Have you hit a plateau?
Many years ago, I read with great fascination the John Krakauer book Into Thin Air. Written in 1999, it detailed the disastrous story of a group hoping to summit Mount Everest. There is a lot you can draw from the book and the experience it chronicles, but one thing caught my attention right at the first. The teams wanting to reach the top of the world’s tallest mountain did not simply ascend to the peak. They would climb to a location, a plateau, and stop. They were acclimating to the elevation and regaining their strength from the previous climb. Sometimes these climbers would be there for days or weeks. And then they would press on to the next elevation and the next plateau. That time spent on the valley or plateau was not wasted time. It was critical if they were going to achieve their goal and survive.
Leadership expert Fred Smith once talked about the value of the plateau:
Sound development requires a program providing plateaus where our information is turned into knowledge through experience, then heading to another climb.
Smith says the wise person uses those valleys to assimilate all they have gained at that point to prepare themselves for the next climb. He said, “Those who try to go up too fast run out of steam or poorly assimilate their experiences.”
In Experiencing God Day by Day, Henry Blackaby talks about the seasons of life. He draws from the well-known verse Ecclesiastes 3:1, “To everything there is a season, A time for every purpose under heaven.” Blackaby reminds us of this important principle, and how critical it is in our personal and spiritual growth.
Just as God planned seasons in nature, He planned seasons in life as well.
In God’s perfect design for our lives, He has planned for times of fruitfulness and activity. He will also build in times of quiet and rest.
And Fred Smith summed it up this way:
Each of us must respect the principle that the food we grow in the valley (on the plateau) we eat on the mountain top (the climb).
If you find yourself in a valley or on a plateau, don’t despair. Use the time to acclimate to this new level in life and ministry. Use it to assimilate all you have learned to this point. And take time to invest in the things that will provide “food” for the next climb to the next plateau for the Lord’s purpose and glory.
God’s best...
A unique book cover...an intriguing thought
The book has been on my office shelf for a couple of decades. I remember hearing from the author at a regional gathering of Christians in media. Roy Williams has been a fixture in the marketing world for decades. The book that caught my attention the other day was Secret Formulas of the Wizard of Ads.
As I grabbed the book off my bookcase, I noticed a card I had placed there some years back...and it led me to an intriguing thought. Let me paraphrase it for us in Christian media.
“Think about the people who don’t listen to (or watch) your station. Do they not listen because they don’t know about you...or because they do know about you?”
The first part of the problem may be due to poor marketing. The second part of the problem may be because of poor imaging or branding. Or poor execution. Or poor content. There is a big difference between the two problems.
And we can easily get into the “which came first, the chicken or the egg” issue. Can you effectively market a product that will not keep the listener or viewer coming back? And can you invest in producing quality programming if you don’t have an audience?
Here’s my suggestion: Pray. Then set high standards for all your programing. If your station or ministry carries programs from outside sources, ask yourself...do these programs come up to our station’s standards? If not, tell them. When I managed a Christian radio station, there were times we had to contact the program producers of a ministry we carried to tell them that while their content was fine, their broadcast didn’t come up to our technical standards. What I usually heard was, “No one else has said anything about the quality.” We set a high standard, and our listeners came to expect that.
Of course, the saying holds true: Content is king. But quality is part of the content, too. In fact, most folks make their decision to listen or watch a program in the first few seconds. The depth of your content is not the initial determining factor. It is the quality of the program...and the sense the listener or viewer has that there is something there for them.
I grew up on the era of records and record players. And inevitably, the vinyl record would get scratched. That click was there from then on. If we really liked the song or album, we listened anyway. That is rarely true today. Those distractions can cause a person to miss something powerful and meaningful. If your audience is tuning out, then your ministry is suffering.
Roy Williams, in the short piece I read, talked about “The World Outside Your Door.” In other words, how others perceive you and your ministry. That’s why branding is so important. That’s why consistency is so important. And that is why simplicity is often the best path to follow when presenting your ministry. That doesn’t mean things are reduced to simplistic thoughts or presentations. John Maxwell explains the value of simplicity:
“It may seem counterintuitive, but if you want to take your communication to the next level, don’t try to dazzle people with your intellect or overpower them with information. Give them clarity and simplicity.”
I often think of Jesus’ parables. They were short. They were simple in their presentation. They had one main point. They were about something His audience could relate to. His topics revolved around the everyday things of life. Lighting your home. Drawing water. Building your house. Planting and harvesting. The people heard something and quickly could realize, “There is something here for me.”
So... what can you do today to make sure people know what your ministry is about, that will cause them to want to listen or watch...and stay tuned in? The impact of your ministry may depend on what you do today.
God’s best...
What leadership is...and what it’s not
Sometimes it’s good to circle back and look at the basics of what we do...what the Lord has called us to do. Leadership. Some may say, “I’m not a leader. I don’t manage a company, ministry, or group of people.” Think again. We all have a leadership role to play, even if it’s just for one person. Certainly, your leadership in your family is critical.
I recently read a blog post, and this caught my attention:
Leadership is not the ability to tell people what to do.
Yes, there are roles you may have, a position that calls you to give direction and instruction...maybe even orders. That’s often called legitimate power or organizational power.
But there is a better indicator of leadership, and a better comprehension of our role as leaders under the Lord’s leadership.
Look at this list of leadership attributes I’ve gleaned:
- Integrity in all things
- Vision
- Influence
- Proper use of power
- Praise for others on your team
- Listen...then speak
- Have empathy for your team members
One blogger said that developing these attributes, and others like them, won’t just make you a good leader, they will make you a better human.
Ken Blanchard and Phil Hodges in their book Lead Like Jesus have a good description of a leader and leadership in general:
“Leadership is a process of influence. Anytime you seek to influence the thinking behavior, or development of people toward accomplishing a goal in their personal or professional lives, you are taking on the role of a leader.”
Influence is the key. And the best influence is what others gain from you willingly as they look at your life and see godly attributes. You don’t force influence on others. That never works.
Apart from organizational leadership, the largest group of leaders are in a category called life-role leadership. This happens when we are in enduring relationships with family, friends, and others. According to Blanchard and Hodges, this is when we focus on growing and developing people and supporting mutual commitments.
If we are in a leadership role, and if we are a follower of Jesus Christ, there is another element of leadership. Henry and Richard Blackaby wrote about it in their book Spiritual Leadership. In the book they give the very simple and straightforward definition of this type of leadership:
“Moving people on to God’s agenda.”
That presupposes that we know God’s agenda. That’s a thought for another day.
Jesus tells us that He is the vine, and we are the branches. Apart from the vine, we can do nothing. But then He promises this:
...if you remain in me and my words remain in you, you may ask for anything you want, and it will be granted!
John 15:7 NLT
What kind of leader are you today? What kind of leader do you want to be tomorrow? Abide in Jesus...the vine. Godly leadership is worth all the effort. Jesus called it “much fruit.”
God’s best...
It’s Confession Time...
They say confession is good for the soul. OK. Then I need to let you know. I am a recovering perfectionist! There. I said it. Ingrained in my mind is the fact that there is a right way to do everything, and that ought to be our goal. This may have come from my dad telling me, “Son, there is a right way and a wrong way to do things. Why are you doing it the wrong way?” People who have worked with me are probably chuckling to themselves. They have had to put up with me asking (Telling? No, asking...) them to do something again. It needed to be right.
Actually, I prefer the term “practical perfectionist.” You see, as I look at what I do, and at life, work, and ministry in general, I realize that perfection is not achievable. At least not every time. I know I miss the mark over and over again. And I am grateful for a God of grace as He sees my imperfection and still allows me to be His servant.
A practical perfectionist realizes that perfection is not the ultimate goal. A practical perfectionist resonates with the wisdom of the legendary National Football League coach Vince Lombardi:
“Perfection is not attainable,
but if we chase perfection,
we can catch excellence”
When we begin to accept less than the best, it’s like taking our foot off the accelerator. We begin to coast, and we lose momentum toward excellence. And Aristotle clarified what excellence is:
“Excellence is never an accident. It is always the result of high intention, sincere effort, and intelligent execution; it represents the wise choice of many alternatives—choice, not chance, determines your destiny.”
Yes, the practical perfectionist has to learn to live with things that are not completely perfect. But that doesn’t mean that person must lower his or her standards. Lowering standards just starts the spiral downward, and soon things that are critical and important suffer.
How do you start the spiral up? How do you reverse a trend of mediocre work and achieve excellence? Colin Powell, former U.S. Secretary of State, gives us a clue. “If you are going to achieve excellence in big things, you develop the habit in little matters.”
The most prolific writer of the New Testament, the Apostle Paul, talked of excellence when he commended the Corinthians. He wanted to expand their path to excellence.
But as you excel in everything—in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in all earnestness, and in our love for you, see that you excel in this act of grace also.
2 Corinthians 8:7 ESV
As I see it, the pursuit of perfection is only a pathway. It leads to excellence. While we may stumble on that path...not be perfect...we can still seek perfection in order to achieve consistent excellence.
All of this is under the umbrella of why we do anything. We do it as unto the Lord...who is both perfect and excellent.
God’s best...
Who has influenced you?
A while back I wrote about the things that are influencing us in our culture today. It seems that many care more about what movie stars and politicians say than what the Lord would be telling us. That was reflected in a recent devotional by the people at Lead Like Jesus.
“Jesus’ life reflected the Father’s influence, an influence strengthened and sustained through solitude, Scripture, and prayer. He resisted the influence of those who did not understand His call from God.”
Today, I have just a brief thought...and a suggestion.
Do you recall who most influenced you to follow Christ? It may have been a parent or a close friend. It could have been a pastor or Bible teacher. You may have even been directed to Jesus by someone on the radio or television. Do you remember?
Here is my suggestion. If at all possible, connect with that person to let them know how they influenced your life. You may even be able to share with them how the Lord is using you to be a spiritual influence in the life of another person, or many people, through your work. Call. Write a handwritten note. Or go visit. Any contact from you would be a great encouragement to them.
If it isn’t possible...that person may be enjoying the reward of heaven...then give thanks to the Lord for what that individual meant in your life. God will honor that reflection and prayer from your heart.
The Apostle Paul was good about that sort of thing. He not only remembered those whom he was able to influence, he also recalled those who encouraged him as he served the Lord.
Every time I think of you, I give thanks to my God. Whenever I pray, I make my requests for all of you with joy, for you have been my partners in spreading the Good News about Christ from the time you first heard it until now.
Philippians 1:3-5 NLT
What would you say to that special person who made an eternal impact on your life? Why not tell them now?
God’s best...
Life-changing practices?
Sometimes it is the seemingly small things in life that make a big difference. One of those may be the decision to put a small amount of your income into a savings account. When you start, it doesn’t look too monumental. But if you start early and keep to your plan, the result can be surprising. Albert Einstein is quoted as saying, for instance, that the greatest mathematical discovery of all time is...compound interest! Powerful. And Einstein knew the key was consistency.
What if you were to learn that, in a similar fashion, you could make some small investments in your leadership practices that will provide exponential return? Interested?
Leadership expert Steve Gutzler listed nine things that, if implemented consistently in the life of a leader, will make a lasting difference in both you and the organization you lead. Let’s look at them:
- Creating a morning routine that includes solitude, prayer, or meditation
- Setting three professional goals per day (That may be challenging.)
- Carving out time for 10 minutes of reading daily
- Showing up early and prepared
- Asking smart questions
- Keeping your workspace clutter-free (I’ve got work to do!)
- Forming one health habit monthly
- Staying focused on priorities
- Working hard and staying accountable
Let me highlight just three of these and add a bit. First, creating a morning routine is essential. And to the time of solitude, prayer, or meditation, I would add Bible reading.
I love number four...showing up early and prepared. In my many years in hosting the morning drivetime program on our Christian radio station, I tried to follow that idea. It meant I woke up at 3:15 a.m. most mornings. I read the local newspapers to see what was happening in our world and coupled that with some Bible reading for balance. Then it was off to the station to look through material that had already been prepared for that morning show. Just before we went on the air at 6:00 a.m., our team took time to pray. It was a routine...a habit...and it served us well.
The last principle Gutzler mentions is critical. Work hard and stay accountable. You may have a board over your organization to whom you stay accountable. That’s great. The ministries and companies who skip the accountability part eventually find themselves in trouble.
Of course, as Christ-followers and servants, we must be accountable to our Savior. Our daily prayer should include the confession of sin, seeking forgiveness. That may be confessing a bad attitude or ungodly spirit or response to a co-worker. It may go to the more serious areas of lust or infidelity. Whatever it is, we need to be accountable to the Lord.
The Apostle Paul reminded the Colossians of just that principle:
Work willingly at whatever you do, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people. Remember that the Lord will give you an inheritance as your reward, and that the Master you are serving is Christ.
Colossians 3:23-24 NLT
If some of those principles from Steve Gutzler are not in your daily routine, try adding one or two each week. See what a difference it will make in your leadership...and in you.
God’s best...
Doing good...
It’s a small comment in the book of Acts. It’s easy to skip over it or not give it much thought. Yet God has often brought it to my attention. In Acts 10, Peter has been shown the importance of sharing the hope of Christ with Gentiles...way out of his comfort zone... and specifically to Cornelius. And as Peter talked with this Gentile Roman soldier, he said this:
And you know that God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power. Then Jesus went around doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with him.
Acts 10:38 NLT
Buried in that declaration of who Jesus is came the little phrase saying Jesus went about “doing good.” Yes, He healed. Yes, He cast out demons. And Yes, He raised some from the dead. But it seems Peter is saying that as Jesus went, taught, and healed, He just did good things that were before Him.
Mentor and leadership guru Fred Smith also noted this interesting phrase. He told a group he was mentoring that Christ didn’t go about doing good just when He felt like it. It was the pattern of His life. And Smith made another interesting point:
“Christ did not go about looking for the “highest good.” He just did the good that was at hand. It is easy to become immobilized looking for the highest good because we tend to ignore the small bits all around us. What is small! We cannot measure the quality or quantity of good.”
The Bible talks of a word fitly spoken (Proverbs 25:11). Solomon says those timely words are like apples of gold in a silver bowl. Priceless to the one receiving them. Doing good may be speaking that word of encouragement to someone on your staff. It could be as simple as a smile and a greeting to someone who cleans your facilities. And it could be lending a helping hand when you see the need.
Judy and I try to always greet the security people and the cleaning crew at our church. It’s a simple thing, but through that we are acknowledging they are valuable people...people who Jesus loves and died for.
Let me challenge you (and myself) to look for something today you can do. Something right before you as you go through your tasks. Something small. Fred Smith set that goal for himself, too.
“I challenge myself each morning to see what’s around me and ask for the discernment to respond rightly. I don’t go out to be a “do-gooder,” but instead to see what is in front of me and do good.”
Let’s follow the pattern Jesus set. Let’s go about doing good.
God’s best...
Talk is cheap!
There is probably a comparable saying in many countries to what we say in the U.S. ... “Talk is cheap!” That phrase can take on meaning at various levels. It may mean that it is easy to say something, hard to do it or live it. It could mean that “much speaking” is not necessarily a virtue. And while we are communicators, we need to choose our words carefully.
Valerie Geller travels the world teaching communication principles to broadcasters. Her book Beyond Powerful Radio has become a classic and has wisdom for all in the media field. In fact, the subtitle to that book is A Communicator’s Guide to the Internet Age. I have drawn wisdom from it for years for courses and seminars I teach. And Valerie has been part of our conferences and online seminars in the past.
In a section called Avoid Useless Chatter, Geller says, “Just because you can say something doesn’t mean you should.” And she says this applies no matter what medium you are using—radio, television, or social media. Wow. Half or more of Facebook might disappear if people took this to heart. My posts included!
Valerie Geller also quotes air personality Turi Ryder who says, “Think of all the available content as crude oil. There may be a lot of it, but it’s no good to you unless it’s refined.” One of your roles as a communicator is to take raw material and refine it for the audience. Your role is not to just replicate what you hear or read. Many have been caught on the internet passing on “fake news” because it sounded good, only to (hopefully) retract it when the false story was discovered.
Our communications need focus. We need to know our topic and the point we are trying to make. We need to be aware of the “brand” we are building. People associate what they see, hear, and experience with a person, a station, a blog, or even a product. Most of us have been disappointed when we purchased a consumer item based on the brand to discover that the brand had produced a low cost, inferior product. Just because they could do that, should they have done it? Not if it costs them their reputation.
The Bible even addresses this topic. Solomon was pretty direct in his writings in the Old Testament book of Ecclesiastes:
...too many words make you a fool.
Ecclesiastes 5:3 NLT
Sometimes we can improve our communication process by simply finding the “off-ramp.” We may make a solid point, then continue to ramble on with the result that the good point is lost in our many words. Use your words carefully and communicate truth in a clear and powerful way. That has the greatest impact for your audience.
God’s best...
I was shocked!
I was shocked!
My days as general manager of a Christian radio station in Dallas gave me some wonderful and unique opportunities. One occurred many years ago at a large gathering of station listeners at a mega church in the area. I had the privilege of introducing well-known pastor, speaker, and radio preacher Chuck Swindoll. His program Insight for Living had run on our station for many years, and we had become acquainted through that relationship and National Religious Broadcasters.
As part of the evening, I was to do a brief interview with Dr. Swindoll to give the audience some insight to the man behind the wonderful programs and messages. I remember us taking our place on a platform, and as I was about to ask my first question, Chuck interrupted me with a question of his own.
“Ron, how do you keep from becoming cynical?”
I was stunned. Shocked. I was supposed to be asking the questions, and rather easy ones at that. His question floored me. It came out of left field. I don’t remember exactly how I responded, but it must have been acceptable. The conversation flowed and the audience got a bit more than they expected.
I have thought of that moment often. Sometimes I just think about how Chuck Swindoll rendered me almost speechless. But I also think deeper...of the questions itself. It must have been something this great spiritual leader had dealt with personally in his ministry. Certainly, it is something that all in leadership, especially in spiritual leadership, deal with at some point in their ministry.
Maybe you have been there. The dictionary definition of the word “cynical” is “believing that people are motivated by self-interest and being distrustful of human sincerity or integrity.” Yep. I’ve been there. And, yes, even in the Christian media world. And when we see it, it is hard not to be cynical ourselves.
As we see great spiritual leaders tumble and fall, as we see ministries discredited due to self-serving leadership and a drift from the original vision, people understandably become cynical. John Maxwell addressed this in a leadership blog a couple of years ago:
“In a time of cynicism, leaders inspire people—one of the most challenging things for a leader to do is balance reality with vision.”
Ok...that addresses the corporate situation, but what happens when you become cynical? That’s probably what Chuck Swindoll was asking me about those years ago. We may call it by other names. Being spiritually dry or calloused.
Swindoll addressed the topic quite bluntly in a message:
“THIS IS A ROTTEN WORLD. And some people just can't be trusted. And con men (and women) and phonies and charlatans are out there, ready to rip us off.”
But Swindoll gives great advice...biblical advice.
“I've learned over the years...that cynicism can quickly set in, bringing only heartache and bitterness. God offers us a better way:
Always be full of joy in the Lord. I say it again—rejoice! Let everyone see that you are considerate in all you do.
Remember, the Lord is coming soon.
Don't worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God's peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.
And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise.”
Recognize that? It’s from Philippians 4:4-8. The key words for me in that passage are pray about everything. Everything! Is your prayer life lagging? Pray about it. Are you struggling in your leadership role due to other people and their selfish ways? Pray about it. Then strive once again for excellence to honor the Lord and to accomplish His calling in your life and ministry. Lead. Inspire. For the Lord’s sake and His purpose.
Cynicism has no place in the life of a leader.
God’s best...
I finally get it...
I’m in my late 70s and I’m still learning and figuring things out. Better late than never, as the saying goes.
As a kid, I remember asking my dad about a deep scratch on his arm, or a bruise, “Where did that come from?” Dad would simply reply, “I don’t know.” I couldn’t believe it! How could you scratch your arm or run into something and not remember the incident? That was beyond my comprehension as a young boy.
I’m beginning to understand. Getting dressed this morning I noticed a couple of scratches on one leg and a bruise on the other. I have no idea where they came from. And I flashed back to my time with Dad and understood that he was teaching me without lecturing me. What Dad was saying without specific words was, “It doesn’t matter. Not worth worrying about or spending time thinking about.”
I’m finding a lot of applications for that lesson beyond scratches or bruises. There are many things that happen in life that we sometimes spend way too much time thinking about...or obsessing over. We try to find the cause of this little thing or the reason for that little thing. Or we assign some sort of spiritual application to it as a way of explaining it. Flip Wilson was an American comedian famous for saying, “The Devil made me do it.” Pardon the pun, but that was his “flip” answer for why some things happened.
As a leader you encounter many things each day that could command your attention, at home or at your office or ministry. And many of those things won’t matter. Don’t waste valuable time on trivial things that can detract from the important things of your ministry, your work, your family, or your life.
The Apostle Paul often encourages us to focus on the important. After admitting to the Philippian Christ-followers that he didn’t fully comprehend everything, Paul said this:
...but I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us.
Philippians 3:13-14 NLT
My translation of that is, “Quit worrying about the little things or the past things. You’re probably not going to figure them all out, anyway. Look forward. See the goal God has set before you...and press on to that. There is a greater reward than figuring out...where that little scratch came from.”
God’s best...