LEADERSHIP QUOTE:

"If you are working on something exciting that you really care about, you don't have to be pushed. The vision pulls you." Steve Jobs

A LITTLE BIT DEEPER:

Years ago, while attending a coaching training session, the idea of vision was shared this way.

Imagine you're standing on top of a mountain, and you see the peak of another mountain off in the distance, and you decide that this is where you want to go, but there's a valley between these peaks, and you need to get from here to there. This is called VISION.

Vision can be described as:

• The DESIRE to get from where you are to where you want to be.

• The PLAN to get from where you are to where you want to be.

• The EXECUTION to move from where you are today to where you want to be tomorrow.

It's not enough to just see that other mountain top, but there needs to be a plan to get there.

I like this thought from Steve Jobs when he says, "...The vision pulls you."

When you can articulate where you're going, you are pulled in that direction. Every decision you make either moves you closer or moves you further away.

What mountain peak are you looking at or looking for? Can you see where you're going or where you want to be? Does that vision "compel" you forward or do you feel like you're stuck?

LEADERSHIP QUOTE:

"Take a break and give your soul what it needs." Audrey Kitching

A LITTLE BIT DEEPER:

The quote above is my response to a pretty hard run over the past number of months.

Last week, Gina and I spent 5 glorious days unplugged, sitting on a beach, and just getting a break.

This was in response to a pretty full season that included a couple of our kids weddings, some health challenges post-Covid, some work transition, a large global leadership Summit and lot's of other things that felt like they were piled on top of everything else.

I remember back in October of 2021 saying to myself that when we arrived at April 10th of 2022, we would have gotten through a pretty crazy season.

We made it, and we took a break and recharged our souls.

It's amazing how good it feels to simply STOP.

When was the last time you just STOPPED? Sat still, read a book for fun, slept in.... just STOPPED? If you're having a difficult time remembering, you need to get some STOP TIME on your calendar!

LEADERSHIP QUOTE:

"Stop setting yourself on fire to keep someone else warm." Penny Reid

A LITTLE BIT DEEPER:

I'd like to ask you to think about this quote and then to tell me what it's saying to you in the comments.

I've shared a couple of quotes about pouring into other people, then I saw this one and it forced me to stop and think.

I think there are 2 options...

ONE: You are so giving and sacrificial that you constantly put others before yourself and think of others needs. This is noble, this is valuable, this is important, this is what Jesus would do.... Put others first.

or

TWO: You are a mess because you think about other people and you don't take care of yourself... in fact, your life is "on fire" and out of control and you've got to STOP. This is important, this is valuable, this is noble, this is what Jesus would do... Take care of yourself so you can then care for others.

Which one is it?

Are there other interpretations?

Share your thoughts by clicking HERE and commenting on the blog post.

LEADERSHIP QUOTE:

"My fruit grows on other people's trees" Bob Buford

A LITTLE BIT DEEPER:

I recently published this quote from Adam Grant:

"The most meaningful way to succeed is to help others succeed."

My friend Connie then sent the quote from Bob Buford in response to that, and I love the word picture of this.

Outside my office, I have a Kumquat tree. You might not even know what a Kumquat is, but it's a small bite-sized citrus fruit with a real tart/tangy taste. When these are ripe on this tree, I'll eat one each time I walk past the tree.

When Connie shared the quote, I just looked at this tree. I looked at the amount of fruit hanging from the branches. Some of the Kumquats were ripe, others were still green and getting ready.

LEADERSHIP QUOTE:

"The most meaningful way to succeed is to help others succeed." Adam Grant

A LITTLE BIT DEEPER:

I read this quote from Adam Grant and it pushed some crazy memories into my head...

• I thought about how rewarding it was to watch my kids play sports or perform, and how fun it was to celebrate their success.

• I remembered the times when younger leaders had the opportunity to speak or train, and instead of looking at their presentation critically, I got to just enjoy their growth and the power of their impact.

• I thought back to my first full-time job where I thought that the only way I would have success is if I did everything by myself. I didn't value my team, I burned myself out, and I was very ineffective.

There is so much truth in this quote, yet as leaders, we struggle to find that balance of showing and leading with our strengths vs. investing into others and helping them lead.

What I know now is that the success that comes from helping others succeed is so much sweeter! I can't explain it, but it's different. When I do something really well, for a moment, I shine. When I help someone else do something really well, it's not just me that shines, but we ALL SHINE.

Think about the last time you truly helped someone else experience success... What did you do? How did it feel?

LEADERSHIP QUOTE:

"We have all known the long loneliness, and we have found that the answer is community." Dorothy Day

A LITTLE BIT DEEPER:

I was reminded this week of the power of COMMUNITY in a number of tangible ways...

• Some of our friends gathered together to celebrate our daughters wedding and the depth of COMMUNITY was vibrant.

• Community Members gathered together to pray for some of our friends in need... there was power in those prayers.

• I watched my kids community come together around their wedding and was inspired by the depth of love, friendship and support.

Community is all around us, but sometimes we choose to remain isolated and disconnected from others, and today I simply want to tell you that you're missing out on so much.

We need COMMUNITY....

• It FILLS us and REPLENISHES our soul

• It brings JOY and LAUGHTER to our lives

• It challenges us and reminds us that we're NOT ALONE

• Community CHALLENGES us and reminds us that we're ALL on a journey

We need other people in our lives, and over the past few years, many of us have gotten too comfortable with being alone, or too content to connect with people virtually and not in person.

It's time to get back to your community.

Define what your community is and what you value from it, what you contribute to it, and what you're doing to strengthen and enrich these relationships.

LEADERSHIP QUOTE:

"Wherever you are - be all there." Jim Elliot

A LITTLE BIT DEEPER:

Pretty profound thoughts from Jim Elliot, but this past week when I saw this quote, I just stopped to think about it. It's pretty simple to me, he's telling me: Don't Live Distracted!

Yet, we ALL live distracted.

Have you noticed people sitting in a restaurant? Most of them are on their phones, completely oblivious to what's going on around them.

Have you been annoyed by someone at the movie theater that keeps turning their phone off and on to check messages?

In church recently I noticed how many people are using their phones Bible app instead of carrying a Bible.

We are tethered to distraction most of the day, and if you're like me, it's hard to manage the temptation to stay "present" all the time.

Jim Elliots reminder comes to me at a time that I'm busy and at a time that I'm trying to multitask to get the most out of my time.

Most of us don't multitask well. What ends up happening is we don't do our best, people feel used and we hurt the relationships around us that mean the most to us. What does "BE ALL THERE" look like to you?

LEADERSHIP QUOTE:

"Don't let yesterday take up too much of today." Will Rogers

A LITTLE BIT DEEPER:

Those powerful lyrics by the Beatles...

"Yesterday all my troubles seemed so far away

Now it looks as though they're here to stay

Oh I believe in yesterday..."

Dr. Patrick Wanis makes the connection between this song from the Beatles and the Will Rogers quote above. He states that many of us would rather go back to yesterday because in our minds it was so much better than today.

Do you spend "too much" time living in the past? Are you missing out on today because you're eyes are focused back instead of forward?

Our story is important. When we look back there is so much we can learn, so much to be reminded of and so much to celebrate, however we can't live there. Our past is a reference point, not a destination. Sometimes we spend all of our energy trying to get back to where we were before.

Identify some key moments in your story. I call them "turning points", moments in your life where you were moving one direction, then something happened and you changed direction. Write these down and identify the things you learned from them... both good and bad. This is a great exercise in remembering.