People On The Bus

Jim Collins writes in his best-selling book, Good to Great, that great companies all do something when it comes to hiring people. Before they do anything, they make sure they have the "right people on the bus." He says they do this even before they know where the "bus" is going because they know that the success of the organization depends on having good people.

I have had a chance to witness this first-hand. I have been privileged to be able to serve as the chairman of the 19th annual Northwest Ohio National Day of Prayer Breakfast this year which happens tomorrow morning. It has truly been a great experience, probably because of the team that has been serving with me.

Yesterday I received an email from one of the team members telling me that I have been a good leader for this committee. I have to admit, that felt good. You see, I like praise (that is one of my big problems that I know God is working on in me). However, in this case, I really didn't feel like the praise was deserved.

I don't think I did much from a leadership perspective because the group was so good. I knew that if someone said they were going to do something, it would be done. They made my job easy. So any praise really needs to go to God for assembling such a neat group of people.

I have heard coaches in the college and pro ranks say, "Good players help me to be a good coach." Well that same thing holds true in any leadership position. This prayer breakfast experience has really shown me how truly important getting the right people on the bus is!

By the way, Ray Hilbert from Truth At Work is our featured speaker. I am looking forward to God doing some great things tomorrow!

Bad Boss Blues

This is comical and sad at the same time. Did you hear this? The state of Connecticut wants to make it illegal to be a bad boss. That's right. If you are a boss that bullies, you would be breaking the law.

This is comical for obvious reasons. It is sad because lawmakers even need to consider this. This type of behavior is very prevalent. I can attest to it (you can read more about my experience in my book, Bleedership, Biblical First-Aid for Leaders).

This is an excerpt from Hartford Business:

The Senate Democrats have reintroduced an “anti-bullying” bill this legislative session – SB 60 – that would make it illegal for bosses to bully their workers.

On the face of the proposal, it makes sense that bosses should not be allowed to abuse their workers, create a hostile and unpleasant work environment or one that causes physical or psychological harm to an employee.

There are bosses who scream and embarrass. There are bosses who e-mail subordinates at 2 a.m., sending angry communications with the letters all in caps and bolded in a scarlet red typeface.

There are bitter bosses who are angry at the world, unhappy with their own lives, and wrongfully take it out on their staff.

They denigrate their subordinates and inform them of all their faults – real or imagined – in front of an office filled with colleagues.

Bullies can ruin a day on the playground. They can ruin a day at work. That never changes. And of course, it shouldn’t be allowed.

Good places to work do not tolerate such behavior by staff or managers. It lowers morale, increases turnover and, consequently, hurts the bottom line.

However, to make bullying illegal in the workplace requires a definition that is not subject to perception.

Before laughing too hard at this, maybe we need to remove the plank from our own eyes (Matthew 7:3-5) and be the leaders God made us to be.

Forgiveness

Is there someone you work with who has done some things that have upset you? Are they "unforgivable?"

Maybe you need to take some of this:

Remember, forgiveness sets YOU free. The person you are holding a grudge against probably doesn't even know it. Unforgiveness only hurts you.

For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.

Matthew 6:14-15

Mentos & Coke

Have you ever put a Mentos candy into a bottle of Coke? I have not had this privilege, but I have heard there is quite a reaction.

1,500 students in Belgium recently broke a world record for the most done at the same time. Read more here.


This looks like a blast (no pun intended)!

It is very evident that something takes place when this sweet candy is dropped into the carbonated beverage.

Shouldn't that be the same with our Christianity when we are at work or anywhere in the world? Shouldn't it be obvious that something is taking place...or that there is something different about us?

Let's Morph

Last night we concluded a session at our church called The Life You Always Wanted which is a study based on the book by John Ortberg.

The study lasted six weeks and began by setting a goal for us to live a life of spiritual transformation. John Ortberg mentioned in a video that his son was a big Mighty Morphin Power Rangers fan and that they are a good role model for us as they used to say, "Let's morph!" He went on to say that that should be our battle cry as well.

A few days ago I talked about making Jesus famous in everything we do (see 26:8). That is really what spiritual transformation is all about. Many times when we think about spiritual transformation we think about the "big" things. However, last night we learned that this transformation needs to also happen in the little things. Ortberg shared this in the conclusion of our study last night:

Consider how we would do these things differently if we did them in Jesus' name:

• We could wake up in Jesus' name. When the alarm clock goes off, instead of thinking anxious or regretful thoughts we could rest in the assurance that God controls the day and sustains us!
• We could greet God first thing in the morning and invite Him to go through the day with us.
• We could greet people in Jesus' name. We could notice them, look right at them, and listen to them.
• We could drive in Jesus' name--if we dared!
• We could watch television and movies in Jesus' name, not watching so much that it begins to create a disordered heart.
• We could do chores in Jesus' name, offering them as gifts to God.
• We could view our coworkers in Jesus' name--considering them to be valuable people, praying for them, being genuinely interested in their lives and families.
• We could spend money in Jesus' name.

I think you get the idea...Let's morph!

One Bite at a Time

Yesterday I met with three other guys who each have their own business. We meet once per month as what we call a "Mastermind Group." This term comes form Napoleon Hill's book, Think and Grow Rich and involves like minded people coming together to make each other better.

Yesterday was my day to be on the "hot seat." The hot seat participant is to discuss the issues he is having in his business and to solicit ideas and feedback from the others. It is always very helpful.

During our meeting I presented some information about my Bleedership business/ministry and I received a lot of constructive ideas. On my way back to my office afterward, my head was spinning. I was really in angst about all of these ideas. I felt like I needed to implement them all right now, yet I didn't (and still don't) feel I had the time to do it. This feeling followed me for the rest of the day.

This morning I was thinking about that and how that really applies to me, and to all of us whenever we realize we need to make a change in our lives. We may feel like it is too difficult or will take too much time so we may never do it.

However, I believe God is telling me not to stress about it and to do what I can today and eventually it will be done. True for all of us!

I have heard it said that the only way to eat an elephant is one bite at a time.

Teamwork

Is your team ready to take off and reach new levels of success? If you are the leader, the answer to that question will be "yes" only if you are ready.

This short video will give you some great things to think about along these lines. I hope it blesses you in some way!

Compassion

As you know, I coach my son's 5th and 6th graded basketball team through our local YMCA. This is a travel league, where we play games at other Y's throughout our area. We are not very good and we get beat more than a drum.

Saturday was our last regular season game as our tournament begins tomorrow night. Once again, we were shellacked by a score that was something like 46-5. It seems that in every game we are totally out-classed when it comes to basketball ability and talent (and coaching skills too!). This can be somewhat demoralizing when it continually happens.

At the end of our game, a cool thing happened. The opposing coach came up to me and said, "You tell your team to keep their head up. Tell them we have played together as a team for two years and we are currently playing in three leagues. Tell them they are going to be fine."

A very classy and compassionate thing for him to say.

I passed this on to our team and I think it helped. I know I was encouraged.

He didn't need to say what he said. But he chose to be bigger than his ego. He chose to use the opportunity to build others up by showing compassion and understanding. A terrific example!

Seek First to Understand

In the home group my wife and I host, we are focusing on ways to build up our marriages. The study we are doing now deals with communication. I think just about every couple in our group agrees that communication is a major issue in their marriages--I know it is in my marriage.

One of the sessions we focused on was seeking first to understand before being understood. I first heard this from Stephen Covey in his book, 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. It is a great concept that follows Biblical principles. If we can all do this with everyone we communicate with, imagine how much better our communication would be.

In addition to improving communication, doing this is a great way to show the love of Christ to others. Try it today, even where you work!

By the way, I think what is mentioned in the video may be going a little far in seeking to understand.

Bless You!

Did you ever wonder how the custom of saying "Bless you!" to someone who just sneezed began? Have you ever thought about what a blessing really is? Ever wondered how you could bless others?

I received an excerpt from a book called May You Be Blessed by Kate Nowak that I wanted to share:

It happened a few days after my father's death, in that mind-numbing period of adjustment after someone we love leaves us. Having gone shopping for necessities for my trip back to my own home, I was standing in an otherwise empty aisle of a large chain store when suddenly I sneezed, the last vestiges of an allergy attack I'd fought earlier in the week.

Almost instantly, from the next aisle over I heard a voice call out, "Bless you," and then another, and another, and yet another. All in all, in the span of only a few seconds, I counted eleven different voices coming from every possible direction in the store, some saying "God bless you," others using the word "gezundheit," but all blessing me, all calling good down upon me.

At first I thought little of it. After all the idea of blessing someone when they sneeze is rooted in superstition, an archaic belief that in the act of sneezing the soul is thrown from the body, and a blessing is needed for spiritual protection.

Today, it is usually offered as no more than a courtesy, a polite response that has come to be socially accepted and expected. But on that particular day, in the first few moments following all those blessings being called out to me, I began to notice a difference in myself: A slight shift in perception that left me feeling more connected and empowered than I had in days. It also left me, for the first time since my father's passing, more confident that everything would be all right.

Driving back to my father's house that day, I continued periodic "feelings" checks, marveling at how much stronger I felt. Later, sitting in my parent's kitchen for what would be one of the last times, I recounted the story to my stepmother. "Do you think any of them realized what they were saying?" she asked. "Or was it just out of habit?"

"Just habit," I answered with a shrug, thinking about what a shame it was that people could give such a needed gift as a blessing and not even be aware of what they had done. "It should be a habit, this business of blessing others," I said a moment later. "But it would be nice if people actually knew they could and were making a difference."

A seed was planted that day and two years later it sprouted, awakening me one morning to a gentle soul-whisper that poured forth as the words of a special blessing. Feeling compelled to take pen and paper from my nightstand, I prodded myself into full wakefulness and then sat on the edge of the bed, like a secretary poised for dictation, pen ready to capture each syllable as the inspired words flowed into my awareness.

Because of the power of the internet, those words have since been sent across the planet and read by millions, and as a result, I have received thousands of letters from people telling me how May You Be Blessed has impacted their lives. And in each and every instance I have found myself blessed in return.

I have often wondered since if my newfound work as a dispatcher of blessings is the result of a serendipitous accident that placed me in a crowded store on a day when I was both prone to sneeze, and to listen to subtle nudges from the heart. Or was it, perhaps, that my father's gentle spirit was present that day, inspiring others to offer blessings so that I might be lifted up?

Of course, it is a question I cannot answer, but I do know that since that time my life has changed remarkably. Each day is now entirely centered on the act of blessing and I have come to recognize it not only as one of the most powerful and practical ways we have for reconnecting with each other, our world and Life itself, but also the most phenomenal way possible to lead us to happiness and success. It is a discovery I now endeavor daily to share with all.

A blessing, I have come to realize, is a sweet release from pain; a sacred reminder that we are made of love and light and goodness and, as such, part of a greater and most wondrous whole. It is an ancient key to a successful and fulfilling life.

Today, whenever I share with others this phenomenal key, explaining how, as we each develop the habit of blessing others we are blessing our own lives, as well, I feel as if I have been given a wonderful gift. I realize once again how truly blessed I am. It is my hope that as you read this book and allow the words of this blessing to enter your heart, you will be blessed in return. I could not ask for anything sweeter to my soul than that.

You Know You're A Bad Boss When...

"Whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant? as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve." (Matthew 20:26-28)

This morning in a devotional I read the above verse. Then I read a fun article in the Syracuse Post-Standard that shared in a Jeff Foxworthy-like manner, ways in which you know you’re a bad boss.

I found it interesting how almost each of their points that showed you to be a bad boss showed the opposite of servant-hood. See if you agree:

You know you're a bad boss:

If you prefer to email your employees rather than face to face meetings, even though your office is within 10 feet of their desk.......you just might be a bad boss.

If you treat your employees like your 12 year old daughter, you are definitely a bad boss.

If you believe that your way is the only way a job can be done, you're a bad boss.

If you observe your employees sharing the phone number of a good employment attorney, you might be a bad boss.

If you copy and paste text from last year's performance appraisal into this year's, you're most assuredly a bad boss.

If your employee cuts and pastes your picture into a cartoon with hunting trophies on the wall, you just might be a bad boss.

If you see a copy of "How to work for a J3rk" on your employee's desk, you might be a bad boss.

If your employees have a mirror on their desk to make sure they see you approaching, you are likely a bad boss.

If you have an "open door" policy, but your office is usually empty, you're a bad boss.

If you leave to play golf at 3, but write someone else up for doing the very same thing, you're a bad boss.

If you have ever been quoted "if you don't like it, become familiar with the words "you want fries with that", you just might be a bad boss.

If you have ever referred to your employees as "worker bees" you're a bad boss.

If you want to read about a terrible boss I had that led to something really cool, go here.

GTG

A friend of mine named Stu uses a phrase with me and others regularly, "Glory to God!" He even signs his emails and notes with "GTG" at the bottom.

Some may find this strange, but if you know Stu, he means it. He is a great example.

I witnessed some other great of examples of this over the weekend at the Passion Conference Molly and I attended in Atlanta.

It seemed that every time after Louie Giglio or Francis Chan spoke, they would get off the stage somehow before the crowd could applaud for them. They did not want the adoration and the applause because they wanted it to go to God.

The Chris Tomlin Band, David Crowder Band and Charlie Hall's band were the same way. The spotlights would go off of them at the end of their songs so that the focus and applause was not on them. Very cool.

I have to admit I am one who likes applause. When I was growing up, I liked being praised more by my parents than corrected. When I played basketball, I certainly liked hearing claps rather than boos. When I write or speak, I like to hear that people liked what I had to say. This saddens me but it is true. That is why Stu's example and the things I witnessed this weekend were so powerful to me.

26:8

Yes, LORD, walking in the way of Your laws, we wait for you;

Your name and renown are the desire of our hearts. Isaiah 26:8

We returned yesterday from Atlanta where we attended the Passion Conference. Passion is a movement started by Louie Giglio to minister to college students. These conferences are all about developing leaders within that age group. We were with 9,500 mostly college-age kids (see picture above). Yes, I felt really old, but the conference was incredible!

At the beginning of the weekend, they mentioned that Isaiah 26:8 (shown above) has been and will continue to be the inspiration behind Passion. They exist to make Jesus famous.

Wow! A pretty simple statement, but what a great mission statement! They exist to make Jesus famous.

I have really been thinking a lot about this all weekend. I thought about all the times I have done things for other reasons, especially to please myself (which is most of the time!). I am going to try to keep this mission statement at the forefront of all I do.

Will you join me in doing this yourself? What would happen if we lived our lives with that singleness of purpose, to make Jesus famous? What would happen if we did this in all areas of our life, even at work? We could change the world!

Father Daughter Trip

Today, my 17 year-old daughter Molly and I, along with friends Bruce and Alana are heading for Atlanta for the Passion Conference.

Passion is a college student ministry started by Louie Giglio. He and Francis Chan are scheduled to speak and Chris Tomlin and the David Crowder Band are the musicians.

I am very excited. I’m not sure Molly feels exactly the same way. However, I am praying and believing for God to “rattle our cages” and to draw us near to Him and to each other!

Common Sense

Don't you love it when you see people use common sense? It is extra special when you can see a leader use it in an arena where it is usually lacking...in politics. Some may read the following article and cringe. Don't get me wrong, I am not necessarily condoning all of his actions. I am not for inhumane treatment of people, even prisoners. However, I believe this man is doing some things right and he is definitely using common sense! Read this story about Sheriff Joe which was recently emailed to me:

Maricopa County was spending approx. $18 million dollars a year on stray animals, like cats and dogs. Sheriff Joe offered to take the department over, and the County Supervisors said okay.

The animal shelters are now all staffed and operated by prisoners. They feed and care for the strays. Every animal in his care is taken out and walked twice daily. He now has prisoners who are experts in animal nutrition and behavior.

They give great classes for anyone who'd like to adopt an animal. He has literally taken stray dogs off the street, given them to the care of prisoners, and had them place in dog shows The best part? His budget for the entire department is now under $3 million.

Teresa and I adopted a Weimeraner from a Maricopa County shelter two years ago. He was neutered, and current on all shots, in great health, and even had a microchip inserted the day we got him. Cost us $78.

The prisoners get the benefit of about $0.28 an hour for working, but most would work for free, just to be out of their cells for the day. Most of his budget is for utilities, building maintenance, etc. He pays the prisoners out of the fees collected for adopted animals.

I have long wondered when the rest of the country would take a look at the way he runs the jail system, and copy some of his ideas.

He has a huge farm, donated to the county years ago, where inmates can work, and they grow most of their own fresh vegetables and food, doing all the work and harvesting by hand. He has a pretty good sized hog farm, which provides meat, and fertilizer. It fertilizes the Christmas tree nursery, where prisoners work, and you can buy a living Christmas tree for $6 - $8 for the Holidays, and plant it later. We have six trees in our yard from the Prison.

Yup, he was reelected last year with 83% of the vote.

Now he's in trouble with the ACLU again. He painted all his buses and vehicles with a mural, that has a special hotline phone number painted on it where you can call and report suspected illegal aliens. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement wasn't doing enough in his eyes, so he had 40 deputies trained specifically for enforcing immigration laws, started up his hotline, and bought 4 new buses just for hauling folks back to the border. He's kind of a "Git-R Dun" kind of Sheriff.

TO THOSE OF YOU NOT FAMILIAR WITH JOE ARPAIO HE IS THE MARICOPA ARIZONA COUNTY SHERIFF AND HE KEEPS GETTING ELECTED OVER AND OVER THIS IS ONE OF THE REASONS WHY: Sheriff Joe Arpaio (In Arizona) who created the "Tent City Jail": He has jail meals down to 40 cents a serving and charges the inmates for them. He stopped smoking and porno magazines in the jails. Took away their weights Cut off all but "G" movies.

He started chain gangs so the inmates could do free work on county and city projects. Then He Started Chain Gangs For Women So He Wouldn't Get Sued For Discrimination. He took away cable TV Until he found out there was a Federal Court Order that Required Cable TV For Jails So He Hooked Up The Cable TV Again Only Let In The Disney Channel And The Weather Channel.When asked why the weather channel He Replied, So They Will Know How Hot Its Gonna Be While They Are Working ON My Chain Gangs. He Cut Off Coffee Since It Has Zero Nutritional Value. When the inmates complained, he told them, "This Isn't The Ritz/Carlton...If You Don't Like It, Don't Come Back." He bought Newt Gingrich's lecture series on videotape that he pipes into the jails.

When asked by a reporter if he had any lecture series by a Democrat, he replied that a democratic lecture series might explain why a lot of the inmates were in His jails in the first place.

More On The Arizona Sheriff: With Temperatures Being Even Hotter Than Usual In Phoenix (116 Degrees Just Set A New Record), the Associated Press Reports: About 2,000 Inmates Living In A Barbed-Wire-Surrounded Tent Encampment At The Maricopa County Jail Have Been Given Permission To Strip Down To Their Government-Issued Pink Boxer Shorts. On Wednesday, hundreds of men wearing boxers were either curled up on their bunk beds or chatted in the tents, which reached 138 Degrees Inside The Week Before.

Many Were Also Swathed In Wet, Pink Towels As Sweat Collected On Their Chests And Dripped Down To Their PINK SOCKS. "It Feels Like We Are In A Furnace," Said James Zanzot, An Inmate Who Has Lived In The TENTS for 1 year. "It's Inhumane."

Joe Arpaio, the tough-guy sheriff who created the tent city and long ago started making his prisoners wear pink, and eat bologna sandwiches, is not one bit sympathetic. He said Wednesday that he told all of the inmates: "Its 120 Degrees In Iraq And Our Soldiers Are Living In Tents Too, And They Have To Wear Full Battle Gear, But They Didn't Commit Any Crimes, So Shut Your Damned Mouths!"

Way To Go, Sheriff!

Maybe if all prisons were like this one there would be a lot less crime and/or repeat offenders. Criminals should be punished for their crimes - not live in luxury until it's time for their parole, only to go out and commit another crime so they can get back in to live on taxpayers money and enjoy things taxpayers can't afford to have for themselves.

Pride Before The Fall

Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall.

Proverbs 16:18

Pride. It is something that I admit I have an issue with.

Others seem to as well.

I am a Detroit Tigers fan. I have been since I was very young. My grampa would pick me up several times each summer to head up to Tiger Stadium to watch the "boys of summer." It was great fun.

That was in the early '70s and they were pretty good back then. From that point on I was hooked. Then I lived through some very tough years. Until their great year in 1984, it seemed like we weren't out of April and I would already be saying, "Wait till next year!"

So when the Tigers are contenders that is exciting.

This past off-season, the Tigers' front office made some brilliant moves and acquired some all-star players to bolster their already talented team. Most experts were predicting them to contend for the World Series and some were even saying they were the best team in baseball.

I, along with other Tigers' fans, was excited.

We are now 7 games into the season. The Tigers still have a very talented lineup, in fact they have the second highest payroll in all of baseball behind the Yankees. However, the Tigers are the only team in baseball without a win.

0-7. Pitiful.

I think the Tigers may have been reading their press clippings. Once again, another example of the pride before the fall which is a great example for all of us.

Are You An Adder Or A Subtractor?

I am on the Christian Emphasis Committee at my local YMCA. We had our monthly meeting yesterday afternoon. Doug, our chairman led the meeting off with something he read in a book from John Maxwell.

According to Maxwell, those who build others up, who encourage people and make others better can be called "adders." They add to the lives of others.

I like that term, "adders."

Taking a look on the opposite side of the fence, I suppose those who make excuses, who don't keep their commitments and talk poorly of others could be called "subtractors." They take away from the lives of others.

So are you going to be an adder or a subtractor today?

Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing. 1 Thessalonians 5:11

Integrity and Getting Ahead

On Friday I talked about integrity in leadership and referenced an article I had just read. Well, I failed to mention something very interesting. The article also had this to say:

For twenty years, Chinese researchers sought to understand why the United States was the most powerful and prosperous nation in the world. They analyzed all aspects of the United States, including its political, economic, monetary, and social systems. The researchers concluded that the United States was the most powerful and prosperous nation in the world because of its Christian values. (See Gleanings from April 2007; http://strategieswork.com/publications/gleanings/2007/2007-04.htm.)

As stunning as this conclusion is, it is even more impressive when you realize that the conclusion was reached by atheists.

Is that cool or what? Sometimes it is hard to act with integrity, especially when you see others without it getting ahead. It's very nice to actually see something like this which proves what we know deep down, that the true way to get ahead is by acting with integrity and other Christian values.

Leadership With Integrity

This morning in my men's group, we did a Bible study on integrity and its importance in leadership. We had some incredible discussion and I hope we were transformed.

When I got to my office, I read an article that talked about calling evil good in the workplace. It talked about seven of the ways we do this today:

1. Greed is good. This is a famous statement from the movie Wall Street. The sentiment expressed is that money is the bottom line and therefore the driving agenda of business. Even though we should be good stewards and make a profit, ultimately success—from a biblical worldview—is not denominated in monetary terms, but in the degree of alignment with the will of God (John 17:4; James 4:13–17).

2. Lying is an acceptable tactical tool. A study found that 93 percent of workers use lying as a tactical tool to accomplish their objectives. This means that truth is subordinated to results or, as is commonly stated, that the end justifies the means. John 8:32 states that the truth sets us free from the bondage of sin. Given this reality, the opposite must be true, namely, that lies put us into bondage to sin. A person in bondage to sin will not prosper (Psalms 1).

3. Pride is a sign of strength. A popularly regarded teaching is to never apologize because that would be a sign of weakness. Pride was the original sin of Satan and of Adam and Eve in the Garden. The opposite of pride is humility. When the question was posed, What does the Lord require of man? one of the key virtues was humility (Micah 6:8).

4. Cheating on expense reports is a perk. Most companies reimburse employees for expenses incurred during the course of business. Many employees discern how closely these reports are monitored and take the liberty to fudge and pocket a little extra cash. This practice is an injustice to companies and is an example of unjust weights and measures that God detests (Proverbs 20:10).

5. Deception is a competitive advantage. In an aggressive workplace, it seems that everyone is looking for a competitive advantage. For those who believe that values can be compromised for the sake of profit, truth is frequently sacrificed. Solomon exhorts us to buy truth and to not sell it, which means that truth is to be highly valued and not to be compromised. (Proverbs 23:23)

6. Stealing is an entitlement. Most workers view companies as wealthy and stingy. In other words, workers many times assume that companies make a lot of money but fail to properly compensate their workers. Hence, these workers feel entitled to rectify this inequity by stealing. Worker theft includes stealing company resources, failing to properly use time, and failing to develop and utilize talents. In addition, workers steal whenever they place personal agendas ahead of the organization's interests (Titus 2:9–10).

7. Self-centeredness is self-protection. Another common assumption of workers today is that "no one is looking out for me so I have to look out for myself." This creates a narcissistic environment in companies, which is counterproductive. To perform well, a company must function as a team, which requires selflessness, not self-centeredness, on the part of the workers (Matthew 16:24; 1 Corinthians 12).

Why do we do this? Why do we try to justify evil behavior and make it "not so bad?"

In our discussion this morning we talked about how almost all of us do this in one way or another. The topic of the speed limit came up and I think every one of us in the group squirmed in our seat and admitted that we speed from time to time ("But everyone else is doing it...").

From a Biblical perspective, sin is sin. Though speeding is more acceptable than say, adultery; in God's eyes, it is still sin.

Can I be honest with you? I think this stinks.

It sure would be easier if God would give us a sliding scale on the severity of our sins. Then I wouldn't feel so much like a sinner.

If that were the case though, I would probably feel like I don't need God as much as I do. Thankfully God knows what He's doing!

Workplace Bullies

Did you see this? The senate democrats have introduced a bill to outlaw bullying of workers by bosses in the workplace. (To read the article, click here).

My first reaction is that this can't possibly work. How will they determine what bullying is? Where will they draw the line? To me, any legislation like this would be a very slippery slope that would eventually hurt businesses.

Before you think I am pro-bullying, you must know that I suffered at the hands of a workplace bully for over a year and a half. In fact, it was so bad it led me to write Bleedership, Biblical First-Aid for Leaders.

I am anything but pro-bullying. I am just not a believer in government trying to fix things like this as I believe that creates more problems.

I am a firm believer that as leaders, we need to follow the ways of the great leaders of the Bible. The likes of Jesus, Moses, David, Joseph and Paul (and many others) can teach us much.

The fact that this legislation is even being discussed is sad. But it indicates there is a definite need for leaders to lead in a godly way.

Passion

Lombardi. It is a name that means a lot of things to a lot of people. One trait of Vince Lombardi that most would agree with is passion. While he was coaching, I was too young to be a true fan of the game but I have read a lot of neat stuff about Vince Lombardi.

Someone recently sent me this excerpt from a book, What it Takes to be #1 written by Lombardi and his son, Vince Jr.

Zeal and passion are emotions that move you. My father was once described by the late New York Giants owner, Wel Mara, as having, "The zeal of a missionary." And although the Packers held a special place in his heart, my father's passion and enthusiasm extended into all corners of his life. He could get excited about dinner at a good restaurant, a sunset, Christmas with family, and especially, a game of golf.

His passion overflowed. It was an enthusiasm that could be neither corralled nor fended off. "If you said 'good morning' to him the right way," said a friend, "you could bring tears to his eyes." His emotional ups and downs as an assistant coach with the Giants earned him the nickname, "Mr. Hi-Lo." A fellow coach once chided him for working up a lather over what seemed to be a minor football matter.

Lombardi said in response, "If you can't get emotional about what you believe in your heart, you're in the wrong business."

My father laughed and he cried. He communicated with every emotional tool at his disposal. "I've got all the emotions in excess," he said "and a hair trigger controls them." Spontaneity was the saving grace for this hair-trigger personality. My father could yell at a player and five minutes later honestly couldn't remember who he yelled at or why. People understood this and forgave him the excesses of his passion. Coach Lombardi never allowed his passion – and here we're talking about his anger – to become personal.

Passion and enthusiasm are the seeds of achievement. Enthusiasm is like an ocean tide, there's a certain inevitability about it. Zeal sweeps obstacles away. To motivate people, there must be a spark, some juice, desire, zeal, inspiration. It's rough to be a leader if you can't energize yourself, and then your people. They need to be able to tap into your emotional energy – and you need to be able to tap into theirs.

It's called passion today. In my father's day, it was called "emotion." No matter what you choose to call it, I doubt you could find someone who was as passionate – and this is important – as effective, as my father. Having a plan is important, but along with a plan there must be a hunger, and a zeal to achieve the vision.

Few of us are inherently enthusiastic. Even Vince Lombardi had to give himself an occasional pep-talk. For most of us, the passion to achieve, to be first, must be stoked. Every day you've got to lay on some kindling, strike a match and fan the flames of passion and zeal.
This quote from my father reflects his passion for everything he did...

"There's only one way to succeed in anything, and that is to give it everything. I do, and I demand that my players do."

I love what he said there. The only way to succeed is to give it everything. He didn't say this only applied to football. He said it applied to anything! Just like what Paul commands us in the following verse:

Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart,

as working for the Lord, not for men. Colossians 3:23

Embracing Adversity

On our trip last week, my 11 year-old son was digging in the sand and trying to keep the waves from washing away his creation. In order to do this, he tried to build a wall around his structure.

But each time a wave would come, it would wash away part of the wall. Nothing he could do could prevent this.

The thing that I noticed is that each time he built his wall, it would have jagged edges. And each time the wave came it would smooth out the rough spots and make it look a lot nicer.

If that isn’t a metaphor for life, I don’t know what is. I thought about the tough experiences I have gone through. It was during those times when I got better...when I grew.

I'm sure you've heard the old saying, "you can be bitter or better"-well it's true. Adversity can be like the waves of the ocean…it can smooth out our rough edges and make us better.