Big Is The New Small

When you read a statement like ”The Foundation Of Leadership” it draws out a wide range of thoughts.  Those thoughts are derived from the various types of experiences you’ve had with other leaders, your leadership and leadership in general.  There are many leadership experts, authors and professionals that define the foundation of leadership in varying fashions.  I personally think the foundation of leadership is Trust, ”The Trust Of Leadership.”  People like to trust that their leader will get it done and lead them from here to there.

We can break ”The Foundation Of Leadership” down into two Trust categories:

I’m in no way saying I have all of the answers and I have this leadership thing figured out; however I am totally convinced that the core of leadership is based on trust.  I’ve always tried to lead with integrity, care and concern; embracing the fact that if people don’t trust you, they won’t follow you.  On the other hand, I truly believe in and trust my people.  I trust them so much that they have no choice but to believe in and trust themselves.  If I believe my team can fly, even if they can’t, they will get darn close.  Help your team to soar, TRUST THEM!

What has been your experience on either side of “The Trust Of Leadership?”  Share your thoughts!

Last night I had the amazing opportunity to lead the invocation for the Oklahoma City Thunder game as they put a 107-77 spanking on the LeBronless Cavilers.  It was an amazing night and in this post I’ve shared highlights for you to check out.  It was so crazy that the game had two pieces featured on SportsCenter’s Top 10.

• 1. James Harden’s Monster Dunk over Cavaliers forward J.J. Hickson.
• 2. Robert Yanders hits a $20,000 half-court shot… Nothing but net!

You can check out the dunk/shot highlights in the video (above). To top it all off my boys got this great pic with Kevin Durant (below).  Durant is really a down to earth guy, he was very gracious with my boys and the other Thunder fans.

Share your thoughts on the dunk, the half-court shot, my boys pic w/ KD or the fact that the OKC Thunder is one of the only teams in the NBA that does a public invocation prayer before each game.

In all my years of leadership/followership and from my experience providing leadership consulting, I have come to realize that Great Leaders and Great Leadership Cultures are willing to Challenge ‘The King.”   I’m not talking about challenging LeBron to a game of 1 on 1.  I’m referring to “The King” as the Big Boss, The CEO, The Department Chair, Team Leader, The Senior Pastor, The President… The Senior Leader that’s making the decisions, ‘The King.”

What generally happens in an organization is that ”The King” develops a style, a system and a reputation for the types of decisions that he will make and the type of feedback that they will take. BTW- that “he” can also be a “she.”  Those that are closest to “The King” begin to accept those tendencies as the law and over-time challengeable actions, decisions and offenses go un-challenged.  The excuses range from,”that’s just how so and so is, to you know they will not even entertain that thought.”  This type of situation and culture is not good for “The King” nor the leaders that follow him.

“The King” ends up leading from an isolated rarely challenged clueless bubble that’s not going to bust because it’s not being poked, prodded and challenged.  Those that follow “The King” will sit around and talk about what ”The King” is or is not doing and the decisions ”The King” is or is not making, which only leads to more problems for “The King” and the organization.

Great Leaders Challenge “The King” which makes them better leaders and him a better King.  If an organization is being led by a King that is not willing to be challenged by those around him, the organization is being set up for failure.   If leaders are not willing to challenge “The King” they will never be great leaders.  If an organizational culture does not embrace challenge at all levels, it’s time to change the culture.  Great Leaders Challenge “The King” and Great Kings create a culture where all things, decisions and people will be challenged — Even “The King.”

If an organizational culture allows for this absolute, imperious, or overbearing control to permeate through their organization, they are setting their organization up to become a dictatorship.

Great Leaders Challenge “The King” and Great Kings Want To Be Challenged

Share your thoughts and experiences with either side of this coin.

North Point Church iBand…  enuff said!

I think it’s extra cool, What do you think?

I know this may me alarming to some, but leadership has nothing to do with title.  The days of people following leaders and believing in them simply because of their title and position are long gone.  Positional equity will only get you so far and that so far is actually not far at all.

Employees need to know that you care.

Employees need to have a reason to believe in your leadership.

Employees don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care.

Relational equity trumps positional equity every time.

Leadership Is Not About A Title

Share your thoughts and experiences with Positional vs. Relational equity.

I had the opportunity to speak to a group of Pastor’s today.  Prior to me speaking they introduced “Bob Stoops” and asked him to take a few questions.  I was a little confused but Pastor Brock came up and started taking questions off of the cuff as though he was Coach Bob Stoops.  It was absolutely hilarious and I realized halfway through that I needed to record it.

If you have ever heard Bob Stoops or follow college football you will find this to be quite funny.

What do you think of Pastor Brock’s impersonation skillz?

This two year old “Warren-Patrick” has some serious Golf Skillz.  He’s the son of my buddy @MatthewSloop who used to be a professional golfer.  This is a video that I shot of him hitting some golf balls around the house.  He is actually swinging with a real Ping iron that has been cut down to his size.

He actually almost took the camera man out on his last swing.  Unfortunately the camera man was me. Seriously, this kid is the next Tiger Woods and that’s a reference to the Old Tiger’s Golf Skillz only.

I recently had lunch with a friend of mine who happens to be a college basketball coach.  I talked to him about balancing his games and the games of the recruits during this busy time of year.  He replied with the following statement, “I don’t spend much time watching recruits at their games…  I prefer to watch them at practice.  I don’t like all the gamesmanship that goes on because a recruiter is at the game and neither do their coaches.”

This is true for so many areas of life, people go around and put on the fake game face.  When the boss comes around they put on The Game Face, when the recruiters come around they put on The Game Face, when the pastor comes around they put on The Game Face, when their spouse comes around they put on The Game Face and the list goes on and on.

The Game Face isn’t what matters; how you practice is what really matters.  Don’t play the game and put on The Game Face.  Your life is your practice.  A wise man once told me that “perfect practice makes perfect.”

Quit playing the games.

Drop The Game Face and Keep It Real!

Why do people put on the game face?  Why is it so hard to be authentic and keep it real?

Groups 2.0 Has Arrived from Fellowship Technologies on Vimeo.

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Fellowship One has mastered the art of simplifying the processes for ministry leaders.  The great thing about their software solutions is the fact that it thinks the way you think.  That’s why I like Apple products is because they think the way that I think.  Again, the same is true for why I like Fellowship One… It thinks the way that I think.

Other F1 Offers:
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This is funny!  It may not be funnier than Antoine Dodson’s “Hide your kids, hide your wife… They snatchin’ your people up!”  But It’s Funny!  I Love Me Some Chicken!