One generous partner to this ministry mentioned that he supported many efforts, but that he had other passions higher on his priority list than ours. Although I heard him, I pushed him to increase his giving. This generous businessman was offended and chose to pause further support. Upon reflection, I realized I hadn’t reallylistened and honored his words. I offered ...
Brad is a CFO who believed that his CEO was being deceptive with an investor. Brad believed that since the projections for the project didn’t materialize as planned that the CEO was deceiving the investor. After listening, I suspected that Brad’s CEO was a big picture person that just viewed it as a missed estimate. While Brad’s rigid outlook assumed ...
In politics, sports, or business, many tend to think God is either with our side or against us. In business, when we’re competing to land a big sale or contract, we may assume God wants us to win just because we are one of His children. In Joshua 5, Joshua saw an angel. Joshua asked the angel if he was ...
Stan’s a friend who pastors an urban church. Stan told me a story recently. Stan’s stepfather was very abusive. When Stan’s brother terrorized or abused Stan, rather than seek his stepfathers help, Stan learned it was safer to manage the situation personally. Stan claims that many in the black community feel the same way about police. To many, the police ...
After 9-11 in 2001, our friend, Denise, said her kids had lots of questions about the Muslim faith. Her children had several classmates who were Muslim, and Denise had become friends with some of the mothers. Instead of presuming she knew the answers, Denise invited her children’s classmates, including their mothers, to her home. Denise asked the Muslim mothers, “My ...
Everyone has likely met a know-it-all at some time in their work life. A know-it-all is that person who no matter what the subject, they always seem to have an opinion. They feel they are the final authority on every subject, and they leave no room for debate. The backlash of being a know-it-all, however, is that by proclaiming you ...
Psychology Today published an article titled, “Are you really listening, or just waiting to talk?” In this article the researcher states, “Only about 10 percent of us listen effectively.” The researcher also notes that there is a difference between hearing and listening. “Hearing is a physiological act; listening involves our ability to unpack the meaning of words, and the silences in ...
Most organizations have a resident know-it-all. This person believes he has an expertise in just about everything. Managing this personality type can be tricky to navigate. Yet, the pressure to climb the ladder can impose a skewed belief system that in order to make it to the next rung, one must appear to know-it-all. Being a know-it-all comes with a ...
Coach John Wooden said, “being an effective leader requires being an effective listener.” When we take on a leadership role, we often suppose we were put in charge to speak, not to listen. However, as Mr. Wooden informs us, listening to those around us is our most critical leadership tool. As we listen, we gain insight into the ideas, hearts ...
Equipping Others to Do Work Differently
