This past month I’ve consulted with two situations where a youth pastor has been let go – neither done very well on the church’s end unfortunately. And I’ve met with four different people who have had a serious relationship breakup. In each case, I’ve share a principle that I’ve see at work in the workplace, groups, and relationships: How you leave a situation reveals more about your character than how you showed up.
People show up to a new situation, job, or audition with a big smile on their face, but often leave that position hurt and angry – and it’s hard to be gracious then, isn’t it? Teenagers in high school and college start “going out” and declare their affection for each other through constant texting, Facebook posts, and time spent together. But, when the relationship breaks up, they will hardly speak to each other again – and almost treat each other with anger. Which was more true – the affection or the anger?
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Posted on Wednesday, April 27th, 2011 at 6:48 AM in LEAD WELL. 2 comments
The end of the school year is usually full of pressure to get papers finished, to wrap up loose ends long put off, and to feverishly work so you can enjoy the summer.
And that’s just for us teachers!
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Posted on Tuesday, April 26th, 2011 at 7:10 AM in CONNECT EFFECTIVELY. No comments
Everyone who shows up to your ministry or group has been shaped by a rich history. The events of their childhood, where they grew up, the activities in their adolescent days, and the post-high school choices give significant shape to who they are. Yet there is another shaping influence that some leaders never discover to their detriment: The history of your local context. Each area of the world possesses a unique history full of cultural values, dominant political and ethnic groups, and religious commitment levels.
Now, I know most leaders aren’t history buffs, but I do know that many leaders make significant effort to understand the history of where they work. They know the value in understanding the culture if they want to be successful in what they do. A business in my area (northern Indiana) will need to know the history of the Potawatomi people and the conservative and Germanic nature of the Europeans who settled here. The influence of the Amish and Mennonite cultures, the increase presence of Pentecostalism, and the new wave of Mexican Americans.
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Posted on Monday, April 25th, 2011 at 6:27 AM in THE WORLD, YOUTH MINISTRY. No comments
I have been involved (from the outside) with a variety of leadership ‘situations’ during the last few weeks that possess a common foundational problem: Too much autonomy within an organizational structure. This can take the form of centralized power (real or perceived) or it can be a lone ranger who doesn’t want to work with anyone else and do his/her own thing.
Here’s an axiom for all of us, especially those of us in leadership positions: We must work to create checks and balances for ourselves and everyone in our organization, church, or agency.
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Posted on Monday, April 11th, 2011 at 9:18 AM in LEAD WELL. No comments
The other day I was singing “Long Tall Texan” around the house and was asked what the song was. I said it was the Beach Boys to which the others doubted my accuracy, or at least hadn’t heard of the song. So, I correct that now and present to you this rare video of the Beach Boys singing “Long Tall Texan.” And I’d like to say that the women in my home responded in like manner when I sang it … but that is so not true.
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Posted on Friday, April 8th, 2011 at 1:08 PM in IN THIS CORNER. 2 comments
Maybe I’m affected by the end of another academic year at the college. Or maybe it’s that I’m behind a cup or two on the coffee intake this morning. Perhaps it’s something else that prompts a bit of ‘preaching’ today. I know we live in postmodern-ish times (whatever that means anymore. I know some argue that we’re actually in hyper-modernity), but I’ve noticed a trend among bloggers, even Christian bloggers, to take material from others and re-present it without a nod to the original source.
In my world, that’s called plagiarism. And that practice will get you kicked out of college because it’s dishonesty and lacks integrity (colleges’ words, not mine).
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Posted on Friday, April 8th, 2011 at 6:32 AM in CONNECT EFFECTIVELY, IN THIS CORNER, THE WORLD. No comments
This week I led a discussion on leadership and one of the students shared an exercise she had to do where her group of leaders had to create an ideal work week. They were asked to design a week’s schedule that would help them be the most productive within a normal work week time frame of 40-50 hours. When would you start in the morning? Where would you work? What days would you work (4 , 5, or 6)?
An exercise like this forces some healthy reflection and self-evaluation. We all have rhythms of effectiveness in our week, patterns that have proven to help us be most creative/productive.
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Posted on Monday, April 4th, 2011 at 6:14 AM in IN THIS CORNER. No comments
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