. (1994). The top ten mistakes leaders make. Wheaton, Ill: Victor Books.

Nehemiah's Sense of Urgency

Nehemiah saw the need – the walls and gates of Jerusalem were in ruin. Although Nehemiah was in Persia, he saw the opportunity – he made a request of the king (whom he served as cupbearer) to go to Jerusalem and help repair the city. Nehemiah found favor with God and the king and soon found himself seated in the capital city of Israel. The story of the reconstruction ends with great victory as the walls are rebuilt and the gates repaired in 52 days. Part of this amazing transformation can be seen in the incredible buy-in that Nehemiah accomplishes with the people. Let's take a look at what scripture tells us concerning Nehemiah's vision casting strategy and effectiveness.

Chapter two of Nehemiah captures the arrival of this leader into the city. Verse 11 states, “So I went to Jerusalem and was there three days. Then I arose in the night, I and a few men with me. And I told no one what my God had put into my heart to do for Jerusalem” (ESV). Nehemiah had heard a report of the destructive state of the city while he was in Susa (1:1-3). He acted upon the report and made his way to the city. However, once he arrived, he spent a few days getting settled and taking stock of the surroundings. Then he took a secret night tour of the walls in order to conduct personal research. He told no one of his plans, dreams, ideas, or vision. He gathered factual data before making speeches; he evaluated the situation before he proclaimed his plan; he made his inspection before he declared his expectations. Verse 16 of chapter 2 makes it plain that he did not go to the authorities (the officials, the priests, or the nobles) before he was sure about the situation and could provide eyewitness details of the severity of the problem.

But then, Nehemiah casts his vision. Verses 17-18 record Nehemiah's words as he carefully addresses the people, “'You see the trouble we are in: Jerusalem lies in ruins, and its gates have been burned with fire. Come, let us rebuild the wall of Jerusalem and we will no longer be in disgrace.' I also told them about the gracious hand of my God upon me and what the king had said to me.” Notice a couple of significant aspects of this charge.

First, the urgency of the message is paramount. We are in trouble! The city is in ruins! The gates are burned! In other words, disaster is all around us and we have to do something or all will be lost! The urgency of the situation demands action – a subcommittee to review the various options and report back for a discussion and vote is not the order of the day; sitting around and hoping that others will come to the rescue is rather foolish; maintaining life in the midst of fire and crumbling rocks is not a good plan; no, now is the time for urgent planning and decisive action.

Second, the invitation is personal and all-inclusive. Notice the pronouns throughout this challenge, YOU see the trouble WE are in....Come let US rebuild the wall...and WE will no longer be in disgrace. The urgency concerns US – the people, the leaders, the priests, Nehemiah himself – they are all in this together... to live or die, to build or burn, to restore or recline, to construct or to concede.

Third, the invitation involves both the positive and the negative perspective. Positive: come let us rebuild. What is in ruin, let us redeem; what is burning, let is redo; what is falling down, let us reinforce. Bringing transformation out of the jaws of destruction can be a powerful motivation in the hearts and minds of people. Negative: let us avoid the robe of disgrace; let us refuse to wear the brand of failure; let us reject the jeers of ridicule. Opposition will come, but let us overcome the fear of humiliation. Let us rebuild and then we will never again be in disgrace. Vision communicates a bright future in a contrast to the urgent need of the present reality.

Fourth, notice Nehemiah's appeal to the sovereign grace of God. He quickly tells of God's faithfulness in the past through Nehemiah's personal testimony. Nehemiah does not appeal to his own background of leadership or his outstanding character or examples of his integrity and authenticity. No, Nehemiah points to God's gracious hand – Nehemiah stands before them because of God's call upon his life, because of the burden that the God of heaven placed on his heart, and because of the path that God paved and the resources that God provided for this adventure that lies before them. The hand of God was upon him. And notice that he ends with the affirmation pronounced by an earthly king. God was so evident in the planning of the reconstruction project that he moved the heart of an earthly king to assist in the project.

The response is recorded in just a dozen English words, but I would have loved to have heard and felt the enthusiasm and excitement generated in the reaction of the people. The last part of verse 18 reads, “They replied, 'Let us start rebuilding.' So they began this good work.” Do you see the two-fold affirmation? The first is a positive reaction, a mental assent, and vote of buy-in - “Let's start rebuilding!” The second is a positive action – so they began the good work. It was more than just a joint hooray, it surpassed a shout of commitment, it went way beyond a pledge of support. The affirmation grew legs, the shouts lifted tools, the enthusiasm put on shoes and began to walk, and the clapping hands began to lay the bricks of reconstruction.

Nehemiah's short statement of vision-casting holds many keys to the motivation and inspiration of others. Without his carefully planned strategy of touching the hearts and wills of the people, 52 days of work might have accomplished very little. Inspire the people, build the wall...motivate the heart, overcome great obstacles...paint a real sense of urgency, create a genuine spirit of victory.

Leadership Metaphors

I recently interviewed seven effective leaders in an attempt to gain some insights into their leadership styles and priorities. The dialogs were rich and the thoughts they generated revealed some interesting perspectives on the process of leadership. The interviews focused on twelve questions although this blog shall explore just one: I asked each leader to describe their approach to leadership in terms of a metaphor. Here are the results:

#1. Mike’s metaphor for an outstanding organizational leader is that of a military general who is also a chaplain and a registered nurse. The military general clearly sees the battle facing the army and provides the best strategy to win the war. The chaplain softens the military stereotype with a compassion for the soul and spirit of the soldiers. The nurse is concerned about the physical well being of each individual carefully providing for the health and welfare of all. The leader must take care of mind, spirit, and body.

# 2. This leader captured his idea of the leader as “the Captain of the team…even better a Player Coach.” The leader, as a member of a team, is no better than any other member, but is there to pull the team together, to motivate them and to participate with them. The player coach is there is inspire the team and help them reach maximum capacity. The Player Coach manifests two distinct roles. First, as a player, he rolls up his sleeves, participates side by side, works up a sweat like every other member of the team, and experiences the thrill of the victory with his colleagues. Second , as a coach, he provides guidance, insights, and direction for the team. His direction is relevant because he lives in the midst of the game.

#3. Mr. P’s metaphor of the organizational leader was a collage of four images. None of them captured the total picture, so pieces of all four need to be pasted together: A Cheerleader (encouraging the troops), a Magician (pulling the rabbit out of a hat of difficult times), a Shepherd (guiding the people – you cannot push like a Cowboy), and a Card Player (one who knows the cards and can plan a strategy for success). Mr. P. sees the need for a strong leader that can give direction to an organization, as opposed to a friend to the employees. I have this image in my mind of a cheerleader dressed in a magician’s cape with a shepherd’s crook in one hand, a deck of cards in the other. I do appreciate this eclectic need to put a number of traits and abilities into the metaphor. Indeed, a leader must wear many different hats and have the ability to switch the hats at a moment’s notice.

#4. This leader’s metaphor flows out of a great appreciation for the beautiful aspen trees that grow in the mountains of Colorado. As this world leader learned about these amazing trees, he saw their connection with leadership networking, collaboration, and interconnectivity. All of the aspen trees are tied to the same root system enabling needed water to be spread to each tree as needed. On the surface each tree appears to be separate and strong, but under the surface, they are all interdependent on each other. Leadership needs to develop this type of unity as each individual realizes and recognizes the need for the team. Those leaders (trees) higher up on the hillside need to enable the water to flow to those on lower levels. Leadership itself can sometimes be a thankless job and so it is important for the water flow to go both directions.

#5 Aaron has not adopted a specific metaphor for the process of leadership, but the idea of a Nurturer would come closest – one that plants and helps something to grow. The growth continues until the Nurtured becomes an entity all its own. The Nurtured doesn’t need the help of the Nurturer anymore. The Nurtured becomes a Nurturer himself. The Nurturer starts a cycle that continues long after he has left it.

#6 DB shared, “I like a military metaphor – the picture of the warrior in battle – like Ephesians 6. The leader is in a battle; in a war. I see him as the general, but not in the traditional sense, but as the inspirational figure, the one to whom the soldiers look to and agree with as they all own the cause together. We all agree to put on our armor together as fight as a unit.”

#7 Don likened the leader to a builder. Not that the leader is trying to build a tribute to himself or a house that glorifies man. The program is not the focus of the building – the focus is the lives of people. The leader builds on the foundation (the truth of God’s word) while providing strength (strong principles) helping to build up the weak. Construction is complicated and needs to be comprehensive if the builder is to be successful.

Leadership is very difficult to define. The role of the leader is almost impossible to capture in a job description. I have heard many say, “I can’t define leadership, but I know it when I see it.” So I enjoy leadership metaphors as they attempt to paint a picture of effective leadership.

Music – A Great Metaphor for Leadership

I love the parallels between music and leadership. Music can consist of a simple tune or a small group playing in ensemble or a large orchestra engaging in complex counterpoint. Melody, harmony, rhythm,... key signatures, notation, time signatures, dynamics....chord structure, dissonance, resolution. Music can tell a story, paint a picture, and move us emotionally, spiritually, and intellectually. Music is powerful, it must be created, it must be orchestrated, it must be presented, it must be heard.

Now that we all thinking musically.... for all those who have participated in music either as a singer, composer, instrumentalist, conductor, or active listener, I hope these notes ring true in your reflections. First, practicing music alone is important but playing music in a group enables it to come alive and be shared in community. I have so enjoyed playing music by myself and noting my development as a musician, but inserting my one small voice into a symphony of others allows my voice to make sense and gain significance. Listening to the sounds of others, adjusting volume and pitch in order to reach an intonation that captures balance and blend, and sensing the magnificence of musical collaboration transforms practice into communication. The message of the music reaches deep into the heart of the performer and the audience enabling a joint experience of emotion and identification.

So in leadership – planning and preparation alone (in the office, at the computer, at the desk of retrospection, prayerfully dreaming visions of the future) can be exciting, motivating and even inspiring. But leadership does not happen in isolation. Leadership occurs in interaction, in the engagement with others, in the joining of hands and hearts and spirits around a common banner and a shared vision. As each member of the organization has a voice and plays their part in the message of the institution, then the music is heard, then the identification happens, then joint experience is real.

Second, often the most important person does not sing, does not play an instrument, and does not compose the score. In musical groups of any size, the conductor is key to balance, interpretation, cohesion, and unity. A good conductor does so much more than wave his/her arms around in an attempt to establish the downbeat and keep the group together. The conductor must utilize his/her ears as he/she listens for every voice and concentrates on the message. The trumpets might sound absolutely glorious but if the primary voice of the music is in the oboe and cannot be heard over the brass then the message goes without piercing the heart of the listener. The heart of the conductor provides the emotion of the composition. I have heard some groups perform with accuracy of notes and rhythm but fail to capture the dynamics, the life, the passion of the music. Dull music is deafening.

Often the leader is not on the front lines. He/she does not interface with the customer. Much like the conductor his/her role is to turn his/her back on the audience and coordinate the music itself. But the leader must listen to the organization, The leader must bring balance to the multiplicity of events and programs making up the institution. The leader must have a sense of interpreting the purpose and vision of the organization to every voice in the company. The leader must be the glue that holds the organization together and seeks after unity and clarity. A dull company is boring.

Third, music (when done well) looks so easy and it appears to be such great fun. But music involves lots of hard work and lots of time. Discounting those musical geniuses that seem to have an extra chromosome, most people have to spend years learning their instrument, training their voice, reading music, and understanding the dynamics of ensemble. I remember the early years of saxophone – the squeaks and squawks that would come out of the horn would make my dog howl and my mom tear-up. How either of them lived through those long hours of practice I do not know. Music is a lifelong learning process as well demanding constant focus to maintain skill levels and high levels of proficiency. Leadership can look real easy when one observes a gifted and effective leader. But the process of leadership demands a life-long pursuit of creating, communicating, and transforming vision into reality.

Finally, I appreciate good jazz and skillful improvisation. I have very few skills in this area but I enjoy listening to jazz musicians who can create music in the moment governed only by a chord progression and rhythm. And yet, when I hear great jazz musicians interviewed I often hear that improvisation takes in incredible amount of trust, cooperation, and intuition. Instead of being free of rules and structure, jazz truly provides freedom within well defined agreements of community and focus. It is not a matter of each member taking his/her turn playing whatever he/she wants. Rather there is a river of music flowing and the boat floats in intentional, purposive paths down the water toward a common destination. The path may vary every time the tune is played, but the boat is the same and the destination is sure.

Leadership can involve lots of improvisation, but trust and a common destination must be shared by all within the organization. If only one leader is blowing his/her horn, the music is not effective. But providing authority with empowerment and delegating without micromanagement can produce some mighty fine jazz.

Music and leadership: the comparisons are deep and worth some reflection.

Honoring the Faithful

I loved watching television and the movies as a young boy. I remember being glued to the screen (the big silver one or the little living room tube) and thrilled to watch the stories of good over evil play out before my eyes. One of my boyhood heroes was the Lone Ranger. I was amazed how the masked man and his Indian companion, Tonto, could discover and defeat the evil enemy in just 30 minutes. The humble ranger never stayed around for the praise of man, but slipped away only to be seen on the far off hill top waving good-bye atop his magnificent steed, Silver.

How often in life, however, the good guy doesn't win. The current newspaper and the nightly newscasts highlight the evil world in which we live. These daily commentaries on the depravity of man rarely underscore the righteous deeds of godly people. I guess the reality of it all is that bad news sells and good news lacks that sensational quality that interests the imagination of the public.

It was so refreshing to move from the evening news to an evening event held at my organization. Every year we have an appreciation banquet for the faculty and staff of the school system. The menu was great, the music (harp for dinner listening and a string ensemble for entertainment) was beautiful, and the fellowship around the table was most encouraging. But the highlight for me was the acknowledgement of faithful service. Individuals were honored for each five year milestone they reached. Five years....10 years...15 years...20 years...25 years...30 years... and even 35 years! I thoroughly embraced the time of celebration. Each recipient had prepared a short statement of remembrance or challenge. The depth of love, commitment, dedication, and perseverance that the honorees shared was inspiring.

There was one man who had reached 35 years of service to the school system. He graduated from the school in the 1970s, graduated from college in three years and immediately return to our school to join the faculty. He began as an English teacher, but his great love for the Scriptures soon led him into the Bible department. He has excelled over the years, writing much of the school's Bible curriculum and serving as the chairman of the Bible Department. What a privilege it was for me to be in attendance. Paul was not only the Bible Department Chair when I arrived at the school 24 years ago, but he quickly became one of my closest colleagues. He was always so supportive of me as an administrator (even when I made foolish, rookie-type mistakes) and I sought out his mature wisdom many times over the years.

In our younger days, Paul and I were part of a faculty basketball group called 911-basketball. This rag-tag group of faculty (and some friends) would congregate at 6 am in the school's gymnasium in an attempt to stay in shape and enjoy some fellowship together. We jokingly dubbed it 911-basketball because we didn't call a foul unless we had to call 911 as a result. We had great fun and I loved playing on Paul's team. He had such a sweet left-handed jump shot and such a positive attitude toward the game. In addition to the fun in the gym, I had the joy of observing Paul as a classroom teacher. His approach to truth and his smooth pedagogy totally engaged my mind and spirit. His rich vocabulary and his deep understanding of God's word made him an amazing instructor.

As I heard the words of others sharing the impact that Paul has had on their lives, I realized that at this banquet the good guy won. I also realized the Paul had joined my hall of heroes along with the Lone Ranger as one of those humble forces that defeats the power of evil and makes the world a better place to live.

New Year Resolution Update

Four and one half months of 2012 are now in the past. One third of the calendar year is a memory. Although I keep a running tab on my four major resolutions in the upper right hand box of this blog, I have scheduled a posting every few months as a way to motivate my own self-discipline and to hold myself accountable. This might not be the most interesting for you, the reader, but it really helps me in maintaining some discipline in my life.

Number of blog submissions – goal 150 posts during 2012.

This is submission number 48. I am falling behind the pace to complete the goal. To make 150 posts during the year, the monthly rate is between 12 and 13. I should have made 50 posts by the end of April and the target is 62 by the end of May. Mathematically, the end of May goal is still possible. Survivor ends this Sunday; The Biggest Loser and the Amazing Race have already concluded their season s. So without the focus on reality TV, I hope to concentrate on writing every day.

Weight – maintain my body weight between 160-170 pounds.

So far this goal has been fairly well accomplished, although the struggle has not been what I anticipated at the beginning of the resolution. I have always struggled with weight gain. My past roller-coaster ride with the scales made it difficult for me to keep my weight down and under control. However, this year, I have found a diet and an exercise program that has really worked for me. In fact, I am having a little problem with dropping beneath my goal. I weigh myself every morning and there have been a few days that I have dipped below 160 (158 was my lowest). For the first time in my adult life, I was actually trying to gain a few pounds.

Running – yearly goal was to accumulate between 500 and 550 miles.

I have been so happy with my consistency in running. After my run on May 11, I have completed 82 circuits around the neighborhood (3.6 mile course) for a total of 295.2 miles. I am ahead of where I need to be in order to reach my goal for the year. I have never run a competitive race but I am considering signing up for a 5K this spring/summer just to have an additional goal. I am not setting any kind of land speed records but last month I averaged 30 min 44 seconds for the 3.6 miles or an average mile speed of 8 min 32 seconds.

Reading – yearly goal was to read 24 books.

I have just finished my 24^th book, The Moving Finger, by Agatha Christie. It was an interesting British murder mystery with lots of quaint dialog and strangely engaging character development. Based in a small country village filled with haughty gossip and wild rumors, the news of murder fills the mouths and ears of every member of the grapevine. Among the other 24 volumes I have found some interesting authors: Clive Cussler, Ted Dekker, Suzanne Collins, and Ray Bradbury. I have unofficially changed my goal to 52 books (that obviously would be a book a week). That might be too much of a stretch but I have really enjoyed spending some time just reading for pleasure.

I have really enjoyed keeping track of these four resolutions. They have been a source of focus and motivation in my personal life. Each of them represents a positive habit that I hope to maintain over the course of 2012. My goal is to provide a good report next month as we reach the half way point in the calendar year.

The Biggest Loser – Final Wrap-up

The theme for season 13 of The Biggest Loser was “No Excuses!” This season was a bit of a disappointment for me personally because of the personal, petty drama, the lack of support between contestants that I have come to expect, and the childish attitudes of some of the players. However there were some good leadership insights to consider from this reality show. Let's take a quick look at 11 of the excuses that the show identified in conquering weight loss and apply them to the leadership journey.

Excuse #1 “I don't know how to eat.” Understanding a healthy diet involves a balance of the right foods and the right portions of those foods. Food selection and preparation are keys to a balanced diet. So in leadership, a proper life balance is imperative. Maintaining a healthy equilibrium between work, marriage, family, church, and leisure is a major challenge for an effective leader. A work-addiction can be as devastating to leadership as a food-addiction can be for those trying to lose weight.

Excuse #2 “I don't have time to eat healthy.” Within the realm of leadership the blank can be filled in with a variety of applications – I don't have time to be collaborative...I don't have time to delegate...I don't have time to prepare...I don't have time to discuss. Time is often a leader's worst enemy. Although I have found that it is most often that I choose not to take the time to ...you fill in the blank. I choose what to prioritize and what to delay. I select the important and I decide what to put on the plate of procrastination.

Excuse #3 “I can't lose weight without a gym.” The contestants workout in a wonderfully supplied facility filled with state-of-the-art exercise equipment. Take all the equipment away and the players must find substitutes in other places (hikes, bikes and other creative ideas). For the leader, thinking outside of the normal schedule and the regular agenda takes creativity and innovation. Doing business outside of the status quo demands skills outside of the gym.... leadership often requires doing the ordinary in extraordinary ways.

Excuse #4 “I'll never reach my goal.” Discouragement and negative thinking can cripple a leader. The power of a self-fulfilled prophecy can carry a talented leader into the jaws of failure. A goal is rarely reached with the “I'll-never-reach-my-goal” attitude.

Excuse #5 “I can't lose weight on my own.” Dependence on others is a great strength when it comes to body life and the power of collaboration. However, the ability to make a stand, the determination to stand alone if necessary, and the reality of a personal faith independent of all others are the foundations of Christian faith. Philippians 4:13 states, “I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength.”

Excuse #6 “I'll wait until after the holidays to lose weight.” Procrastination is the pothole of dieting. The best plans for losing weight are abrogated with the promises to begin mañana. So it is with leadership. To put off responsibility until tomorrow can be the trap door that removes the effectiveness from the ministry.

Excuse #7 “I lack self-control.” Both weight loss and leadership demand discipline. Capturing the flow of chaos and providing direction for the river of activity, brings a leader closer to a life of organization and productivity. Gaining control of one's choices and making decisions that reflect self-discipline are key to effective leadership. The Bible is clear that self-control is really being Spirit-controlled. One of the fruits of the Holy Spirit is self-control (Gal 3:23).

Excuse #8 “I can't get out of my comfort zone.” Even the leader that is energized by adventure, can find him/herself in the rut of comfort. Things are good, things are easy, things are stagnant, things are fat. If we are floating on the air-mattress of comfort in the swimming pool of success, we are only a moment away from being over our heads in change. The comfort zone is the danger zone and leaders must be alert and on their toes every day.

Excuse #9 “I don't believe in myself.” This is a Biggest Loser fallacy. Self-confidence, self-reliance, self-worth and self-centeredness are major foci of the weight loss program. A more Biblical perspective would encourage us to believe in the power of God, to view ourselves as instruments in His hand, to rely upon His grace, His strength, His love, and His transformational energy. The effective Christ-follower doesn't believe in himself but has complete confidence in the promises and power of the Savior. I can do all things....through Christ who gives me strength.

Excuse #10 “I can't lose weight on vacation.” Losing weight is tough on vacation because we are outside of the normal routine. The foods that usually grace the table are replaced with the goodies of temptation – the delicacies of restaurants, the smörgåsbord of the cruise, or the specialties of family and friends. Leaders need a vacation to relax, unwind, and refresh. On the other hand, the traits of good leaders are not bound by time and location. The personal integrity and authenticity of a leader are always present. The high ethical behavior and wise discernment in decision making never take a vacation.

Excuse #11 “Exercise is boring.” Exercise can be boring but it doesn't have to be. Variety and innovation can make exercise both fun and exciting. Leadership can be boring but the leader usually has the capacity to infuse excitement into his/her leadership role. I find myself so pumped up to go to work each day because every day is different and filled with experiences that challenge me and develop my dependence upon God. If you are where God has called you to be as a leader, boring is probably not the term you would use to describe your ministry.

The Biggest Loser – no excuses for losing weight! Leadership Cache – no excuses for poor leadership!