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Tag Archives: simplicity

Wonder

Wonder is one of the most important qualities we can cultivate as leaders. It is also one of the most difficult, especially amides the daily pressures and demands of life. A very gifted, godly, friend of mine, after twenty-one years of  “successfully” pastoring a mega-church, recently resigned and decided to pursue a quieter, more reflective life. He writes about his more recent learnings in a wonderful, little book called, Thursdays with Naomi. In it, he notes the learning that have emerged out of his time spent on Thursdays with his little granddaughter, Naomi. Children, like God he notes, have an amazing ability to experience the joy of every thing in each and every moment. G.K. Chesterton, in his book Orthodoxy, writes: It is possible that God says every morning, “Do it again” to the sun; and every evening, “Do it again” to the moon. It may not be automatic necessity that makes all daisies alike, it may. Read more.

Wonder

Wonder is one of the most important qualities we can cultivate as leaders. It is also one of the most difficult, especially amides the daily pressures and demands of life. A very gifted, godly, friend of mine, after twenty-one years of  “successfully” pastoring a mega-church, recently resigned and decided to pursue a quieter, more reflective life. He writes about his more recent learnings in a wonderful, little book called, Thursdays with Naomi. In it, he notes the learning that have emerged out of his time spent on Thursdays with his little granddaughter, Naomi. Children, like God he notes, have an amazing ability to experience the joy of every thing in each and every moment. G.K. Chesterton, in his book Orthodoxy, writes: It is possible that God says every morning, “Do it again” to the sun; and every evening, “Do it again” to the moon. It may not be automatic necessity that makes all daisies alike,. Read more.

Colin Powell's 13 Rules of Leadership

I’ve always been fascinated by Colin Powell. Four-Star General, Secretary of State, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, National Security Advisor, Commander of US Army Forces. Yet he grew up in the Bronx, NY and attended City College. I recently read his memoir,It Worked for Me: In Life and Leadership where he talked about lessons learned. I appreciated his simplicity, discipline, and wisdom in a number of areas. The following are his “13 Rules to Live By” that he keeps on his desk: 1. It ain’t as bad as you think. It will look better in the morning. 2. Get mad, then get over it. 3. Avoid having your ego so close to your position that when your position falls, your ego goes with it. 4. It can be done! 5. Be careful what you choose. You may get it. 6. Don’t let adverse facts stand in the way of a good decision. 7.. Read more.

The Pursuit of Humility

One of the topics God opened up to me on Sabbatical was related to the indispensability of growing in humility. I was struck at what a major theme this was for the early church, especially in her first 500 years. Their understanding was that humility is the face of a pure heart. It was considered the one, unmistakable quality of the Christian life. I recommend Humility Matters: For Practicing the Spiritual Life byMargaret Funk. Her work led me back to John Cassian and Benedict of Nursia’s excellent writings on humility. The following is my adaptation and applications for my own leadership. I am following their classic schematic of progressively climbing a ladder with rungs. (Please note that any of these can be easily abused without a framework of emotional health). Step 1 – Put to death all desires but God –  Application: Ensure I have ample time with God, balancing time alone with Him. Read more.