Padawan

“Carve your name on hearts, not tombstones. A legacy is etched into the minds of others and the stories they share about you.”

~ Shannon L. Alder

“Those things, which ye have both learned, and received, and heard, and seen in me, do: and the God of peace shall be with you.” Philippians 4:9 (KJV)

“And the things that thou hast heard of me among many witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also.” 2 Timothy 2:2 (KJV)

MULTIPLICATION

Multiplication is just a very fast and efficient form of addition. If you want to leave your mark in life, this is one math fact which you will want to embrace, because multiplication is the best way to ensure your legacy. It is though the lives of others you invest in as a mentor, that you can have your greatest impact.

We sometimes call a person being mentored - a disciple. A disciple is a person who follows a leader and they do something more; a disciple reproduces themself in the lives of others who come after them. So we have two important aspects of discipleship; copy and multiply. These two ideas can change your life and even change the world! If you don’t multiply your beliefs, practices and experience in the lives of others, they will soon be lost.

Do you remember the Star Wars movies? They tell about a religious sect called the Jedi who had a very strict system of training their understudies called "Padawans." Their whole plan went wrong when they failed to properly mentor and govern one from among their own ranks and he became their nemesis. Darth Vader was a disciple … but of the wrong leader. He became the Dark Lord of the universe as a direct result of ineffective discipleship by the Jedi. I am not saying that if you do not properly disciple those under you, they will bring the universe to ruin - but it is something to think about. What could you be doing right now to properly guide those who look to you for leadership?

The philosophy of reproducing ourself through others relates to raising our children as well as training our employees and the impact we have on any others who may be looking to us for leadership. It is a universal truth that we will reap what we have sown.

I have been blessed to have a series of great men who have invested in my life to guide me when I needed it. It has not always been easy to receive their input but because the relationships were built on love and trust, there was a solid foundation making it easier. We all need to be looking around us for someone we can invest in and for someone to invest in us – it flows both ways. I never met a successful leader who did not have a series of mentors helping them and I never met a wise man who did not seek to mentor others. The choice is yours to take this admonition seriously; copy and multiply. That is the best way any of us can leave a lasting legacy and assure our long-term success.

Essential Insight – “Multiplication is the only math that really adds up.”

Expectations

This picture came to my inbox today and got me thinking about “Expectations.” I once saw an interview of Warren Buffet and his longtime partner (who no one has ever heard of) Charlie Munger. The question was asked of them how they got along so well for so many years? They glanced at each other and without hesitation Charlie said,” We have very low expectations of one another.” Wow! There is an insight that everyone needs to understand!

As we approach Christmas, what does this truth mean to us? First it means that God has low expectations of you and me. When God became a man (Jesus Christ), he was willing to sacrifice everything and humble himself in the hope that we would respond to his free gift of love but he had no assurance we would. He had high hopes but low expectations of our desire to reconnect with him as our savior and creator. He gives with no expectation of a return on his investment. He even offers to pay the price of our admission to heaven for free. All we need to do is believe in him.

Secondly, we need to lower our expectations of God. Not because he cannot deliver but because when he does deliver it is always out of love and not because we demand it. We also need to understand that as God, he knows best and therefore does not give us everything we expect or even want because it would undoubtedly ruin our lives. We give ourselves to God with no expectation of what he will do with our life. We simply know that he has our best at heart.

Thirdly, we will get along better with others if we lower our expectations of them. Not only are you imperfect but so is everyone else. Let’s stop judging others by our own standards. That does not mean we expect nothing but let’s realize that there is a lot more going on than we realize and we need to be as generous as possible in expressing our judgment of others. We can afford to lower our expectations of others and it will reap large dividends.

When God became a man over 2000 years ago and lived among us, he gave up all his Kingly prerogatives to show us how much he loved us. In this Christmas Season are you willing to follow his example? This is the secret to a long-lasting relationship with God and others.

“For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.” Luke 2:11-12 King James Version (KJV)

The Great Escape

“I like to listen. I have learned a great deal from listening carefully. Most people never listen.” - Ernest Hemingway

A leader knows that being a good listener can lead to opportunities to speak words which may powerfully affect other’s lives…and there is always the chance that he might learn something too!

One memory stuck in my mind is of meeting the famous Hollywood leading man, Steve McQueen. I first spied him sitting in the front balcony row of a California church drinking up the speaker’s every word, as he carefully followed along in his own well-worn Bible.

This story had its beginning months earlier. You see Steve had a love for vintage aircraft and to learn to fly his plane, he hired a very gifted flight instructor who was a man of few words. Over the weeks Steve and his instructor spent a lot of time together in the cockpit of his plane. During that time Steve noticed something different about his instructor - so he asked him what it was. Until then, the older instructor had mostly listened to Steve and only dropped in an occasional word of wisdom. But after weeks of patiently listening, he had earned the privilege of saying something very important - so he answered as best he could. That day Steve McQueen found some answers to his quest for personal meaning through the well-placed words of a good listener.

Like a lot of us, for many years Steve thought he had all the answers and was not seeking guidance from anyone. But because a wise man had been a patient listener, his heart changed and he was transformed into an absorbent sponge ready to soak up any advice that might bring more meaning to his life.

You may be familiar with one of the memorable roles McQueen played on the silver screen in The Great Escape. In that movie, he portrayed a soldier trying to get back to safety by motorcycle from behind enemy lines in his escape from a prison camp. In real life, Steve McQueen escaped his prison of hopelessness and futility because someone took the time to listen to him. This quiet listening leader helped Steve to escape the barbed-wire entanglement of frustration which had ensnared him for so long.

A mere two years later, with his body eaten up by incurable cancer, Steve was found dead laying on his bed with a Bible opened on his chest. Because of a good listener, Steve had discovered the inner peace he had been searching for.

“Learn to listen and discover life.”

The Last One to Let You Down

“But friendship is precious; not only in the shade, but in the sunshine of life, and thanks to a benevolent arrangement the greater part of life is sunshine.” - Thomas Jefferson

Former Senator Sam Nunn from Georgia was a wonderful gentleman and a strong leader. In his coat pocket, he always carried a very small leather-bound New Testament which he had received years ago from his special friend, Billy Graham. Mr. Graham was not just a public figure, he was a man on a mission and it positively affected everyone who encountered him. Now that is true friendship; to leave a spiritual impact on those around us! What kind of impact have you had on your friends? What kind of impact have your friends had on you?

When I was in my late 20’s and just starting out in my career, an older wiser man invited me out to lunch because he wanted to have a straight talk with me. He had observed some dangerous tendencies in my life and was willing to point them out to me as a friend. I was surprised and crushed by his words at the same time. From my vantage point, everything he thought he was seeing in me was wrong and I was an innocent person. Oh, really?! In the coming days, weeks and even years, I came to see the truth of some of his observations and at the very least, the danger of appearing to have some bad attitudes by the way I behaved.

That old man remained my faithful friend to the day he died not long ago and his words still help me. But I have had the other sort of friend too. Those who have not stood by me in need and some who were of bad character and dragged me down by their defective world view. Be very careful of the friends you choose. They have a dramatic impact on how you interpret life and the choices you make. The same can be said of business associates, partners, your spouse and anyone else you let into your life. If we choose foolish people to share our world we will end up as a fool our self.

We all need at least 6 good friends because that’s how many men it will take to
carry our casket to the grave. Quite literally, your friends should be the last to let you down.

“Choose your friends carefully.”

Give or Take?

In almost 35 years of experience in the workplace, I have found that it is unusual to find businesses or individuals who give as much as they take. It is understandable that this occurs since we are all scrambling for resources, especially in this current economic environment, but the result will be to brand ourselves as “takers” and not “givers.”

It is far too easy to slip into a mindset of being the only one who has needs and to justify our attitude by the fact that we are doing something important.

To combat this sense of selfishness, I have made it a deliberate goal to give back as often as I can. I attempt to do this, not necessarily in kind, but from what I have. For example, if I am raising money, it is not necessary for me to give the donor an expensive gift in appreciation. But I can invest in them by helping in their personal journey through giving my time and being a genuine and caring friend. If I can help by offering advice or just a listening ear, I try to do so. I proactively seek opportunities to invest in the lives of others; not just selling advice as a consultant but to extend myself to those with whom I interact.

Here are 10 things you can give a friend that won’t cost you a cent!

1. Your heart – everyone needs at least 6 friends to carry them to their grave.
2. Your eyes – honestly tell them what you see from your perspective.
3. Yours hands – maybe you can do them a favor in a time of need.
4. Your ears – listen to them and demonstrate your care for them.
5. Your feet – “go with them” and walk a mile in their shoes.
6. Your nose – tell them what “stinks” if your intuition tells you something smells bad.
7. Your mouth – encouraging words and words of support will go a long way.
8. Your back – there may be a time to withdraw your support if they are in the wrong.
9. Your prayers – talk to God about them and let them know you are doing it.
10. Your experience – don’t let them waste their time learning something you already know.

"Try being a giver as an expression of gratitude for all that you have received and you will be amazed how it blesses you in return"