“The words influence and influenza are cousins.” -- David Jeremiah We are a contagious people and not just when it comes to germs and viruses and hand sanitizer. Attitudes are contagious. One sour person can sink an entire meeting. A little grumpiness goes a long way. On the other hand, a gentle answer to a harsh question can soften the atmosphere (that should be in the Bible!). Vision is contagious. I believe people are hungry for a higher purpose than Angry Birds or voting on American Idol. A clearly articulated, passionate vision will spread -- hopping from one carrier to another. Morals (or lack of) are contagious. Parents understand this. It's why we pray for our children to make good friends, to surround themselves with positive influences. But what about at work? When a leader lacks a moral compass, the moral temperature gets set at whatever degree is in the…
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This week is one of the largest annual gatherings of church planters in America. It's the Exponential Conference in Florida. Men and women who have planted churches, who are thinking about planting churches, or who are simply curious -- all will converge on Orlando. I've been myself ... and it was worth every dollar and every minute. There is something contagious about being around a group of people who believe they serve a God who can change the world. You get to sit in sessions with other risk-takers and the risks you're taking don't seem so insurmountable. It's a safe place to share stories -- mostly war stories, failures, things you would do over. No one goes there to brag. You go to learn, be encouraged, and to encourage others. As I sat in one of the main sessions back in 2005, I looked over the room and saw hundreds…
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Thanks to his bathtub, Archimedes discovered the concept of displacement. As he sat down in his bathtub, he noticed the water level would rise. The weight of his body displaced the water. From this epiphany, he realized he could use similar experiments to measure the volume of certain objects. In life, we have ... Placements -- things that are in their proper place. Misplacements -- things that are not placed in their proper place Displacements -- things that are replaced by other things. Displacement shows up when we transfer our feelings about one thing/person/situation to another thing/person/situation. In counseling terms, it's called "kicking the dog." You "kick the dog" when, after a hard day at work, you come home and kick the dog. The dog didn't cause your bad day -- you simply displaced your frustration. Often times, we practice displacement and don't even know it. Little things that might…
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Perry Noble says the number one sign of an insecure leader is that they see people as working for them and not with them. (Read the full list here). These two small words (a combined seven letters, average of 3.5 letters per word) reflect a large difference in attitude. This difference not only affects the leader's style but how the people respond to their leadership. I've told my children, "There's a difference between 'I've got to do something' and 'I get to do something.'" When you've got to do something, it's often viewed as a burden. You do it because you are obligated or fearful of what will happen if you don't do it. When you get to do something, it's act of passion or purpose. You don't watch the clock or groan about it. As a leader, if you view people as working for you it is likely they…
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