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Archive for May, 2010

Airports

Posted in Influence on May 26, 2010 | 1 Comment »

I am a million miler on Delta. God knows how many more miles on United, American, et al. How about you? Have you spent a chunk of your life in that third world country called an airport?

During this season of my life leading WorkMatters, my days at the airport have been nominal. But last week, I was blessed to travel via the friendly skies. My wife and I sat in amazement as we watched and remembered so personally the chaos that is business travel.

The two salesmen sitting next to me having a beer and recapping the great meeting they had just completed. The “fast walkers” needing to run to catch their flights, but too proud to do ”the OJ”. Phone calls in the gate area, some on Bluetooth, some on two separate belted cell phones…working a customer or a prospect, a coworker or a boss. People eating on the run, with an ice cream for the road.  Sitting in the last row just in front of the bathrooms, then jockeying for a better seat when the doors close. Missing your husband or your wife…your children.

Sound familiar? I could remember it like it was yesterday.

I started wondering if I wasted those hours in airports and airplanes. I wondered if I had more peace, more wisdom, more God…could I have made those hours less about me, and more about influencing others?

“…let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in Heaven.”   Matthew 5:16 

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Summer R&R

Posted in Marriage, Rest on May 24, 2010 | 1 Comment »

We have all been pushing really hard. 2010 has been no easier than 2009 in the workplace, has it? Some of you are still looking for jobs. Most of you are working harder than ever. If you haven’t already…it’s time to think about your summer. And specifically, to consider your personal need for R&R.

So what does R&R stand for? How about Restoration and Renewal!

As many of you know, we just completed our 2010 Leadership Conference where over 1,500 leaders invested in their futures. Two days later was Mother’s Day. The day after that was one of those “decade” birthdays for my wife Theresa. We needed some R&R. And we were blessed to be able to get away and celebrate her life, our marriage, and to simply…rest. 

I was amazed at how badly we needed restoration. Each morning, I would get up early, sit on our deck and just have some great thinking time. It was a time of great restoration for me. A time to pray and read and write the blessings of my life. I could begin to feel God’s renewal that we all need so badly from time to time.

So how about you? What do you have planned this summer to restore and renew?

Would you like a great jump-start? Two years ago, Steve Graves spoke at our June Eight-to-Five event on “The Summer of Your Life: Making Progress Where It Matters Most“. Give it a listen. It will inspire your summer R&R.

http://www.workmatters.org/events/eight_to_five_unplugged/listen_to_speakers

Lord, we try so hard to do our work with excellence. We push so hard to lead at home in our marriages, our parenting, our friendships, and our serving. Will you give us the wisdom to see R&R and the courage to go get it. Amen

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1,500 Leaders

Posted in Leadership, Servant Leadership, Serve on May 12, 2010 | 2 Comments »

Last Friday, the world changed. Why? 1,500 men and women invested seven straight hours listening to  and learning from 10 world-class speakers teaching leadership.

What do you think the exponential impact will be of those 1,500 people in the northwest Arkansas marketplace? As those 1,500 people interact globally with their co-workers, customers and suppliers…what will the impact be? As they use these same ideas and concepts at home in their marriage and parenting, in their friendships…what will the impact be?

As they contemplate faith and work, what that looks like for them presently, but maybe what it could or should look like in the future…what will the impact be?

Wow! That is why, for the 7th straight year, we have hosted the WorkMatters Leadership Conference. What an incredible day it was. Giant Impact does an outstanding job bringing this LeaderCast to northwest Arkansas and the world. We have been blessed the past few years to be the largest simulcast site of over 500 sites in North America. What a testimony to the leaders of northwest Arkansas!

Our WorkMatters staff, volunteers and the Church at Pinnacle Hills were extraordinary. This picture really says it all for the focus of this event and of WorkMatters…staff and volunteer leaders praying at 6:30am prior to the arrival of our 1,500 friends. What a blessing it is to be a part of a ministry that God is using so powerfully to change lives for him…through the workplace!

Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart as working for the Lord, not for men.   Colossians 3:23

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SERVE3

Posted in Humble, Leadership, Servant Leadership, Serve on May 5, 2010 | 1 Comment »

We are so excited (and slightly exhausted) for this Friday. Over 1,500 leaders will converge on The Church at Pinnacle Hills for our 7th annual WorkMatters Leadership Conference. I feel God’s pleasure in all of the incredible detail work that must be done to make this happen with excellence.

I will have the chance to speak briefly at 11:00am on the faith and work movement and how WorkMatters may be able to fan your flames. I look forward to talking about our Purpose…to inspire you to Discover, Engage and Serve so that you can grow in your relationship with Christ at work.

This morning my Bible reading took me to some of Paul’s best writing on serving. It is so difficult for us to put aside our pride and authority and truly serve others at work. Yet the best leaders we have ever read about or worked with have been servant leaders.

But this goes way beyond serving at work. It also calls us to serve through  our work! Especially to help those in great need.

If you have another minute, read and think about the counsel below. It says it all about serving.

3Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. 4Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.

 5Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: 

             6Who, being in very nature[a] God,
                did not consider equality with God something to be grasped,
             7but made himself nothing,
                taking the very nature[b] of a servant,
                being made in human likeness.
             8And being found in appearance as a man,
                he humbled himself
                and became obedient to death—
                even death on a cross!
             9Therefore God exalted him to the highest place
                and gave him the name that is above every name,
           10that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,
                in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
           11and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, 
               to the glory of God the Father.

              Philippians 2:3-11

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