Here are some selected quotes from Chapter 5 of Scaling Up Excellence by Robert I. Sutton and Huggy Rao. What you are not getting by just reading these quotes are the real life stories and examples which brings the principles to life. I know you would enjoy reading the stories and examples that go with these principles.
Chapter 5 - The People Who Propel Scaling: Build Organizations Where "I Own the Place and the Place Owns Me"
"the capacity for effective scaling depends on both bringing in the right people (people with the right training and skills) and having people who feel compelled to act in the organization's best interests ('accountability') and who press one another to act that way too." p.139
"Many, perhaps most, organizations that scale effectively get the job done by depending less on hiring fully formed superstars and more on selecting promising people - and then teaching and motivating them to do exceptional work." p.142
7 means for identifying people who act as fif they own the place and it owns them.
1. Squelch Free Riding
"When people feel accountable to their colleagues and customers, they feel obligated to expend extra effort and make sacrifices for the greater good." p. 150
2. Inject Pride and Righteous Anger
"collective pride and aggressiveness . . . turn people's attention toward concerns that are larger than themselves, bind group or organization members together, and are contagious. And they are more willing to take difficult, even personally risky, actions for the greater good." p. 155
3. Bring in Guild-Prone Leaders
"A 2012 study suggests that when leaders are prone to feeling guilty, they are especially likely to display concern for others and to put the greater good ahead of their personal goals and glory. ...guilt prone leaders have a strong sense of personal responsibility for their actions and are attuned to the impact of their decisions on others." p. 159
"...guild-prone people often emerge as leaders because - to avoid feeling bad about not meeting their responsibilities or hurting others - they work hard and selflessly to help their groups and organization achieve goals." p. 159
"...guilt-prone people are more likely to emerge as leaders and to be more effective leaders than others." p. 159
4. "I'll be Watching You": Use Subtle Cues to Prime Accountability
5. Create the Right "Gene Pool"
"Dearing observed that the most successful founders are prone to certain "cognitive distortions": biased, even objectively inaccurate, wasy they thin of themselves and filter information that enable them to make quicker and better decisions, bounce back from setbacks, and attract talent." p. 164
"Even when you heir the right people, the experiences and training you provide are crucial for spreading the right beliefs, behaviors, and skills. In other words, the people make the place and the place makes the people." p. 165
"Scaling up an organization also requires constantly reconsidering the kinds of talent that you have, need, and ought to hire and incubate." p. 166
6. Use Other Organizations as Your HR Department
7. Hire People Prewired to Fit Your Mindset
Saturday, August 30, 2014
Wednesday, August 27, 2014
Scaling Up Excellence, Chapter 4
Here are some selected quotes from Chapter 4 of Scaling Up Excellence by Robert I. Sutton and Huggy Rao. What you are not getting by just reading these quotes are the real life stories and examples which brings the principles to life. This was one of my favorite chapters and I definitely learned somethings I didn't know before.
Chapter 4 Cut Cognitive Load
"...scaling entails subjecting people to an onslaught of unfamiliar, difficult, and upsetting changes and chores. The sheer volume and complexity often overwhelms the 'working memory' of the individuals who do it, which produces blind spots and bad decisions and saps their willpower. Researchers call this condition 'cognitive overload.'" p. 99
"As organizations expand and mature, rather than rationing or subtracting load, leaders and teams often pile on so many metrics, procedures, and chores that people lose the capacity and willpower to do the right things." p. 99
"...cognitive load is another reason that scaling is the Problem of More. It can tax human minds and organizations beyond what they can bear. When that happens, people ignore their best intentions, work on the wrong tasks, shift focus too often, and perform less well at everything they attempt." p. 101
"After devoting nearly fifty years to studying group effectiveness, the late J. Richard Hackman concluded that, for most tasks, the best size is four to six."p. 102
"Two Pizza Rule: development teams can be no larger than the number of people who can be fed by two pizzas." p. 102
"Scaling requires a pehchant for parsimony, for understanding the nuances of an organization and its people so you can make things as simple as possible - but no simpler." p. 110
1. Subtraction as a Way of Life
"Leaders and teams that spread excellence act the same way, ruthlessly spotting and removing crummy or useless rules, tools, and fools that colg up the works and cloud people's minds." p. 110
2. Make People Squirm
"If you aren't upsetting people, you aren't pushing hard enough." p. 117
"...people become risk averse and distraught at the 'prospect' of losing something they already have, even if they get something more valuable instead. These negative reactions to losing something familiar are magnified when people invest time and effort in something." p. 118
3. Bring on the Load Busters: Subtraction by Addition
"The writer Austin O'Malley said, 'Memory is a crazy old woman who hoards colored rags and throws away food .' Not only do human beings have lousy memories, but the things that we do recall, ruminate over, and act on are often trivial and useless - 'colored rags' that clog our consciousness, sapping ouir capacity to remember and act on more crucial concerns." p. 119
4. Divide and Conquer
"The division of labor always creates demands for integration, especially when multiple teams and departments in different locations must mesh activities together in tight and timely ways. Even when coordination is less daunting, every team and organization depends on people with enough general knowledge to grasp how the system fits together and enough particular knowledge about each part to do specific tasks well." p. 125
5. Bolster Collective Brainpower: Increase Cognitive Capacity Instead of Adding More People
"There are times when outsiders bring fresh ideas that help broken organizations and projects abandon obsolete and destructive mindsets. . . . Yet too many tales of outsiders who gallop in to save the day don't have happy endings." p. 127
"Whether you are selecting a leader, scaling up a new team or organization, or running an existing project team, sticking with savvy insiders and stable teams and blending people who have worked together before are better paths. Stable teams are more adept at drawing on each other's strengths and countering their weaknesses, and they mesh together their ideas and actions more efficiently and reliably." p. 127,128
"If you are forming a new team, or fixing an old one, try to bring in at least two or three people who have worked together effectively before." p. 128
"Speaking of talented women, if you want a smarter team, make sure that it has a lot of them. Groups with higher percentages of women had greater 'collective intelligence,' performing better on cognitively demanding tasks, from 'visual puzzles to negotiations, brainstorming, games and complex rule-based design assignments." p. 129
"People also have a greater capacity when they aren't worn down by work and worry. When people get enough sleep, they are more adept at difficult tasks, are more interpersonally sensitive, make better decisions, and are less likely to turn nasty." p. 130
Give Ground Grudgingly
"Scaling requires a balancing act. The aim is to travel forward in the sweet spot between too much and too little complexity as your footprint expands to more people and places - and without swamping people with more load than they can handle." p. 132
"As organizations and programs grow, the same superflat hierarchy and lightweight systems that promoted success in the early days can gum up the works" p. 133
"The art of giving ground grudgingly requires biding your time and staying vigilant until clear but less than catastrophic problems pop up - a few muffed handoffs, minor screw ups by good people, or a surprising conflict." p.135
"...running an organization as close to maximum capacity as possible for as long as possible is a recipe for scaling disaster." p. 135
Chapter 4 Cut Cognitive Load
"...scaling entails subjecting people to an onslaught of unfamiliar, difficult, and upsetting changes and chores. The sheer volume and complexity often overwhelms the 'working memory' of the individuals who do it, which produces blind spots and bad decisions and saps their willpower. Researchers call this condition 'cognitive overload.'" p. 99
"As organizations expand and mature, rather than rationing or subtracting load, leaders and teams often pile on so many metrics, procedures, and chores that people lose the capacity and willpower to do the right things." p. 99
"...cognitive load is another reason that scaling is the Problem of More. It can tax human minds and organizations beyond what they can bear. When that happens, people ignore their best intentions, work on the wrong tasks, shift focus too often, and perform less well at everything they attempt." p. 101
"After devoting nearly fifty years to studying group effectiveness, the late J. Richard Hackman concluded that, for most tasks, the best size is four to six."p. 102
"Two Pizza Rule: development teams can be no larger than the number of people who can be fed by two pizzas." p. 102
"Scaling requires a pehchant for parsimony, for understanding the nuances of an organization and its people so you can make things as simple as possible - but no simpler." p. 110
1. Subtraction as a Way of Life
"Leaders and teams that spread excellence act the same way, ruthlessly spotting and removing crummy or useless rules, tools, and fools that colg up the works and cloud people's minds." p. 110
2. Make People Squirm
"If you aren't upsetting people, you aren't pushing hard enough." p. 117
"...people become risk averse and distraught at the 'prospect' of losing something they already have, even if they get something more valuable instead. These negative reactions to losing something familiar are magnified when people invest time and effort in something." p. 118
3. Bring on the Load Busters: Subtraction by Addition
"The writer Austin O'Malley said, 'Memory is a crazy old woman who hoards colored rags and throws away food .' Not only do human beings have lousy memories, but the things that we do recall, ruminate over, and act on are often trivial and useless - 'colored rags' that clog our consciousness, sapping ouir capacity to remember and act on more crucial concerns." p. 119
4. Divide and Conquer
"The division of labor always creates demands for integration, especially when multiple teams and departments in different locations must mesh activities together in tight and timely ways. Even when coordination is less daunting, every team and organization depends on people with enough general knowledge to grasp how the system fits together and enough particular knowledge about each part to do specific tasks well." p. 125
5. Bolster Collective Brainpower: Increase Cognitive Capacity Instead of Adding More People
"There are times when outsiders bring fresh ideas that help broken organizations and projects abandon obsolete and destructive mindsets. . . . Yet too many tales of outsiders who gallop in to save the day don't have happy endings." p. 127
"Whether you are selecting a leader, scaling up a new team or organization, or running an existing project team, sticking with savvy insiders and stable teams and blending people who have worked together before are better paths. Stable teams are more adept at drawing on each other's strengths and countering their weaknesses, and they mesh together their ideas and actions more efficiently and reliably." p. 127,128
"If you are forming a new team, or fixing an old one, try to bring in at least two or three people who have worked together effectively before." p. 128
"Speaking of talented women, if you want a smarter team, make sure that it has a lot of them. Groups with higher percentages of women had greater 'collective intelligence,' performing better on cognitively demanding tasks, from 'visual puzzles to negotiations, brainstorming, games and complex rule-based design assignments." p. 129
"People also have a greater capacity when they aren't worn down by work and worry. When people get enough sleep, they are more adept at difficult tasks, are more interpersonally sensitive, make better decisions, and are less likely to turn nasty." p. 130
Give Ground Grudgingly
"Scaling requires a balancing act. The aim is to travel forward in the sweet spot between too much and too little complexity as your footprint expands to more people and places - and without swamping people with more load than they can handle." p. 132
"As organizations and programs grow, the same superflat hierarchy and lightweight systems that promoted success in the early days can gum up the works" p. 133
"The art of giving ground grudgingly requires biding your time and staying vigilant until clear but less than catastrophic problems pop up - a few muffed handoffs, minor screw ups by good people, or a surprising conflict." p.135
"...running an organization as close to maximum capacity as possible for as long as possible is a recipe for scaling disaster." p. 135
Thursday, August 21, 2014
Scaling Up Excellence - Chapter 3
Here are some selected quotes from Chapter 3 of Scaling Up Excellence by Robert I. Sutton and Huggy Rao. What you are not getting by just reading these quotes are the real life stories and examples which brings the principles to life. I highly recommend you get this book.
Chapter 3 - Hot Causes, Cool Solutions: Stoking the Scaling Engine
"While arguments will persist over whether it is most effective or logical to first change beliefs or behavior, the two strategies are mutually reinforcing. So as a practical matter, you can stoke the scaling engine by targeting beliefs, behavior, or both at once. The key is creating and fueling a virtuous circle." p. 70
"Communicating a hot cause entails creating and sharing stories, symbols, language, reasons - the beliefs and emotions that flow from a mindset. An effective hot cause unleashes strong feelings such as pride or righteous anger. Such feelings make people feel powerful and in control of the world around them, which in turn triggers assertive and confident action. The way that advocates communicate a hot cause is as important as it content: nonverbal behaviors are especially crucial." p. 70
"When it comes to getting people to rally behind a hot cause, the key is creating experiences that generate 'communities of feeling.'" p. 70
"When the emphasis is on triggering beliefs alone, compelling talk may spread, but the constructive actions that are hallmarks for successful scaling usually will not. Remember the ancient proverb: 'What I hear I forget, what I see I remember, and what I do I understand.'" p. 77
"To scale up excellence, leaders and teams need to keep finding ways to bolster belief in a hot cause (and the underlying mindset), persuade others to live that mindset (whether they believe in it or not), or better yet work both belief and behavior angles at the same time. Her are some strategies for starting, sustaining, and accelerating this virtuous scaling circle." p. 79
1. Name the Problem
"The right name provides a compact summary that helps people understand a challenge, explain it to others, and guides them to cool solutions." p. 79,80
2. Name the Enemy
"The 'name the enemy' strategy can be extremely effective. But it can also backfire." p. 83
3. Do it Where All Can See
"Persuading people to take 'public' actions that demonstrate a commitment to a mindset or belief is a powerful means for stoking the behavior-belief cycle. As psychologist Robert Cialdini contends: 'Whenever one takes a stand that is visible to others, there arises a drive to maintain that stand in order to look like a consistent person.'" p. 85
4. Breach Assumptions
5. Create Gateway Experiences and On-Ramps
"Gateway objects and experiences are equally valuable for paving the path to excellence - especially for guiding transitions to new behaviors and beliefs." p. 89
6. New Rituals, Better Rituals
"Rituals can serve as on-ramps for creating or reinforcing a mindset - especially when they are performed in front of others, done by all, and repeated over and over." p. 90
"when a new leader or team takes charge, they can help modify the reigning mindset by changing the interaction rituals." p. 91
"A big pile of studies shows that putting forth effort to do something, doing it in front of others, and doing it voluntarily add up to a potent recipe for changing hearts and minds - and that is exactly what this new ritual accomplished." p. 91
7. Lean on People Who Can't Leave Well Enough Alone.
"Picking people who will jump at the chance to live the new mindset - and sidelining or even firing those who resist such change - is often the first step to scaling up a new mindset." p. 92
Poetry, Plumbing, and Scaling up Excellence
"every skilled executive, manager, and supervisor is both a 'poet' and a 'plumber.' The poetry part is mostly about communicating hot causes: creating beliefs via words, stories ceremonies, mission statements, goals and strategic plans to inspire and guide others. The plumbing part is mostly about cool solutions - especially the nitty-gritty behavior required to ensure that planes or trains run on time, widgets or cars are built, grapes are grown and put in bottles of wine, or in our case students are taught and those books and papers written." p. 95
Chapter 3 - Hot Causes, Cool Solutions: Stoking the Scaling Engine
"While arguments will persist over whether it is most effective or logical to first change beliefs or behavior, the two strategies are mutually reinforcing. So as a practical matter, you can stoke the scaling engine by targeting beliefs, behavior, or both at once. The key is creating and fueling a virtuous circle." p. 70
"Communicating a hot cause entails creating and sharing stories, symbols, language, reasons - the beliefs and emotions that flow from a mindset. An effective hot cause unleashes strong feelings such as pride or righteous anger. Such feelings make people feel powerful and in control of the world around them, which in turn triggers assertive and confident action. The way that advocates communicate a hot cause is as important as it content: nonverbal behaviors are especially crucial." p. 70
"When it comes to getting people to rally behind a hot cause, the key is creating experiences that generate 'communities of feeling.'" p. 70
"When the emphasis is on triggering beliefs alone, compelling talk may spread, but the constructive actions that are hallmarks for successful scaling usually will not. Remember the ancient proverb: 'What I hear I forget, what I see I remember, and what I do I understand.'" p. 77
"To scale up excellence, leaders and teams need to keep finding ways to bolster belief in a hot cause (and the underlying mindset), persuade others to live that mindset (whether they believe in it or not), or better yet work both belief and behavior angles at the same time. Her are some strategies for starting, sustaining, and accelerating this virtuous scaling circle." p. 79
1. Name the Problem
"The right name provides a compact summary that helps people understand a challenge, explain it to others, and guides them to cool solutions." p. 79,80
2. Name the Enemy
"The 'name the enemy' strategy can be extremely effective. But it can also backfire." p. 83
3. Do it Where All Can See
"Persuading people to take 'public' actions that demonstrate a commitment to a mindset or belief is a powerful means for stoking the behavior-belief cycle. As psychologist Robert Cialdini contends: 'Whenever one takes a stand that is visible to others, there arises a drive to maintain that stand in order to look like a consistent person.'" p. 85
4. Breach Assumptions
5. Create Gateway Experiences and On-Ramps
"Gateway objects and experiences are equally valuable for paving the path to excellence - especially for guiding transitions to new behaviors and beliefs." p. 89
6. New Rituals, Better Rituals
"Rituals can serve as on-ramps for creating or reinforcing a mindset - especially when they are performed in front of others, done by all, and repeated over and over." p. 90
"when a new leader or team takes charge, they can help modify the reigning mindset by changing the interaction rituals." p. 91
"A big pile of studies shows that putting forth effort to do something, doing it in front of others, and doing it voluntarily add up to a potent recipe for changing hearts and minds - and that is exactly what this new ritual accomplished." p. 91
7. Lean on People Who Can't Leave Well Enough Alone.
"Picking people who will jump at the chance to live the new mindset - and sidelining or even firing those who resist such change - is often the first step to scaling up a new mindset." p. 92
Poetry, Plumbing, and Scaling up Excellence
"every skilled executive, manager, and supervisor is both a 'poet' and a 'plumber.' The poetry part is mostly about communicating hot causes: creating beliefs via words, stories ceremonies, mission statements, goals and strategic plans to inspire and guide others. The plumbing part is mostly about cool solutions - especially the nitty-gritty behavior required to ensure that planes or trains run on time, widgets or cars are built, grapes are grown and put in bottles of wine, or in our case students are taught and those books and papers written." p. 95
Ministry Matters: 5 keys to effective sermon preparation
Good article with links for supporting documents about sermon preparation
Ministry Matters: 5 keys to effective sermon preparation. http://google.com/newsstand/s/CBIwo7D1xho
Ministry Matters: 5 keys to effective sermon preparation. http://google.com/newsstand/s/CBIwo7D1xho
Sent from Samsung tablet
Tuesday, August 19, 2014
Scaling Up Excellence - Chapter 2
Here are some more selected quotes from this powerful book on what it takes to scale an organization for effective growth.
Chapter 2 - Buddhism Versus Catholicism
"The best leaders and teams often strike the right balance between replication and customization, between Catholicism and Buddhism, by acting much as if they are working with Lego "bricks." There are some elements - not just individual bricks, but "sub assemblies" of multiple bricks - that they replicate overand over for every person and place, even if other factors vary widely." p. 39
"We've identified three diagnostic questions that can help you detect when a move is wise, which direction to head, and how to make it happen." p. 40
1. Do You Suffer from Delusions of Uniqueness?
"...delusions of uniqueness...foster misguided Buddhism. Too often we humans convince ourselves that proven rules or technologies don't apply to us or the apparently unique place or situation we are in, when, in fact, we are fooling ourselves." p. 42
2. Do You Have a Successful Template to Use as a Prototype?
"If you aren't sure, a good general rule is to start with a complete model or template that works elsewhere and watch for signs that certain aspects of the model aren't working and need to be rebuilt, replaced, or removed." p. 44
"basic rules of replication: It is essential to identify a template that can be 'seen' and 'touched' in a single, specific location." p. 45
3. Will Bolstering Buddhism Generate Crucial Understanding, Commitment, and Innovation?
"Delusions that each of us is a special person in a special place can gum up the works. Yet injecting a bit of Buddhism has advantages (beyond just enabling customization) that should be factored into scaling decisions." p. 48
"Tilting toward Buddhism is especially useful when you have the right mindset in your organization or project but don't yet have a complete template that has worked elsewhere. If there isn't a proven model to start with, you need to experiment with different solutions to figure out what works." p. 49
Alone Versus Together
""our analysis always seemed to end up on the same place: the trad-offs and tensions between encouraging versus forbidding departures from template, practice, or behavior took center stage. In other words, we eventually circled back the the Buddhism-Catholicism continuum no matter were our journey had begun." p. 52
"...risk goes down and efficiency goes up when - early on - leaders and teams have a complete template in a single specific location that they can see and touch (even if some elements are later changed to fit local needs and sensibilities)." p. 59
"The key to using the guardrail strategy is specifying as few constraints as you possibly can - picking those precious few that matter most and pack the biggest wallop, and then leaving people to steer between and around them as they see fit. Keeping the list of constraints short also reduces the burden on leaders and teams that are charged with scaling and on front-line employees who are asked to live the new behaviors and beliefs." p. 63
"The challenge is to strip away as many unnecessary constraints as possible - to select a few crucial guardrails, tell and (especially) show everyone that crashing through such barriers produces unpleasant consequences - but otherwise allow people to take the paths that they believe are best." p. 63
Chapter 2 - Buddhism Versus Catholicism
"The best leaders and teams often strike the right balance between replication and customization, between Catholicism and Buddhism, by acting much as if they are working with Lego "bricks." There are some elements - not just individual bricks, but "sub assemblies" of multiple bricks - that they replicate overand over for every person and place, even if other factors vary widely." p. 39
"We've identified three diagnostic questions that can help you detect when a move is wise, which direction to head, and how to make it happen." p. 40
1. Do You Suffer from Delusions of Uniqueness?
"...delusions of uniqueness...foster misguided Buddhism. Too often we humans convince ourselves that proven rules or technologies don't apply to us or the apparently unique place or situation we are in, when, in fact, we are fooling ourselves." p. 42
2. Do You Have a Successful Template to Use as a Prototype?
"If you aren't sure, a good general rule is to start with a complete model or template that works elsewhere and watch for signs that certain aspects of the model aren't working and need to be rebuilt, replaced, or removed." p. 44
"basic rules of replication: It is essential to identify a template that can be 'seen' and 'touched' in a single, specific location." p. 45
3. Will Bolstering Buddhism Generate Crucial Understanding, Commitment, and Innovation?
"Delusions that each of us is a special person in a special place can gum up the works. Yet injecting a bit of Buddhism has advantages (beyond just enabling customization) that should be factored into scaling decisions." p. 48
"Tilting toward Buddhism is especially useful when you have the right mindset in your organization or project but don't yet have a complete template that has worked elsewhere. If there isn't a proven model to start with, you need to experiment with different solutions to figure out what works." p. 49
Alone Versus Together
""our analysis always seemed to end up on the same place: the trad-offs and tensions between encouraging versus forbidding departures from template, practice, or behavior took center stage. In other words, we eventually circled back the the Buddhism-Catholicism continuum no matter were our journey had begun." p. 52
"...risk goes down and efficiency goes up when - early on - leaders and teams have a complete template in a single specific location that they can see and touch (even if some elements are later changed to fit local needs and sensibilities)." p. 59
"The key to using the guardrail strategy is specifying as few constraints as you possibly can - picking those precious few that matter most and pack the biggest wallop, and then leaving people to steer between and around them as they see fit. Keeping the list of constraints short also reduces the burden on leaders and teams that are charged with scaling and on front-line employees who are asked to live the new behaviors and beliefs." p. 63
"The challenge is to strip away as many unnecessary constraints as possible - to select a few crucial guardrails, tell and (especially) show everyone that crashing through such barriers produces unpleasant consequences - but otherwise allow people to take the paths that they believe are best." p. 63
Sunday, August 17, 2014
Scaling up Excellence - Chapter 1
Although I have mentioned this book, I don't think I have done it justice in my posts because there is simply too much here which needs to be heard. Almost every organization wants to grow, that seems natural, yet most hit a plateau point which they just can't seem to get past. I would suggest that the primary reason has to do with scaling issues addressed in this book. I know from personal experience that organizations will continue to use tried and true processes even when there is growing evidence that those process which once facilitated growth are now, in fact, inhibiting growth. I plan to list quotes from every chapter but I highly recommend you buy the book, and then begin to think about these ideas in light of your own organization/church.
Here are some quotes from chapter one of Scaling up Excellence.
Here are some quotes from chapter one of Scaling up Excellence.
Chapter 1 It’s a
Ground War, Not Just an Air War
“This is the most important thing that we learned, the one
to keep in mind every day if you are bent on spreading excellence to more
people and places: those who master what
venture capitalist Ben Horowitz calls ‘the black art of scaling a human organization’
act as if they are fighting a ground war, not just an air war.” P. 3
Scaling Mantras
1.
Spread a mindset, Not just a footprint
“There is a big difference between
distributing your banner, logo, or motto as far and wide as possible versus
having a deep and enduring influence on how employees and customers think act,
feel, and filter information” p. 7
2.
Engage All the Senses
“The upshot is that you can bolster
a mindset by weaving together subtle, even nearly invisible, cues that engage
multiple senses.” P. 16
3.
Link Short-Term Realities to Long-Term Dreams
“When someone at the Directors’
college asked Campbell about the most crucial skill for a senior executive, he
said it was the rare ability (which Jobs had in spades) to make sure that the
short-term stuff gets done and done well, while simultaneously never losing sight
of the big picture.” P. 17
4. Accelerate Accountability
“Accountability means that an
organization is packed with people wo embody and protect excellence .(even when
they are tired, and overburdened, and distracted) who work vigorously to spread it to others,
and who spot help, critique, and (when necessary) push aside colleagues who
fail to live and spread it.” P. 20
5.
Fear the Clusterfug
“’the state of affairs resulting
from too many staffers and not enough trained
staffers on a project.’”p.24
6.
Scaling Requires both Addition and Subtraction
“In particular, a hallmark of
successful scaling is that leaders remain vigilant about what ‘got us here but
won’t get us there’ as author Marshall Goldsmith would put it. There are beliefs, behaviors and rituals that
once bolstered excellence but are now undermine it.” P. 28
7.
Slow Down to Scale Faster – and Better – Down the
Road
“’The black art of scaling a human
organization’ requires learning when and how to shift gears from fast to slow
ways of thinking.’”p.31
Tuesday, August 12, 2014
The Skills Leaders Need at Every Level - Harvard Business Review
Interesting reading and in line with solid leadership principles.
The Skills Leaders Need at Every Level - Harvard Business Review
The Skills Leaders Need at Every Level - Harvard Business Review
Saturday, August 09, 2014
Holiness - What Do You Know of Holy?????
I grew up hearing holiness sermons, yet they seem rare today, why is that?
"One nationwide study from Barna Group found that "the concept of holiness baffles most Americans." When asked to describe what it means to be holy, the most common reply was "I don't know." Of those identified as "born again," only 46 percent believed "God has called them to holiness." The study concluded, "The results portray a body of Christians who attend church and read the Bible, but do not understand the concept or significance of holiness, do not personally desire to be holy, and therefore do little, if anything to pursue it." This is an excerpt from How We Forget The Holiness of God" by Drew Dyck Click on the link to read the entire article - I highly recommend it.
A few years ago the group Addison Road recorded a song: What Do I Know of Holy
This song echoes the message from the quote above, i.e. not many know what holiness is nor do they consider it important. It seems to me that the doctrine which formed the foundation of the denomination I love and in which I have served for most of my life is being allowed to evaporate. Is holiness simply too old fashioned a concept to be relevant today? I don't think so, yet I have heard (unsubstantiated) that our colleges and seminary have so "mellowed" on this doctrine that even our Ministry graduates are left confused.
When was the last time you heard the term: Second Blessing Holiness? Ever? Lets get back to our foundation and recognize the awesome and terrifying God we serve. Are we "Called Unto Holiness," or not?
"One nationwide study from Barna Group found that "the concept of holiness baffles most Americans." When asked to describe what it means to be holy, the most common reply was "I don't know." Of those identified as "born again," only 46 percent believed "God has called them to holiness." The study concluded, "The results portray a body of Christians who attend church and read the Bible, but do not understand the concept or significance of holiness, do not personally desire to be holy, and therefore do little, if anything to pursue it." This is an excerpt from How We Forget The Holiness of God" by Drew Dyck Click on the link to read the entire article - I highly recommend it.
A few years ago the group Addison Road recorded a song: What Do I Know of Holy
This song echoes the message from the quote above, i.e. not many know what holiness is nor do they consider it important. It seems to me that the doctrine which formed the foundation of the denomination I love and in which I have served for most of my life is being allowed to evaporate. Is holiness simply too old fashioned a concept to be relevant today? I don't think so, yet I have heard (unsubstantiated) that our colleges and seminary have so "mellowed" on this doctrine that even our Ministry graduates are left confused.
When was the last time you heard the term: Second Blessing Holiness? Ever? Lets get back to our foundation and recognize the awesome and terrifying God we serve. Are we "Called Unto Holiness," or not?
Saturday, August 02, 2014
Strategic Thinking
I see evidences practically every day of decisions that are made in the moment, for the moment, without thought for the long-term consequences of the decision. I understand that some decisions have to be made quickly. I also understand the danger of getting trapped into a thought process which practically insures that no decision ever gets made while pondering the long-term. But, there is a middle ground! There is almost always time to carefully consider the implication of a decision upon the long-term goals and weigh that decision against the short-term.
Too little consideration is given by new managers to one of the greatest dangers that every middle manager faces: Precedent. Precedent is one of the most dangerous and slippery enemies managers face. By thinking that a decision exists in a moment in time, managers and leaders miss the reality that everything is connected to everything else; that every decision has a consequence broader than the obvious and that there may be implications from even a seemingly harmless decision which can spiral out of control.
For example, you make a decision to allow a policy to be overridden due to special circumstances for one employee or student, believing they will honor your grace by keeping it to themselves. But NOTHING is ever kept secret and soon other employees/students are clamoring for the same exemption, or thinking about bringing a lawsuit against you for not allowing the exemption.
The answer is to SLOW down long enough to think about the consequences of the decision, the possible implications of precedent and whether or not the benefit provided to the one is worth the possible harm to the many. As Spock said, "the needs of the many outweigh the needs of the one."
If, on the other hand, you still feel there needs to be some accommodation, then volunteer yourself or your personal resources to meet the need (although charges of favoritism could could still be leveled)
It is always a balance of meeting the needs of the one without destroying the institution which supports the many. That is one of the great burdens of leaders; to walk that tightrope and THINK STRATEGICALLY.
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Too little consideration is given by new managers to one of the greatest dangers that every middle manager faces: Precedent. Precedent is one of the most dangerous and slippery enemies managers face. By thinking that a decision exists in a moment in time, managers and leaders miss the reality that everything is connected to everything else; that every decision has a consequence broader than the obvious and that there may be implications from even a seemingly harmless decision which can spiral out of control.
For example, you make a decision to allow a policy to be overridden due to special circumstances for one employee or student, believing they will honor your grace by keeping it to themselves. But NOTHING is ever kept secret and soon other employees/students are clamoring for the same exemption, or thinking about bringing a lawsuit against you for not allowing the exemption.
The answer is to SLOW down long enough to think about the consequences of the decision, the possible implications of precedent and whether or not the benefit provided to the one is worth the possible harm to the many. As Spock said, "the needs of the many outweigh the needs of the one."
If, on the other hand, you still feel there needs to be some accommodation, then volunteer yourself or your personal resources to meet the need (although charges of favoritism could could still be leveled)
It is always a balance of meeting the needs of the one without destroying the institution which supports the many. That is one of the great burdens of leaders; to walk that tightrope and THINK STRATEGICALLY.
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Monday, July 14, 2014
Twilight
I stood in the dark, my eyes blind
my feet searching for a path I could not see.
He said, "my son, if you but ask
I can bring light to your darkness."
So, I asked, and light came, I could see.
From that moment nothing was the same.
Now I could see MY path.
Now I could determine MY course.
But there were also dark shadows moving all around me
the shadows confused me, distracted me, taunted me . . . beckoned me.
But at least I had light and could SEE
so I ignored the shadows, tried to ignore them.
He said, "my son, if you will trust me fully
I will bring out out of the shadows into the full light of day."
I said, "what do you mean . . .'trust you fully?'"
He said, "leave your path and follow me.
I will take you to to the light, free of shadows
Full of hope and purpose."
I could catch glimpses of His path and it "seemed" straight,
but it wasn't MY path
I knew, I think, where My path was going
I wasn't so sure about His path.
So, I think I'll stick with what I know, after all I do have light.
I just wish there weren't so many of these pesky shadows.
my feet searching for a path I could not see.
He said, "my son, if you but ask
I can bring light to your darkness."
So, I asked, and light came, I could see.
From that moment nothing was the same.
Now I could see MY path.
Now I could determine MY course.
But there were also dark shadows moving all around me
the shadows confused me, distracted me, taunted me . . . beckoned me.
But at least I had light and could SEE
so I ignored the shadows, tried to ignore them.
He said, "my son, if you will trust me fully
I will bring out out of the shadows into the full light of day."
I said, "what do you mean . . .'trust you fully?'"
He said, "leave your path and follow me.
I will take you to to the light, free of shadows
Full of hope and purpose."
I could catch glimpses of His path and it "seemed" straight,
but it wasn't MY path
I knew, I think, where My path was going
I wasn't so sure about His path.
So, I think I'll stick with what I know, after all I do have light.
I just wish there weren't so many of these pesky shadows.
Friday, July 04, 2014
My Newest Book: The Principles of Life
The Principles of Life
I have presented, in short form, these principles to literally hundreds if not thousands of people over the last 15+ years. In small groups, large groups, graduation speeches, and one-on-one mentoring, I've talked about the importance of establishing core principles for effective living. These five principles were the subject of conversation in our home as we were raising our children and continue to help guide me day by day.
In this book I have taken the opportunity to expand the meaning of each of the Principles, including practical stories and applications. The Principles can be summed up in five words: Relationships, Leadership, Excellence, Resilience, and Persistence. However, it is in the full statement of each Principle along with the expansion which describes the practical application of the Principle where most will find points to discuss and thoughts to develop for themselves.
The first chapter after the introduction is devoted to the Shema. This passage of the Bible is found in Deuteronomy 4:5,6 and quoted in other places and cited by no less person that Jesus himself as the greatest commandment. As you read the context surrounding the Shema from the Bible it becomes obvious that this teaching is something which should carry greater weight in our consideration and focus in our lives. When you couple this with Jesus' words regarding the Shema you can understand why I've included it as a foundation for every other Principle.
The book is laid out in eight chapters: Introduction, Shema, Relationships, Leadership, Excellence, Resilience, Perseverance, and Conclusion. Each chapter except the conclusion includes questions which can be used for personal reflection, or if used in a book study, for group discussion.
These Principles have already helped many and I hope you will find them beneficial to you as well.
I am taking pre-orders for print copies. If you would like to know more about those and when they would be available, please leave a comment here or email me at rlupchurch@gmail.com with the subject line: Principles of Life.
Blessings,
Rick
Tuesday, June 10, 2014
Push
Someone calls you with a problem that affects your area of responsibility and communicates a sense of urgency to get the problem resolved as quickly as possible.
Someone visits your office and describes an action by a subordinate which is in flagrant opposition to an established policy, one that you are charged with upholding.
You receive an email describing a situation which if immediate action is not taken could cost the company either a lot of money or possibly lose an employee.
All of these about a million other things like them are part of a normal day at work and what I label PUSH because they can feel like a push in the back. What's worse is that in some of these cases what isn't perceived is that when the PUSH comes you are actually standing on the edge of a cliff.
How do you handle PUSH?
PUSH back!!!
P - Pause - more often than not what is being pushed at you as urgent, frankly, isn't.
U - Understand the full picture - not just the snippet that is being presented - look for the ramifications of immediate action versus a more measured response.
S - Solve the REAL problem, not just the presented symptom of the problem. Don't get trapped in someone else's perception. I've done this more times than I can count and it doesn't usually work out well.
H - Hold fast to your principles and don't allow anyone or anything to PUSH you past where you are comfortable going. This will always work out badly.
Someone visits your office and describes an action by a subordinate which is in flagrant opposition to an established policy, one that you are charged with upholding.
You receive an email describing a situation which if immediate action is not taken could cost the company either a lot of money or possibly lose an employee.
All of these about a million other things like them are part of a normal day at work and what I label PUSH because they can feel like a push in the back. What's worse is that in some of these cases what isn't perceived is that when the PUSH comes you are actually standing on the edge of a cliff.
How do you handle PUSH?
PUSH back!!!
P - Pause - more often than not what is being pushed at you as urgent, frankly, isn't.
U - Understand the full picture - not just the snippet that is being presented - look for the ramifications of immediate action versus a more measured response.
S - Solve the REAL problem, not just the presented symptom of the problem. Don't get trapped in someone else's perception. I've done this more times than I can count and it doesn't usually work out well.
H - Hold fast to your principles and don't allow anyone or anything to PUSH you past where you are comfortable going. This will always work out badly.
Wednesday, June 04, 2014
Scaling Up Excellence - Book Review
Scaling Up Excellence by Robert I. Sutton and Huggy Rao
This has got to be one of the best books on Leadership and Change that I have read recently. In some ways it was reminiscent of Switch, by Dan and Chip Heath in some of the innovative ways to approach change efforts.I first listened to the book through Audible.com and was so impressed that I went out and bought a copy. I'm working my way through the book now because it is FULL of the kind of useful information that has immediate applicability as well as providing excellent guidance for strategic thinking and planning.
This book is about addressing the "Problem of More," as in, "we want more: customers, orders, capacity, etc." The perspective that Sutton and Rao bring to the discussion of "MORE" recognizes the complexity of the subject and tackles it through solid research and numerous examples. There is simply too much in this book to try to reduce it to a summary which you can then dismiss. The book is well written and literally full of usable ideas. If you are in any leadership position, and particularly if you are CEO, you need to read this book and discuss it with your decision team. If you have ever struggled with what it takes to expand your business, company, church, and/or how to to implement effective strategies for growth, you need to read this book and discuss it with your decision team.
This is a must read.
Saturday, May 17, 2014
A Sense of Urgency
John P. Kotter wrote Leading Change, the Heart of Change, Our Iceberg is Melting and A Sense of Urgency. Of these four books The Sense of Urgency was written last because this aspect of effective change is the most ignored and/or mismanaged, of course I'm paraphrasing.
In this book Kotter goes to great length to describe the difference between false urgency and the real thing, and between complacency and true urgency. He also reinforces again and again the unavoidable fact that without a true sense of urgency, any change effort is doomed before it even begins.
This is not rocket science - Kotter states as much himself - after all it is pretty obvious that change without a reason for the change is unlikely. Yet the reality is, according to his statistics, that as much as 70% of the change efforts undertaken by businesses fail, and most of them on this point: There is not a sense of true urgency.
He describes ways in his book to recognize and overcome complacency as well as proven methods for promoting a sense of urgency.
It is my opinion that this is probably one of the key factors affecting most businesses which are either consumed with false urgency (busyness) or complacency. Either or both of these problems are so deeply rooted that those leading are confounded by their company's lackadaisical performance.
The larger problem is that the church as a whole has lost pretty much all sense of urgency as well. I'm not talking about Pastors, who I believe (hope) are deeply concerned for the lost. However, the personal passion of the Pastor (urgency) has somehow gotten lost in communication with the congregation. The Pastor's desire to grow the church is misconstrued by the laity as a desire for more influence, greater salary and prestige. By and large the laity are quite comfortable with the church just like it is, thank you very much. Why? because, and here is where the Pastor drops the ball, there is not a clear ringing of the bell of URGENCY.
The message of "no other name under heaven by which men must be saved" is buried under tolerance and a desire to be understanding and compassionate. The church is EXTREMELY tolerant and compassionate, but typically NOT fervently burdened for their lost loved ones. We've slipped into a comfortably heresy which wants to ignore hell and believe that God doesn't really judge people for their sins.
I think it would be well for Pastors to read this book and then figure out how to re-invigorate their churches with a true sense of urgency.
Monday, May 05, 2014
Reading List: Cracking Your Church’s Culture Code
This article touches upon one of the most important considerations of leadership which often ignored by leaders as being inconsequential to taking action and generating forward motion.
For the last twenty years, church leaders have been fed a steady diet of vision. We've been told that vision is the key to leading a successful chur...
Source: http://google.com/producer/s/CBIwou6xwRk
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For the last twenty years, church leaders have been fed a steady diet of vision. We've been told that vision is the key to leading a successful chur...
Source: http://google.com/producer/s/CBIwou6xwRk
Rick Upchurch
All of life can be reduced to relationships - so make yours count!
Can Young and Old Leaders Coexist?
Interesting article on generations in church leadership.
When I look at the current church landscape, one of my biggest concerns is the generational divide in leadership. As the boomers get closer to retir...
Source: http://google.com/producer/s/CBIw6-iigBo
--
When I look at the current church landscape, one of my biggest concerns is the generational divide in leadership. As the boomers get closer to retir...
Source: http://google.com/producer/s/CBIw6-iigBo
Rick Upchurch
All of life can be reduced to relationships - so make yours count!
Wednesday, April 30, 2014
Tornado
We had a tornado come through near where I live a couple of days ago. Although we were under a "warning" and had moved away from the windows you could tell by the weather maps and looking outside that it was going to miss where we lived. Not so just a few miles south of us where someone lost their life.
I thought as we waited out the "warning" and then the "watch," what would I have done differently if it looked like it would actually hit where we lived? I have some water put back for emergencies, some extra batteries, flashlights, weather radio, etc., but can you really be prepared for what could easily be total devastation? How does the mind cope with the unthinkable?
How do you prepare yourself for disaster? Of course you can compile your "storm-kit" with things like I mentioned above, but I think there is a deeper preparation which needs to take place inside your brain and heart. Of course, I've been writing about natural disasters, but what about those that come at you through your work, e.g. lay offs, or personal relationships, e.g. divorce? What kind of "storm-kit" can prepare you for the unexpected?
It is interesting that Christ told his disciples of impending cataclysm but instead of urging them to hide and store up for the day of disaster, he urged them to be about His father's business of spreading the good news. Stuff is nice, but Jesus is better. In John 14:27 we read these words that Jesus spoke: "Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid."
I thought as we waited out the "warning" and then the "watch," what would I have done differently if it looked like it would actually hit where we lived? I have some water put back for emergencies, some extra batteries, flashlights, weather radio, etc., but can you really be prepared for what could easily be total devastation? How does the mind cope with the unthinkable?
How do you prepare yourself for disaster? Of course you can compile your "storm-kit" with things like I mentioned above, but I think there is a deeper preparation which needs to take place inside your brain and heart. Of course, I've been writing about natural disasters, but what about those that come at you through your work, e.g. lay offs, or personal relationships, e.g. divorce? What kind of "storm-kit" can prepare you for the unexpected?
It is interesting that Christ told his disciples of impending cataclysm but instead of urging them to hide and store up for the day of disaster, he urged them to be about His father's business of spreading the good news. Stuff is nice, but Jesus is better. In John 14:27 we read these words that Jesus spoke: "Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid."
Sometimes, most times, I feel woefully inadequate to face the challenges of even normal days . . . and yet somehow each day comes and goes and I find I have survived. I suspect God's grace is the cause; it is certainly NOT my own wisdom or strength or goodness. I am as dependent upon His grace as I am upon oxygen, even more so since a lack of oxygen only kills the body.
My hope is built on nothing less
Than Jesus’ blood and righteousness.
I dare not trust the sweetest frame,
But wholly trust in Jesus’ Name.
Than Jesus’ blood and righteousness.
I dare not trust the sweetest frame,
But wholly trust in Jesus’ Name.
Refrain
On Christ the solid Rock I stand,
All other ground is sinking sand;
All other ground is sinking sand.
All other ground is sinking sand;
All other ground is sinking sand.
When darkness seems to hide His face,
I rest on His unchanging grace.
In every high and stormy gale,
My anchor holds within the veil.
I rest on His unchanging grace.
In every high and stormy gale,
My anchor holds within the veil.
Refrain
His oath, His covenant, His blood,
Support me in the whelming flood.
When all around my soul gives way,
He then is all my Hope and Stay.
Support me in the whelming flood.
When all around my soul gives way,
He then is all my Hope and Stay.
Refrain
When He shall come with trumpet sound,
Oh may I then in Him be found.
Dressed in His righteousness alone,
Faultless to stand before the throne.
Oh may I then in Him be found.
Dressed in His righteousness alone,
Faultless to stand before the throne.
Refrain
AMEN!
Saturday, April 05, 2014
Creative Followership - Book Review
Creative Followership: In the Shadow of Greatness by Jimmy Collins with Michael CooleyI've written before about followership using Robert Kelly's breakdown in the Power of Followership (currently out of print but well worth finding and reading). In Kelly's book, he breaks followers into categories or profiles and defines the the profiles and the characteristics of each. One of those profiles is that of the Exemplary Follower. The Exemplary Follower is that individual who is full engaged in their work with all that that implies.
Jimmy Collins' book is about the principles he believes will bring the Exemplary Follower into existence, although he never uses that term, nor references Kelly's book. He lists 35 principles in two parts which define the behavior and practices of what he defines as the Creative Follower in the work setting. This is a highly pragmatic book. His principles attempt to define behaviors and attitudes which can position anyone to move into greater and greater roles of responsibility and ultimately leadership.
At first I was a little put off by what he had to say, but I persevered and the further I got into the book I realized that I myself had followed many of these "principles" and recognized that they did contribute to being a better follower as well as moving me into leadership responsibilities. As I contemplated the role of this particular book in the framework of leadership development I think I would place it very early in the process. This is the kind of book I would have liked to use in teaching my teenage children (or at least when they were teenagers) about the realities of the working world. It is definitely the kind of book that a 20 something could benefit from, and benefit greatly . . . if.
I add the if because many, if not most, of Collins' principles are counter intuitive will automatically be rejected by most American youth of today's culture. Principles like:
- Do What Your Boss Does Not Like to Do
- Make Your Boss Look Good
- Do It the Way the Boss Likes it Done
- The Only Real Feedback is Negative
and many others will be outright rejected before even attempting to give them a try. That's sad because the individual who can truly become the exemplary follower, I mean Creative Follower, has tremendous potential to Lead.
So, I recommend that all parents of teenagers or youth leaders buy the book and begin the laborious process of driving this information deep into the brains of the upcoming generation. It will be hard, and definitely not appreciated until they reach their 30s . . . but it might just save America.
Saturday, March 22, 2014
Expectations
Expectations.
MY expectations? Expectations of parents, children, spouse, boss, co-workers, employees, colleagues, acquaintances, pastors, institutions, government, the church, God . . . or the most challenging of all, myself. Do I have expectations for each of these individuals/groups/institutions? YES, an even more for myself.
THEIR expectations (any and all of the above plus anyone else you can think of, e.g. other drivers on the road, store clerks) of ME. Are these real or imagined? Do I satisfy any of these expectations?
Should I care? Do I care? How much do I care? Does my caring (or not) make any difference in the final analysis? Does my caring about THEIR expectations affect my performance? Unless I'm a complete sociopath, then YES it does affect my performance.
Does my caring about THEIR expectations affect my stress levels? Do MY expectations affect my stress levels? Again, unless I'm a sociopath, how could it not?
How then do I find balance among the ubiquitous expectations that surround me? that well up from within me? that I feel press in upon me? with little hope that I can satisfy even a portion?
There is only one way, I go to the ROCK that is higher than I am. Lord, from the ends of the earth I call to you, I call as my heart grows faint, lead me to the rock that is higher than I. (Psalm 61:2) When I do this He lifts me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire; he sets my feet on a rock and gives me a firm place to stand (Psalm 40:2). Hallelujah! Truly my soul finds rest in God; my salvation comes from him. Truly he is my rock and my salvation; he is my fortress, I will never be shaken. (Psalm 62:1-2)
MY expectations? Expectations of parents, children, spouse, boss, co-workers, employees, colleagues, acquaintances, pastors, institutions, government, the church, God . . . or the most challenging of all, myself. Do I have expectations for each of these individuals/groups/institutions? YES, an even more for myself.
THEIR expectations (any and all of the above plus anyone else you can think of, e.g. other drivers on the road, store clerks) of ME. Are these real or imagined? Do I satisfy any of these expectations?
Should I care? Do I care? How much do I care? Does my caring (or not) make any difference in the final analysis? Does my caring about THEIR expectations affect my performance? Unless I'm a complete sociopath, then YES it does affect my performance.
Does my caring about THEIR expectations affect my stress levels? Do MY expectations affect my stress levels? Again, unless I'm a sociopath, how could it not?
How then do I find balance among the ubiquitous expectations that surround me? that well up from within me? that I feel press in upon me? with little hope that I can satisfy even a portion?
There is only one way, I go to the ROCK that is higher than I am. Lord, from the ends of the earth I call to you, I call as my heart grows faint, lead me to the rock that is higher than I. (Psalm 61:2) When I do this He lifts me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire; he sets my feet on a rock and gives me a firm place to stand (Psalm 40:2). Hallelujah! Truly my soul finds rest in God; my salvation comes from him. Truly he is my rock and my salvation; he is my fortress, I will never be shaken. (Psalm 62:1-2)
Tuesday, March 11, 2014
3 Chairs and Granny's Angel
Years ago I heard a sermon preached by Bruce Wilkinson at a Promise Keepers conference for Pastors in Atlanta. It was a powerful conference like all the Promise Keeper conferences were and this particular sermon has stuck in my head. The gist of that sermon is that, represented by 3 chairs, are three generations. Rev. Wilkinson was using the analogy to speak to the adage "familiarity breeds contempt."
I don't believe this is a pattern which has to happen, although I've seen it happen. But I do know that it should make us all stop and evaluate the depth of our devotion and passion for the things of God. Nicole Mullen has a song: Granny's Angel which I think echoes the sentiment of not losing track of what the older generation has to pass on. The chorus goes like this:
Cause you can't keep livin' on granny's Angel
See it's about time you get one of your own
I'm telling you can't keep livin' on granny's Angel
'Cause whatcha gonna do when granny's gone
Read more: Nicole C. Mullen - Granny's Angel Lyrics | MetroLyrics
I believe this fits well into a discussion about Leadership because it is part of our responsibility to lead the next generation into their own personal, and meaningful, relationship with Jesus Christ, and that will start with how we live our lives as role models.
- In the first chair sits the individual who has been saved out of a life of sin. Their life has been changed due to the blood of Christ and they know that from which they have been delivered and are thankful. Their life is focused on devotion and lived by faith.
- In the second chair sits their children. They have been raised in the church and have been sheltered from the worst effects of sin. They have been provided Godly examples and given opportunities their parents never had to grow spiritually. But, because of this they also don't value their faith to the same degree and their devotion is tempered by religiosity.
- In the third chair sits their children. They, for the most part see their Grandparents as restrictive, and the model their parent's have set in things of the faith is tempered by conformity and complacency. There is a general antipathy toward devotion and a godly passion is largely unknown.
I don't believe this is a pattern which has to happen, although I've seen it happen. But I do know that it should make us all stop and evaluate the depth of our devotion and passion for the things of God. Nicole Mullen has a song: Granny's Angel which I think echoes the sentiment of not losing track of what the older generation has to pass on. The chorus goes like this:
Cause you can't keep livin' on granny's Angel
See it's about time you get one of your own
I'm telling you can't keep livin' on granny's Angel
'Cause whatcha gonna do when granny's gone
Read more: Nicole C. Mullen - Granny's Angel Lyrics | MetroLyrics
I believe this fits well into a discussion about Leadership because it is part of our responsibility to lead the next generation into their own personal, and meaningful, relationship with Jesus Christ, and that will start with how we live our lives as role models.
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