Top 10 Things I Learned in Corporate America

Over the last 17 years, I have had the privilege of working both in big business and ministry. As I've reflected on my time at my former company, I've put together the Top 10 Things I Learned in Corporate America.  I hope this adds value to you today!

1.  Decisions are harder when you’re the one making them – don’t criticize the decision maker because yours aren’t that good.

2.  Always hire people who want your job.

3.  It’s lonely at the top.  Have a strong inner circle of leaders because your shoulders aren’t that broad. 

4.  Pats on the back are rare for the leader.  However, be generous in giving them to your team.

5.  Leading and coaching doesn’t end just because you have moved on to another job. Followers you’ve deeply connected with will always be watching and some will continue to reach out for guidance.

6.  Generous leaders connect deeply with grateful followers.

7.  Positive memories are important.  If you can provide good ones for the people you lead, they will be tools to use to stay focused when things get tough.

8.  Connecting and caring for people puts “change” in your pocket. You never know when you may need a little “change” to pay for the next change.

9.  You can always give more, make more, and do better. Don’t be satisfied with “good”.

10.  Only a few on your team will truly want to grow and develop. Nurture them, reproduce yourself, and give them a gift that will carry them forever.

Is Working For You Worth It?

Have you ever worked for an amazing boss?  What did you love about them?  Unfortunately most of us, at one time or another, have worked for their evil twin. In today’s world it’s far more common to work for the later.  I am thankful to say that I’ve had both experiences, but unfortunately working for a clunker is far more common than working for a champion. 

So what makes an amazing boss? Here are a few things that I think make the difference.

A Servant’s Heart

We want to work for people that have our best interests at heart. The best bosses are the chief servants of their organizations. Now this doesn’t mean that they are doormats or that they cater to their team’s every wish. Instead it means that they make decisions around what’s best, not what’s most convenient. They set the cultural tone for how people are to be treated and valued.

My first boss out of college was one of the best people for which I’ve ever worked.  At the time, my wife and I were expecting our first child, she was very sick and couldn’t work, so things were TIGHT. My boss knew this and did everything he could to help ease the burden. I got a company car early (I was also kicking butt at growing the business), he organized a wonderful baby gift for us, and he spoiled us during Christmas. He served us in such a way that I wanted to be that person when I had my own employees. When that day came, I spoiled my crew every Christmas, I gave beautiful baby gifts, I celebrated birthdays, and the list goes on.  

Integrity

Have you ever had a heart-to-heart with your boss and left feeling energized, encouraged, and ready to attack the day, but days, weeks, months later you realize it was all lip service? They never really planned on following through and just wanted to keep you on the hamster wheel. That’s a tough one. As bosses, when we invest in our people to listen, course correct, or motivate, we have to follow through. They are waiting to see if we actually mean what we say.

Connection

This is a tough one for a lot of people. Connecting is one of the most distinguishing marks between average bosses and great ones.  John Maxwell says it this way; “You change people not by being an authority, but by connecting with them.”

Ten years ago I earned the opportunity to lead my first business unit in my former company. It was in horrible shape and had enough dysfunction to make a great reality show. My first day there, I met with each person on the team in private and asked them the same series of questions. My goal was to listen and learn about the environment I was entering. It didn’t stop there. I took advantage of opportunities to listen to their stories, learn what they valued, and discover what motivated them. All of this allowed me to build trust and make decisions in strategy, execution, and personnel (yes, I had to release some to be free and find another job).

Personal Development

One of the greatest gifts we can give our teams is teaching them something we’ve learned and how it has made us better. Most people love to hoard good things for themselves. A true developer not only learns for themselves but also for their teams. If you knew that your boss wanted to teach you something to make you better what would that communicate? That’s right, it would show that they care about you and your future. We all want to know that our superior cares about us. Few things communicate that better than teaching something valuable.

As I’ve shared these thoughts, I’ve used the word boss for a reason, but in the end it’s the wrong word. Everyone works for a boss, but few follow a leader. You see, if you only become a boss worth working for, then you’ve missed it.  Bosses manage, but leaders lead. If you take these things to heart, you won’t be a boss; instead you’ll be a leader…a leader that is definitely worth following. 

2013 - Reflecting on A Year of Learning

At the end of each year, I like to think over the past 12 months about what I learned, how I grew, and where God showed up. 

In 2013, my wife and I celebrated 15 years together, my oldest son turned 13, my family and I ministered to children in Brazil, and after a successful career in the marketplace, I left it behind to become an executive pastor moving our family to NC. What a year! It's a good practice to look back in order to dream ahead, so here goes.

• Deep relationships can be made with anyone on any continent if you: 
• Connect Deeply
• Communicate Consistently
• Embrace their Culture Respectfully
• If you identify your purpose/calling, regardless of how long it takes to get there, it will never leave you
• No matter how crazy the calling, God gives inexplicable peace when it's time to take the plunge
• Lasting joy happens when your heart, life, and work are aligned with your purpose
• Simplicity is one of the greatest tools for success 
• Struggles add texture to our story
• Authenticity is a leader's greatest commodity
• Daily disciplines yield lifelong results
• You can never underestimate the importance of your relationship with you children - start early and invest often. 
• Great marriages are built on overcoming great obstacles...together.  

**BONUS**

• Surround your children with smart people and they will become smart people. 

There you have it. A year of significant life change and growth. Thanks to everyone who made 2013 amazing!

GUEST BLOG - 5 Ways Legos Can Bring People to Christ

Today I get the privilege of featuring a guest blogger, my 12-year old son. He is a highly creative and artistic person with hopes to animate for Pixar Studios or become a Lego master builder (that’s a real job where you get paid to put Lego’s together as a career).  He wrote this shortly after we returned from a trip to Brazil this past summer all on his own. My wife and I are so proud of him and can't wait to see who he becomes.  I hope you get a glimpse of his heart. Enjoy!

Tension - When you sin, tension is being applied and over time the tension builds until finally, you break. When you find God, He repairs you with His “God glue” and you are whole again; just like when you are saved and come to Christ.

                                                               Before God                                                                       
       

After God

Light - If you hold a Lego brick to the light you can see that some of the light shines through. Just as we are the brick, God is the light. So when we put ourselves up to God, He shines through us so that other people will come to know Him.

We shine for Him

Brand - When you look at an ordinary 2x4 Lego brick and notice its studs, you can see that Lego put their brand on all of their bricks just as God puts His brand on us. We are made in His image and we are branded with the name of God.

His brand on us

Plan - Just as the Lego Company has a plan for each Lego brick that comes out of its factory, God has a plan for each and every person that He creates.  And His plan is better than any of our plans combined could create.

God's Factory

Different - Each Lego brick is different in its own way, and that’s just the way Lego wants it. Just as we are different in our own way, and that’s just the way He wants it. We may be the smallest or the slowest but we are made just the way our God chose us to be.

God wants YOU to be different