It's Tuesday at 2:00pm! (PST Time: I live and work from Southern California)
LEADERSHIP QUOTES
I'm going to spend a few weeks looking at some great quotes. Over the past few weeks we've looked at quotes from Genghis Khan, Eleanor Roosevelt, Ghandi, Steve Jobs, Avot de Rabbi Natan, Abraham Maslow, Stephen R. Covey, Seth Godin, Patrick Lencioni and Brené Brown. You can read these posts HERE.
The format for this season is the following:
#1) LEADERSHIP QUOTE: I'm going to share a quote with you. I'd like to encourage you to think about it, respond to it, process it. You can stop here, or go to Section 2.
#2) A LITTLE BIT DEEPER: I'm going to share a couple of thoughts that come to my mind when I think about the quote. Just a short reaction from me. You can stop here, or go to Section 3.
#3) DEEPER STILL: I'm going to share something I've found from someone else: A quote, some tips, a challenge, a thought....
#4) RUSS' LIST: I'll continue to share some links, ideas, books or products that I think some of you might benefit from.
Russ
LEADERSHIP QUOTE:
"Anyone can hold the helm when the sea is calm." Publilius Syrus
What does this stir up? Either write me HERE or comment at the end of the blog post HERE.
A LITTLE BIT DEEPER:
This quote is simply a statement of the obvious.
Often, when things are going well, we're not truly tested, and many times this means that we're not ready for the tests when they come.
Recently, my wife and I were on a sail boat in the Pacific Ocean. The captain of the boat got us out of the harbor, navigated with the wind into the right direction, then he handed the steering to me.
For about 5 minutes we just sailed, it was beautiful.
Then, the winds changed, and in an instant we were off course, heading away from the wind, and the captain jumped in and made the corrections.
While the wind was blowing in the right direction, I was the greatest sailor on the planet! Then things changed quickly.
When things are "calm", we often don't ask for help. We think we can handle things because it's manageable. When things get a little crazy, we rush to find help because it's quickly out of our control. How do you lead in times of CALM and in times of CHAOS?
DEEPER STILL:
I love the story found in the Gospel of Matthew, chapter 8 verses 23 - 27.
Jesus was in the boat with his disciples, and a storm came up, but Jesus was sound asleep. The disciples woke him up in a panic thinking they were going to die. Jesus calmed with wind and the sea immediately. Then the disciples were really afraid! They saw the power of Jesus first-hand.
We can't handle the chaos of the storm on our own. We need others to join us, to help us, to be in it with us. Often we think that we can handle things, but we haven't experienced the true challenges or the real storm that's coming... and it always comes!
We also desperately need the power of Jesus with us, as he is able to help us navigate chaos to calm, over and over again.
Don't be foolish and think that the storm is never coming. It will come to your life, and you'll be called on to navigate through that storm. Jesus will be with you.
Things I'm Reading, Listening To and Watching This Week:
Here's a great book: Endurance: Shackleton's Incredible Voyage A great leadership book through some chaos and challenges! I read it years ago, and picked it up again last month.
Listen to Alejandro Sanz Essential playlist on Apple!
Join Extreme Response and our Christmas Parties Around the World! Click HERE for more information! It's a great opportunity to serve and deliver joy to people that need encouragement!
Strenghfinder 2.0 is still one of the greatest personal assessments to do. It will teach you more about yourself, how you lead, and how to interact with others. The assessment code comes with the purchase of the book.
I'm getting some extra use from my Apple Ear Pods this week as we have some kitchen remodeling going on. The noise canceling mode makes all the difference!