It's All About Choices

Took time away from work today to attend the Chick-fil-A Leadercast, hosted by Prasco in Mason, Ohio. They had an overflow crowd at the beautiful Prasco facility, part of 125,000 nationwide who viewed the sessions via uplink satellite as well as several thousand who attended live in Atlanta.

There were many inspiring and helpful sessions. The theme of the day was choices. "All choices lead you somewhere. Where they lead is up to you." The first session, led by Andy Stanley, was probably the best one.

He said a leader is the one not intimidated by the uncertainty he's facing. An effective leader, he said, acknowledges, "I may be in charge, but I don't have all the answers."

In the face of uncertainty, effective leaders ask themselves three questions, he said:

1. "What would my replacement do?"

This brings remarkable objectivity to the decision-making process. And "losing objectivity can sink you."

2. "What would a GREAT leader do?" This question takes you out of the smallness of your personality and your environment. It leads you to consider the right course of action driven by the mission and vision of the organization and away from your concerns about self, income, or the reactions of the board.

Bill Baumgardner and I posed during
one of the breaks.

3. "What story do I want to tell?" "Every time you make a decision," Stanley said, "ask yourself, 'When I'm sittin' around talkin' about this later, what do I want to tell?' Don't choose anything that will make you a liar in the future. Make decisions that create a story you're proud to tell. Money comes; money goes. Your story is with you forever."

The program featured Tim Tebow, Soledad O'Brien, John Maxwell, Marcus Buckingham, Patrick Lencioni, plus others. A couple of the speeches were summaries of new books, but the content was good, and I'm guessing I ought to read the books!

I'm glad I attended.

Got to see Ed and Angie Carl, Dale Reeves, Lindsay Black, Scott Gibson, Larry Travis, and Bill Baumgardner, among others. It was a good day. I made a good choice by deciding to be there instead of behind my desk at work.

He's Bigger than my Stuff

There are wonderfully productive days, and there are days that were a total waste. Today was somewhere in-between. I accomplished some stuff, and with each thing I accomplished, I remembered or uncovered more to accomplish. And sometimes I felt like it was more than I can get accomplished.

This is why it's good to quit work at the end of the day and come home. Among the distractions (a wonderful dinner that Evelyn fixed, a good talk with a friend who's providing excellent leadership at our church) was our walk to the park. It had rained all morning, and we had to dodge a few puddles, but the air was warm and the breeze wasn't cold. It seemed to be blowing the clouds away for a clear day tomorrow. And that sky reminds me that God is bigger than all my problems and to-do's.

 There were reminders at work too. This guy (or gal?) greeted me in my quick walk around the building at lunchtime. And (call me a sucker for pretty flowers) the daffodils continue to pop open around our office complex.