Better Leadership Better World
What I’m learning from the Pandemic may surprise you. Then again it might not. Either way, here’s 5 things I’ve learned so far.
1 – declaring undeclarables is a fast way to frustrate people and lose credibility.
2 – my son likes to listen to 90’s alternative rock while doing homework
3 – I like exercising just because it makes me feel good
4 – the church doesn’t need a building
5 – my son makes AMAZING scrambled eggs!
How about you? what is one or two things the pandemic has taught you?
The bad news of this world is that Sin brings death. Sometimes I think of death in a very myopic way. My grandfather died, his heart stopped beating his lungs ceased their work and his body no longer carried his soul. Physical death is the main idea that enters my mind when I hear the word “death”. But this is too small of a thought. Death is more than this, it is a separation. When my phone dies or my car dies neither of them are gone from my life yet their are useless to me until they are recharged or repaired.
In my life, sin has brought death. By that I mean separation from both God and people. The death and subsequent separation that Sin brought is impossible to repair or recharge by natural means.
In the book titled Genesis I see hope for people like me who’ve messed up and created separation. I am grateful today that God is my Redeemer. He can bring life to dead things and create them new and replace even a higher value on them than what I could’ve imagined.
Here is a video I really like that talks about the first half of the book of Genesis. I would love to hear your thoughts on it.
I planted my vegetable garden this past weekend. 10 Tomato plants, 4 broccoli, 4 cauliflower, 4 zucchini, and a few others. While the day of planting seemed to go well I had 3 unexpected visitors come and go throughout my time planting. Rabbits, three very attentive little rascals with the look of hunger in their eye. I felt like they were watching me just waiting until I turned my back so they could jump the wire fence and begin chowing on my fresh green leafy plants. I decided in that moment that I had to take action. My work and financial investment in this eight foot by six foot garden was and is too valuable to let these little bunnies ruin it.
My son (13 going on 23) and I started planning an all out pellet gun attack on these thieving trespassing rabbits. to make a long story short we watched a lot of youtube videos and learned much about how to shoot, skin and cook a rabbit within a very short period of time. All the while neglecting the reality that my precious animal loving daughter (9) had a completely different perspective on the situation. She considers the garden a communal eatery where all things living can come to enjoy and be satisfied in whatever should grow. You can see where this is going I’m sure. No rabbits die on her watch.
In the end, I realized something very important about my family, our garden and the rabbits. It all has influence. Everything you encounter throughout your day, week, month etc. etc. has the potential to shift you one way or another based on your perspective and values.
My question to you is, what are you doing with your influence?
I influenced the rabbits to come check out the veggies, they influenced me to channel my inner Elmer Fudd. I shared my vision for Rabbit stew with my son. We moved my daughter to a place of protest.
Leadership is something I believe every human being has the capacity to do. Influencing others toward a certain direction comes with varying levels of intentionality, challenges and benefits but at no point do we get a choice to influence or not to influence. We are always influencing someone, thus we are always leading for better or for worse.
Who have you influenced today?
How are the people you’ve encountered today different as a result of encountering you?
How do you want them to remember you?
Did the actions you took lead to a desirable outcome?
What can you do tomorrow to Influence with greater intentionality?
The answers to these questions begin to identify some very important aspects of your own leadership philosophy and style.
*no rabbits were injured in the writing of this blog