Category Archives: Leadership

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How Did Jesus Use Incentives?

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The following post is courtesy of Bill Higgins. You have probably read a couple of his posts here before. This post is the third of a three-part series about leadership and motivation through the use of incentives. There is more information about Bill at the end of this post.

Coming from a Christian perspective you have to ask – are incentives just a human engineering invention or did Christ demonstrate the principles when He walked the earth? Did Christ treat people differently as individuals, or was His a cookie cutter incentive plan? Did He also use tangible incentives to help motivate people to believe, follow Him, and commit to His way of life?

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Valuing Individuals

The first post in this series focused on the need to value and empower individuals; to encourage them to make their unique contribution to the team. These few examples show how Jesus valued people:

  • Christ and Peter: Peter, the one with foot in mouth disease, yet the one the Lord said would be the foundation of the church (Matthew 16:18). Peter, the one who denied the Lord shortly before His death, yet the one whose name Christ changed from Simon (meaning little stone) to Peter (meaning unmovable rock)(John 1:42). Peter, the one that did not want the Lord to wash his feet, yet the one Christ had walk on water and lead the ministry to the Jews.
  • Christ and Mary: In John 12:1-8 Mary bathed Jesus’ feet with costly perfume and was criticized because it was not sold and the money given to the poor, but Jesus affirms her choice as a tribute to His time on earth. In Luke 10:38-42 Jesus is visiting Mary and Martha’s home and Mary chose to worship Jesus while Martha criticizes her for not helping serve, but again Jesus affirms Mary’s choice as the one thing that’s really important.
  • Christ and Zaccheus: Zaccheus was a small man as recorded in Luke 19:1-10, not only in stature but also by cultural standards. He was a Jewish tax collector, and an outcast from society because of his occupation, where most tax collectors were known to be thieves as well, and from his Jewish heritage because he worked for the Roman government to extort taxes from his fellow Jews.

    The one thing he probably wanted more than anything was acceptance. Then this Jewish celebrity named Jesus comes into town, and the road He travelled was packed by those wanting to see Him. So Zaccheus climbs a tree for a better view and Jesus calls out that He wants to have lunch with him. That was probably the most valuing thing He could have done for Zaccheus; include him in a very public way when others shut him out.

Yes, Jesus valued people for who they were and for who they could become. We need to catch some of that vision for the people we work with.

Individual Treatment

The second post focused on the need for incentives that were designed for the individual. But did Jesus incent individuals differently, or did He treat them pretty much all the same? While we have only a very small part of the dialog Christ actually had with individuals, what we do have will provide insight on this question.

  • Christ and Peter: The dialog Christ had with Peter was blunt, bottom-line, and straight forward. With the exception of the dialog Christ had with religious teachers, He had no more forceful exchange than with Peter. When he says to Peter, “Get thee behind me, Satan,” in Matthew 16:23 He wasn’t just saying that for effect. He communicated with Peter in a way he would hear and understand.

    When He also said to Peter, “Upon this rock I will build my church,” it was for the same reason. Peter had tons of potential, but he also had a lot of rough edges. Peter wasn’t sophisticated, so Christ’s communication with him wasn’t sophisticated, and yet He showed him true love and a vision for what he could be.

  • Christ and the rich young ruler: Here was sophisticated businessman, used to being rewarded for his effort and energy. He recognized his spiritual need, but approached it as a business transaction. In Matthew 19:16-22 Christ met him where he was, but moved the transaction from a business dealing to a relationship.

    When He said, “Go sell all you have and come and follow Me,” these two commands got to the young man’s essence. He had great wealth, and he was used to being his own boss. Christ spoke to him in his language, business, and reached him in his need, a relationship with Himself.

  • Christ and James and John: While they were referred to as the “sons of thunder” because of their fiery temperament, they must also have been somewhat lacking in self-esteem and assertiveness. It was their mother that asked that for her sons to sit on Christ’s right hand (Matthew 20:20-23).
    And how did Christ relate to them? James and John were fishermen like Peter, but their father was a wealthy fishermen. They would inherit the business but Jesus called them to serve, and related to them as a father.

    John especially had a greater capacity to love and be loved, and Christ responded to Him in love. The Bible repeatedly refers to John as the one Christ loved. He asks John to care for His mother when He’s dying. John reclines on Jesus at the last supper. There was intimacy there.

Each of these individuals was treated as an individual. Christ addressed them at their point of need, and in began building them into what He saw they could be. That is repeated throughout the New Testament. Thankfully He still does that today. He relates to each one of us individually, where we are, who we are, and builds us into what He alone sees that we can be.

That is true incentivizing; giving a vision for what a person can be and then providing the resources for them to be able to pursue that. We need to catch the same vision for the ones we work with.

Christ’s Tangible Incentives

When it comes to tangible incentives, He did promise to start a new ‘kingdom’ and that the disciples would play a significant role. That could be seen as a tangible incentive, even though what they understood and what He promised were worlds apart.

He did say that if they had even a little faith they could do more than He did. Then he went on to feed crowds with small lunches, pluck money from a fish to pay His taxes, and turn ordinary water into fine wine. Those could be seen as tangible incentives, but He had so much more in mind.
The true incentives He used targeted people’s deeper needs, and in so doing He won their loyalty and their trust:

  • The woman at the well: Jesus incented her with respect and acceptance. – John 4:7ff
  • Nicodemus: Jesus incented him with fulfilling his quest for truth. – John 3:1ff
  • The royal official: Jesus incented him by healing his son from while a ways off. – John 4:46ff
  • The woman in adultery: Jesus incented her with recognition, acceptance, and a vision for her life. – John 8:1ff

And the list could go on. Wherever He went, He touched people’s lives and changed them forever by incenting them in ways to spur them to greater things.

While Christ did not use tangible incentives as we think of them, His focus on meeting the deeper needs of people would imply that incentives can touch something deeper in an individual’s inner being. Yet, He also demonstrated the place of tangible incentives by feeding the hungry, providing for the poor, and contributing to a festive wedding celebration. In these He shows us that emotional needs satisfied by tangible incentives inspire greater motivation.

Bottom line, Christ met needs in a manner appropriate to the situation, and related to individuals in a manner consistent with their personality and the way God made them. Can we do any less with the people we work with?

SMART Incentives

To be practical, and for incentives to be most effective, they need to be:

  • Specific – the incentive should be tied to specific acts of behavior so that the recipient knows what it is being given for.
  • Meaningful – incentives need to be tailored to the individual, reflect company/program values and the cost of the reward should be relative to size of the act for which recognition is being given.
  • Achievable – the incentive should be something that each individual has the capability of achieving, and not awarded on a competitive basis.
  • Reliable – the measures and decision criteria by which the incentives are given need to be clear and specific so that individuals know why something is being incented and what they have to do to achieve the incentive.
  • Timely – the incentive should be given close in time to the specific act for which reward is given.

About the Author:

BILL HIGGINS is currently the Managing Director of MindWare Incorporated, an independent training and career coaching consulting firm. He previously served on the pastoral staff of churches in the U.S. and Canada, and worked in a managerial capacity for industry leading organizations.

Bill is a graduate of Biola University and Talbot Theological Seminary and his book; Your Road to Damascus: 6 Biblical Secrets for an Effective Job Search is now available at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and MindWare Publishing websites.

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Strategic Use Of Incentives To Motivate

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The following post is courtesy of Bill Higgins. You have probably read a couple of his posts here before. This post is the second of a three-part series about leadership and motivation. There is more information about Bill at the end of this post.

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Leadership First!

Of the two factors vital to motivating employees, Part 1 on motivating through leadership that values them is by far the most important. Regardless of what other extrinsic motivation incentives may be in place, if the leadership isn’t one that values and empowers workers, employees won’t give all they are capable of giving.

Incentives Also!

By the same token, tangible incentives are important. Salary is one incentive, and as Christ Himself indicates, “The laborer is worthy of his hire (or wage).” While important, salary isn’t the only incentive.

Salary, to be an incentive, needs to be adequate to start with, but then have room for including incentive pay on top of that. Unfortunately, many organizations are boxed in with organizational pay scales, steps, or levels of some kind where the employee tops out and cannot increase their base pay without a promotion or moving into management. The challenge to that is that some people excel where they are as technical subject-matter-experts and to promote them into management would be to invoke the Peter Principle.

Wise managers devise a way to create a two-tier pay scale. One tier is for those technically oriented folks to be able to stay where they can do the most good and continue to receive pay increases, while the other is an equivalent management tier which promotes those that can be effective with management responsibility. This was becoming popular a few years ago, and some organizations need to resurrect it to fit their system.

Not One Size Fits All

Beyond salary however, incentive programs are not a one size fits all kind of thing. It’s much more fluid. What one person considers an incentive another won’t see any value in. A Tully’s coffee gift card to one is a great incentive, while to another it’s meaningless. Company branded apparel to one will be something they proudly wear and cherish, while another could not care less without this implying they are any less dedicated to either the company or the job.

So what’s the answer? How do you decide how to incent workers who give of themselves and earn this extra motivational boost? Some answers can be found in the biblical text.

Check Scripture

Spiritual Gifts insights: The three passages found in 1 Corinthians 12, 1 Peter 4, and Romans 12 deal with the concept of spiritual gifts. Each passage stresses that the Lord gives different gifts to different individuals. As a result of this, particular ministries that excite one person with one gift won’t excite a person with a different gift to the same degree. What is true of ministries is also true of incentives.

In the original language the concept of spiritual gifts does not have the same connotations as it does in English. The term gift (charismata) has more of the concept of motivation, as well as source of joy or delight. It is God’s infusion of a particular drive and passion in a particular direction. The basic idea of charisma, a person having a dynamic personality and attraction, is true but with a much more technical orientation.

Incentives According To Gifting

This explanation is in part why you will find some people in your church really concerned about missions, others about finances, and others about serving the sick and elderly.

Incentives based on giftedness for example would provide the person with something that fits their drive or passion. The person concerned about missions would love a trip to a mission field. The person concerned with finances would love to have a gift given in their name to a favorite charity or ministry. While the person concerned with serving the sick or elderly would love to have numerous people volunteer to go with them to visit those that are fit that description.

What is true in the church is true in the workplace. Tap into what drives a person and you will find what incents them as well.

Individual Makeup

Another popular passage that addresses raising children applies here as well. Proverbs 22:6 literally says, “Train up a child according to the way he is made,” implying different children are made differently.

For parents to apply this verse, they must observe, listen to, and study each child to see how each is made. What is true of parents in the home is also true of managers/employers in the workplace. They must pay attention to each employee to see what is important to each.

They must listen to, observe, and study what is important to each individual employee. This will enable the manager to use each person most effectively, but also to tailor incentives to them personally.

Workplace Incentive Examples

Here are some examples where both the giftedness and makeup come together in the workplace:

  • The person who contributes more than others verbally in the form of questions or comments in team meetings may have need for verbal recognition. Write and read their awards in team meetings.
  • The person who tackles writing projects, or finds 800 needed revisions in a written project where others average 350, may have a strong need for written recognition. Write up the reward in a document they can save, and read and present it to them in a meeting.
  • The person who reads all the memos, manuals, job aids, and extra material sent along by subject-matter-experts may have a need to see their achievements documented for the team. Have different team members contribute to their recognition by identifying what they have done well.
  • The person that likes to discuss the latest gadget they purchased for their home may really appreciate being given the chance to use the latest technology as it applies to their job.
  • The person who spends what others might call an inordinate amount of time making documents, emails, reports, training materials, etc. look aesthetically pleasing to the eye would really appreciate an artistically designed certificate they can hang in their cube or home.
  • The person who would much rather meet face-to-face than virtually whenever possible might appreciate time with the manager or leader in a lunch or private meeting type of setting.

If you spend time considering what is important to each individual in your work group, you can probably identify these same types of things. Once you have done that, it’s simply a matter of matching a corresponding incentive to fit each individual in particular. Takes time. Takes effort. But is worth so much more than generic incentive programs.

Tangible incentives

In addition to these individualized incentives, don’t discount tangible incentives. Such things as time off, mouse pads, books, gift certificates (e.g., coffee, movie tickets, bus passes), business trips, participation in invitation-only corporate events will appeal to different folks. Letting people choose takes the guess work out of trying to personalize this type of incentive.

Contests to drive production, sales, service and more can also have tremendous impact, especially when done as teams and for desirable awards. Done as teams and with the opportunity for all to achieve some award can be very motivating.

To be most effective these should not pit one team against another, but the program should have set goals that each team is striving for and more than one team can win if they meet the goal.

Right Behavior

Ken Blanchard at one time promoted an incentive program for customer service reps that was a little different and called something like, “Caught You Doing Something Right.” This program gave award presentation capability to every member of the team.

It was based on defined criteria and the entire team kept their eyes open to watch for those that were achieving the types of behaviors designated for incentivizing. When that happened, when someone saw them, they presented them with the “CYDSR” award; a button to signify they were noticed, and any other incentives the organization wanted to link to the program.

This form of incentivizing positive, right behavior, instead of watching for people not complying with rules, regulations, and desired behaviors, can be very empowering and motivating, and create a more positive atmosphere and team atmosphere.

Bottom Line

The bottom line, incentives take on a different form and meaning to different people. You can’t incent everyone the same and expect the incentives to have the desired impact. Beyond the generic incentives of salary raises and performance bonuses, incentive programs must be tailored to the individual.

The final part of this series will examine how Christ incented the men closest to Him as He walked with them and enlisted them to follow Him and to promote His kingdom.

About the Author:
BILL HIGGINS is currently the Managing Director of MindWare Incorporated, an independent training and career coaching consulting firm. He previously served on the pastoral staff of churches in the U.S. and Canada, and worked in a managerial capacity for industry leading organizations.

Bill is a graduate of Biola University and Talbot Theological Seminary and his book; Your Road to Damascus: 6 Biblical Secrets for an Effective Job Search is now available at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and MindWare Publishing websites.

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What Motivates You As A Leader?

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The following post is courtesy of Bill Higgins. You have probably read a couple of his posts here before. This post is the first of a three-part series about leadership and motivation. There is more information about Bill at the end of this post.

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Where Is Your Focus?

You have probably noticed there are some leaders, managers, friends who make you feel good about yourself, while there are others who want everyone else’s eyes focused only on them. Which kind of leader are you? Is it important to you to always be the one out front setting the pace? Are you always ‘up’ and encouraging others to be? Are you one that frequently says something like, “This isn’t so difficult. We can do this!”

Or are you more the following kind of leader? Is it important to let others set the pace about things they are passionate about or expert in? Are you honest enough to share your ‘down’ days with others also?

Do you say things like, “This is really tough. It will take all of us to make this happen,” or “This is one of the most difficult challenges we’ve faced. We may not completely succeed, but we will be better because we took it on”?

These concepts look at positive and servant leadership from a new perspective and provide clues on how we can be better leaders at work, at church, at home.

The Boundaries Leader

The boundaries leader focuses on all the things we need to do to comply; follow the rules, adhere to the process, stay on target, follow instructions, stay in the boundaries. This leader does a lot of telling: telling employees what to do, telling parishioners what they need, telling customers/clients what their problems are.

Folks may come with questions, and the boundaries leader gladly answers and provides direction. They may be very likeable, pleasant, goal-oriented people with a passion to succeed. But the focus is on them.

Peter As A Leader

Peter was this type of leader early in his ministry. When he had a vision in Acts 10:9ff, Peter saw all kinds of animals and a voice that said, “Get up Peter. Kill and eat.” Peter’s response, “Surely not, Lord!”

Surely not and Lord don’t seem to fit in the same sentence. But Peter was a boundaries leader. We see later in the chapter that Peter did learn from that vision, but his initial response confirms his position as a boundaries leader.

Peter still had not quite mastered this new way of thinking as we see in Galatians 2, when Paul confronts him for eating with the Gentiles one day and then refusing the next so those of the “circumcision group” wouldn’t get the wrong idea.

He still had boundaries thinking. Paul called Peter on the carpet to emphasize the fact that we are under grace and not the law.

Should Boundaries Motivate You?

Unfortunately, there are still many believers who try to live a Christian life focused on the boundaries, fail constantly, and live with the guilt. Which is the point! They ask, “What do I need to do or not do” instead of coming to the realization that it’s not about doing, but about being.

The laws may have changed, but the result is the same…bondage. The laws these days may be: did you have a quiet time, did you pray for the poor today, did you witness this week, did you go to Sunday worship (and Wednesday prayer meeting, and Sunday night fellowship) et al. All good things (just as the original laws were also, by the way), but we just can’t ALWAYS do them. So we live with guilt!

The Empowering Leader

This leader focuses on encouraging people in their walk with the Lord, helping people grow in their understanding of how God made them (skills, gifts, abilities, et al), creating a vision for people to strive to attain and grow into.

Paul As A Leader

The Apostle Paul demonstrates this often in his many letters:

    “I thank my God every time I remember you. In all my prayers for all of you I always pray with joy.” – Philippians 1:3,4

    “You became a model for all believers, …The Lord’s message rang out from you.”
    – 1 Thessalonians 1:7,8

    “I had boasted to him (Titus) about you.” – 2 Corinthians 7:14

    “I always thank God for you…For in Him you have been enriched in every way…”
    – 1 Corinthians 1:4,5

He valued those he was writing to. Paul also does plenty of confronting and challenging, but his focus is empowering, valuing. Christians trying to live empowering lives don’t ask others what they need to do or not do, they ask what do they need to become or how do they need to grow.

We are not under the law, but we are under a mandate to grow, to mature, to demonstrate God’s power in all kinds of situations, and that only comes from within us, from who we are.

Liz Wiseman does a superb job researching and defining this empowering leader in her book, “Multipliers: How the Best Leaders Make Everyone Smarter” and in various webinars. You can find her on YouTube here.

Questions To Ask Yourself

Which kind of leader are you? How do you try to motivate others?

How do they see you?

Do you focus on what needs to be done, when it’s due, and the rules to follow?

Or do you focus on encouraging people to do what they are capable of and provide resources to help them do that?

Make Some Changes!

Are you sure? Check with some trusted colleagues to validate your perspective.

It’s sort of the rabbit and the stick or carrot, or the lemon or honey metaphors. If you tend to be the stick or the lemon, what one thing could you change this week to start becoming more like a carrot or honey?

Then do another the following week. Who says you can’t change? Not God! In fact, He’s in the people-changing business.

About the Author:
BILL HIGGINS is currently the Managing Director of MindWare Incorporated, an independent training and career coaching consulting firm. He previously served on the pastoral staff of churches in the U.S. and Canada, and worked in a managerial capacity for industry leading organizations.

Bill is a graduate of Biola University and Talbot Theological Seminary and his book; Your Road to Damascus: 6 Biblical Secrets for an Effective Job Search is now available at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and MindWare Publishing websites.

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5 Benefits Of Trials In Business, Part 2

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The fact that we face trials on a regular basis is not in question. Everyone agrees with this, but not everyone recognizes the benefits of these trials. In fact, most consider them unfair, destructive, or even get angry at God as a result of the more difficult ones. Fortunately, we can go to the Bible to see a different picture.

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Trials Are Pure Joy!

In my last post, we went to James 1:2-12 and discussed the fact that we are to consider these trials as “pure joy!” We are not to view them in any other way, but to thank God for them. In order to do this, it is critical we see the benefits.

It is just like exercising. Many people enjoy exercising and therefore do it for enjoyment. Most others that exercise see it as a necessary part of their life. They don’t really enjoy it, but they see the benefits and accept the exercise as a means to get those benefits.

Trials Bring Benefits

We need to look at trials in the same way. No, they will not be fun or exciting. They are most likely going to be tough, tiring, draining, and sometimes devastating. Just the same, we need to look hard at the benefits, considering the trials as joy as a result.

We have already looked at the first two benefits that come as a result of trials – Perseverance and Maturity. Now lets continue with the other three benefits we find in this passage (and beyond).

Wisdom
It may at first seem odd that James talks about wisdom right in the middle of describing the benefits of trials. Actually, he is not necessarily changing subjects. James is explaining that we need wisdom in the suffering of these trials.

Wisdom can show us how to best survive the trial when in it and how to best use it later when through it. All we have to do to get this wisdom is ask! So rather than praying for the removal of a trial, our mindset needs to be that we pray for the wisdom to use it for our benefit.

This same wisdom is invaluable when applied to business situations. Whether we like to admit it or not, some of the trials we face in business come as a result of poor decisions or behaviors. Applying wisdom in future situations will help us to avoid repeating some of these trials.

Wisdom will also provide opportunities we would not otherwise have. Wisdom allows us to be great mentors to those Christian leaders coming behind us. Wisdom gives us the ability to cut through the chaos in a crisis situation and avoid unnecessary damage. It moves into leadership positions we never anticipated. I could go on, but you get the idea.

Crown Of Life
Skipping down to verse 12 in James 1, we find what may be the ultimate benefit of trials! Let’s look at this verse:

Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial because, having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him.
James 1:12

I will be honest and tell you that I do not know exactly what the crown of life is! I simply believe that it is a good thing and that it lasts beyond the trials, beyond this life altogether (Revelation 2:10). It is definitely something we want to receive!

Experience To Teach
The final benefit we gain from trials, and all we learn as a result of these trials, is a depth of experience that we can draw upon as we seek to teach others. This is a big deal!

We are told in the Great Commission that we are to teach all that Jesus commanded. We are told in 2 Timothy 2:2 that we are to teach others that are also qualified to teach. There are other instances where teaching is emphasized. If you are a Christian, you are to be a teacher.

I am NOT saying that all Christians are to grab a class and begin teaching in a group setting. I am not saying that all Christians have a gift for teaching. I AM saying that all Christians are in a position to teach SOMEONE what they know.

Andy Stanley worded it this way – “I am not responsible for filling someone else’s cup, just emptying mine.” When we recognize this responsibility, we will suddenly become thankful for those trials we have faced.

Praise For Trials

It is from these trials and the resulting perseverance, maturity, and wisdom that we can best be qualified to teach those who are looking to us for guidance. When you begin to see potential students around you, you will praise God for the trials you have seen!

Have you noticed wisdom as a result of trials?

What do you think the crown of life means?

Have you had the opportunity to teach someone because of a trial you experienced?

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5 Benefits Of Trials In Business

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You have heard it said that you are either in the middle of a trial, coming out of one, or heading into one soon. Certainly for those of us in business, this rings true – especially when trying to do business as a Christian. So if trials are so plentiful, are there any benefits to going through them? Why are we told to consider them “pure joy”?

trials

We Will Have Trials!

To start off, there is no question we are going to have trials in this world. In fact, Jesus told us this himself. In John 16:33, Jesus said, “In this world you will have trouble.” Of course, He went on to smooth it over by letting us know not to worry because He has overcome the world.

Well, that is good and I am thankful for it! He is telling us that the end of the story is good and I have a peace because of that knowledge that no one else can understand. However, that really doesn’t address the trials themselves, does it? How am I supposed to get through the trials themselves?

The Answer

Fortunately, there is an answer to this very question later in the Bible. Looking at the book of James (James 1:2-12), we are clearly instructed that we are to consider the trials we go through as “pure joy.” There you have it! That is all we have to do!

Seriously? That is the answer? I am supposed to just look at the trials I am going through and start considering them to be good? How can they be good?

Benefits To Trials

Well, if we read on, we will see how trials can be good. Go back and read through verses 3-8 and verse 12. Here is a virtual list of the benefits we should see in our trials. James paints a pretty clear picture of how trials can benefit us in these verses, but lets dig into each benefit and try to apply it to our lives today.

Perseverance

The first benefit James gives us is perseverance. I am sure you know what this means and can even see some of the more obvious benefits. These would include being stronger over time and better able to hand future trials. Along with this might come a more relaxed or calm demeanor when presented with new trials in the future.

Why is this a benefit? Aside from the obvious increased strength, this perseverance also serves as an amazing witness to those around you. Not only for non-believers, but for new believers as well. As you go through a downturn in the economy, a failed business, or even just a bad month, people are watching.

They want to know how you are going to react. They want to know if this faith you talk about is real in the foxhole. Is there substance to it during a storm? When they see your perseverance through a trial (because of the strength you gained from previous trials!), they are more likely to have a desire for the faith you have!

Maturity

My father used to tell me that trials build character (when I thought I had all the character I needed!). Maturity shows that this is not true – I did not have all the character I needed. Maturity is something that is gained over a period of many trials. It allows us to see how trials fit into the bigger picture of life. Maturity includes the ability to see how these trials benefit us!

As we progress through multiple trials over time, we begin to see a pattern. This pattern is that God takes care of us. He is there for us – before, during, and after the trials. He will carry us through them and heal us when they are over. Because of this process, we begin to find that we can trust God.

If we have seen how He is always faithful, we will apply that same trust to decisions that may have nothing to do with a trial. We will trust God in a crucial hiring decision or with the decision on whether or not to acquire a new business for expansion. Having the trust in God for these types of decisions adds confidence to our leadership and this clearly benefits us and those we lead!

Stay tuned to my next post for the remaining benefits!

What other applications can you see in gaining perseverance?

Can you see the evidence of perseverance in your life due to trials?

Can you think of any indications of your growing maturity?

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New Or Old Lessons: Which Are Better?

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When is the last time you went to a training class? If you are like me, you probably heard some new things from the instructor. These are likely unique ideas or approaches to a common problem. You also probably heard a lesson or two that you already knew as great ideas, but had forgotten! Right?

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Recent Training

Recently, I went to a sales training class given by a friend of mine. He did a great job and taught our sales team some fantastic new sales techniques. His creativity in finding ways to serve the customer and add value to their experience sets a high bar!

At the same time, my friend taught some older techniques that have been around for years – decades even, maybe longer! Keep in mind, he did not bore anyone with these methods. It was a good refresher for those of us that have been around a while!

Old Lessons Made New!

Actually, many of the students there were new to the business and were not familiar with these tools. In fact, it was fun to watch them “Oooh” and “Ahhh” at these techniques as if they were new!

The funny thing is this – even though some of his methods were familiar and older, they still work! Even funnier is the fact that many of us that have been around the business for years still need to be reminded of what we learned in the past!

Do you know what I mean? Have you experienced this as well? You laugh at something you hear because you think, “I have known that for longer than you have been alive, kid!” Then your next thought is, “Why did I stop using that technique? It used to work like a charm!”

Jesus Taught Old & New

Jesus actually taught a lesson on this same principle! Do you remember what He said?

Therefore, every student of Scripture instructed in the kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who brings out of his storeroom what is new and what is old.
Matthew 13:52

Example Lessons

See, some of the lessons Jesus was teaching were very new to the ears of His listeners. They had never heard some of what He was teaching before.

“You have heard that it was said to our ancestors, Do not murder, and whoever murders will be subject to judgment. But I tell you, everyone who is angry with his brother will be subject to judgment.”
Matthew 5:21-22

At the same time, some of the lessons He taught came straight out of the old Scriptures. Some of His teachings were things they had known at one time, but had forgotten or neglected!

“Go and learn what this means: I desire mercy and not sacrifice. For I didn’t come to call the righteous, but sinners.”
Matthew 9:13 (referencing Hosea 6:6)

Both Lessons Necessary!

He is instructing us to do the same when studying for ourselves AND when we teach or mentor those looking to us for development. We are not to limit ourselves with only the New Testament teachings. Nor are we only to focus on new, fresh ideas from Scripture.

We also need to dig into the Old Testament and uncover the nuggets of truth that we once knew, but have forgotten. Make sure we are maintaining our knowledge of the old while sprinkling in the new!

This will also work in your business. Go back and revisit some of the old (timeless) truths in your business. See which ones you have forgotten and return to those disciplines. Ask someone with more experience to help. Then turn and pass these on to someone coming along behind you.

Try it! You will be amazed at all you can learn (again)!

Which lessons do you prefer – new or old?

Have you re-learned a lesson recently?

What old lesson do you think is most needed today?

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Jesus Said, “Follow Me!”

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For the past 9+ years, I have been trying to run our family’s business as a platform for ministry. I jumped when I heard Jesus say,”Follow me!” To be honest, it has been much more difficult than I thought it would be. In fact, there have been times I have seriously questioned Him about the difficulties.

follow me

Path Is Not Easy

If you have ever tried to do work for Jesus – whether in the church, in the community, in the business world, or in the foreign mission field – you have met challenges and difficulties. This path is not an easy one and in many ways, we understand that going in.

At the same time, I often find myself questioning this path. While I know there will be trouble, I still have this picture of what I think the results will look like. I still have a sort of “end of the rainbow” mentality that says if I will just persevere, all will end up like a fairy tale!

Worth It?

What I often allow to drive me is the belief that all the trouble is worth it as long as I end up at the picture I have imagined is the end of the path. Does this ever happen to you? Do you ever have these feelings?

One problem with this line of thinking is that the picture I have imagined is hardly ever the picture that God has in mind. I think the results will look one way and He has something totally different in mind. My frustration begins when the path I am on begins to veer away from the path I had pictured.

“Wait God! Aren’t we supposed to be heading that way over there?” I imagine He smiles and then continues leading me away from my picture and toward His. When I am close to Him in relationship, I can handle this. When I have strayed a little, this part is really tough.

Tougher Problem!

However, I will tell you that I have a much easier time in handling a different picture than I do with another problem that crops up. This other problem is all about timing.

See, in this other situation, the path does not necessarily head off in a different direction than I had originally imagined. The problem instead is that it appears to go nowhere at all! That is because, with this problem, it appears that I am supposed to wait on Him.

I cannot tell if I am on the path headed to where I imagined or somewhere else that He has in mind. I cannot tell because I AM NOT MOVING! I feel like I am smack in the middle of Groundhog Day, the movie, and every day is the same as the one before.

Stuck?

I feel like I am stuck and cannot seem to catch a break to move forward at all. This problem seems to plague me more than any other. Maybe it is because I am impatient. Maybe it is a control thing. Maybe it is a combination of these and other issues God is trying to force me to deal with.

Whatever it is, I really have a hard time with this one.

I like progress. I like to be moving forward and seeing forward motion. I do not like to be stuck, sitting still, apparently going nowhere. I KNOW the Scripture that I SHOULD be reciting, but it is still difficult for me to handle. I know that God’s timing is not mine, but I still struggle!

I Finally Broke!

I recently had an “episode” or “tantrum” when I was away at a meeting. I was surrounded by a huge group of like-minded businessmen that were doing incredible things with their businesses to impact people for eternity. I am not talking about 5 or 10 people. I am not talking about just in their community.

No, these Christian business leaders are having an impact on thousands all over the globe – the very things that I have imagined God would be using ME to do as well! [Note: I recognize some of this IS happening in our business, but you have to bear with me…I am having an immature moment here! Likely, you’ve never done this!]

I listened and listened, but I finally broke. I finally got off by myself and questioned God directly. I asked why things were so hard in our business. I asked why we were not seeing the progress we wanted to see. I wanted to know why these other businesses were put in a position to impact so many and we were stuck. I asked over and over, “WHY?”

No answer. Nothing.

At least not right then.

As is common with Him, He just listened.

And waited.

He Finally Answered!

It was not until almost a week later when I was sitting in church that He gave me the answer to my questions. When He gave it to me, it was one of those moments that sticks with you. It was one of those moments that you just cannot get out of your mind.

I will not go into the detail of the whole message, but I will describe the setting of the Scripture He used to get my attention.

Follow Me!

Jesus has just asked Peter three times if he loved Him. Each time, Peter tells Jesus that he loves Him! Each time, Jesus then says for Peter to feed his sheep. Then Jesus foretells the manner in which Peter will die. He ends by telling Peter, “Follow Me!”

Jesus has basically given Peter his marching orders and Peter is trying to understand exactly what it means. Maybe he is even asking himself what it will cost him. I don’t know.

Whatever the case, Peter’s next question resembles the questions I was asking God earlier. He points to John and asks Jesus, “What about him?” Essentially, He basically wanted to know what Jesus was going to have John doing while all of this was happening to Peter.

My Answer

It was Jesus’ response to Peter that made my hair stand on end. It caught in my throat and took my breath. As I heard the pastor read it and followed along with him, I instantly knew God was using this passage to answer my earlier questions.

“If I want him to remain until I come,” Jesus answered, “what is that to you? As for you, follow Me.”

To Be Continued…

When Jesus said, “Follow Me!” to you, what did you think it would look like?

Has His call to “Follow Me!” turned out the way you expected?

How do you react when His “Follow Me!” takes you where you do not want to be?

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How To Be An Outrageous Leader

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[box]This is a guest post by Dwayne Morris. Dwayne is an author, speaker, husband and father. He recently released a book called The OUTRAGEOUS Life. You can read more about Dwayne on his blog and follow him on Twitter. Read more about his book here![/box]

outrageous leader

Outrageous Leader?

What adjective would people use in front of the word, “leader” to describe you? Are you a visionary leader? A predictable leader? A boring leader?

How about an OUTRAGEOUS leader?

My glance across the leadership front often leaves me slightly perplexed. I find myself straddling the models of old-school leadership and new-school leadership. My disarray is due in part to the intersection of my leadership experiences and a shift to a very different model.

New-School Leadership

The new model of leadership asks, “How can I help you succeed in your task?” That’s a little different than, “I hired you to do a job.” The best people on your team aren’t looking for a J-O-B. They are looking to make a difference; to do something bigger than themselves; to do something outrageous.

What it Takes to be OUTRAGEOUS

Leading your team members to use their God-created gifts to accomplish things they never thought possible requires an OUTRAGEOUS leader. This breed of leader understands a few key principles that help them standout and get noticed. All four of these come from the life of Gideon (Judges 6):

    My Contribution is Critical
    When God challenged Gideon to go save the Israelites from the oppression of the Midiantes and surrounding nations, all Gideon saw was what he could NOT do before ever considering what he COULD do.

    OUTRAGEOUS leaders don’t hide behind limitations. They know how God has gifted them and how He hasn’t. They delegate their weaknesses and play to their strengths.

    Obstacles are Opportunities
    When given the challenge to deliver his nation, Gideon went straight to making excuses. This is a natural response when we are pushed outside of our Comfort Zone.

    OUTRAGEOUS leaders know the area outside their Comfort Zone is called the Growth Zone. They embrace challenge as an opportunity to grow their faith and for God to do something outrageous Himself.

    Fear is the Signature of Success
    Any time you consider attempting the OUTRAGEOUS, fear will always show up with a Sharpie, ready to autograph your task. Gideon was covered in fear. So much so that he tested God with a magic show of sorts and a fleece.

    Fear is the natural by-product of any faith-driven task. The OUTRAGEOUS leader embraces fear as part of the formula for success.

    Small Plans Can Limit Big Possibilities
    Gideon obeyed the Lord’s command and rallied his army, but he had 32,000 too many. God wanted to do something outrageous and knew He had to stack the cards against Gideon. He told Gideon to send them all home but 300.

    The same is true for OUTRAGEOUS leaders. They realize the potential for God to do something beyond their limited ability and vision and allow Him to show off in their lives.

What About You?

Are you a candidate for an OUTRAGEOUS leader? Are you in a place where the Lord feels confident that you will allow Him to challenge you to do something beyond your ability? It’s a great experience to be a part of something bigger than we can imagine and to see God do something outrageous!

Which of these four components do you need to work on first?

What success have you had with one of these components?

Do you see your potential to be an OUTRAGEOUS leader?

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Do You Believe In The Mentor Process?

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I recently had the opportunity to participate in an interview process that was unrelated to our business. During the interview with a candidate, he mentioned one of the main desires he had for the job he was seeking. This main objective was to be mentored by his more experienced boss in a one-on-one setting. He felt this was the only way he would ever grow into the person he wanted to become.

How often do you hear that in an interview?

mentor

Still Learning!

I had another experience recently where I needed some advice from an older, more experienced friend in the business. As he responded to my questions, he included some ideas he had recently learned in a seminar he had attended.

Remember that I was seeking advice from him because he is older, wiser, and much more experienced in our industry. And yet he is still being intentional about his continued learning! I was impressed!

Not Impressed?

Maybe these examples are not that impressive to you. Maybe you already understand the importance of being mentored so that you are always learning. Maybe this idea is something you have experienced many times and you are looking for something new.

Well, I think I may have something for you.

What about BEING the mentor?

As Christian business owners and leaders, I think we can all agree that continuous learning is critical to our success. There are very few, if any, solid Christian leaders that would argue against continuous learning – whether by being mentored or self-taught.

Now A Mentor?

Unfortunately, you will likely get a very different answer if you ask those same Christian leaders if they are actively mentoring someone else! Of course, you will get many excuses and reasons for the lack of activity in this area. I can even come up with a few good ones myself!

Consult Scripture

The problem is that these excuses do not hold water when compared to Scripture. Just looking at one verse in Paul’s second letter to Timothy will shoot holes in these excuses:

And what you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses, commit to faithful men who will be able to teach others also.
2 Timothy 2:2

While that may be enough to convince you to intentionally become a mentor, let’s also take a look at the following verses:

One generation will declare Your works to the next and will proclaim Your mighty acts.
Psalm 145:4

Iron sharpens iron, and one man sharpens another.
Proverbs 27:17

Shepherd God’s flock among you, not overseeing out of compulsion but freely, according to God’s will; not for the money but eagerly; not lording it over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock.
1 Peter 5:2-3

I think you are getting the picture.

Learning Is Not Enough!

The point here is that it is NOT enough for us to be always looking for opportunities to learn more. While this is certainly something we should seek, there must be more. To follow Scripture, we must also be seeking out those who are eager to learn. We must be willing to mentor them, teaching them what we already know.

Paul taught Timothy and then told him to go teach others that would be qualified to do the same thing! We need to do this as well.

Different Formats

For some, this will mean a regular one-on-one meeting schedule with someone not as far along in their business or their walk. For others, this may mean leading a group study or teaching through a blog!

It really does not matter the format. What matters is that we are making the effort to pass on our knowledge and wisdom to those who can learn from it.

Nor does it matter if we can teach them everything they need to know! Most likely, we cannot. The good news is that we are not responsible for filling their tanks with knowledge. We are simply responsible for emptying ours!

Pray About Your Role!

I encourage you to pray this very day about who you need to mentor and how you should go about doing it. Do not put this off or it will never happen. This must be an intentional effort on your part.

If nothing else, at least begin praying that God would show you the path to being the mentor He wants you to be. I promise you He will answer if you are willing to be used!

Are you actively mentoring someone else right now?

If not, why not? What is holding you back?

Are you willing to pray about it?

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The Most Dangerous Source Of Misinformation For A Christian Business Leader

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In my last couple of posts, we have been looking at sources of misinformation for a Christian business owner or leader. We have looked at worldly wisdom and fleshly lusts, both of which are dangerous sources of misinformation. Today we will look at the one source that may be the most dangerous of all – Satan’s deception.

misinformation

Intentional Misinformation

Before I go any further, let me make sure I differentiate this misinformation from the two prior categories. When discussing worldly wisdom and fleshly lusts, I am assuming no direct influence from the enemy. I am only considering the kind of misinformation that we either create ourselves or receive from someone else. This misinformation is neutral in its intent. There is no malice in this misinformation.

On the other hand, misinformation that falls under this third category – Satan’s deception – clearly has malicious intent. Based on what Scripture says, there is no doubt at all that Satan is out to destroy us and our witness. Take a look at the following Scriptures:

    The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. – John 10:10
    Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. – 1 Peter 5:8
    Our battle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. – Ephesians 6:12

If you are not convinced by these verses, then you may as well skip the rest of this post and come back on another day. No offense taken. Just know that you do it at your own risk!

Satan’s Opposition

Hopefully you are still reading. If so, please know that Satan is real and he is in total opposition to anything and everything we want to do to glorify God. If there is any part of our business that is having an impact for eternity, then he is going to come against it. This is a very intentional enemy.

Okay, maybe you agree that Satan is against us, but does he really actively deceive us? Is he intent on, or even capable of, giving us misinformation? In response to those questions, consider some more Scripture:

    You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out your father’s desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies. – John 8:44
    But I am afraid that just as Eve was deceived by the serpent’s cunning, your minds may somehow be led astray from your sincere and pure devotion to Christ.
    – 2 Corinthians 11:3

Hopefully, you are now convinced that Satan is fully and completely against us, using deception and lies as misinformation in an effort to destroy our eternal impact. While we know he cannot take us from God’s hands and steal our soul at this point, he can prevent us from influencing anyone else to turn back to God. He can ruin our witness to the point that we are completely ineffective in our ministry efforts.

What Are You To Do?

Since you know all of this to be true, what are you to do about it? How in the world are we supposed to fight against an enemy that we cannot see? How do we defend ourselves from the one who is out to destroy us?

I am glad you asked! While I cannot give you a 100% money-back guarantee that my advice is fool-proof, I can tell you that it will work to the extent that you are committed to it. This advice is only as good as you make it by how far you take it!

Rather than giving you a 5-point plan on how to defend against the misinformation of Satan, I am going to make it very simple for you. I am going to base all of my advice on one idea. That should be easy enough, right?

Well, I actually said “simple,” not “easy.”

Simple (Not Easy) Solution

The idea I am referring to is found in John 10:1-5, 27-29. In this passage, Jesus is describing how His followers are like sheep that follow Him because they listen to and know His voice. These sheep, Jesus says, will never follow a stranger because they do not know the stranger’s voice.

Folks, we are these sheep. We are the followers of Jesus and we are supposed to listen to His voice. We are supposed to know His voice. We are supposed to know it so well that we can discern it from a stranger’s voice.

This is a HUGE idea! Please do not miss this point. Read it again if you have to.

Dark Room Illustration

Imagine yourself in a dark room. Imagine you are not at all familiar with the layout of the room and it is full of dangerous items. You are charged with crossing this room in pitch black darkness without getting hurt. Oh yeah, there is someone else in the room trying to hurt you!

Now imagine you hear a voice telling you to follow. Do you? How do you know if it is friend or foe? If you were to clearly and without hesitation recognize the voice as a friend, would you then follow? What if it was not a voice you recognized at all?

This may be a poor analogy of this life, but it fits. We are moving through this life as if in a dark room, unaware of the dangers we are facing from all sides. Our only hope is to have a Friend lead us. It is that voice of Jesus that we want to hear when we are facing such danger. It is His ability to see what we cannot that we want to trust.

What About You?

So here is the $50,000 question.

Do you recognize His voice?

Do you have such regular and intimate conversations with Him that any other voice would stand out as a stranger? Do you know His voice so well that you could easily recognize it above the other voices of misinformation being cast your way?

If so, good for you! If you are confident in this, then you are in great shape to make wise and effective decisions. You are much less likely to fall victim to misinformation from Satan’s deception.

Why Not?

If not, why not? Why are you not so familiar with His voice that it calms your every fear and silences your every doubt?

If this is you, I am fairly certain I know why. You are not familiar with His voice because you do not talk to Him very much. Or maybe it is because you ONLY talk to Jesus, but never listen.

Another possibility is that you are not reading, studying, and memorizing His Word. To know His voice, you have to know His heart. Often, other voices may sound similar, but the message is off. If the message does not match His Word, then it is not His voice.

The bottom line is that we MUST be students of His Word and regularly listen to Him in prayer. We cannot expect to recognize His voice at a critical time if we rarely hear it. That just won’t work.

What are your thoughts about this source of misinformation?

Are you familiar with this?

Are you one that recognizes His voice?