Pursuing Excellence in a Disruptive Age

Contrasts of Leadership Then and Now

From “Changing” people - To Charging (up) people
From Command and Control - To Creation of “content”
From Think big thoughts - To Do bold deeds
From Plan, Plan, Plan - To Play, Play, Play
From Serenely aloof - To Stubbornly angry
From “I don’t care” (“…what you think”) - To “I don’t know” (“…all the answers”)
From “Transforming” People - To Transferring opportunity
From Doing it all (leadership as mystique)- To Delegating (leadership as mastery)
From The “plan clan” - To The “action faction”
From Worrying about one’s image - To Working one’s imagination
From Pure logic - To Pure logistics
From “Correcting” people - To “Connecting” people
From Leader as “wise man” - To Leader as “whys man”
From Presiding - To Pushing
From Leading for the long haul - To Leading with a long shot
From Making a “killing” - To Making a mark

Tom Peters "The Essentials Series adapted from Re-Imagine!"

This Is My Parents' Church, Not Mine!

WE may not like certain innovations, but we can’t get away from movement. If the past teaches us anything, it’s that the methods we used a generation ago probably aren’t effective today. For example, what we call “delivery systems” have continued to evolve – and that momentum won’t stop with this generation. We started with e-mail and web access – almost unheard of in 1990 – and now we order on-line and postman delivers the items to our doorsteps.

So where do we, the church, fit into this flux? Do we follow every whim or new idea? Of course not. But we don’t stand paralyzed either. The church is in the business of effectively and relevantly communicating a holistic, life-changing gospel; therefore, we have to adjust our methods to meet the times.

Here’s the principle:

Our message remains the same. We stand on the fact that “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever” (Heb 13:8).

Our methods for presenting the truth not only need to change; they MUST change.

We need to separate methods and attitudes from biblical principles. Those of us who commit ourselves to grow and interact with the world around us realize that we need to change our thinking and our perceptions. What worked for Mom and Dad may be as obsolete as slide-rule.

Today change happens in the pulpit, in boardrooms and on the streets.

What Is Your Purpose In Life?

JOSH McDowell tells about an executive "headhunter" who recruits corporate executives for large firms. This headhunter once told McDowell that when he interviews an executive, he likes to disarm him. "I offer him a drink," said the headhunter, "take off my coat, undo my tie, throw up my feet and talk about baseball, football, family, whatever, until he's all relaxed. Then, when I think I've got him relaxed, I lean over, look him square in the eye and say, 'What's your purpose in life?' It's amazing how top executives fall apart at that question."

Then he told about interviewing one fellow recently. He had him all disarmed, had his feet up on his desk, talking about football. Then the headhunter leaned over and said, "What's your purpose in life, Bob?" And the executive said, without blinking an eye, "To go to heaven and take as many people with me as I can."

"For the first time in my career," said the headhunter, "I was speechless."

No wonder. He had encountered someone who was prepared. He was ready. His purpose, "To go to heaven and take as many people with me as I can."

What is your purpose in life?
What is your purpose today?

by David Langerfeld

Leading Into Tomorrow

We live in EPIC times. This is an acrostic.

Experiential says, “We’ve talked enough. Stop talking and just do it.”

Participatory says, “Count me in. I want to participate in this.”

Image-Driven says, “You have to draw the picture for me. Let me see it for myself.”

Connection says, “That connects with me. I want to belong.”

from the book "Futuring" by Samuel R. Chand & Cecil Murphy

Hello! This is my blog...