Wisdom from an Entreprenuer - Peter J. Daniels

I first heard Peter Daniels speak in approx 1984 as a young man.  He made a big impact on my life.  I think he may have been the first Christian entreprenuer I heard. 

Peter J. Daniels came from the other side of the tracks with every reason to become a victim and statistic of life. Yet, he chose to go the other direction becoming a success story. As you watch, you will remove all your reasonings and handicaps to move forward in becoming what you were created to be.


Click the link here to view part 1 of one of his keynote addresses. 

Creative Leadership - Steve Penny

I came across another great Steve Penny b log post recently.

The challenge of life is to grow your leadership gift.

I believe that every person created in the image of God is born with a leadership gift. To develop this gift to serve your generation is the real challenge of life.

There are three qualities that need to be developed to see our leadership influence increase.

1. Future scope
This is the ability to see into the future and focus on the dreams God has put within you.Your future is not in tomorrow but in the next level above you. You can live your future today by chosing to pay the price to go to the next level.The next level is always within our reach. To go up requires three things. You must look up – reach up & give up.Remember – to go up you have to give up.

2. Future planning
Good leaders do not wait for life to come to them, they are always planning ahead. Proactive leadership always initiates and activates rather than waiting to see what eventuates.Do today what you want to enjoy tomorrow. Good harvests come from planning to plant – not planning to reap. Plan to sow today and your harvests will come naturally into your life.

3. Future friends
You must choose your friends with the future in mind. Commit to people who want to go and grow with you in life.Influence those around you to keep reaching higher. Be the catalyst for growth in your group. Take a leadership role in dealing with attitudes and actions that limit your progress together. The mark of good leaders is the number of people they take with them to the next level.

Authentic Leadership Development - Shamira and Eilamb

I am enjoying ploughing through a a great leadership article that Nick emailed me. He is currently in Malaysia on holidays... and catching up on his course reading!

The paper is Authentic Leadership Development by Shamira and Eilamb

Here is the abstract ...

Abstract
In this paper, we first develop the concepts of authentic leaders, authentic leadership, and authentic leader development. We suggest a definition of authentic leaders, which is based on the leader’s self-concept: his or her self-knowledge, self-concept clarity, self-concordance, and person-role merger, and on the extent to which the leader’s self-concept is expressed in his or her behavior.

Following, we offer a life-story approach to the development of authentic leaders. We argue that authentic leadership rests heavily on the self-relevant meanings the leader attaches to his or her life experiences, and these meanings are captured in the leader’s life-story. We suggest that self-knowledge, self-concept clarity, and person-role merger are derived from the life-story.

Therefore, the construction of a life-story is a major element in the development of authentic leaders. We further argue that the life-story provides followers with a major source of information on which to base their judgments about the leader’s authenticity.

We conclude by drawing some practical implications from this approach and presenting suggestions for further research.


Here are some more bits n pieces as I read on.

We suggest that the main defining characteristics of authentic leaders are:

1. Authentic leaders do not fake their leadership. They do not pretend to be leaders just because
they are in a leadership position, for instance as a result of an appointment to a management
position.

2. Relatedly, authentic leaders do not take on a leadership role or engage in leadership activities for status, honor or other personal rewards. Rather, they lead from a conviction.

3. Authentic leaders are originals, not copies.

4. Authentic leaders are leaders whose actions are based on their values and convictions.

Lead on!!

Leadership Vision Night - Something New!

Transition brings change ... and the leadership gathering format changes too.

Westlife is trying something new about the way we gather as “build-our-housers.” We have reworked the scheduled Saturday AM 26 September Build our House gathering into a new opportunity called….


Check out the date (above) and mark your diaries!

The Wingman, The Man-Crush, The Bromance and Friendship – The Power of Men Connecting in Healthy Ways

I have been really enjoying 1 and 2 Samuel reading recently. I have been invigorated by themes of people, leadership, connecting with God etc.

I have found that about once a week I get a “convergence moment” – when the daily readings sync and a powerful theme emerges – and an “ah ha moment” is enjoyed. I had one recently when I read about David and Jonathan .... and when David sang a song of lament when his good friend Jonathan died:

I grieve for you, Jonathan my brother; you were very dear to me. Your love for me was wonderful, more wonderful than that of women.
2 Samuel 1:26 (NIV)

Here is one man saying to another man... ”Your love for me was wonderful, more wonderful than that of women.“ My investigations led me to this study bible note....

David is not suggesting that marital love is inferior to that of friendship, nor do his remarks have any sexual implications. He is simply calling attention to Jonathan’s nearly inexplicable self-denying commitment to David, whom he had long recognised as the Lord’s choice to succeed his father rather than himself.

A key to David’s emergence and leadership strength was that he was surrounded by dedicated, skilled and strong men. Men are made strong by other strong men. There is a power in men connecting with and supporting other men in healthy ways.

This makes me think of several words.

The first word is “wingman.” A wingman is a pilot who supports another in a potentially dangerous flying environment. The idea behind the wingman is to add the element of mutual support to aerial combat. A wingman makes the flight both offensively and defensively more capable by increasing fire power, situational awareness, attacking an enemy threatening a comrade and most importantly the ability to employ more dynamic tactics.

This thought of man-connection and support has since the 1990’s been encapsulated in new words like “bromance” and “man-crush.”

A "bromance" is a close but non-sexual relationship between two men. "Bromance" is a combination of the words "brother" and "romance".

A "man-crush" is similar – it is when a straight man has a "crush" on another man, not sexual but kind of idolizing him. Urban Dictionary describes a man-crush as follows:

- a man having extreme admiration for another man, as though he wants to be him.
- a man who has a very close platonic friendship and/or admiration for another man.

Aristole described a concept similar to the bromance as early as 300 BCE, writing, "It is those who desire the good of their friends for the friends' sake that are most truly friends, because each loves the other for what he is, and not for any incidental quality".

So I like the spirit of words like “man-crush” – “bromance” – “wingman” – and “friendship.” They start to capture the power of men in healthy, biblical relationship. And David and Jonathan help us see that power.

I like the words of Solomon.....

He who walks with wise men will be wise....
Proverbs 13:20 (NKJV)

Let’s get to it men!

Praying for Your Pastor

This is going to be an interesting post.

Since we have announced our resignation there have been many responses. We will talk a little about that this Sunday morning.

One of the interesting responses has been the number of people who have apologised.... apologised for not praying for us as their pastors.

True to our empowering style here are some tips on praying for your pastor ... and great ones from Dan Reiland. He worked with John Maxwell for many years.

Here is a bit of what Dan says and suggests.

Pastors, particularly senior pastors, are often seen as an unrealistic combination of the Apostle Paul and Billy Graham or perhaps Rambo and OO7...whatever fits best! The point is, the
perception is unrealistic - and often superhuman.

The point I want to make is that while pastors love their work, they are human. And they often carry an unrealistic "job description." In a day of hyper-specialization, pastors are still expected to do a little of everything. My strong encouragement is that each church:

* Allow their pastor to play to his/her strengths
* Structure a realistic work load (which includes members getting involved)
* Pray for the pastor

The following is a well thought through, simple and practical plan from my book "Shoulder to Shoulder - Strengthening Your Church By Supporting Your Pastor" that will help you pray effectively for the pastor. This plan can be done in just a few minutes a day.

Monday: Pray for your pastor's family.
* God's peace and protection
* A growing love relationship with his/her spouse
* A commitment to quality and quantity time together

Tuesday: Pray for wisdom for your pastor.
* The mind of Christ
* Godly decision-making
* Understanding of biblical truth

Wednesday: Pray for your pastor's ministry focus.
* Clear vision
* Commitment to biblical priorities
* Remain true to his/her God-given gifts and strengths

Thursday: Pray for your pastor's health.
* Protection of his/her body and mind
* An extra portion of stamina and strength
* Commitment to stress-releasing activity

Friday: Pray for your pastor's spiritual growth.
* A heart for God and the lost
* Fresh biblical insights
* Personal devotions not related to sermon preparation

Saturday: Pray for your pastor's purity.
* Pure motives
* Pure thought-life and faithfulness to his/her spouse
* Pure commitment to complete integrity

Sunday: Pray for God's anointing on your pastor.
* Strength in leadership
* Passion in preaching
* Fruit and joy in ministry

Women in Leadership - Steve Penny

Here is another great post recently from Steve Penny.........

I want to confess that I have caught a fresh revelation of how awesome women are as leaders and are a huge resource for the Church.

Let me suggest some reasons:
1. Women easily catch the cause
2. Women are better team players
3. Women have less ambition than men – but not less vision.
4. Women are better with details
5. Women are more protective of their leaders
6. Women are usually more generous
7. Women have better people skills
8. Women are spiritually more discerning
9. Women are far better at multi-tasking
10. Women are better communicators and share their feelings more openly.
11. Women have more inate strength and take less time off.
12. Women lead more people to Christ

Women make up well over 50% of the church but under 20% of it’s leadership.

I personally don’t think it is either male or female when it comes to leadership – but both working together with mutual respect and honour.
Males are often great visionary leaders whereas women are often great collective and gathering leaders.

Together we make a great team.

Important News - We Have Resigned

We have announced this morning to the great people at Westlife Church that we have resigned as Lead Pastors.

Our last Sunday will be Sunday 11 October 2009.

Pastor Steve Dixon from Hillsong Brisbane Campus this morning addressed the church and outlined the launch, growth and health of the church. That was very honouring.

Jillian and I have been overwelmed by the love and gratitude that people have expressed. Thanks.

Here is a bit of what we said this morning:

This has been a very tough decision – probably the toughest decision we have made so far in our lives. Yet it is also a relatively simply one.

When your values are clear, decisions become clearer.
We value our family, marriage and health – we value our children.
So these important things always come first....
We have sought prayed and read God’s Word – we have spent time with wise counsel – we have spoken to key people – we have looked at a lot of options – we have searched our hearts
– and we have come to this very difficult decision.
Parts of this decision are very sad – extremely sad
This decision will be very sad, even hurtful to some of you – we apologise for that.

Our family, marriage and health have been under a relentless pressure – and there is a deep weariness. Another family holiday will not fix this. 3 months off will not fix this.
We believe that resigning as Founding and Lead Pastors is the best choice for our family and for the church.

We are confident of a strong God – who is the head of this Church. This strong God knew this decision was coming – and He is not surprised.

We are confident of the God at work in you – some of you will be shaken for a season –but that will turn into a kingdom resolve that will fuel the next level of health and growth at Westlife
We love you all – we have prayed for you in advance – we have some good people around us and our church - we have set some things in motion that will position you for a great new leader or leaders.

We are thankful for this opportunity and privilege to lead you – it is coming up 4 years for some of you. These have truly been the Wonder Years for us – the establishment of a vibrant local church in a growth corridor.

Thank you for the privilege of leading you and being your pastors.

The team are planning a Farewell Celebration for Sunday PM 11 October 2009 - probably at about 6pm.

3 Words to Change the World - Lee Colan

Some people literally change the world; people like Ghandi, Mother Theresa, Abraham Lincoln, Ben Franklin.

Although it’s an ambitious goal to change the world, we often underestimate our singular power to change the world of those around us.
We don’t have to be Oprah giving away new cars to positively change someone’s world.
We each have that same power.
We don’t even have to do anything!
We only have to say three simple words.

Try one of these three-word, power-packed statements to change someone’s world:

§ I love you.
§ I thank you.
§ You are terrific.

§ I am sorry.
§ I trust you.
§ I promise you. (and keep it!)

§ God bless you.
§ I can help.
§ I understand you.

§ You are talented.
§ I believe you.
§ You will succeed.

§ You inspire me.
§ It’s no problem.
§ I forgive you.
§ You’re the best!

Whether we have a long conversation with a friend or simply place an order at a restaurant, every word makes a difference. The results of our interactions are rarely neutral; they are almost always positive or negative.

Ask yourself, "Do my words reflect my commitment to helping others, creating win-wins, continuously learning, embracing change, supporting my team's success?"

Words are the seeds of commitment. We plant the seeds with each movement of our lips. Once they are spoken, our words either grow in the form of an immediate response or they take time to germinate. Whether the result becomes apparent sooner or later, we cannot speak words of failure and defeat and expect a life of success and victory.

Plant the seeds of success in someone’s mind and heart today.
You’ll start a positive ripple effect that can be felt by many people and many miles away, not to mention the positive effect you will feel inside.

Do not do a thing! Just say three simple words.

I will close with a three-word challenge: JUST SAY IT!

Focus on Excuses or Focus on Solutions

Focus on excuses, and every challenge is a stumbling block.
Focus on solutions, and every challenge becomes a stepping stone.

During one of Franklin D. Roosevelt's election campaigns, his campaign manager was about to print 3 million copies of the candidate's acceptance speech with his photograph alongside. Then someone pointed out that the photographer had never given permission to use the photograph. According to the copyright laws at that time, you could be fined a dollar per copy for publishing unauthorized photographs. The campaign couldn't take a $3 million hit.

The campaign manager felt a tinge of panic, but instead of thinking up excuses or finding someone to blame, he kept his cool and started considering ways to handle the situation. Could this disaster be turned into a dividend?

He had an idea.

He cabled the photographer: "I have a plan that could mean a great deal of publicity for you. What's it worth to you if I use your photo on this campaign material?" The photographer cabled back: "I can't afford more than $250."

It was a deal!

By focusing on finding a solution, FDR's campaign manager was not only able to prevent great embarrassment and fines, but he also forged a lasting relationship between the photographer and FDR's administration—and he got a pretty good deal for a crucial photo.

(adapted from Lee Colan)

2.0

There is a season of change currently underway as we are growing and expanding. New days and growth means assessing and reviewing and restructuring and rebuilding.


I have myself using the phrase "2.0"alot in the last month. It is based on the term "web 2.0."

So I looked up "web 2.0" on wikipedia.... and here is a bit of a summary. You'll start to get the idea.

"Web 2.0" refers to the second generation of web development and web design. It is characterized as facilitating communication, information sharing, interoperability, user-centered design and collaboration on the World Wide Web. It has led to the development and evolution of web-based communities, hosted services, and web applications. Examples include social-networking sites, video-sharing sites, wikis, blogs, mashups and folksonomies.

Although the term suggests a new version of the World Wide Web, it does not refer to an update to any technical specifications, but rather to cumulative changes in the ways software developers and end-users utilize the Web.

The Web will be understood not as screenfuls of text and graphics but as a transport mechanism, the ether through which interactivity happens. It will [...] appear on your computer screen, [...] on your TV set [...] your car dashboard [...] your cell phone [...] hand-held game machines [...] and maybe even your microwave.

Web 2.0 websites allow users to do more than just retrieve information. They can build on the interactive facilities of "Web 1.0" to provide "Network as platform" computing, allowing users to run software-applications entirely through a browser.Users can own the data on a Web 2.0 site and exercise control over that data. These sites may have an "Architecture of participation" that encourages users to add value to the application as they use it. This stands in contrast to traditional websites, the sort that limited visitors to viewing and whose content only the site's owner could modify.

The concept of Web-as-participation-platform captures many of these characteristics. Bart Decrem, a founder and former CEO of Flock, calls Web 2.0 the "participatory Web" and regards the Web-as-information-source as Web 1.0.

Critics have cited the language used to describe the hype cycle of Web 2.0 as an example of Techno-utopianist rhetoric.

Here is a mind-map that was developed to sum up some of the themes of web 2.0.

So for me, "2.0" is all about cummulative change, building on the strengths of the past, increasing collaboration, interaction, integration and adding-value.

Bring it on!!!

Step Up, Keep Stretching and Lift that Lid!

Leadership is a great thing.

John Maxwell says heaps about leadership.... all good stuff.

His side-kick, Dan Reiland, says great stuff too.
Dan has this great fortnightly email called Pastors Coach. I have referenced it before.. and I tried to find this great quote he used in 2008 in relation to church board members.... but I can't find my blog entry.

Anyway, here is a cut n paste.....

If you are a pastor, my encouragement is that you give a copy of this article to your lay leaders. Let them mull over what I have to say, and use it as a springboard for dialogue on what's important for board members in your church.

Here's what I say is important for board members to know:

1. Don't Step Up Unless You're Ready and Willing to Step Down

When my pastor, Kevin Myers, first talked to me about the possibility of serving as a member of our church's board, he explained something that I will never forget. It has since become a foundational principle for me in any kind of leadership. He said, "As long as your leadership is good enough to help the church, you belong on the board. But if the church ever outgrows your ability to lead, you will have to step down."

My purpose on the board is to serve the church and my pastor; not for it or him to serve me. For that reason, I've always held on loosely to my position on our board of elders. I'm acutely aware that it is a privilege to serve in a church where God is working, and I feel lucky to be where I am. God could have chosen anyone to serve Him at 12Stone, yet He picked me. I strive to live a life worthy of the calling I have received (Eph 4:1). And I am determined never to stand in the way of what God is doing at the church.......

What a thought:

"As long as your leadership is good enough to help the church, you belong on the board. But if the church ever outgrows your ability to lead, you will have to step down."

That means as leaders we need to keep growing and streching. So we need to add a good dose of "stretch" and "lift" to our "step up."

And then Steve Penny wrote this great blog post today. I have cut n paste the whole lot.

He talks about the challenge of change as a leader. Here goes.....

WHY CHANGE IS SO CHALLENGING

I find change a challenge.

Having led churches now for over thirty five years one would think that the process of change would become easier with the passing of time.

If anything the change process becomes harder as our years increase. Whether years in life or in a location or job, the challenge of change can often be much harder as time rolls on. Let me tell you why!

FIRSTLY – Change challenges relationships.
Probably the hardest thing to do in life is to move forward when so many around you do not want to arise to go forward.
The choice of a greater tomorrow or more of the same is sometimes as simple as the choice to say farewell to friendships that have become counter productive to you growing up and pressing on in life.

I find that a leader must reinvent themselves at least every seven years and do the same with their team to continue going forward and expanding.
Having applied this principle for years it has helped me see people who have hit a lid in their roles and don’t know why or how to fix it.

Many people can be very effective for a season and then when the organization grows beyond them, they go into a protectionist mode and try to cover the fact that they are now not coping as well as they used to, or being as effective or fruitful.

SECONDLY – The security of familiar surroundings can often be a huge barrier to arising and journeying into unfamiliar territory.
I sometimes think that a good crisis or two can be the catalyst that propels us forward out of our familiar surroundings toward the unfamiliar horizon of our future..
Never despise the tough times in your life as they often force us to become very creative in how we go forward in life.

THIRDLY – The power of positions can become a huge stranglehold on us if we are prone to see achievement as the filling of some position or achieving of some title.
Positions can be very fleeting and should never be seen as a safe place in life. A position should only ever reflect the productivity of a role, and never the attainment of an office or title.
Never allow positional authority to operate in your organization as it will destroy initiative and drive out the young entrepreneurs who are the secret to your future success.

FOURTHLY – The loss of a dream will cause your life and/or organization to grind to a halt.
Focussing on debt reduction and not on future vision will sap people of faith and enthusiasm.
Dreams drag us through the dust of the mundane.
Great achievements are always the result of great dreams.
Dreams demand change as they challenge the status quo of our everyday lives.
However only change the things you need to change on the journey – dont change the journey itself.

Stay true to what you really believe on the inside.

SET YOUR VISION IN CONCRETE – AND YOUR GOALS IN SAND.

Steve Penny


Did you get that?

"I find that a leader must reinvent themselves at least every seven years and do the same with their team to continue going forward and expanding."

Hmmmm.

I need to keep adding a good dose of "stretch" and "lift" to my "step up!"

Great Men of God - Phil Pringle

"I will make the godly of the land my heroes ..."

Psalms 101:6 (TLB).

I really like Ps Phil Pringle. He is a hero!

Here is a bit of what Wikipedia summarises....

Phil Pringle is a pastor, and together with his wife Christine, founder and current leader of the CCC pentecostal church movement. Often described as dynamic and inspiring, his speaking style has made him a well known preacher on the international Pentecostal circuit.

Phil Pringle has a wide-ranging international ministry, speaking in locations as varied as London, Amsterdam, Singapore, Durban, Uppsala, Auckland, Brisbane, Atlanta, New York and Portland.

Pringle is the founder and senior minister of Christian City Church Oxford Falls and founder and president of the Christian City Church International movement of churches......

I have been watching his ministry from afar for about 20 years. The family and I visited his church in October 2006 when we were on holidays in Sydney.

I saw this photo on Twitter recently:


And this is what Ps Phil wrote under his photo:

"Thinking about the three paintings I'm doing this Easter Sunday morning 9am. Getting the music right. I get close to tears thinking about about it listening to the music. See you in church!"
He is funny, creative, loves God and loves to pray.

I have learned alot about prayer and the anointing from him. And I have most of his books.

He has some great photos on Twitter, especially the sunrise photos from his mobile phone. Here is a sample.

I like the photos so much I collect them - and will do a separate post with the sunrise photo collection. watch out for that this Tuesday AM.

Great Men of God - A Random Series of Posts

"I will make the godly of the land my heroes ..."
Psalms 101:6 (TLB).

Growing up as a boy, Batman was my favourite. He was my hero.

But since then I have developed a love for God, His House and His people.

I wrote a post back in January 2009 about Ps Paul Grant. He is a hero and man of God.

And I have been thinking lately about how I am as a leader and man of God.

I decided that it was best to focus on others as I got a bit sick of the growing list of things I had to fix, or deal with, or process.

So I will start a series of posts with the label, "Great Men of God." They will be a bit messy but they will be a start. I would rather get something down than nothing at all.

So check out the posts soon.....

My Work Matters - Part 1 Summary Quotes

If you have been following this blog recently you would have heard about the new "My Work Matters" series at Westlife Church on Sunday mornings 10am.

I'll explain the purpose of this powerful series in another post, but here are some highlights for me from part 1 with Tracy Skellern-Smith.

Servants, do what you're told by your earthly masters. And don't just do the minimum that will get you by. Do your best. Work from the heart for your real Master, for God, confident that you'll get paid in full when you come into your inheritance. Keep in mind always that the ultimate Master you're serving is Christ. The sullen servant who does shoddy work will be held responsible. Being Christian doesn't cover up bad work. And masters, treat your servants considerately. Be fair with them. Don't forget for a minute that you, too, serve a Master--God in heaven. (Col 3:22-4:1)

There are 5 levels of leadership:
1. The first level of leadership is from your position.
2. The second level of leadership is leadership is from respect.
3. The third level of leadership is production.
4. The fourth level of leadership is people development.
5. The fifth level of influence is the personhood level.

Influence takes more than a day.

Rick Warren said “Many Christians don't make the connection between Sunday and Monday. They compartmentalize their life. They think, "Well, I've got a spiritual life and I've got a secular life. My spiritual life is when I read the Bible, when I pray, when I go to church, when I do good things for others. That's my spiritual life." And that's over in one compartment. So then, they think, over in another compartment: "This is my secular life. That's my work, my job, my career, my business decisions, my finances, my pension plan; all these things are my secular life." The word secular isn't in the Bible. It all matters to God; everything in your life – including your work - is important to God. God is as interested in your work as He is in your prayers.

Manage your words well at work. Joyce Meyer calls them “capsules of power.” There is life and death in the power of the tongue. If you manage your thoughts – probably have more success in managing your words. If you have something worthwhile to say – say it briefly and well.

IT - What a Book!

I have been reading the Craig Groeschell book, "IT," since the weekend. What a book!

I also heard him speak at Hillsong Brisbane last Friday Night.

We all can name churches that have “IT,” churches that had “IT” and lost “IT,” and many churches that don’t have “IT.”

So what is “IT?” I don’t know.

I believe that God makes “IT” happen. It is by Him and for Him, and we can’t create it, manufacture it, put it in the bottle and study it. Someone can bring it, and another could kill it.

It’s not a system or a model. It’s not a “seeker-sensitive” deal or a “purpose-driven” deal.

“IT” attracts critics. If you have “IT”, people will shoot at “IT”. You could say “IT” happens…but often “IT” doesn’t. Bad news is, if you have “IT,” that doesn’t mean that you can’t lose “IT.” If you don’t have “IT,” that doesn’t mean that you can’t get “IT.”

The early church had “IT.” Cf. Acts 2:42-47

Here were some of the key quotes from the book:

“We can’t create it. We can’t reproduce it, We can’t manufacture it. It is not a model, a system or a program. You can copy it. It can’t be taught, but it can be caught.”

“Your greatest innovation could come from your greatest limitation- if you have a sincere passion to reach and care for people.”

“When you try something new in ministry, most people will tell you that your idea will never work. Innovation by definiton will not be accepted at first.”

“If you’re not failing every now and again, it’s a sure sign that you’re not trying anything very innovative.”

“You have more in you then you realize. God has put more in you than anyone knows.”

“In order to reach people that no one is reaching, you’ll have to do things that no one is doing. But, in order to do things that no one is doing, you can’t do what everyone else is doing.”

Hillsong Conference 09 is on this week. Ps Steve Penny is there and wrote this blog today about IT and Craig Groeschell and Hillsong.

Here is the start:
Last night we experienced with awe the opening night of Hillsong Conference 2009. The amazing light and sound show that started the night was indescribable. It was sheerly amazing. However the best was yet to come. The worship was electric and the sense of God’s presence in the place was tangible.

Then Craig Groeschel preached a message on the “IT” factor in our lives. That intangible blessing of God that makes the difference between winning and losing. The messsage brought an amazing response from everyone present and was a life changing moment for us all.

I cant help but be challenged by the Hillsong miracle, which keeps happening year after year, and I have many times tried to see what makes this great church continue to go forward in the grace of God.

Let me suggest a few things that I think are in the mix of the Hillsong “IT”.....

(click here to read the rest of Steve's post) Well done, Steve.

Even though I am not at Hillsong Conference this week I still feel like I am in the "revelation zone."

Quit Managing Your Time and Manage Your Attention - Lee Colan

Here is a great start to a productive week!

Quit Managing Your Time and Manage Your Attention by Lee Colan

No matter what you do, time marches on at its own pace—tick, tick, tick—and there's nothing you can do to change that (unless you can go pretty close to the speed of light).

Time is a great equalizer; it runs at the same speed for everybody, rich or poor, jet pilot or snail farmer.

You can't manufacture time, you can't reproduce time, you can't slow time down or turn it around and make it run in the other direction. You can't trade bad hours for good ones, either.

What you can manage, however, is your attention.
Attention is a resource we all possess.
Your attention reflects your conscious decisions about which activities will occupy your time.
You are where your attention is... not necessarily where your body is.

The first step is to precisely understand your priorities.
There's a big difference between managing your attention to accomplish priorities and checking off items on your to-do list. Our natural tendency is to do what is fun, convenient, or absolutely necessary at any given time—but your true priorities may not fit into any of those categories. So, here's a question to ask yourself, "If I could accomplish only one thing right now, what would that one thing be?" Your answer will quickly identify your top priority, where you should be directing your attention.

Dwight D. Eisenhower, the World War II general who went on to become a popular president of the United States, used what is now called the Eisenhower Method for managing priorities and attention. After identifying the tasks confronting him, he drew a square and divided it into four quadrants as seen below.

I have overlaid the 4 D's into each quadrant to further simplify the actions you should take. Each and every task should have one of the 4 D's performed on it
– Do it, Dump it, Delegate it or Defer it.


Be sure to distinguish between "urgent" and "important" activities.
Important activities are beneficial and should be accomplished, if not right away, then eventually.
Urgent activities are time sensitive, but not necessarily crucial to your bigger goals.

As you identify priorities, be realistic about what you can accomplish. Be honest with yourself about what you truly want to achieve in your life and work.
Where do you want to invest your attention?
Although important tasks are your top priorities, most of the time these are not the things that appear to be urgent. Don't be fooled into thinking that whatever seems urgent is worth taking your attention from your most important goal.

Eisenhower's mantra was "What's important is seldom urgent, and what's urgent is seldom important." Less important priorities should not receive more attention than more important priorities.

The TED Commandments - Rules every Speaker needs to know

Thanks to Los Whittaker and his Ragamuffin Soul for this great post.

Every speaker at the Ted Conference must follow these rules.

The message is too important to not be intentional.

1. Thou Shalt Not Simply Trot Out thy Usual Shtick.

2. Thou Shalt Dream a Great Dream, or Show Forth a Wondrous New Thing, Or Share Something Thou Hast Never Shared Before.

3. Thou Shalt Reveal thy Curiosity and Thy Passion.

4. Thou Shalt Tell a Story.

5. Thou Shalt Freely Comment on the Utterances of Other Speakers for the Sake of Blessed Connection and Exquisite Controversy.

6. Thou Shalt Not Flaunt thine Ego. Be Thou Vulnerable. Speak of thy Failure as well as thy Success.

7. Thou Shalt Not Sell from the Stage: Neither thy Company, thy Goods, thy Writings, nor thy Desperate need for Funding; Lest Thou be Cast Aside into Outer Darkness.

8. Thou Shalt Remember all the while: Laughter is Good.

9. Thou Shalt Not Read thy Speech.

10. Thou Shalt Not Steal the Time of Them that Follow Thee.

Building a Great Life on Great Foundations

I am handing over to the Master Builder now.... check out what Jesus says:

24 "These words I speak to you are not incidental additions to your life, homeowner improvements to your standard of living. They are foundational words, words to build a life on. If you work these words into your life, you are like a smart carpenter who built his house on solid rock.
25 Rain poured down, the river flooded, a tornado hit—but nothing moved that house. It was fixed to the rock.
26 "But if you just use my words in Bible studies and don't work them into your life, you are like a stupid carpenter who built his house on the sandy beach.
27 When a storm rolled in and the waves came up, it collapsed like a house of cards."
Matthew 7:24-27 (MSG)

Also shows the importance of life application of teaching!

And the role of incarnational teachers and leaders (ie teachers who live the message):

Who preachers are is the main thing, not what they say....
Matthew 7:16 (MSG)

Seven Habits of Spectacularly Unsuccessful People: The Personal Qualities of Leaders Who Preside Over Major Business Failures

I was emailed this link to a very sobering and insightful article by Sydney Finkelstein -
Seven Habits of Spectacularly Unsuccessful People: The Personal Qualities of Leaders Who Preside Over Major Business Failures.

It contains some great corporate examples, stories and reflections.

Here is the start of the opening paragraphs:

To be spectacularly unsuccessful requires some very special personal qualities.
We're talking about people whose failures were breathtakingly gigantic, who have taken huge, world-renowned business operations and made them almost worthless.
They have caused thousands of people to lose their jobs and thousands of investors to lose their investments.
They've managed to destroy hundreds of millions or even billions of dollars of value.
Their destructive effect is so beyond the range of ordinary human beings that it's on a scale normally associated only with earthquakes and hurricanes.

The personal qualities that make this awesome scale of destruction possible are all the more fascinating because they are regularly found in conjunction with truly admirable qualities.
After all, hardly anyone gets a chance to destroy so much value without also demonstrating a potential to create it.
Most of the great destroyers of value are people of unusual intelligence and remarkable talent. They are almost always capable of .....

Click here to read the rest.

Here is the summary for those who want to cut to the chase:

The Seven Habits of Spectacularly Unsuccessful People

1. They see themselves and their companies as dominating their environments, not simply responding to developments in those environments.
2. They identify so completely with the company that there is no clear boundary between their personal interests and corporate interests.
3. They seem to have all the answers, often dazzling people with the speed and decisiveness with which they can deal with challenging issues.
4. They make sure everyone is 100% behind them, ruthlessly eliminating anyone who might undermine their efforts.
5. They are consummate company spokespersons, often devoting the largest portion of their efforts to managing and developing the company image.
6. They treat intimidatingly difficult obstacles as temporary impediments to be removed or overcome.
7. They never hesitate to return to the strategies and tactics that made them and their companies successful in the first place.