Personal growth
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58 Things I’ve Learned in 58 Years
Yesterday marked my 58th solar lap so I thought I’d update my sort of annual list of things I’ve learned so far. This time, however, I started from scratch so a lot of the list is new. Some is repeated because, honestly, I can’t remember what I wrote before. Without further ado (whatever that is)…
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A Day For Irrational Hope
The Saturday before Easter is traditionally a day of waiting, of mourning, of reflection; Holy Saturday. We picture the disciples huddled, hiding in Jerusalem, afraid and disillusioned. They had put their hope in the Galilean carpenter turned Rabbi; they had literally staked their lives on it, and now he’s dead and they are devastated. Holy…
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The Power of Partial Credit
In America the quest is for the gold, the ring, the trophy. We want to stand on the podium and show the world what we’ve accomplished, to humbly receive the accolades, to thank everyone who helped us get here while knowing it we were really the ones who made it happen. There is no denying…
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The Roundabout Way
For a long time I had a model for the ideal journey of leader as a straight path from point A to point B. When I am in God’s will I am making steady progress down this clearly marked road, but when I find myself wandering it is a sign I’ve stepped outside his plan.…
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Four Opportunity Killing Mistakes Young (and old) Leaders Make
I love investing in younger leaders, and as I get older almost every leader I meet with is a younger leader. Younger leaders are the ones who change the culture, change the trajectory and change the world. They are less afraid to fail and more likely to try things that seem impossible. Younger leaders don’t…
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How to know when its time to call it quits
Summer has come and it feels like everyone is on the move. Almost every day I hear of another church staff member leaving their current role and transitioning to a new assignment. At the same time a week seldom goes by that a pastor doesn’t ask if I know of any available children’s, student, worship…
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How an honor culture can crushes your soul
Last fall we while staying with some friends in England we discovered an important principle about wiring. After taking a shower one morning Sherry plugged her hairdryer into the outlet. The hairdryer sounded like a 747 taking off as the motor hit about 50,000 rpm. I think she could have dried her hair in 37…
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Bill Hybels and the challenge of finishing well
The first time I heard Bill Hybels speak was at Willow’s 1994 Prevailing Church Conference. I sat on the right side of the old auditorium, by the windows that overlooked the pond. Bill’s topic that morning was People Matter to God. It was the first time I heard words like seeker, excellence and relevance in…
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How to work for a church AND love God
Every time I interview someone for a job at a church I always tell them that working for a church can be challenging to their faith. There is a price to be paid for working where you attend church, and it is eye opening to discover that your new co-workers have a lot in common…
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What am I supposed to do?
I recently had a fascinating conversation with a sharp young leader. They had just returned from an amazing vacation in the Caribbean. The food, the scenery, the weather, the company; everything was perfect. They were incredibly grateful for the opportunity to enjoy this vacation of a lifetime, but one they were overwhelmed by the economic…