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A Great Perspective

Kindness Revolution by Ed Horrell also took a look at the hotel company The Ritz Carlton as a model of great customer service.  The Ritz Carlton has a great perspective how they view all of their employees.  On page of 63 of the book it states their customer service purpose statement "We are ladies and gentlemen serving ladies and gentlemen."  Horrell adds this commentary, "Their challenge is to remember constantly to lift themselves up to the level at which they have place their customers."

This served as an incredible reminder to me that I need to continually envision the literally hundreds of volunteers I rub shoulders with every week in our church that what they do whether it is ... greeting one of our guests with a handshake and a smile; or adjusting the lights on the stage: or singing a song from the stage; or helping someone find a seat; or one of the other countless acts of service they provide ... that what they do is of great value and there can be no higher calling than serving the King of Kings and those people that He brings into our contact -- those people that He sent His only Son to die for.

The Kindness Revolution

The KIndness Revolution by Ed Horrell is a book I finished reading last week on the subject matter of customer service.  At the core of the book's theme is the notion that not only is what we do that is important, but the "how." He uses experience and case studies of companies, that many of us use their services on a regular basis, to build his case for a better way of doing business which includes simply being kind in how we serve our customers.

One of the companies that he features is Federal Express (FedEx) here is excerpt from his book about them.

p. 97:   
"Since its inception in 1973. FedEx has had one goal: to provide 100 percent customer satisfaction. Two things have been consistent since that time.  The first is that the goal has never changed.  Not once.  The second is that the company has never attained its goal, not once."

Here are a few leadership learnings that I picked up in reading in this book about FedEx.

1. Focus is powerful and it continually brings clarity on what we as an organization are called to do.

2. The Goal needs to be one that continually challenges the status quo and will inspire those to continue to strive to give their very best.

3. Perseverance is key -- we need time to see the vision unfold over and time for small victories to take place that helps build toward the ultimate goal and gives us confidence as we move forward in the future.

I Live for This

I love reading books about sports, specifically autobiographies and biographies of great coaches and athletes.  The great ones (speaking specifically of coaches) have an uncanny ability to be able to harness a player's talent in a way that allows for individual expression and fulfillment while keeping that specific player's vision and goals on that of the entire team.  I have found that many of the leadership learnings they have implemented in working with star athletes has served me well in my own leading efforts working with some talented staff and volunteers in the church.

I just finished reading I Live for This! by Bill Plaschke and Tom Lasorda, now being a huge New York Yankees fan the Los Angeles Dodgers (the team Lasorda has been with throughout his career) have been National League nemesis in years past, but this book that chronicles Tommy's career from his humble beginnings in Pennsylvania to becoming one of  Major League Baseball's most well known and most loved personalities was to good to pass up.   Here quoting minor league manager Ralph Houk  Tom Lasorda says, "Ralph taught me that if you treat players like human beings, they will try to play like Superman."  What great insight!  I have been challenged to make sure that I am not treating people as "human doings" rather than human beings.   It has caused me to really pay attention to those I am serving and doing life with.  Realizing that the greatest motivator in seeing those you serve with give their best is knowing that those who oversee them have a genuine interest in them.  Now this is 101 leadership, yet hearing it again in Lasorda's baseball context gave me fresh insight on this principle. 

Just What I Needed

As I mentioned in my previous post of my struggles in self-leading during this season -- I believe I have experienced a breakthrough.  Thursday is my regular day off -- yet during this active season it can be extra hard to guard this time and make it non-work related.  However, with the exception of few phone calls and a few e-mails that needed to get out -- I took some time to do some extended reading.  And the book I chose to read could not have been better.  It was The Age of Speed by Vince Poscente (on my Fall reading list on the left column of this blog). 

The essence of the book deals with our current reality where speed is not an option in how we do business and life.  And though this train of thought is nothing new it takes to time address some of the negative stereotypes that are often connected with speed and serve as excuses in why we do not embrace it.  In addition Poscente does a great a job in addressing how we need to choose when to exercise speed in specific settings so that we can take time to savor the things that are most important to us.  Another great insight was how speed can mean different things depending on the setting and context.  The subject matter was exactly what I needed to get my mind moving -- in fact it was racing with thoughts and ideas.

The book was also written with speed in mind.  The book has 30 plus chapters ranging anywhere from 3 to 8 pages in length -- I finished the book in a few hours. 

Here is a quote that I hope will prod you to read it:

"Simplicity is needed to achieve and maintain speed.  So the act of pursuing speed in life and business results in an environment of simplicity.  This is counterintuitive, because we tend to think of slow as simple and fast as chaotic; but fast can be the surest way to simplicity." p186

 

Self Leading Struggles

Self leading during the month of December is hard!  With the month filled with various seasonal gatherings and with extra time needing to be put toward Christmas Eve services -- the seemingly non-urgent gets pushed out of my schedule -- maybe you can relate. 

The effects of my lagging in this discipline is having its effects.  Like the feeling you have when you have not physically exercised for a while, my mind and thinking have felt sluggish and lazy of late and if there is such thing as your brain feeling fat -- that is how I have felt in some respects.  One example of my sluggishness is that a book that would normally takes me a week to read has taken me almost a month to complete. 

Therefore over the past few days I have made a commitment to self-lead and given time to it no matter how late it may be.  All ready I am feeling better and benefiting from pressing through.

I have been reading Walking in Your Own Shoes by Robert A. Schuller and here is great thought from this book that has given me some intellectual stimulation and encouragement.

"Don't mistake motion for progress and growth in your life.  Be patient, be hungry, establish your priorities, and don't be afraid to cut your losses.  The most mature people you know have had to do all four -- and so will you." p. 149

When its Time to Quit

I like to consider myself a finisher -- by definition I mean someone who when he sets his mind to do something will complete it.  That is why one of the things that bugs me and is hard for me to let go is an unfinished book.  This is probably due to a prior history of having stacks of  half or even quarter read books which now collect dust on my bookshelf.  So now  I try to make it a point to finish books that I read.  In a previous post Read With All Diligence one of the points I made in being successful in your self leading efforts was to read just one book at a time. 

This has been a point of frustration over the past couple of months.  I began reading a certain book because I had hoped that it would provide further learning on a subject matter that I have been engaged in -- in fact it came at the recommendation of speakers I heard.  However the book has been a struggle from the beginning, though  I managed to get about three quarters through it. I have since put the book to rest and have read three other books. But like I mentioned an unfinished book just bugs me and whenever I would go to pick up a new title that book would be always rise to the forefront -- haunting me.   On this last attempt to finish it this past week -- I could not get through another chapter and called it quits.

Why? Was the book not interesting?  Was the content lacking? Not necessarily.

Here is my assessment and learnings through this process:

• My guidelines that I have set for myself reading is for my benefit and not for the sake keeping rules.  It is presumptuous for me to think that every book I start to read will engage me all the way through.
• The goal is learning not to finish a book.  Sometimes we do not need to complete a book to benefit from it.  What is most important is that I can apply the learnings I received.
• Who am I kidding if I read to finish just to finish that is simply legalism, not enjoyable and a waste of time -- I could be reading something that could be of great benefit and very enjoyable.

Why Read a Book About Mary?

One of the disciplines in trying to self-lead well is to browse the local bookstores -- you never know what might catch your attention.  Today I spent a few moment going through the shelves of our church's bookstore that has a limited selection at best, but yet something caught my attention the book The Real Mary by Scot McKnight.  I read this book last year in preparation for our Christmas series and also to shape my own heart and mind for the season.

p. 6 of the book presents a question that I hope will prod you to read this book this Christmas season.

"...Why write a book about Mary?"

"Because the real Mary always leads us to Jesus.  When we discover the real Mary, the one who lived in the first century Galilee with Joseph, who I believed nurtured other children, and who struggled at times herself, we also discover someone we can embrace because Mary embraced her son as we are called to do.  When you find the real Mary of Scripture, the Mary of the first century, you'll discover the she'll be talking about Jesus and pointing us all to Jesus."

If you have a recommendation for the season please let me know.

iPray

3. iPray

Here are three great prayers from N.T. Wright's book Simply Christian.

You can pray these simple prayers repeatedly throughout the day as a means to keep God at the center of your seeking.

p. 168
1. “Lord Jesus Christ, Son of the Living God, have mercy on me, a sinner.”

2. “Father Almighty, maker of heaven and earth, set up your kingdom in our midst”

3. “Holy Spirit, breath of the living God, renew me and all the world.”

Simple Church

Yes! Amen! were repeated thoughts through my reading of  Simple Church by Thom S. Ranier & Eric Geiger. This book has simple & clear message that in a world cluttered with information and complexity -- it needs churches with a simple process, not a multitude of programs, of discipleship making to grow people in their relationship with Jesus Christ.  I could not agree more!

Four key words are reiterated throughout this book that are essential in moving a church from complexity to simplicity:

CLARITY

MOVEMENT

ALIGNMENT

FOCUS

And here are few thoughts that have stirred in me and hopefully will prod you to read this book:

"Many of our churches have become cluttered.  So cluttered that people have a difficult time encountering the simple and powerful message of Christ.  So cluttered that many people are busy doing church instead of being the church." p.19

"Simple church leaders are designers.  They design opportunities for spiritual growth.  Complex church leaders are programmers.  They run ministry programs." p.26

"A simple church is a congregation designed around a straight-forward and strategic process that moves people through the stages of spiritual growth." p. 60

It All Goes Back in the Box

John Ortberg, is simply one of my favorite authors and speakers.  I have seen him speak live on many occasions and have read every book he has written.  So when his newest book came out It All Goes Back in the Box based upon one of my favorite messages of all time with the same title I could not wait to read it.  Characteristic of all J.O. books is the challenge to look inward and to really examine the state of one's soul.  Now here are few quotes from the book that have really spoken to me in regards to my character and inner life.

p. 118 On the behavior modification plan. I define integrity as "sin avoidance."  As long as I'm not engaged in forbidden behaviors, I think I'm on the right track.  So Jesus says, "If God's goal for you is sin avoidance, here's a good idea: whack off any part of your body that might do something wrong, and you'll roll right into heaven a mutilated stump."

p. 119 My problem is not just my lack of character, it is that I can't even see how badly I lack it.  Humans have an almost limitless capacity for self-deception.

Jim & Casper Go to Church

A late edition to my fall reading list is Jim & Casper Go to Church which chronicles the observations of Jim, a long time pastor, & Matt Casper, a self-declared atheist, visits to various churches across the United States. 

The greatest take away I had from this book is the importance of keeping the guest in mind when preparing our weekend worship services.  Guests, referring to those who may new to the whole God/church thing, guests who may be at varied stages of openness to God and whether or not He exists and is relevant to their lives.

Here are few probing questions from the book that has really got me thinking more acutely as I help prepare for a weekend service experience:

"What prior knowledge and belief does the church assume the attender possess?

"Is the church engaging people or performing for them?

"How accessible is the heart and mind of the ministry?

Beyond Basketball

Mike Krzyzewski, "Coach K" is simply one of my leadership heroes and anything he writes I read such is the case of his latest book Beyond Basketball .  It is amazing to see how many of Coach K's leadership principles lived out on the basketball court have translated to application points in my leadership efforts in my primary sphere of influence, the local church.  Here are few quotes from this book that I have got me thinking ...

p. 43 "Crisis' are not handled in the instant they occur but are prepared for in all of the moments that you are and your team spend leading up to that one."

p. 44 "Crisis causes people to think and act as individuals rather as part of the team."

p. 62 "The persistent pursuit of excellence determines winners, not the score of the game."

Holy Discontent

Here are a few challenging quotes from Holy Discontent by Bill Hybels -- I hope this will give you something to think about and prod you to read it.  This is one of the books on my fall reading list -- see right column.

p. 25 "Still today, what wrecks the heart of someone who loves God is often the very thing God wants to use to fire them up to do something that, under normal circumstances, they would never attempt to do."

p. 53 "The reason why it is so critical for you to dig in and figure out what it is that wrecks you is because you may be the one person God is looking for in order to reverse some ugly and destructive trends in your generation."

Here's What I Will Read Past Summer

Tomorrow being Labor Day, in many ways, marks the seasonal transition to the Fall.  Fall is often accompanied by a return to routine and habits that we may have disengaged with during the summer months.

One of the habits for me that actually carries over from the Summer is coming up with a reading list for the upcoming season.  This serves two key purposes: 1. It keeps me intentional in my self-leading efforts and 2. It allows those whom I influence to have an understanding of some variables that are shaping my thinking.

So Here's What I Will Read Past Summer -- the list is presented on the left column.

Emotionally Healthy Church

"Emotional health and spiritual maturity are inseparable.  It is not possible to be spiritually mature, while remaining emotionally immature," this statement is at the core of Peter Scazzero's book Emotionally Healthy Spirituality.  I was prodded to read this book because of how impacted I was  by the workshop I recently took at the Willow Arts Conference by Scazzero speaking on the subject matter of emotionally healthy spirituality.  This book could also be seen as a follow-up to his previous book  Emotionally Healthy Church. 

I have been so stirred by the content of Scazzero's workshop and book I have since purchased 10 copies of the book and given it to a group of the leaders I serve with.  I will comment in future posts on how I have been personally challenged.  For now I will share a few key insights from this book that I hope will prod you to pick up a copy and read it.

"Doing for God in a way that is proportionate to our being with God i s the only pathway to a pure heart and seeing God."

"The goal of the Christian life is to love well."

"An emotional allergy is an intuitive reaction to something in the present that reminds us, consciously or unconsciously, of an event from our history."

I Know What You "Read" Last Summer

Reading is an act of self-discipline for me -- it does not come naturally.
And yet I have discovered the invaluable benefits and pleasures making reading a part of my regular self-leading practices.

I share this now because it seems that summer has a way of invigorating my reading efforts. Now I don't know if it is because one of the stereotypical pictures of summer is someone laying at the pool side or tanning at the beach reading a book; or the season itself opens up a little more leisure time in our schedules and rekindles the interest to pick up books we began to read and later neglected earlier in the year; or perhaps we travel for our vacation and the plane ride gives us the the space to start reading again.

Regardless, what I do notice in conversations and in reading blogs posts that it seems like most of us come up with some type of reading list for the summer. And as this season comes to a close I thought I would share what I read this past summer (Summer Reading List found on right column) in hope that it would prod you to drop me a line with two or three titles that you read in these past few months that greatly stimulated your thinking or challenged you -- so I can know what you read this past summer.