Big Is The New Small

Have you ever found yourself in a group, on a team, in an organization or in a situation where you knew that: “Everyone Is Thinking It, but No One Is Saying It?”  We have all been in those situations and sometimes there’s even a little internal chuckling that goes along with the thought.  The internal chuckling is generally a less serious matter; however there are other situations where “Everyone Is Thinking It, but No One Is Saying It” and those internal thoughts are leading to bitterness and frustration.

I get the opportunity to do consulting for individuals and organizations in many different arenas. My primary focus is organizational growth, both internally and externally.  What I have seen and experienced personally is this: “When Everyone Is Thinking It, but No One Is Saying It.” There is definitely a culture that’s impeding organizational and individual growth.

Some of the most thriving organizations in the world have cultures where everyone is thinking and saying the same thing.  The creating of this culture always begins and ends with the CEO, Senior Leader and or Executive Leadership Team.

If you find yourself in a culture where “Everyone Is Thinking It, but No One Is Saying It.”  It’s time to speak up, lead up and be a catalyst for fostering a culture of mutual thinking and speaking… a culture of success.  If you are a senior executive, work hard to ask the right questions, to create an environment of openness and to create culture where your team and your organizations are thinking and saying the same thing.

There is a high probability that no one will leave a comment below. You wanna know why? “Everyone Is Thinking It, but No One Is Saying It.”  :)

What has been your experience with a culture where “Everyone Is Thinking It, but No One Is Saying It?”  Share your thoughts!

There are many arguments in the leadership community that Great Leadership Is All About Maximizing Strengths.  As a matter of fact Strengths Finder is a great book with an accompanying test available, in order to help you figure out exactly what your strengths are.  Not only do you find out your strengths, it provides tools to help you successfully lead out of those strengths.

I definitely agree that maximizing strengths is a key to great leadership; however I think there is another equally important component and that’s Limiting Liabilities.  When a leader has weaknesses that have moved so far on the weakness chart they become liabilities, there is a problem.  It’s important for those liabilities to be addressed sooner, rather than later.  For instance, if someones strengths allows them to play so heavily towards the tasks, getting things done type of stuff, that relationships are nowhere on the radar…  That’s a liability headed down the road of team, people and organization destruction.

Maximize Strengths and Limit Liabilities.

What do you think?

Excellence – (noun) [ek-suh-luhns] The fact or state of excelling.

Often times Excellence is viewed as this moving, high-level target that only a select group of fortuitous individuals can achieve. Excellence is simply a choice, it’s choice to: study more, practice longer, take that extra step in customer service, spend the necessary time with your children, making sure the restroom in your place of business is spic and span, to say “My Pleasure” instead of saying “Pull around to the second window…”

Excellence is a choice to care more than most think you should, risk more than most are willing to risk, dream bigger than most will ever dream and think more than others are willing to think.

dream BIG. think BIGGER.

Are you or your organization choosing to excel? ~Excellence

Share your thoughts on Excellence.

Many of us grew up hearing the phrase, “It’s not whether you win or lose, but how you play the game.”  The reality is that statement isn’t totally true.  Winning does matter and we all have the deep desire to be a winner.  Everyone wants to win and everyone wants to be a winner: The business that you work for, your church, your children’s school, and even those who don’t like winners.  As much as I don’t like Kobe Bryant, I like the fact that he’s a winner.

The Difference Between A Winner & A Loser is the desire to win.  It does matter whether we win or lose and what matters are the things that we can control.  I described those two things in a previous post I had written titled, The Two Things That Leaders Can Control.

Vince Lombardi said it best when he said, “Winning isn’t everything, but the will to win is everything.”  If you want to be a winner, you have to want to win.  Larry Bird says it this way, “A winner is someone who recognizes his God-given talents, works his tail off to develop them into skills, and uses these skills to accomplish his goals.”

The Difference Between A Winner & A Loser is the habit of winning and the desire to win. Winners get in the habit of dreaming BIG, thinking BIGGER and doing what losers don’t.  If you want to be a winner… Go Win! dream BIG. think BIGGER. If you want to be a loser, sit on the sidelines, complain and make excuses why you can’t win.

What’s The Difference Between A Winner & A Loser?

You tell me… share your thoughts on winning, losing and this post.

It always surprises me to see managers who suffocate their staff.   By suffocating their staff, I’m referring to leaders who are unwilling to let their employees out of their grips for fear of losing the employee or losing control.  These types of leaders are actually doing the exact opposite of what they are trying to do.  This tight grip and suffocating behavior will reduce performance, squash creativity and inevitably cause employees to leave.

When I was a young Warden, my mentor and boss would frequently tell me this regarding my staff members. “Scott, hold onto your team loosely, because ultimately they are not yours to hold onto.” That statement has always stuck with me!

If we hold onto our employees loosely, they feel the freedom of the open hands which ultimately increases productivity and develops more leaders.  This philosophy of encouraging your employees to “grow and go” will result in you losing some great ones from time to time.  The great thing about leading with the open-handed mentality, is the fact that those you loose will always be quickly replenished.

On the other hand, the employer who plants a suffocating scarcity seed, won’t reap a scarce harvest.  I have led several teams in which we lost key players to some higher impact roles; however every time they were replenished with some equally amazing team members without the team missing a beat.

Scarcity Mentality – Not enough good to go around vs. Abundance Mentality – There is more than enough great to go around.

If you are in an suffocating staff situation, encourage the leader to open their hands. If that doesn’t work, it may be time “to go and grow.”

Let Go! dream BIG. think BIGGER.

Share your thoughts and experiences with the suffocating approach.

Over the years I have found that Helping Others Win is a very important duty.  As leaders, our primary goal is to help those around us win.  As followers, our primary goal is to help those that we follow win.  If those around us are winning, the organization wins and that’s a win win.

As parents it’s important to help our children win. We provide environments, teaching, structure, systems, beliefs and assistance that help create opportunities for success.  As married couples, we must be wholly committed to helping one another win.

Helping Others Win is such a simple concept, but it’s often overlooked in this self-consuming day and age.  It’s much easier for a boss to fire someone, a coach to give up on someone and a spouse to hit the road than it is to commit to winning.

Charlie Sheen may be a little off of his rocker, but the one thing he gets is Winning. He was quoted as saying, “I’m not bi-polar, I’m bi-winning.”

We need to become more focused on being bi-winning…  In other-words, creating situations where everyone wins.  Help Someone Win Today!

Why are people not committed to Helping Others Win?  Share your thoughts on helping others win.

Perspectives: John Ortberg and Scott Williams from Monvee Video on Vimeo.

It was great to sit down with one of the great authors and ministry leaders John Ortberg.  John asked me some candid questions about the state of the church and the state of Church Diversity.  I have always appreciated his wisdom, leadership, writing & influence from afar…  It was an honor to sit down and hear his heart and field a few questions.

Share your thoughts about anything we discussed in the interview, or feel free to share ask any additional questions that you may have.

Success: To laugh often and much, to win the respect of intelligent people and the affection of children, to earn the appreciation of honest critics and endure the betrayal of false friends, to appreciate beauty, to find the best in others, to leave the world a bit better, whether by a healthy child, a garden patch, or a redeemed social condition; to know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived.

This is to have succeeded!

~Ralph Waldo Emerson

I had the opportunity to hang out with my man Coach Christ Hogan from Gainesville Faith Academy (Gainesville, TX).   Last night we were both guests on TBN’s Praise The Lord Program.  I love his heart and this story.  What’s happening at Gainesville Faith Academy through his leadership is special and not just because of the video above.

Another example of how it’s the small things in life that matter.  It also poses a great question: “What are we doing to make a difference in the lives of others?”  This video was very touching to me, I used to be the Warden of a facility just like the one featured in this video.

Share your thoughts on the video, the story, the potential and examples of what we can do to be the hands and feet of Jesus.

Often times our life stories and the various chapters of our life stories are written based upon the questions that we ask ourselves.  Some people may be reading this an wonder what in the world I’m talking about.

The reality for most of us, is that we participate in self-talk and ask ourselves questions all of the time.  Can I Do This?  If I do this, what will happen? Do I have what it takes? Will I ever…?

We have to change the way we think and begin to ask new questions:

Instead of asking: Where will I be in 5 years?

Ask: Where will I be next month or next quarter? The answer to those questions will pave the way for where you will be in 5 years.

Instead of asking: If I do so and so, will I make so and so happy?

Ask: If I do so and so with a great attitude, great effort and with integrity will it make God happy?

Instead of asking: What if I try to stop the sin or break the habit and I’m unsuccessful?

Ask: What if I try to stop the sin or break the habit and I succeed?

Instead of asking: How can I make myself look good?

Ask: How can I make others look good?

Instead of asking: What if I’m wrong?

Ask: What if I’m right?

Instead of asking: Why am I not getting the opportunities and promotions?

Ask: What can I do to get better?

Instead of asking: What does so and so think and say about me?

Ask: What does God think and say about me?

Instead of asking: What if I fail?

Ask: What if I don’t fail?

Do you need to ask some new questions?  Do you think the questions that we ask ourselves, affect our life stories?