As a man thinketh ......   Proverbs 23:7

By waking up today, to a new day, states that you have a Purpose on this Earth!

In the Book of Mark, we read in Chapter 10 of two brothers, James and John, the sons of Zebedee, went to Jesus with a request. Jesus asked them “What do you want me to do for you?” James and John asked “Grant us to sit, one at your right hand and one at your left, in your glory.” Jesus explained to James and John that they did not understand what they were asking. We need to keep in mind that when Jesus came to us in the 1st Century, he came to start a Spiritual Revolution, not a Political one. James and John thought that Jesus had come to establish His Kingdom on Earth. James and John were expecting for Jesus to overthrow the Roman Empire, the established government of that time. James and John wanted to rule with Jesus, but they did not understand the cost. Also, what John and James did not understand is that Jesus had a bigger plan for them, a Purpose.

You also have a Purpose. Let me say that again, You have a Purpose for your life!

You may not understand your Purpose at the moment. That is okay. I have learned that over time as I look back on the past, of what I have gone through, the trials, the temptations, the celebrations………. I have learned why I have gone through what I have gone through, and I begin to see my Purpose.

I do not understand everything about my Purpose, but I am beginning to see areas of my life being revealed to me. I see areas that I am being pulled towards, areas in business and in my personal life. Desires of my heart that are being kindled.  In Proverbs 25, we learn “It is the glory of God to conceal a matter, But the glory of kings is to search out a matter.” We must search out our Purpose. Life is a journey. We must enjoy the journey.

Just like we have a Purpose, James and John had a Purpose. James and John wanted to sit with Jesus and rule, but Jesus knew that each of them had a purpose to help establish the Church and to tell people about Jesus Christ. James and John were two of Jesus’ closest disciples. The third closest was Peter. After Jesus’ death, burial, and Resurrection, James and John became strong witnesses for Christ. James was martyred in 44 A.D. for being a follower of Jesus. James’ death was 11 years after Jesus’ death, burial and Resurrection. James could not fulfill his Purpose if he died the same time as Jesus.

John’s Purpose was even more than his brother. The Apostle John wrote more of the New Testament than any other member of the Twelve Apostles: The Gospel of John, 1 John, 2 John, 3 John and Revelation. John was also instrumental in the establishment of the Church. Early Church leaders learned from John. Also, before Jesus died on the Cross, Jesus asked John to take care of his mother, Mary. It is believed that John died a natural death in 98 A.D., 65 years after Jesus Christ’s death, burial and Resurrection. John could not fulfill his Purpose if he died the same time as Jesus.

You have a Purpose for your Life! If you woke up today, you were blessed with a new day, a Purpose. God is not finished with you yet. Go out and serve and bless others. Go out and Discover and Live your Purpose!

References

Holy Bible, ESV

https://overviewbible.com/john-the-apostle/

https://overviewbible.com/saint-james/

I was reading an email yesterday from Bob Tiede and Bob had a guest, Jamie Graham Duprey, share her thoughts. Ms. Duprey related some questions in the email that really got me thinking. Three questions specifically stood out for me during this time in my life. The questions were:

·       How, in your context as a leader, are you finding hope?

·       How are you infusing hope in those around you?

·       How can you be more deliberate in looking for hope in your daily life?

Leading my family is important. Even though, my children are adults, and my wife and I have been blessed with grandchildren, my leadership does not stop. During the past few months, I have struggled with today’s current events in our society, Covid, the economy, employment, riots, etc. These events have weighed heavy on my mind and heart.

So, with all this going on, where am I finding hope? My hope is in my faith. God is sovereign and rules from His throne regardless what is going on in our country or the world. We are told in God’s Word “For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.” Jeremiah 29:11. My hope is in my Lord.

How am I giving hope to others around me?   Encouragement and prayer. In Jeremiah 29:12 it states “Then you will call upon Me and go and pray to Me, and I will listen to you.” We need to encourage one another and also pray for one another. There is power in prayer.

How can I be more deliberate in looking for hope each day? I need to be intentional each day to look for positive. We see what we want to see. A couple of months ago, I only saw negative and focused on the bad things that were going on. I talked negative and thought negative. It was not a good time for me. I make a point each day to look for the positive. I know my steps are ordered and I will do the best I can each day. Also, what I read and the media I watch is important. I need to focus on feeding my mind with positive. Mr. Zig Ziglar taught me “you are what you are and where you are because of what has gone into your mind. You can change what you are. You can change where you are by changing what goes into your mind.”

I am thankful I read Ms. Duprey’s guest post on Bob Tiede’s email. It is what I needed to help me at a time when our country is dealing with many challenges. My hope is in my Lord. I will encourage others and give them hope. I will also look for the positive in each day.

Hope, Faith and Love.

https://leadingwithquestions.com/  

What example are you setting?

 A guy was on his way to work and noticed that traffic was extremely congested. On this particular day, there appeared to be more cars on the road than normal or there was a wreck up ahead that he could not see. He continued to drive bumper to bumper for the next 25 minutes, and no traffic accidents were noted. He realized that it was the first day of school for the school district he lived in.

 He arrived to his desk at work at 8:05am. This was the time on the clock hanging on the wall in his work area. He proceeded to work and about 8:45am, his supervisor sent him an instant message (IM) using the company’s IM system and stated:

 “I noticed you came in late, which is unusual for you, is everything ok?”

 His reply:

 “Traffic was bad today. First day of school.”

 Supervisor’s reply:

 “Gotcha”

 This was an interesting situation and puzzling for the guy. He has worked with the company for about 14 years and has always been on time to work. The unwritten policy was if you are going to be less than 15 minutes late to work there are no issues. The guy also remained at work ten minutes extra that day to make up the time.

 The next day, the guy wanted to make sure he was on time arriving at work. He left about 5 minutes earlier than the previous day. He arrived to his desk about 7:50am. The traffic was better this day. His supervisor was not in the office yet. He began his work and noticed that his supervisor arrived to work at 8:10am. Same clock, same work area.

 He had a thought. Should he ask his supervisor the same question she posed to him the previous day?

 He decided no, it was not necessary. He was going to be professional. He chose to take the high road and be a Class Act.

 What example are you setting?

Do you want to live your Best life? Not just an okay life. Not just a get by life. Your Best Life!! How do you do that? How do you live your Best Life and live it now? Well let me share with you what I learned this past week.

During my commute this past week I was performing Automobile University by listening to a podcast from Kent Julian. The podcast title is “Live it Forward” and is available from iTunes. Kent talked about How to live your Best Life Now! And this is what he shared.

There are three steps to living your best life.

The first step is: Commit

Commit to living your best life. Make a decision. Draw a line in the sand. Mark your calendar with today’s date and state to yourself, “Today, I am going to begin to live my best life now!” A decision or a commitment is the step which gets the ball rolling.

You may ask yourself, “Where do I begin?” Well, here is am recommendation.

Have you ever heard of the Wheel of Life?

The Wheel of Life consists of seven spokes and represents the core areas of our lives. They are:

- Mental

- Spiritual

- Physical

- Family

- Financial

- Personal

- Career

Which area would you not wish to be successful in?

You need to assess yourself in each area and decide what area you need to work on. You can work on several areas each day or break it down into working on one area each day. There are seven spokes so you can assign a specific spoke to each day of the week. You decide what works best for you. For me, I work on multiple spokes each day. One reason is I wish to work on the Physical spoke more than one day a week, and another reason is I work on the Spiritual spoke every day.  Again, you decide how to fit the spokes into your schedule, but COMMIT to do it.

 The second step is: Dream

You ask yourself, Dream?  What do you mean by dream? Daydream?  No, not exactly. What I mean is to envision what you wish for your future to look like. What do you wish to accomplish? Where do you wish to be in 1 year? In 3 years? In 5 years? Take each spoke of the wheel and look at where you wish to be in the future.   Write it out. Make a vision board if that helps. The Bible talks about that people without a vision perish. We do not wish to perish. We want to be successful. See yourself being successful. One area that I am working on to be more successful at is Speaking with audiences. I learned through participating in Toastmasters that I enjoy public speaking. I enjoy helping others by giving them information, giving them hope, giving them encouragement, along with giving them inspiration to live the life they have been called to live. My vision is I see myself on a stage speaking with an audience. I see myself giving a message of hope and inspiration to others.

What is your Vision?

The third step is: Do

You have to take action. I have to take action. We cannot be successful without taking action. We can commit. We can visualize what we want to accomplish. But we cannot succeed without doing. Action has to be taken. How do you take action? One step at a time. One minute at a time. One hour at a time. One day at a time.  The Bible teaches us not to worry about tomorrow for tomorrow can take care of itself. Don’t worry about tomorrow. Focus on what you can do and accomplish today. When we take action each day and string together days in a row where we have taken action, by being consistent, ultimately, we will see our dreams come to reality.

Think about this, if your goal is to participate in a 5K Race but you have not run in years, then you need to prepare yourself. Begin by walking a mile per day. String some days together of walking a mile, then the next week increase it by 1/2 of a mile. After about six weeks, you should be ready to run a 5K Race.

As another example, let’s say you wish to work on the Family spoke. Do you have date nights scheduled on your calendar with your spouse? If not, begin to schedule a date night once a week. The date does not have to being extravagant. Take a drive through the country. Go and get ice cream or a favorite dessert. You can plan to make your loved one’s favorite meal and have a candlelit dinner at home.  If you have children, why not schedule a day or an afternoon, or an evening with your child. Find out what they like to do and incorporate their likes into your time together.

What you can accomplish is up to you!!

One of my mentors, Mr. Zig Ziglar, taught me that that we are designed for success. His quote goes like this: “Man (Woman) was designed for accomplishment, engineered for success, and endowed with the seeds of greatness.” We have it in us to succeed and to live our best life now. All we have to do is Commit, Dream, and Do.

Thank you, Kent Julian! https://liveitforward.com/category/podcast-episode/

In order to lead, you must know how to follow.

What qualities do you think a follower should have? Should a follower just do what he or she is told, or do you want them to think more, engage more, be more?  I do not want someone to blindly follow me. I want those that I lead to be able to work through the decision-making process. I want those that I lead to be responsible for his or her decisions and to be accountable for the results of those decisions. The decision-making process, along with accountability and responsibility will be discussed in a later writing.

Today, I am going to share with you what I have learned to be key attributes that a follower should have.

I recently read a book titled “The Ideal Team Player” written by Patrick Lencioni. Mr. Lencioni shares in his book the three attributes of being an Ideal Team Player. Those attributes are Humility, Hungry, and Smart. You may ask, what do these attributes mean?

Let me explain.

With Humility, Great team players emphasize team over self. A humble person is not concerned about his or her status. He or she is quick to point out others efforts and contributions. A humble person views success as what the team accomplishes, not at what an individual accomplishes.  

Being Hungry, a person who is hungry is always looking for more. More things to do, more things to learn, more responsibility. A hungry person is self-motivated and diligent with his or her work. A hungry person does not need to be pushed by a supervisor. This person hates to be perceived as a slacker.

Being Smart, a person who is smart uses common sense about people. A smart person has good interpersonal skills and is aware of what is going on with his or her team. This person is a good listener and knows how to deal with others effectively.

Out of the three attributes, Humility is the most important. It starts with Humility. Why? Because a humble person puts the team over one’s self. The team comes first. Individual accomplishments are not the focus. A supervisor should look first for humility in a prospective employee. Hunger and Smart can be developed.

When I was in the US Army, one day our platoon had to complete the Confidence Course, which in laymen’s terms is the Obstacle Course. The Confidence Course is a course of many obstacles which a person has to climb over, crawl under, or manipulate in some fashion. The key reason for the Confidence Course was not to see what individuals can complete it and how fast he or she could complete it. The Confidence Course is designed to be a team-building exercise. The course is designed for the platoon to work together to complete the course as a team. A Team is only as strong as it’s weakest member. As a team we worked in unison to overcome each obstacle. We lifted each other up over the wall, we swung the ropes to help each other get over the water, we helped each other with maintaining our balance, and we cheered each other for those obstacles where we were not required to push, pull, or drag each other.  We ran together through the course to each obstacle. It was completely one big team effort until that last person of the platoon crossed the finish line. At the finish line, everyone cheered, hugged and gave high fives for what we accomplished. As the Three Musketeers would say, “All for One, and One for All.” We had that over-whelming feeling of accomplishment. One Team.

As a Leader are you Humble, Hungry and Smart? As a Leader, what example are you setting regarding these attributes? As a Leader, what habits in your daily life can you implement to promote humility, hunger, and smart?

“Failure is an Event, not a Person” is a lesson one of my mentors, Mr. Zig Ziglar, taught me.

It was the Tuesday morning before Easter, and I decided to cook a brisket for Easter Sunday. At Christmas time, I had trouble locating a brisket at the local grocery stores. It seemed all the stores where out of brisket. I would ask the person who stocked the meat section of the grocery store, and the reply I received was that the briskets were popular this time of year and they sell fast.

On this particular Tuesday, I sat down and thought of ways to locate and purchase a brisket. I decided to search the area stores online. After searching the stores in my area, I located a brisket. It was located at a Kroger near my home. Now that I have located the brisket, how do I ensure that when I leave my office later that day that a brisket will be available to purchase. I did not want to arrive at the store and learn that all the briskets were sold out. I discovered that Kroger has an App and you can purchase items and have the items ready for pick up at a certain time and day. I went through the steps and downloaded the App on my phone. I registered on the App and proceeded to search for the Brisket. I located the brisket, ordered the item and purchased the brisket. I scheduled the pick up of the brisket for later that day on my commute home. I picked up the brisket on my commute home and upon arriving at home, I placed it in the refrigerator.

I had the brisket. Now what did I need next to cook it. I needed more lump coal and wood chips. I also wanted a wireless meat thermometer to monitor the cooking temperature of the brisket. I ordered the meat thermometer from Amazon so it would arrive before Saturday. My plan was to cook the brisket overnight from Saturday evening to Sunday morning since we wanted to eat the brisket about 12noon on Easter Sunday. The average brisket cook time is between 10 to 12 hours depending on the temperature used to cook it. Before I could start the cooking process, I still needed more lump coal and wood chips. On Saturday morning, I went to a Ceramic Grill store near me and purchased wood chips and lump coal. While I was at the store, I asked the store owner, Tom, his suggestions on cooking the brisket. Tom gave me his suggestions which included having an ash can. Tom recommended I use all new coal to cook the brisket. Using new coal meant I need to remove the partially used coal from the grill. I drove to a local Farm Supply store, as Tom suggested, and purchased a small trash can which would be used to store the partially used lump coal. After the can purchase, I proceeded home. I arrived at home and made sure I had all I needed to begin the brisket cooking process later that day. The one item I was missing was the wireless meat thermometer which was scheduled to arrive later that day. About 3pm the UPS driver delivered the meat thermometer. I had all the items needed to begin.

About 6pm on Saturday, I began to get the grill ready. I placed the used coal in the ash can and placed new coal in the grill. I also placed the wood chips in the grill and started the coals on fire. The wood chips would cause smoke, turning the grill into a smoker. While the grill was warming up, I went into the kitchen and prepared the brisket. The brisket was prepared with seasonings and about 7pm, I placed the brisket on the grill. The meat thermometer was inserted and the cooking process began. The cooking process was going well. The grill temperature was about 250 degrees and the brisket was cooking nicely.  I attained my cooler from the garage and also retrieved a towel to use both items for the meat resting process. When cooking meat, it is good to wrap the meat in foil and a towel, and let it rest for a while before eating it. During the resting process, the meat will continue to cook and the meat will sort of gel making it more delicious. Sounds peculiar, but trust me, it works. Once the brisket reached the optimum internal temperature of 195 degrees, my plan was to wrap the meat in foil, then wrap in a towel, then place the brisket in the cooler to rest for a few hours.

About 12 midnight, I checked the grill and the brisket. The grill temperature was about 225 degrees and the brisket internal temperature was about 145 degrees. I was getting tired so I decided to lay down for a few hours then get back up and check on the brisket. I laid down about 12:30am and set an alarm for 3:30am. At 3:30am the alarm woke me and I went to check the grill. What I saw shocked me. The grill temperature was over 500 degrees and smoke was billowing out of the top of the grill. I opened the grill lid and saw that the brisket was a burnt brick. I have no idea what happened but somehow the coals became hotter and caused the temperature to rise inside the grill. Maybe the wind changed and with this change the open vents let in too much air. Anyway, the brisket did not turn out as planned.  Easter dinner ended up becoming hamburgers and chips, instead of brisket.

All day Easter Sunday I felt bad about the way the brisket turned out. This feeling carried over to Monday. On Tuesday, I made a decision that I was not going to let a burnt brisket to defeat me and get me down. I decided was I going to cook another brisket and this time, I was going to cook the brisket right. A few days later, on Friday, I purchased another brisket and wood chips. I decided that I was going to get up early on Saturday morning and I was going to cook the brisket all day until it was complete.

On Saturday, I woke up about 7am and began the process. I started the lump coal and wood chips in the grill.  While the grill was warming up, I prepared the brisket by trimming the fat. About 8am, the grill was ready and I placed the meat on the grill. I inserted the meat thermometer and learned that it did not work any longer. It did not withstand the 500 plus degree grill the previous weekend. I was not going to be defeated by this thermometer. I had a regular meat thermometer and decided I would use it all day to check the meat. I was going old school. No wireless thermometer needed. I watched the brisket throughout the day, checking it about every 30 to 60 minutes. I watched it transform from a crimson color to a beautiful shiny brown color.  About 6pm the brisket reached an internal temperature of 195 degrees. I removed it from the grill, wrapped it in foil, wrapped in a towel, and placed the brisket in the cooler to let it rest. The brisket was in the cooler for about 90 minutes. I took the brisket out of the cooler and was amazed how hot it was.  I unwrapped the brisket from the towel and foil and for a moment, just admired the beauty of it all.

Success! The brisket was delicious. Even though there were set backs. Even though the first brisket did not turn out correctly. The challenges were overcome, and my Bride and I enjoyed the fruits of our labor. My Bride supported me and encouraged me throughout the process.

The first brisket was a failure. I was not a failure. I learned from the process and the second brisket was Awesome!

Remember, failure is an event, not a person.

Do you wish to spend thousands of dollars more in your business or company than you have to? Do you wish to spend $3000, $8000, or over $200,000 to replace an employee?

“Turnover seems to vary by wage and role of employee. For example, a CAP study  found average costs to replace an employee are:

·   16 percent of annual salary for high-turnover, low-paying jobs (earning under $30,000 a year).   For example, the cost to replace a $10/hour retail employee would be $3,328.

·   20 percent of annual salary for midrange positions (earning $30,000 to $50,000 a year). For example, the cost to replace a $40k manager would be $8,000.

·   Up to 213 percent of annual salary for highly educated executive positions. For example, the cost to replace a $100k CEO is $213,000.” (1)

What is Your Greatest Asset?

You are operating a business or leading or managing a team. What is your greatest asset? Is it your property? Is it your equipment? Is it the revenue? What can it be?

I believe the greatest asset for any company, business, government office, school, etc., is the People. The employees. The people that make things happen every day. The people who answer the telephones, operate the computers, operate the machinery, drive the trucks, sell the products, clean the work areas, and on and on and on……….

Let me tell you about Dan.

During my military career with the U.S. Army, I had the privilege to serve in many locations and in various work capacities. One such opportunity was at a Division Prosecutor’s Office. This is where I met Dan. As a practice, when I took over the responsibility of a new office, the first week I planned to meet with each person I am leading to learn more about that person. I wish to learn more about where they came from and where they wish to go. I ask questions about their family, their education, their hobbies, their dreams and their goals, just to name a few.

On a cool Spring day in 2002, before I began meeting with each person in my office, I was approached by the former enlisted supervisor of the office and one of the attorneys who worked in the Division Prosecutor’s office. Both of these persons told me that they wish to “kick” Dan out of the Army. I was shown a manila file folder with about a half-inch stack of papers. The attorney explained that the documents in the folder were compiled over a period of time and it would be the basis to separate Dan from the U.S. Army for unsatisfactory performance. The attorney gave me the folder and requested that I initiate separation proceedings for Dan immediately. My answer to both the attorney and the former supervisor was I would evaluate Dan for about 90 days and I would decide what the best course of action to take regarding Dan. The attorney asked if I would keep her informed. I stated I would let her know my decision. Both persons left my personal office and I placed the file folder I was given in a desk drawer without reading the contents.

Later that week, I met with all my soldiers one-on-one, including Dan. Dan was in his early twenties, married, no children, and from New Hampshire. He attended college, Dartmouth University, and joined the military because he ran out of money to pay for college. We talked about his goals and what he wanted to accomplish while in the Army. I asked Dan if he knew that a couple of people wanted to separate him from the Army. He stated that he knew. I asked what his thoughts were about separating. He stated he did not want to separate, but was prepared if it happened. I told Dan that I would work with him and that I wish for him to remain in the Army. I told him that I would sit down with him each month and we would go over his accomplishments and the areas to improve. I told him that I was willing to help him, but that he had to help himself by doing what was expected of him.

The first ninety days flew by and Dan did Great! His work performance improved every day just during the ninety-day period. He not only accomplished the tasks he was assigned but helped other team members with their tasks. Dan became the go-too guy if something important had to be taken care of.

Interestingly, the attorney who wanted Dan out of the Army approached me after the ninety days and asked if I was going to separate Dan. I informed her that I was not going to recommend separation, and that as far as I was concerned Dan was one of the greatest assets on our team. He performs his work exceptionally well and helps others with their work. I had the backing of the Division Legal Office Leadership for Dan to remain in the US Army. Ironically, about 3 months later, the attorney, who wanted Dan “kicked out” of the Army, left our office and moved to another office thousands of miles away never to be heard from again.

Dan continued to perform in an exceptional manner. So much so that his performance was noticed by the Division Staff Judge Advocate, Lieutenant Colonel Miller.  Lieutenant Colonel Miller called me to his office one afternoon and remarked about Dan’s performance and asked me what I did to turn him around. I told him that I did not do anything really. Dan’s performance was a result of Dan’s determination and the choices or decisions he made. I just supported him and encouraged him. I showed that I believed in him. I developed a relationship of trust with Dan.

Dan’s performance continued to be exceptional even though I left that office and went to another legal office to lead. About a year later, Dan was deployed to the Middle East and while deployed was promoted to Corporal based upon his performance and display of leadership.

What are some take a ways for leaders:

Know your Why

Why are you a leader? Why do you wish to lead others? Why do you get up each morning and go into an office, business, organization, etc., and do what you do? What legacy do you wish to leave when you are gone?

  Value People

Invest time in your personnel. Find out who they are. Learn their Why. Why do they get up each day and come to work? What are their goals, their dreams? What do they wish to accomplish?

Take Action

How can you add Value to People? Look for ways to add value. Be intentional about it and do things to add value to others. Be an Encourager. Look for the good in people. Look for the potential in others. Create a safe and positive environment.

The Greatest Asset for any company, business, or organization is the People. Don’t be so quick to discard people. Coach and Serve your People well.

(1)   https://www.peoplekeep.com/blog/bid/312123/employee-retention-the-real-cost-of-losing-an-employee