A Wise Man Once Said…

Once a year the Connect team takes a trip to a conference.  Not to network or to present Connect but simply to receive, Sabbath, learn, digest, process, laugh, eat, study the Bible and be together as a team.  This year (as is custom) our trip was to the Catalyst Conference.  Andy Stanley was simply profound, Dave Ramsey was passionate, Francis Chan was Christ-centered, Louie finished with a grand slam, Matt Chandler presented the entire story of God and the list goes on and on.  The young generation of speakers did not disappoint and it was a privilege to hear the word of the Lord from them.

But the moment that probably stood out the most to me was from the oldest speaker to stand on the stage, Chuck Swindoll.  After receiving Catalyst’s version of the lifetime achievement award, with great humor and power he shared with over 12,000 attendees.  Amongst much of his great content he shared the following list of what he has discovered in 50 years of ministry.  Its goes like this:

1. It’s lonely to lead.
2. It’s dangerous to succeed.
3. It’s hardest at home.
4. It’s essential to be real.
5. It’s painful to obey.
6. Brokenness and failure are necessary.
7. My attitude is more important than my actions.
8. Integrity eclipses image.
9. God’s way is better than my way.
10. Christ likeness begins and ends with humility.

Sit on it.  Let it sink in.  Be reminded that our fathers in the faith remain profound and experientially wise.  Which of the 10 is most convicting for you in this season of your journey?

When efficiency is absent…

During Connect Ministries recent relocation from Tennessee to Georgia, I have had the unique opportunity to work with many different organizations while setting up bank accounts, utilities, changing driver’s license, switching car tags, etc. This is what has been very obvious throughout this entire process, when efficiency is not present everyone gets frustrated.

What I have observed is…employees are often forced into inefficient models simply because leaders in the organization are unwilling to allow those on the front line of customer service to make the decisions necessary to ensure an efficient process. Have you ever had someone say to you (I did recently)…” I am sorry…but my boss says we have to do it this way…I know this is frustrating…I have tried to change this but…” This is one sign of an out-of-touch-leader.

What is the result of inefficient organizations? Employees get burned out, customers leave, tension develops in the organization, confidence in leadership drops, questions arise throughout the organizations, profits drop, employees work twice has hard to accomplish simple task–and the list could continue. In short, people stop connecting…

Leaders must listen. They must listen to those who are “touching” the systems. Leaders must create a culture that thrives on the evaluating processes. This is the first step to injecting your organization with efficiency. Connect!