Intensely Intentional

Yesterday I wrote about my legacy “season.” It has been a lot of fun to talk about Legacy in so many contexts this spring. But as I wrote that post it occurred to me that if we are to truly be “Legacy People” it has to be a consistent pattern that permeates our entire life, not just something we do for a season.

I am reminded of what Paul said to Timothy: “…be ready in season and out of season…” (2 Timothy 4:2).

Well, that pretty well covers all of my time…I am either in season or out of season all the time!

When I think about leaving a legacy – and as you know by now, I think about it a lot – I think about this:

If we are to be “legacy people” we have to be intentional about it.

What does it mean to be intentional?

I use this word a lot, so I decided I ought to look it up to make sure I was using it correctly. Here’s what I found:

Intentional: “Resulting from purpose; Deliberate”

Then I looked up the root word – Intention.

Intention: “Purpose, either ultimate or immediate; aim; goal. The will, design, or resolve to do or refrain from doing something.”

Paul was an intentional leader. In fact we could say that he was “intensely intentional.”

Looking at these passages from his letters we can see just how intensely intentional he was:

“Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but only one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may win. Everyone who competes in the games exercises self-control in all things. They then do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable.” (1 Corinthians 9:24-25)

“Not that I have already obtained it or have already become perfect, but I press on so that I may lay hold of that for which also I was laid hold of by Christ Jesus. Brethren, I do not regard myself as having laid hold of it yet; but one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 3:12-14)

“You are witnesses, and so is God, how devoutly and uprightly and blamelessly we behaved toward you believers; just as you know how we were exhorting and encouraging and imploring each one of you as a father would his own children, so that you would walk in a manner worthy of the God who calls you into His own kingdom and glory.” (1 Thessalonians 2:10-12)

Here we see Paul’s intensity: “…exhorting … encouraging … imploring.”

We also see his purpose, his intent: “…so that we would walk in a manner worthy of the God who calls you into His own kingdom and glory.”

If we are to be legacy people, we too need to be Intensely Intentional.

Are you intentional?

Are you intensely intentional?

Legacy Season

I have been teaching a lot of Legacy stuff this spring, so I decided to label the Spring of 2009 “Legacy Season.”

In January we kicked off a new class at Fellowship Church called A Marriage That Lasts. The foundation for the course was a book called Legacy Now. Throughout that class we focused on the idea of legacy. We examined how our legacy past has impacted who we are today. Then, we focused on the fact that how we live today – legacy now – will determine our future legacy.

In January we also kicked off a new format for investing in men that we call influence groups. The curriculum for that 6 week series was the Legacy Leadership material I have been developing.

That was a great assignment because my major sabbatical project is to convert the Legacy Leadership workshop into a book. As an extrovert, I have to talk in order to think. And I am discovering that in order to write, I have to teach. So teaching through the material again has helped me clarify my thinking as I write.

Last week, Janelle arranged for me to come to Hardin-Simmons to deliver a guest lecture in her Business Ethics class. I talked about Legacy Leadership.

And yesterday, Jennifer invited me to speak at the Bell High School Career Day. I delivered 3 sessions of talks about … Legacy Leadership.

So it has been a Legacy Season!

Relational Inventory Part 2

Relational Inventory Part 2

While I am on this theme of relational inventory, I thought it might be helpful to provide some context for this stream of thoughts.

In a former life, I was responsible for the largest tangible asset our company owned – the inventory. Periodically I would do an analysis that classified our inventory based on activity level and usage. The “A” inventory made up only 20 % of the total, but produced 80% of our sales. The obvious goal was to manage the inventory mix so as to maximize this good stuff and minimize the slow moving inventory.

So when I did my relational inventory analysis, I thought about the “mix” of relationships in my life. The goal is to maximize time with VRP, VIP, and VTP.

But that does not mean we should ignore VNP or VDP. In fact, we should always treat them with dignity and compassion. They have the potential to become a VRP. They may be just a Barnabas away from getting on the right path.

Another artifact of my previous life is the various inventory accounting methods that were used. You are probably familiar with LIFO (Last In, First Out) and FIFO (First In, First Out).

Here’s another one you may not be familiar with FISH. I spent an inordinate amount of my inventory management life with FISH: First In, Still Here. In terms of inventory management, FISH were “Not Good.”

I am not sure about labeling relationships in terms of LIFO and FIFO. Both of those suggest relationships that no longer exist. But, I am thankful for the FISH in my life! Friends that are “First In and Still Here.”

I have a couple of FISH: Badger and Rick. They have been close friends since high school – “back in the day” when we all had hair and it was long.

I am always so proud to introduce those guys to my family and friends. In the words of Guy Clark, Badger and Rick “have answers to some questions I would not dare to ask.” And so do I!

I love these men.

I am glad they were first in and still here.

Relational Inventory, Part 1

Last Thursday morning Laura asked me, “Do you realize how many hours you have spent meeting with people this week? As a matter of fact, do you realize how many hours you have spent with people in the last 24 hours?”

My answer was, “A lot! And I wouldn’t have traded it for anything.”

Last week was great week for me because I got to spend an abundance of quality time with a bunch of great people: Tianne, Bob, Dennis, Jeff, and Ginger. I had a great phone visit with Tricia. And then I got to spend an extended time with “The Sunday Men.”

Just so you understand what I mean by abundance: One meeting was 1.5 hours, a couple were 2 hours, one was 3.5 hours, and one was 4 hours. In each case we could have gone on and on. One outcome of this is that I can never say anything about Laura’s marathon lunches at Celebrity again!

The list doesn’t include the family time at my niece Leasha’s surprise engagement party (It was a surprise to her, but we all knew about it!) or my great-niece’s birthday party.

And of course, the great time Laura and I had with each other all week. The nest is empty and every night is a date night!

I was prompted to reflect on the blessing of these people in my life as I was reading last night in Kenneth Boa’s book “That I May Know God: Pathways to Spiritual Formation.” In a chapter on relational spirituality he reviewed the 5 kinds of people discussed in Gordon McDonald’s book “Restoring Your Spiritual Passion.” Here they are:

VRP: Very Resourceful People. They add to our lives and ignite our passion. These are mentors. They are often older people who are willing to build their experience and wisdom into our lives.

VIP: Very Important People. They share our passion. They love us enough to ask tough questions and keep us honest. They work together with us and share our vision.

VTP: Very Trainable People. They catch our passion. These are the people we are called to invest our lives in.

VNP: Very Nice People. These people enjoy our passion but do not contribute to it.

VDP: Very Draining People. These people sap our passion. They are in constant need of comfort and recognition. If we are not careful, these people can consume our time, our emotional energy and our spiritual passion.

Last week was great week for me because I got to spend an abundance of quality time with a bunch of great people.

I paused and took an inventory of these people. The boundaries of the categories are blurred some, but they were all VRP, VIP, and VTP!

They energize me and ignite my passion.

What a blessing!

The Barnabas Project

When I reflect on the people that influenced and mentored me there are several things I appreciate. But there is one common characteristic that describes all of them. They were all encouragers.

When I think about encouragement, I think of a biblical character that you may not have noticed before. His name was Barnabas, which means Son of Encouragement. I think there are several principles we can draw from his life.

We are first introduced to Barnabas in the books of Acts. In Acts 4:36-37 we are told that he “owned a tract of land, sold it, and brought the money and laid it at the apostles’ feet.”

Barnabas Principle 1: Barnabas people share their resources with others.

The next time we hear about Barnabas, he is introducing Paul to the apostles.

Usually introductions are no big deal. But, but this introduction was a huge risk because Paul had a terrible reputation. He had been an avid persecutor of the emerging church, he was “in hearty agreement with the stoning of Stephen” (Acts 8:1). He then “began ravaging the church, entering house after house, and dragging off men and women, he would put them in prison” (Acts 8:3).

He was “still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord” (Acts 9:1) when he encountered the risen Lord Jesus on the road to Damascus.

Without changing his zealous personality and passion, Jesus redirected Paul. After encountering Jesus, he became a new creation, the old life had passed away (2 Corinthians 5:17).

But not everyone knew about the “new” Paul.

“When he came to Jerusalem, he was trying to associate with the disciples; but they were all afraid of him, not believing that he was a disciple” (Acts 9:26).

“But Barnabas took hold of him and brought him to the apostles and described to them how he had seen the Lord on the road, and that He had talked to him, and how at Damascus he had spoken out boldly in the name of Jesus” (Acts 9:27).

I just love that phrase, “but Barnabas.” When others were afraid, stand-offish, and defensive Barnabas took a risk.

From this scene, I see several other principles from the life of Barnabas.

Barnabas Principle 2: Barnabas people listen to other people’s story.

Barnabas Principle 3: Barnabas people see potential and take risks on people that others don’t.

Barnabas Principle 4: Barnabas people use their own credibility and sphere of influence to launch other people.

As impactful a leader as Paul was, it was Barnabas that launched him.

Let me ask you some questions: Who shared their resources with you? Who took a risk on you? Who listened to your story? Who saw potential in you that others, including maybe even yourself, didn't? Who used their sphere of influence to help launch you?

Who is your Barnabas?


Who do you need to be Barnabas for?

Transformational

I try to read everything I can get my hands on about leadership. I am particularly drawn to books that create a “buzz.” You know, the ones everybody on the plane is reading and everybody at Starbuck’s is talking about.

Several years ago I read a book that was the latest rage on leadership. I think it was the first of many books this author has written on leadership and related topics.

To be honest, I was appalled. Two things jumped out at me as I read the book. First, the author absolutely wore out the “vertical pronoun.” If we had a dollar for every time he used “I,” there would be no recession and no need for a bail out.

The second thing that bothered me was the author’s discussion of capital campaigns and building programs as indicators of his effectiveness and success as a leader.

These are violations of what I think are two of the most important aspects of legacy leadership.

First: Leadership is not about me. It begins with me, but it is not about me. My character, my integrity, and the way I deal with people hopefully make me a leader worth imitating. But my leadership is not about me.

Second: Authentic leadership is transformational. The real measure of a leader’s effectiveness is changed lives. Leadership is not about market share, return on investment, revenue growth, “the bottom line,” the size of the capital campaign, or the square footage and number of buildings on a campus. Those outcomes may occur as an indirect result of lives being changed, but that is not the real measure of a leader’s effectiveness.

Authentic leadership is about being a leader that is worthy of imitation. Authentic leaders seek to create an environment where people can flourish as they become all that God intended them to be.

How do you measure leader effectiveness?

"Sir"

I have never been one for the formality of language. I didn’t say “yes, sir” and “no, ma'am” to my parents when I was a kid. And we didn’t insist that our kids do that with us.

Interestingly, they always did this with other adults.

I know some people think that’s a sign of respect, but I am just not that hung up about it.

I don’t insist that people refer to me as “Doctor” either. In fact my students call me by my first name…even the freshmen call me by my first name. It rankles some of my colleagues who demand that students show respect.

If you want to be respected, you need to be respectable. And if you are, people will respect you. If you have to demand that others respect you, then something’s missing.

This week I ran into a young friend of mine twice. Jeff is twenty years younger than I am. And every time I see him, I am reminded of a conversation we had a few years ago.

We had gone out to eat with Jeff and his wife. The parking lot at Northpark Mall was crowded and we knew we would have to park way out, so we dropped our wives off at the door. As Jeff and I were walking to the restaurant, I said something and Jeff responded, “Yes, sir.”

I said, “Jeff, don’t call me sir. You make me feel old.”

Jeff grinned and said, “You are old, sir.”

Weedy

Springtime has snuck up on me again this year. I am still waiting for winter and the trees are blooming…and so are the weeds!

Fortunately, our yard doesn’t have a lot of weeds growing in it this year. I can’t take credit for that though. I attribute it to our lawn care guys who have been regularly treating our yard for the last two years. They have rehabilitated our yard after I almost destroyed it during my war on crab grass a few years ago.

Yep, I declared war on crabgrass. And I won the war – the crab grass was eliminated - along with significant portions of our entire lawn. It looked like I had adopted a scorched earth strategy in my campaign. It all began with my thought that if a little crabgrass pre-emergent is a good thing, then more would be better. Wrong. It has taken two years to recover from that war.

Seeing the pre-spring condition of our yard and comparing it to some other yards in our neighborhood (You do it too, so don’t shake your finger at me!), I am reminded of gardening expert Neil Sperry’s advice on having a nice lawn:

The best way to prevent weeds is to develop a healthy turf.

After 25 years in leadership positions, I have decided that’s a pretty good leadership principle too. There have been seasons when I spent an inordinate amount of my time and energy trying to pull the weeds in the organizations I was leading. And just like the yard, when you think you have cleaned up one area, another needs your attention. By the time you take care of that area, the first area is all weedy (is that a word?) again. As with the yard, it’s frustrating!

A better way to deal with this is to build a healthy organization to begin with. A good way to do that is to focus on what’s working well. Leverage the positives, grow those, and they will drive out the weeds. It’s difficult for weeds to take root in healthy soil.

Most leaders spend way too much time pulling weeds. Let’s look for ways to strengthen what’s working and build a healthy turf where our teams can flourish.