LEADERSHIP QUOTE:

“Ideas in secret die. They need light and air or they starve to death." Seth Godin

A LITTLE BIT DEEPER:

This is the last Seth Godin quote we'll explore as we come to the end of the month. We've had some great thoughts over the past 4 weeks. You can see them all HERE.

This quote is a great reminder to us to ACT on some of the ideas we might have, instead of leaving them locked away.

This is so true...

I'll wake up in the morning and have a couple a great ideas bouncing around in my head. If I don't write them down, they usually just disappear.

When I write them down, I am then reminded of them when I scroll through my notepad, and once in a while that idea will just jump off the page to me, and I'm then forced to do something with it. My options are:

• I share the idea with someone who could benefit from it or be a part of it. I'm looking for feedback.

• I test it a little bit by working on some of the details and stages of development needed. Sometimes this process brings me back to reality and I delete the idea, but sometimes it warrants more thought.

• I give the idea to someone else who I think might benefit from it, or someone who could put their own spin on it.

• I leave it alone. It's not time to take this thing for a ride. It's OK to just leave it sit for a while, but this is an intentional decision.

• Sometimes, I might even just delete the idea completely and move on with something else.

My point in sharing a little of my process is that it's really what Godin is saying.... You have to do something with the idea, you need to be intentional about some action step.

How do you process ideas? How do you determine if an idea should take a step forward, intentionally?

LEADERSHIP QUOTE:

“You don't need more time in your day. You need to decide." Seth Godin

A LITTLE BIT DEEPER:

We're continuing with Seth Godin quotes for a two more weeks.

Last week I shared a quote, then I found out there's a second part to it. I shared:

"If failure isn't an option, then success isn't either."

The second part of that says:

"Success is just failure repeated until it works."

That puts some things in perspective! I wanted to share that nugget I found this past week.

This quote today was just a blatant reminder in my face. TODAY, I'm running from meeting to meeting, call to call, my list of things to do is long, and I feel like I'm not getting done the things I need to get done. Then I find this reminder from Godin.

SMACK!

I can't blame anyone for my schedule, for my feeling pressured or for my state of exhaustion.

I make the choice every day, and obviously I've chosen wrong. Not just once, but over and over again.

That challenge: "You need to decide" is all about priorities, is all about purpose and I need to be reminded of what I'm here to do and get rid of all of the noise around me that pulls me and distracts me from my mission.

It's my choice... everyday.

What choice do you need to make today?

LEADERSHIP QUOTE:

“If failure is not an option, then neither is success." Seth Godin

A LITTLE BIT DEEPER:

We're continuing with Seth Godin quotes for a couple more weeks and these words from him pack a punch.

Why are we so afraid of failure? Why does it often paralyze our actions, our momentum and our dreams?

Everyone fails.

This is what Walt Disney said about failure:

"I think it's important to have a good hard failure when you're young... because it makes you kind of aware of what can happen to you. Because of it I've never had any fear in my whole life when we've been near collapse and all of that. I've never been afraid."

Many icons in our culture have failed, from Steven Spielberg to J.K. Rowling to Jerry Seinfeld to Abraham Lincoln, and the list continues.

I've failed, and sometimes I just laugh at my past failures and sometimes they still sting a bit.

Godins reminder here is simply that if we're going to succeed, we have to risk failing.

What are you afraid of? What paralyzes you and keeps you from taking a risk on an idea, a dream, a vision?

LEADERSHIP QUOTE:

“If you can't state your position in eight words, you don't have a position." Seth Godin

A LITTLE BIT DEEPER:

I'm exploring Seth Godin quotes this month, and there are some great ones, in fact I'm challenged to just pick a few, but this one has challenged me in the past, and again today as I think about it.

Godin sometimes pushes an extreme view, but in this case, I'm encouraged by it.

The challenge is to simplify our messaging so that people can remember it.

Many times I rely on the the power and plethora of words to make a point or to sustain an argument. Instead, I need to simply state my point and then be quiet.

That's the issue isn't it? Being quiet. When I talk, I'm working out my position, I'm trying to defend my position, I'm reminding myself and others about my position. I have learned to talk so much that I forget to listen.

Have you ever tried to articulate your position, a vision, a mission in just 8 words? Try it.

LEADERSHIP QUOTE:

“Instead of wondering when your next vacation is, maybe you should set up a life you don't need to escape from." Seth Godin

A LITTLE BIT DEEPER:

I heard Seth Godin speak at a conference years ago, and I was drawn to the way he communicates really complex ideas in a simple and practical way. I've followed his blog and his books for years, and this month I want to share a couple of his quotes that will just make you think a little bit!

Godin says what others sometimes aren't willing to say. He cuts to the simple truth and pushes people to examine themselves.

This quote above is a perfect illustration of his style.

He drops these words, then he lets us wrestle with them and determine what they might mean to each of us personally.

There's nothing wrong with vacation, that's not the point.

The question he's causing me to ask myself is if I'm content with the life I am living currently. Do I need to constantly find ways to escape from that and if so, why?

I just returned a few weeks ago from a week away. It was a week of rest, reading, enjoying time with Gina and friends, and true replenishment. I wasn't running from my life, I was running towards rest.

What questions are stirred up in you when you read Godin's quote?

LEADERSHIP QUOTE:

“Without courage we will simply accumulate a collection of good ideas and regrets." Andy Stanley

A LITTLE BIT DEEPER:

This is the last quote from Andy Stanley we'll share as we finish the month of July. I shared this earlier in the month, but Andy continues to challenge me in my leadership, in my faith and in my pursuit of God's call on my life. His books continue to bring value to my life and leadership, and he's one of the authors I continually return to for inspiration and truth.

When I think about the quote above, I can picture Stanley saying this because he has a way of saying it like it is.

He's reminding us of the power of courage in our lives, and speaking to those of us who at times get stuck.

Courage can be defined in many ways. Look at these definitions:

• "The ability to do something that frightens one"

• "Strength in the face of pain or grief"

• "To give support, confidence, or hope to someone"

• "Mental or moral strength to venture, persevere, and withstand danger, fear or difficulty"

Which one makes the most sense to you? What does courage look like in your life?

What is it that keeps you from responding with COURAGE?

LEADERSHIP QUOTE:

“Giving up something now for something better later is not a sacrifice. It is an investment." Andy Stanley

A LITTLE BIT DEEPER:

We're continuing to look at some quotes from Andy Stanley this month.

Every once in a while, after hearing a message from multiple people for years, you hear it again, and you actually listen to it and think about it.

That's this quote for me.

I've always heard people talk about learning to say NO.

Jim Burns, a lifelong mentor in my life, taught me that message early on.

Steve Jobs, Ted Engstrom, John Maxwell, Ghandi, Warren Buffett, Stephen Covey, and many other leaders I've followed over the years have all spoken about the importance of saying NO to the wrong things, and YES to the right things.

Stanley's words around this common theme add another layer to our "NO's" by defining it as an "investment" rather than a "sacrifice".

I really like this idea.

Saying NO to things that I want to do is a discipline. I only have a given amount of time, and everyday I have to make really difficult choices.

When I fix my eyes on the long-term, on the results of the decisions I'm making today, it gives me courage and clarity to make the decisions I really need to make.

Think of ONE THING you said NO too that was an "investment in the future" decision? How do you feel about that decision?

LEADERSHIP QUOTE:

“Leaders who refuse to listen will eventually be surrounded by people who have nothing helpful to say." Andy Stanley

A LITTLE BIT DEEPER:

We're looking at some quotes from Andy Stanley this month. There is a lot of content because I've followed Stanley as a Pastor as well as a Leadership Expert. Some of his podcasts and interviews with leaders over the years have really helped me in my growth and development as a leader.

This quote is profound in that it's a harsh reminder to all of us to value the thoughts and ideas of those around us.

There's a balancing act that takes place when you're in the leadership seat. We're taught to be ready to make the tough decisions, we're challenged to trust our instincts and we're applauded when we take a risk that pays off.

A leader has to be willing to manage the "weight" of those decisions, whether they lead to success or failure.

What we don't talk about as much is how important it is for leaders to hear from those around them. We need feedback, input, honest evaluation, perspective, concerns, a look at blind spots and all kinds of information that help us make the best decision possible.

I've learned that a team makes me a better leader, and to Stanley's point, if I don't listen to them, they'll go someplace where they can be heard.

I've seen really good people leave an organization because they weren't being heard, or valued, or given an opportunity to contribute.

What have you done in your leadership to ensure that those around you are being heard?