Jeff was expanding his tree service into a new city. While building his business there, Jeff met Bob, a young competitor. Jeff worked hard to build his business, but rather than trying to crush the competition, Jeff decided to mentor Bob. He even referred work to Bob’s company occasionally. After Jeff died in a tragic accident, Jeff’s son invited Bob ...
For a while, I worked for a banker who had a fierce competitive rivalry with his cousin. There were seasons when the rivalry was more intense due to their personal conflict. My peers started realizing that if they had a loan prospect who was also getting a bid from our rival bank, they could stir up the rivalry to their ...
When we formed an event team in St. Louis years ago, one of the first roles we filled was a Prayer Coordinator. Over the years we’ve experienced intense spiritual battles before events. At our first event our team had some major medical challenges brewing. We began funneling our prayer requests to our prayer team. The power of prayer was incredibly ...
My associate, Mike, and I were trying to find the Skywalk in downtown Des Moines without going outside into the torrential rain. We thought we had succeeded when we saw the S sign over a staircase. But then we discovered that the staircase was closed for construction. Mike asked a nearby construction worker if he knew a way to the ...
Nehemiah, with God’s help, remarkably rebuilt Jerusalem’s walls in only 52 days. For most people it would be a time to celebrate. Instead, Nehemiah had a dream of rebuilding the whole city, not just the walls. But it was going to take the help of the people, money, and resources. Nehemiah realized he needed to involve everyone. Nehemiah 7:5 says, ...
Jack was frustrated that his big plans for his business kept hitting roadblocks. It felt like every time he tried to move in a new direction; he fell backwards. He continually prayed for God to bless his plans, but those prayers weren’t answered as Jack desired. Eventually he asked his Forum group for their counsel. One member gently suggested that ...
In the book of Nehemiah, we learn that Nehemiah’s preceding Governors had placed a heavy burden on the people by demanding onerous taxes and provisions. These leaders seemed motivated by self-interest. Nehemiah had the same taxing rights, but his motives were different. Rather than look to his own self-interest and grow his wealth, Nehemiah showed concern for the people ...
Recently, a new comedy club opened in our neighborhood. An advertisement led me to believe that the show may be family-friendly, so Kathy and I decided to give it a try. We were sorely disappointed. A small crowd had to experience vulgar and very offensive dialogue that left us disgusted. In contrast, my daughter gave me tickets to a Nate ...
While in college, I dreamed of taking a spring break trip to Texas but had no money. But then a man ran a red light and smashed into my car, resulting in me receiving an unexpected check! I had a decision to make: Do I repair my car, or, do I choose a week of adventure with my friends. ...
In this series, we’re talking about leadership lessons I learned from banking. One bank I examined had a bank president named Ken. While reviewing a past due loan report, I was surprised to discover a large loan that was one year past due but not listed on their problem loan list. When I asked Ken about it, he said he ...
Equipping Others to Do Work Differently
