Tom's Blog

As I went through this process I realized that for leaders to really lead we must clear out the clutter that develops over time.  When leaders clear the clutter and stop to reflect on what it really takes to get to the next level, they bring  clarity to the process of transforming their organizations. Something every organization has to do, in part, because God has instructed us to do so.

Leaders who want to move people forward, to transform something that will make the lives of people better, need to understand what matters most and for that to happen the clutter in our lives and in our thinking processes has to be cleaned out.  When uncluttered thinking takes place then we can honestly and realistically measure the movement of our organization. Being honest and realistic is harder to do the longer you live with the clutter in your life because soon you will not recognize it as clutter.  Cross that line and you believe that the clutter is part of the process.  What this means is we must take time to de-clutter our lives so we can think clearly and stay focused on our vision.  Uncluttered lives leave us free to think and create clearly so we can honestly change and move forward.

Take some personal time this week and de-clutter your life before 2012 hits. If you do 2012 will be better than you can imagine.

I am writing this while sitting in the Mumbai airport on my way home from an EQUIP Leadership Conference in Hyderabad, India earlier this month.  This has been my 12th trip to India over the past 6 years and I have seen great changes take place during this time. On this trip I sensed that the speed of change has picked up, as well as, the great attitude of the people I encountered.  Some of the changes are very obvious. New airports have been built in Hyderabad, Chennai, New Delhi, and I'm sure Mumbai will have one soon. Wells Fargo just built a great modern new complex in Hyderabad with a real working, made in India, Stage Coach inside the lobby even though they do not do banking here.  Microsoft, Apple, and many others have built new buildings here in the last 2 to 3 years. However these are just buildings, outward structures that house thousands of hard working people.  Change is really all about the people. I work specifically with the church, the faith based world, and that has also changed here which has spilled over to the business, political, and educational world. People in every one of these sectors are changing for the better.

Why, what happened? One reason I would say, is because 4 years ago a small group of people that had individual businesses/ministries in India, sat together and took a new view of ministry and  began to lead the faith-based world, the church, boldly. This group of leaders said, "what would it look like if we could drop our logos and as much ego as we can and just do ministry together? Let's not start another organization, but rather an idea, an idea that says let's just do the work of the Lord together and no one organization will take the credit, pass out numbers, give results, but rather the idea of working together in partnership lead by nationals." So 4BServe was born. Today we have 4BMedia, 4BHealthCare, 4BMicrobusiness, 4BLeadership, and more. You really need to check out www.4BServe.org.

One thing we realized from the beginning was that no matter what we did, or who we worked with, we would need leaders, men and women of integrity to lead these initiatives. So I, along with Mike Shepherd, started training key men and women who would become Master Leadership trainers all over India, at least one in every State.  EQUIP Leadership was the source for our curriculum and in process every six months we meet and study topics that make us better, help us have more capacity, to think more strategically, and allow us to think differently. We also add other elements to the training like character solutions and how to tell a story more effectively. These master trainers then go back to their States and reproduce themselves in others.

So what have been the results so far? Over all, people are thinking differently. For example, today a number of ministries and US based companies use the people in India to process their internal work. They have learned that the Indian people have a unique mind, they think process, so they can develop processes that become invaluable to ministry organizations and businesses. That's why more and more businesses are moving their processing to India, not because it's cheap labor any more but because their processes are superior to any nation in the world and if you want the process done right - take it to India.

There are some exciting young vibrant church leaders who are making a tremendous difference as well. One tool the Church is using is 4BMedia emphasizing India's newly established environment for the creation of indigenous worship music which is beginning to go worldwide. If you ever get to Hyderabad, check out Pearl City Church. People in this church, and in others, are very well led and fed by Indian Pastors. The new generation of pastors in India knows they must have an impact in the community, in the cause, and in the corporations of their city. It takes all three. The pastors who are capable of doing this today have enlarged their capacity.  Today's pastor, who is making a difference, is working in all three areas and the result is a growing church.

Simply put; in the corporate world, the faith based world, and the humanitarian world, a leadership culture is being formed. Today, with a leadership culture people expect a clear vision, and they are getting it, and with that they expect problems will be solved, and they are being solved at a rapid pace considering how deep the problems are and how many people are in India.  I am not saying there is not work to do. I am saying that I am so encouraged, the people of India are showing the world that positive change can happen in a big way when you start by building the leadership culture.

I recently met a man in India who has never been outside of India. He shared with me that he reads my blog each week and they help him "see the big picture". I am thankful for those who do read and think on what I write each week however, you need to know that my first reaction is; "I do not write a leadership blog". I just write what I am thinking about, what has taken place in my world that I want to share. I think of it as more of a discussion starter, or a thinking starter than anything else.

So let's continue the conversation with some great books I read this past year. These are the top 5 books that have made a huge impact on my life, and I believe can do the same for you.  The first book on the top of my list as a must read is, "Chasing Francis."  A book that will make you think and redefine what you do and why you don't. Just what is it that you are called to do? Is growing our ministry the bottom line? Are we willing to pay the price for being Biblical?

Second: is a book called "ONWARD" by Harold Schultz, the founder of Starbucks. Pick it up with some coffee and you will have to get a second cup. This is the best leadership book of the day outside of the Bible. I read it twice, use it over and over in my leadership talks.  Its an awesome book.

Third: "Steve Jobs" by Walter Issacson. The story and beliefs of Steve Jobs, founder of Apple. Lots of great leadership lessons in this book. A very honest, straight forward book. For me the one take away that I wish most non-profits would grab hold of is; I wake up everyday to do one thing, build a great company not to make money. Money flows from greatness.

Fourth:  "Creating What People Love Before They Know They Want It" by Adrian Slywotzky with Karl Weber.  Adrian Slywotzky, named by Industry Wee,k as one of the world’s six most influential management thinkers, provides a radically new way to think about demand, with a big idea and a host of practical applications—not just for people in business but also for social activists, governments leaders, non-profit managers, and other would-be innovators. A great to follow up on the reading of Steve Jobs as this was Steve's philosophy as well.

Fifth: "The White Mans Burden" by Walter Easterly. A book that will make you rethink what and how you do what you to others. Do you have a plan for them, or are you searching for a solution. This book will reshape your future, how you work internationally, and at home. Just why do we keep doing what we have always done when the outcomes are still as bad as ever.  Never too early to rethink why you do what you do and how you do it?

If you have not read these books I would encourage you to do so. These books would also make great Christmas gifts. 

Tom

When this blog was written I was in Lebanon to lead some 32 top level faith-based leaders from Jordan, Syria, and Lebanon to think and act as Biblical servant leaders using the EQUIP leadership material, Vol.3. As I started this three-year process I said, " we all have cultural and traditional ways to think and do things, but there is a third way and that is God’s way.  Sometimes that way is at odds with our culture and traditions. But when asked which way was right, God always said, 'the Kingdom of God is like...' There is a better way to think."

As we began our discussion I was once again reminded that leadership; pure, genuine, effective, influential leadership, is not something that can or should be reduced to a cookie-cutter routine. If you do 1,2,3,4 then you will succeed as a leader. That is not new to anyone, we all know this, but to act differently, to act as a true leader is not as common as one would think.

On the plane coming over here, it seemed everyone was reading the new Steve Jobs book.  I have one too, but first I have to finish the one I am re-reading called "Onward" by Howard Shultz, the founder of Starbucks.  “Onward,” outside of the Bible is one of the greatest, if not the greatest, leadership books to date. If I were a Pastor or leader of a team everyone would read it and we would discuss it. But that is for another blog.

One point both authors (Steve and Howard) point out is that every leader has to have a healthy ego and a sign of their health is how selfless they are.  For example both men do not call their workers, "workers." Why? Because no one person does one single function any longer. Not even in the church, people are people and every person has talents, gifts, skills, and huge value. So why would we hold them back? Why don't we give them headroom to work, room to be creative, to use their skills, talents, and passion?

As we talked together in the leadership training sessions, I was reminded that many people hold others back because of an unhealthy ego. We hire what we think are great people with great potential then tell them everything to do. Great organizations hire people and then commit to bring out their talent, their greatness by continually investing in them. How long did it take to bring VIA to the market? The I Pad? No matter what the pressure, sometimes the leader has to adjust to the hour, drop all the ego they can and make the hard call. Many times the hard call is made in the dark with no road map. It is not the cultural thing to do, or the traditional thing to do but it is the right thing to do. Once we make the call in the dark then we must trust and have faith.

Culture and tradition need to be respected, but in the end some need to go in the history box because they are no longer relevant. It is time to do things God’s way. After all, we are accountable and He is responsible.