Author Chris Brady's Blog

Leaders as Service Revolvers

A farmer ambled along the lonely country road heading to his humble farm one dusk evening when he dozed and ran off the road. Ditches were deep in those parts and his overloaded pickup truck sank far into the muddy crevice and came to rest on its side. Unfortunately, the farmer had been hauling both a pig and a cow. Both were trapped under the truck and wailing in pain. Moments later a state trooper happened by and spotted the truck's headlights pointing oddly along the length of the ditch. Stepping from his cruiser to investigate, the trooper heard the squeals of the dying livestock. Being the merciful sort, the trooper drew his service revolver and fired a shot into the head of the suffering cow, killing him instantly. The pig wailed even louder. The trooper likewise relieved him of his misery. At this moment the farmer recovered from his unconsciousness and attempted to free himself from the cab of the crumpled truck. The commotion caught the attention of the trooper who asked, "Is there anybody else in there? Are you injured?" To which the farmer replied, "Nope, never felt better in my life!!!!"

Sometimes serving means different things to different parties. In the case of the "service revolver" in the above story, it was an instrument of mercy for the animals, danger for the farmer. Likewise is our leadership in the lives of those we affect. We may have tendencies and strengths that are effective for some, detrimental to others. This is where the best leaders understand that the most impactful leadership often involves treating people uniquely as individuals.

I know in my own leadership experience I find myself "going gentle" with some while "hitting hard" with others. This is because each of us is a uniquely created and infinitely complex individual. We are made in the image of God with special characteristics, abilities, gifts, and tendencies. I can only hope I've gotten the "touch" of such individualized treatment correct!

However, there is a simpler lesson to be gained from the farmer and the trooper, and that is one of service. The trooper was trying to help. He saw a need and did his duty. This, too, is illustrative of the proper function of a leader. Leaders serve. Leaders are not meant to sit in a position of authority and soak up the benefits of title. They serve again and again from different positions and in various circumstances. In fact, leaders themselves could be said to be 'service revolvers:' going from person to person and from opportunity to opportunity to 'be of' service. Their privileges are not for their pleasure but rather for their purpose.

The purpose of a leader is a multi-faceted consideration, including casting and pursuing a vision, service to others, sacrificing self for larger issues, standing in the gap where others fail to stand, holding strong to principles, fighting for causes, taking responsibility, giving credit, eliminating obstacles, developing more leaders, and empowering and encouraging others. Orchestrations, administration, management, and coordination must also be looked to; usually by placing others with requisite gifts into correct positions. In short, leadership is the giving of what you have to others so they can collectively give (and accomplish) more than otherwise would have been possible. We add when we do, but we multiply when we lead.

Consider your gifts, your position, your abilities, and your blessings. Mobilize those assets in the service of others wherever you are, whoever you are, and with whatever you have, whenever you can. In this way, you'll be leading; you'll be a service revolver. Just don't shoot any farmers.

Roughing the Pastor (and Other Church Penalties)

A book I read a few years back on the subject of developing one's creative thinking explained the technique of combining categories that don't usually mix. In other words, think of an A and a B that don't normally get considered in context with one another and put them together to see what results.

This occurred quite by accident in a recent conversation I had with my wife. We were discussing either football or the ministry (I can't remember which) and she thought I said "Roughing the Pastor" instead of the official foul in the NFL called "Roughing the Passer."  Laughter followed, and of course this led to a ten or fifteen minute jam-session in which we both tried to come up with other such penalties a "National Faith League (another NFL)" referee might call on a misbehaving congregation, minister, or both!

With football season winding down, I thought it only fitting to honor my many close friends in the ministry with the following Official List of Church Penalties. Here are our top five:

1. Roughing the Pastor

2. Unnecessary Gruffness

3. Illegal reFormation

4. Encroachment

5. Delay of game (this occurs when the sermon goes long and gets parishioners home too late for kickoff)

In the spirit of collaboration, I welcome the dear readers of this blog (all 3 of you) to contribute additional violations for this list. Thanks for playing (and praying!)

 

 

Don't Just Tell Them - Tell Them A Story

Color movies were instantly more popular than the previous black and white variety. Children ask for stories to be told them but resist direct instruction. We remember what we see much better than what we merely hear. All these and more speak to the fact that communication is almost always best when aligned with the natural human tendency to think and learn in terms of stories.

Stories are more than just mere entertainment - they are the language of the imagination.

So don't be so quick to rush out your facts and figures, keep your platitudes and preachments in the holster, and quit with your pronouncements and proclamations. If you truly want to communicate, whether to a large audience or small, formally or informally, through the written word or spoken, you must realize the importance of creating a picture in the mind's eye(s) of your listener(s).

Example: When I was but a wee engineer just cutting my teeth in the profession, I had the good fortune to be thrown in with several elderly gentlemen who were extremely accomplished in the field. These guys were so good at technical things they actually conducted races to see who could solve complex puzzles and riddles the quickest. I was eager to learn all I could from such a wealth of experience all around me. Unfortunately, much of that wealth was inaccessible to me because I could never seem to catch much of what these men so casually reported. As a case in point there was a discussion one day in a meeting in which I asked a question of one of them. I was simply inquiring for a restatement of his conclusion to a complicated set of data he had presented - something along the lines of, "So would it be better to use Copper or Magnesium for this application?" I will never forget the reply. It wasn't "Copper." It wasn't "Magnesium." Nor was it "both" or "neither." Instead I was answered with something like this: "Well, if you look at the second column, copper is 67.98 and magnesium is 56.37." The reason his answer failed to answer, so to speak, was he was forcing me to construct my own picture from data that, although apparently clear and meaningful to him, was nothing more than numbers to me. I had no context in which to understand the meaning or magnitude of his numerical findings. In short, what I needed for him to do was paint me the picture, not give me the dimensions of the frame.

In the above paragraph, what have I done? I have given an illustration that (hopefully) demonstrates my point - the best communication is done through illustrations!

Communicate through stories. Bring your points to life with illustrations. Give examples wherever possible. Come up with analogies and similes and metaphors. I learned in a book by Stuart Olyott that the best preachers first state their message, then illustrate it, and then apply it practically to their listeners' lives. This is sage advice, not only for preachers, but also for everyone who wishes to communicate more effectively. Otherwise, all your knowledge and preparation and results and platitudes and conclusions will hardly even be heard - much less understood or long remembered. You'll be no more than a "Blah Blah Blah" to the Gingers in your life! (With a special salute to Gary Larsen)

 

 

International Travel as Education, Adventure and Service

Raised in Michigan, a state with bountiful shoreline and beautiful state parks, I didn't venture too far from home for most of my youth. There were the occasional family trips across the country, the most memorable being the one to California and back after my High School graduation, complete with a robbery, car accident, and engine flames in the cab of the motor home while driving down the highway (these and other episodes will perhaps be covered in future musings). Mostly, however, I stayed close to home in the good old Flint area. My first airline flight didn't occur until age 19 when I went to pick up a car in Oklahoma.

Then it all changed. I spent some time in Texas as a student, then attended grad school in Pittsburgh, then went to finish my Master's degree in Toyohashi, Japan. My view of life was forever molded and expanded by these experiences. I had been bitten by the travel bug. I soon thereafter began traveling for for my job, and went out west to visit friends when I got time off work. Eventually my entrepreneurial endeavors took me across most of the United States and Canada. Finally, I began traveling abroad on vacations, more to study and learn than as a holiday.

Travel can sometimes be a bear, especially considering weather delays, mechanical problems, lines, germs, and a myriad of other inconveniences. However, it can almost always be considered a blessings if experienced with a good attitude and seen in the correct light. After all, there is still something exhilarating about sitting in a chair and hurling through the sky at 500 miles per hour. It is still a thrill to sit down, then stand up a few hours later at a different spot on the map.

Walking the parapet of a castle in Cardiff, seeing purple ridges in Killarney, looking out over Florence from the lantern of Brunelleschi's Dome in the Duomo, driving a Smart Car through the tight streets of Santorini, riding a water taxi in Venice, kayaking in Dubrovnik, scuba diving in the British Virgin Islands, or working with the children of the Favellas just outside Rio are all experiences that leave their imprint on a person. Cultures, languages, topography, mores, manners, customs, climates, and histories are all different and infinitely interesting. International travel opens one's eyes and heart to an entire world of people who in many ways live differently, but in many important ways share the same characteristics.

I would heartily recommend a good dose of international travel to everyone who is able. Although it's a cliche that it will broaden your horizons, it also happens to be true. It will increase your understanding of your fellow man, soften your heart to the plights of others less fortunate, increase your grace in handling differences and peculiarities, open your eyes to possibilities, and enlighten you in your perspective on the size of God's world while helping to clarify your place in it. I know for me, international travel has always produced deep moments of gratitude and speculation, engendering thoughts such as, "I could be doing more."

If you don't already have it on your dreams list to travel abroad, allow me to heartily make the recommendation. It will cost money and gobble up some time, but it will be worth it. I consider it a facet of my lifelong, self-directed educational process, and therefore priceless. I have written elsewhere with some recommendations and considerations for international travel for those serious about putting detail into their travel dreams. 

I believe international travel can and should also evolve into something more than just personal gratification - it should be about service to others. There are unlimited needs around the globe where we can pitch in and make a difference. Get involved in your church's mission efforts to spread the gospel and feed the orphans and widows, for example. We are needed, perhaps more than ever, in person and on the spot to demonstrate the source of our blessings and to give back from all that we've been given.

There will be a thousand reasons and distractions and interruptions that will attempt to stop you, but make it a priority to get out and see the world (and serve the world) yourself. Build your business to the point where you can afford the time and money, or work your career hard enough to earn the time off necessary, or, if you are in the years of your formal education, perhaps you could seek out some of the many study abroad programs that have become so popular. You will learn more than you can imagine, grow more than you might predict, contribute more than you might otherwise, and enjoy it more than you can probably believe. Your adventure awaits. Live purposely and travel light.

 

The Best Leaders Have Fun

"It's kind of fun to do the impossible," said Walt Disney.

"People rarely succeed unless they have fun in what they are doing," wrote Dale Carnegie.

"I never did a day's work in my life. It was all fun," said Thomas Edison.

"If you watch a game, it's fun. If you play it, it's recreation. If you work at it, it's golf," quipped Bob Hope.

And finally, "Girls just want to have fun," or so says the popular song (there is at least some justification for the suspicion that the proverbial jury is still out on this one).

This concept of fun seems prevalent in our thoughts and speech. Everyone seems to have some sort of attachment to it, some philosophy about it, and some amount of understanding of the term. We 'make fun,' 'have fun,' and are sometimes called 'fun.' But just what is this word all about? Could it be any fun at all to explore the various facets of fun itself?

Economists (who by reputation are likely far from experts on the subject) might be inclined to call 'fun' a 'good.' This is not a value judgment, as comparing something to 'bad,' but rather a term meant to describe the means to satisfy man's wants. Goods are anything that bring about satisfaction to the economic actor, or desirous man. See, it's just no fun from this angle.

So let's try another. Bohemians are famous for their worship of this word 'fun,' or rather, its realization in their lives. They chase it, pursue it, covet it, cherish it, and continually and shamelessly idolize it.

Then there are the legalistic whose highest value appears to be the absence of fun, or the non-fun, or the anti-fun. They've missed grace and found rules. Crinkled brows and stern faces seem to indicate that fun is bad mostly because it appears to be fun. (Do not be offended. This is all in fun).

So some people worship fun while others prohibit it. Yet Disney, Carnegie, and Edison all seem to indicate that fun itself is a factor in productive living. Each of us, no doubt, carry fond memories of fun moments and fun times with fun people. In short, it's fun to have fun (at which point the reader must feel we have arrived at no very great distance from where we started!)

Allow me to posit that fun is the by-product of a number of other correct factors all being in place at the same time. To illustrate this idea, let's consider the negative. It is nearly impossible to 'have fun' when something important is amiss in our lives. We cannot sincerely laugh and worry at the same time. We cannot really have fun while grieving, regretting, or hurting. Fun, then, won't alight in our lives unless the conditions are correct. It is at this point we might enjoy looking at the official definition (taken from Webster's, definition #2)

Fun: a mood for finding or making amusement.

Aha! It's a mood! Well that explains a lot! Our moods come and go, change and morph, in reaction to our environment, circumstances, and how we choose to perceive and react to those stimuli. So fun, in the manner in which we are considering it, is an enjoyable mood that amuses us. 

So why have we ventured this far along what feels to be a philosophical journey, and a rather obvious one, at that? Simply to realize that fun is a mood to be induced under the correct conditions. And why is this helpful? Because, in such a light, fun can be seen as a tool.

Say what?

Yes, a tool. Fun is a condition, and according to Disney, Carnegie, and Edison at least, a productive one, in which people are amused, entertained, and for which they are grateful. In other words, it is a blessing in their lives. What better tool could the would-be leader learn about and learn to utilize than one that blesses, enriches, entertains, and leads to productivity?

And this (don't miss it) is the point of this meandering discussion: the best leaders understand how to have fun and how to invoke fun in the lives of their followers. The best leaders know when to lighten to mood, how to arrange circumstances in a way that is likely to produce fun, and how to make the shared tasks of their teams enjoyable. This accomplishes several things:

1. Better mental health of the participants

2. A shared sense of mirth (and therefore belonging)

3. A lack of heaviness which leads to bad attitudes and negative outlooks

4. A relief of tension which prohibits productive action and creative thinking

5. Relational challenges which result from too much seriousness or overblown perspectives on self-importance

6. Quicker passing of time for more menial tasks

7. Makes further work more attractive and minimizes 'project dread'

I have witnessed leaders who understood the power of fun injected it into situations at just the right time. Tense moments were diffused, heaviness was lifted, and optimism was restored through simple gestures of fun. Other leaders have established fun as a pervasive element in their very corporate culture (Southwest Airlines and Zappos come to mind). The very best of leaders understand that working in the area of one's natural gifts is often the most fun work that exists for that individual, and ultimately,it is to this that the quotes at the beginning of this article were alluding. When we are doing what we are built to do, called to do, and deeply motivated to do, we will enjoy it. We will have fun. Therefore, as author and researcher Jim Collins put it, the best leaders will make sure their people are "in the correct seats on the bus." However, it will often take a lot of work (that may not be much fun) to get to the point where the organization is correctly arranged and people have earned their way into positions of their gifting. Learning, striving, and climbing are often arduous and difficult activities. It is through these stretches that the best leaders interject doses of fun along the way. Fun thus becomes like grease in a machine - it carries away heat and chips and minimizes friction.   

Obviously, moderation is the key. Neither the Bohemians nor the legalists have it right. But properly utilized, fun can be a very effective implement in the leader's toolbox. It will lead to greater productivity by happier people.

To close, let's consider two more comments regarding this topic of fun.

"I cannot even imagine where I'd be today were it not for that handful of friends who have given me a heart full of joy. Let's face it, friends make life a lot more fun." Charles Swindoll

"Skiing combines outdoor fun with knocking down trees with your face." Dave Barry

 

 

There Will Always Be "Others"

In reading the story of the Pentecost, that day on which the Apostles were visited by the Holy Spirit and given the power of signs and wonders and speaking to all nations, I was struck by something: the "Others." The Bible relates how there was a loud sound from heaven and the people gathered around, marveling at the ability of some mere Galileans to be able to communicate to each of them in their own languages. Thousands were amazed and convicted by the explanation given by Peter, whereby he explained Old Testament prophesies being fulfilled in their presence. But, the Bible is quick to say, there were others who thought the apostles were victims of "new wine." From this event we can see that even when the Holy Spirit manifests Himself in a most powerful and visible way, at which point thousands are convicted and believe, there will still be "others" who scoff.

If there were scoffers on such a day, there will be scoffers in every day. If there were scoffers at such a miraculous and powerful display, there will certainly be scoffers at lesser things. These "others" are everywhere, at all times throughout history. They have been there at every sermon ever preached by those same apostles, they have been there at the proclamation of every new discovery, every new invention, every new idea, every new attempt by someone to achieve something of significance. And yes, they have been there at every step of our own little lives, as well.

These "others" feel obligated to tell us what won't work, what we should have done differently, how the quarterback should have played, how the manager should have managed, how the preacher should have preached, how the painter should have painted, how the writer should have written, how the businessman should have conducted himself, and even how the parent should have parented. These "others" are the court jesters of our lives, with no qualifications of their own, save for an acid tongue and a negative perspective. It doesn't matter what you do, for what reasons, or how well you do it, there will ALWAYS, and I mean ALWAYS be someone who stands in opposition, judgment, criticism, and opposition.

We should not be surprised at this. Nor should we despair. Rather, we should be thankful the "others" are so reliably there. After all, it's the overcoming of obstacles that makes us better and forces us to continually examine our motives, improve our performance, and perfect our crafts. These "others" can thus be seen to be like the weights in a gym. Who would show up at a workout facility and lament the presence of barbells and weights? It is the resistance they provide which builds the muscle - as long as the possessor of the muscles is willing to work against that resistance. Therein lies the key. As long as we are willing to strive against the "others" we will be made better by their sorry position in life. From such an understanding we can see that rather than resent them we should be thankful for them, and perhaps harbor a little pity on their behalf. After all, they are the ones who seem relegated to the peanut gallery, while we are blessed enough to be out on the field of life.   

 

Expect to Earn It

Children and adults alike fantasize about becoming big successes. Everyone wonders what it would be like to have huge talent, amazing gifts, and the opportunity to become great at something. Fame and fortune is reserved for the lucky few.

But that last part is a lie.

There is no easy street to high achievement. 

Certainly a basic level of ability and health is required, as well as opportunity. After all, someone without the blessings of health and peace could not become a big sports star or succeed in business. It's hard to achieve something big when the basic functions of life are a struggle or when you are struggling just to survive.

But that's not the condition of most people within reading distance of this blog. There is a different affliction running amok in their ranks: complacency and the lure of mediocrity. We can safely stay within our comfort zones as long as we can convince ourselves that those pesky high-achievers are somehow "lucky," "gifted," "supremely talented," or otherwise. Any excuse will do when we are looking to duck the pressure of actually becoming a champion ourselves.

The truth about high achievement, however, is quite unsettling. What we discover is that high-achievement comes about from a lot of hard work, deliberately applied, over a long period of time. And THAT'S why champions are rarer than an honest politician. THAT'S why we stop and stare when they perform, THAT'S why we pay super high ticket prices to see them live, THAT'S why we read their books and tac their posters on our walls. They did it. They worked hard. They practiced their craft to the point of mastery. They conquered the excuses and distractions of our modern world and became great in spite of it all!

High achievers don't show us what's possible with talent, they show us what's possible with tenacity. Many times, they even show us what's possible without talent! They demonstrate how great we could be if we could just put down the video game controllers, TV remotes, and iPod Touches.

If a picture's worth a thousand words, then a video must be worth at least a thousand and one. In this clip sent to me by some friends in Maryland (you know who you are), we get a look at a twelve-year old boy who has apparently missed out on a lot of video game time. The message? If you expect to be great, you'd better expect to earn it! (You may have to click the play button after the commercial finishes).

Caption Contest 2011.1 and a Winner Announced!

In the opinion of our panel of judges Caption Contest 2010.7 showed the widest range of responses. Great job everyone! Congratulations to the Johnson Family for posting the winning caption with the following submission: 

"It didn't take long for Mr. Lee to realize there was something differet about Bruce."

Posted by: Johnson Family | November 21, 2010 at 02:02 PM

Simply comment on this blog with your mailing address and you'll receive your signed copy of Orrin Woodward and my Launching a Leadership Revolution. 

And now for the new contest, our first of 2011! Good luck!

The Wasting of Your Life

There seems to be no limit to the number of varying interpretations of how one is to view the concept of "wealth." The term itself deserves the quotes thus employed in the previous sentence because it conjures in people's minds many different definitions. Some hear the word and immediately consider it to be something possessed by someone more fortunate. Others hear it and feel a compunction to cry, "It's not fair!" and to push for political actions that would seek to "redistribute" it "more fairly." Still others view it as a valid goal and extend all sorts of energy in pursuit of it. Yet other people think if they just demonstrate enough faith in God's provision they will be correspondingly awarded with it.

The way in which I'd like to employ the word, at least for the context of this commentary, refers to the blessings bestowed upon us by the grace of God. "Rich" or "poor," "high-born" or from the "wrong side of the tracks," we each nonetheless possess amazing wealth. Most of the readers of this blog are from the Western world, a society in which material possessions and comfort greatly exceed those found throughout the rest of the world. Further, everyone reading this is alive (though some more than others)! Our generation lives at a time far more comfortable, healthy, productive, and with more choices and possessions than any that have ever previously walked the earth. Kings from just a few short generations ago did not live as well as the lower income brackets do today.  In short, we are the wealthiest now as compared to the rest of the planet and the wealthiest as compared to the rest of history.

I know, I know. Unemployment is rampant. Inflation is high. Times are tough. People are struggling. I understand how crushing financial pressure can be. I am not minimizing these facts, but am instead merely seeking to put them into perspective. In the grander scheme of our lives, in terms of the truly important things regarding our existence, and in the context of an eternal God and His plan for our salvation in His kingdom, money and what most people consider to be "wealth" are truly not that big of a deal. What IS a big deal is how we THINK about money and wealth, and even more importantly, how we FEEL and ACT toward it. As the Bible says, "For where you treasure is, there your heart will be also." (Matthew 6:19-21) So it matters what we "treasure." It matters what we focus upon. It matters what we pursue. And it matters how we do it.

Therefore, for the purpose of starting this new year off on the right sandal, allow me to offer two questions:

1. Where did you get the blessings you already have?

2. What are you doing with them?

Many people will resist the idea that they even have blessings at all, instead focusing upon their problems. They are so busy worrying about their obstacles they miss their opportunities. Next, even those who DO recognize some amount of blessing in their lives often are not thankful enough for them. Much worse, however, is the group that thinks themselves fully self-sufficient and responsible for every accomplishment and reward in their lives. They give themselves all the credit for the good times and thereby run into trouble when they experience the bad times. This results in the need to blame someone external to themselves, and from there, well, that would be an article long enough to give War and Peace a run for it's longevity record. 

The second question digs deeper, but it hangs mightily upon the first one. If we are convinced that we are the sole source of our gains, then we will be selfish in their use. James 5:5 says, "Ye have lived in pleasure on the earth . . . ye have nourished your hearts, as in a day of slaughter." This speaks to those who misunderstand the source of their blessings and therefore misappropriate the recipients of them. Instead of using them to serve God and others in His name, this group of people use their blessings to serve themselves, piling comfort upon luxury, fattening themselves like hogs awaiting the day of slaughter. The gift therefore is returned to the source. If we ignore or misunderstand the source of our blessings, we will return them to the wrong place. But gaining a clear picture that our blessings are from God will inspire a feeling of thankfulness and outreach within us that leads to good works toward others.

So don't rush by these questions. Think deeply about them. Make sure you answer them in a way you can stand upon throughout eternity. It's already 2011. Your days are numbered, and that number is less and less all the time. Consider these questions well to avoid the ultimate failure: the wasting of your life.