Until you answer the question why, the cost will always be too high My kids have this down (at least for now). That’s why they are always asking Amanda and I the question: “Why?” They know that it doesn’t matter unless they know the reason they are doing or the function of the object in […]
Between doing the right things and doing things right, always do the right things Sometimes you want to do things in the right way, but they are just not right. Just because you can do something, doesn’t mean you should do something. Ethics should trump pragmatics every time. Character does matter. Success doesn’t have to […]
Lay Hands Hastily On No One I think in almost any circumstance, it is wise to lay hands on no one, than the wrong person. It takes a lot of work, insight, wisdom, and discernment to hire the right person for the job. But in almost every circumstance it is better to wait for the […]
Always Have the Courage and Humility to Make the Second Decision When I was in college, I was an RA (Resident Assistant) in the older men’s dormitory. I had made a decision that one of my fellow RA’s thought was incorrect and he asked to meet in order to clarify and, possibly, to change my […]
People don’t remember so much your failure as they do your claims about their failure As leaders, we know that we fail. And in those failures we hope that those we work with are the forgiving and understanding kind of folk. We know that anyone who is successful they have had to fail their way […]
The Parsley Principle What is the difference between a $15 and a $30 steak? A piece of parsley. Good idea vs. best idea. Often add something extra to it. Often the little extra things go very far. This is the excellence principle. If things are worth doing, then do them well… or at the very […]
Good Leaders Serve Twice Lock-Ins are not my favorite thing to do in the first place, so the fact that the students had trashed the sanctuary with candy wrappers and half-empty pop cans really made me mad. We had already “served” these teenagers by staying up all night with them, and now we needed to […]
People Are Always Down With What They Are Not Up On Gossip occurs when there is not enough information. If they don’t know about something they are a bit suspicious from all 3 angles: followers, leaders, and peers (people you work with). Gossip breeds in silence. Pessimism nurtures dissatisfaction. If people are not included in […]
Always lead people, not programs What are you managing? Why are you managing? Do you try to relate to God through a program and miss actually relating to God? Why is it scary to lead people? Failure? Success? We need covenantal relationships, not contractual relationships. What makes leading people worth the risk? People are eternal, […]
Leaders define reality What’s really going on with your organization? Are you honest with yourself? Are things good, really? If someone were to ask the people who work for or with you these questions, what would they say about you and how things are going? These are questions any good leader should ask. It’s one […]
When I was in college @ Multnomah University, I had a professor named, Dr. Steve Patty. In his class on Managing Church Ministries, Dr. Patty taught his students some proverbial wisdom he affectionately called: Patty Proverbs. Here they are: Leaders define reality Always lead people, not programs People are always down with what they are […]