Hindsight can be a humbling critic. At year end there are typically some economists and political futurists who reflect on how well their predictions for the year faired. I admire those who are willing to admit when their predictions fall short. Many business leaders also speak publicly about their beliefs on the future of their industry or their business. When ...
Our small group at church was discussing a bible study developed by our senior pastor. In this study, the pastor shared openly of some of his personal struggles. Several in my small group expressed their appreciation for our pastor’s transparency. His vulnerability led to our group members sharing more openly about their own struggles. Transparency in leadership is a powerful ...
In the movie, “The Boys in the Boat,” the University of Washington junior varsity rowing team was struggling. Their coach was perplexed as to why his team was straining to live up to their potential. As the coach pondered each team member’s value to the team, he wondered if some of them needed to be replaced. But the boat maker ...
A challenging decision for any entrepreneur is knowing if, and when, to close a business. One consideration often overlooked is comparing your future opportunities to your current situation. Tim started a technology business that wasn’t meeting original expectations. When Tim considered his talents, resources, and other business opportunities and contrasted them with his current business and its diminished prospects, ...
My friend, Ray, is a senior executive in a national firm that relies heavily on hiring new college graduates. Ray shared that the pay and promotion expectations of these younger workers sometimes seem unreasonable. But since this next generation is critical to his workforce, Ray’s firm had to find solutions. By studying the problem, they came up with a creative ...
Author, Bob Shank, shared his thoughts on succession planning with a group of Kansas City leaders recently. Bob stated that our choices include lingering, committing larceny, or leaving a legacy. Today let’s discuss larceny. One of the FBI definitions for larceny is, “the stealing of any property or article that is not taken by force and violence or by ...
Bob Shank, The Barnabas Group co-founder, shared with me and a group of leaders about succession planning recently. Bob said that succession choices include lingering, committing larceny, or leaving a legacy. In this series we’ll discuss all three beginning with lingering. A friend of mine is retiring earlier than he originally intended. When asked why, my friend said he didn’t ...
A CEO with vision can accomplish far more than just sell products by leveraging their influence. An effort called Giving Tuesday is an opportunity for businesses that truly care for their community’s well-being to leverage their influence. Simple ideas like matching any donations your employees make on Giving Tuesday or allocating a percentage of your revenue to charity can make ...
Early in my ministry, I sat next to Frank at a generosity event. We were asked to pretend that we had just been given $100,000, and to make a list of charities and the amounts we would support. After looking at my list, Frank noted, “Rick, you didn’t list the ministry you lead.” Frank continued, “Could it be that you ...
In this series, we’re discussing the phases Joshua navigated to address sin in his camp. The first phase was a proactive warning to employees. Even after the warning, someone will sin and there will be consequences, which becomes phase two. Years ago, I served on a ministry board. This ministry was highly unproductive, and the board could sense something was ...
Equipping Others to Do Work Differently
