Month: March 2021

Five Ways to Grow into Our Calling

Modern boss using laptop and smart phone at home, portrait.

Most people work to make a living, but for some, the work is a calling that drives them to both do more and be more. A job is only something that is listed on a resume, but a calling, once we find it, is something we pursue heartily because it resonates in our soul. The most important question we will ever ask is “why.” Why am I here? Why do I exist? Why was I created? Asking lots of why questions leads us to our life’s calling. Understanding our calling is critical to finding a career that gives our work life meaning. Without a calling, a job is just work. When we find a calling, it engages the core of our being and drives us to fulfill our goals and dreams.

What we choose to BE is a vocation. What we choose to BECOME is a calling.

I do not believe for a moment that happiness in life is determined by the forty-plus hours we spend at work each week or by the paycheck we bring home. In fact, after thirty-seven years in the workforce, I am certain it is not. They are only pieces of a much bigger picture. Hopefully, our lives are full of purpose, passion and people who fulfill our hearts, dreams and desires. Our professions are the vocational fulfillment of our calling. They are doing the very thing God made us for. However, for most people, making a living is a necessity, and if we are struggling to make one or confused about our calling, it will negatively impact all the other areas of our lives.

Like any other passion in our lives, work must be nurtured and cultivated, or we will be in danger of losing our love for it. Few people would ever claim that work is the most important priority in life. However, it is the way we provide for ourselves and our families and contribute to the marketplace and our communities.

In the corner of my screened in porch stands a Ficus tree. It’s in a corner where it soaks in the rays of the sun. I noticed how it had grown in recent weeks by stretching its branches and leaning toward the window to take advantage of both the sun and humidity. The infusion of sun and moisture had caused this beautiful plant to grow upward.

There is something so satisfying about seeing a living thing grow and be healthy, stretching out to absorb that which nurtures it. The image caused me to pause in my morning quiet time and ask myself a question.

Am I growing up?

That may sound like a very silly question at my age. Of course, I am growing up, right? Not necessarily. We all grow older, but we don’t all grow up.

Think back to when you were little and finished the familiar sentence, “When I grow up, I want to be…” I assume that most people, like me, completed that sentence with something they wanted to be rather than someone they wanted to become. Choosing something to be and choosing someone to become are two very different things. “I want to be a firefighter” is very different from “I want to be a mature, wise, kind and generous person.” What we choose to BE is a vocation. What we choose to BECOME is a calling.

Like the Ficus tree on my porch, growing up requires us to stretch and yearn for the things that nurture us. If we stop growing up, we just grow old, and we’ll begin to wither just like the plant would without sunlight and humidity.

If we have been called to lead others, it is imperative that we continually grow up, and it is quite obvious that the more we grow up, the better we will lead.

 

What nurtures a leader to grow up? How can we grow as emerging leaders?
  • Envision the person you want to become. True leaders don’t focus on a title or a role; instead, they focus on the kind of person they need to be to best lead. They identify the character qualities they need and want to develop and accept that the titles and position will follow.
  • Nurture your soul. Leaders focused on becoming the person they were destined to be will do the hard “soul work” of developing their self-image. Great leaders have self-awareness and self-confidence that comes from a deep understanding of themselves.
  • Develop your mind. Reading, studying, learning from other leaders and taking on stretching assignments keep a leader’s mind engaged and sharp.
  • Invest in others. The old saying that you learn what you teach is true. Investing in others is certainly important to preparing the next generation of leaders, but it also gives leaders the opportunity to reflect, repeat and reinforce the principles they know to be true. This practice not only grows others but also grows leaders.
  • Take care of yourself. If leaders completely deplete themselves of energy, they cannot be effective. An important skill of a leader is the ability to rest mind and body, allowing themselves to refresh and have more to give to those they lead. Leadership is a lifelong journey, and to go the distance, they must take care of their bodies, minds and hearts. For all the drive, initiative and ambition that fills a leader’s day, there must be equal opportunity to play, relax and rest. It creates the rhythm that allows them to go the distance.

Growing into our calling and leading from it propels us to the work we have been made to do.

Dwell for a little longer on the question, do you want to grow up or just grow old? If you want to grow up, consider how you can incorporate these five actions into your lifestyle. If you have drifted from your original vision, revisit these ideas. Growing up sounds like a much better option than simply growing old. Growing into our calling and leading from it propels us to the work we have been made to do.

Ep 086: Liz Wiseman on The Multiplier Effect

Liz Wiseman on The Global Leadership Podcast

SUMMARY:

What kind of leader gets the most out of people? In this engaging talk from the 2013 Global Leadership Summit, best-selling author and CEO, Liz Wiseman, talks about the characteristics of “Multipliers” (leaders who empower and release others), and “Diminishers” (leaders who limit and restrict the potential of those they lead). Wiseman also shares subtle ways leaders function as “accidental diminishers,” and the most practical shift we can make in order to start becoming a better Multiplier.

 

KEY TAKEAWAYS:

      • We have latent, unused intelligence all around us. There is more intelligence in our organizations and teams than we can see, and there’s more than what we are putting to use.

       

      • A “multiplier” uses their intelligence, gifts and abilities to amplify, magnify and multiply the capability of people around them.

       

      • When you lead like a multiplier, people around you do their best work. They become smarter and more capable.

       

      • A Multiplier believes that people are smart, and that they will figure it out. A Diminisher believes that no one will figure it out without them.

       

      Diminishers Multipliers
      What do they see? People won’t figure it out without me. People are smart and will figure it out.
      What do they do?
      – How do they manage talent? Empire Builder Talent Magnet
      – What kind of environments do they create? Tyrant Liberator
      – How do they set direction? Know-It-All Challenger
      – How do they make decisions? Decision Maker Debate Maker
      – How do they execute? Micromanager Investor
      How much capability do they get out of people? 48% 95%

       

       

      • People find working for a Multiplier to be exhausting, but exhilarating; hard but fun.

       

      • “Accidental Diminishers” are good leaders who are well-trained, have good intentions, but are still diminishing people through subtle, but diminishing, behaviors.

       

      • Idea Guy: “My ideas will spark creativity in others.”
      • Always-On: “My energy will be contagious.”
      • Rescuer: “I must ensure peope are successful.”
      • Pacesetter: “If I set the standard, others will follow.”
      • Rapid Responder: “My fast decisions will keep us moving quickly.”
      • Optimist: “With the right attitude, we can do this!”

 

  • Having any of these tendencies does not necessarily make you a Diminisher, but it does mean that you’re potentially vulnerable.

 

  • If you want to immediately start becoming more of a Multiplier, stop explaining things to your team (or your family), and instead start asking questions.

 

  • Don’t lead like a genius; lead like a genius-maker.

 

 

REFLECTION QUESTIONS:

1. Have you encountered a “Diminisher” in your work life? What did they do?

  • How much intelligence, or your overall capabilities, did they get out of you (0-100)?

 

 

2.  What about the Multipliers you’ve encountered? What did they do?

  • How much intelligence, or your overall capabilities, did they get out of you (0-100)?

 

 

3.  Liz lays out what Diminishers and Multipliers see in their teams, and also some of the key ways that they Diminish or Multiply their team.

 

  • Have you ever been on a team (or do you find yourself now) that’s been led by a Diminisher? How did it feel?
  • How about a Multiplier? How did that feel?
  • As a leader, where do you find yourself on her list of behaviors and perspectives?

 

 

4. Liz says that we can aspire to be great leaders but still be shutting down smart, capable people through six different “Accidental Diminisher” roles (The Idea Guy, The Always-On, The Rescuer, The Pace-Setter, The Rapid Responder, and The Optimist).

  • Can you connect any of these identities with your own leadership style and activities?
  • What practical steps might you take do reduce your Diminisher activities and instead take steps towards being more of a Multiplier for your team?

 

RELATED LINKS:

The Wiseman Group

Multipliers, Revised and Updated: How the Best Leaders Make Everyone Smarter

Man on Wire (movie)

The Global Leadership Summit

The Global Leadership Network

 

 

GLS21 Faculty Highlights in Honor of Women’s History Month

Now Revealing Three GLS21 Faculty Sure to Equip, Encourage and Inspire You
In honor of Women’s History Month, we want to highlight some of the world-class faculty for the premier leadership event of 2021. At The Global Leadership Summit on August 5-6, get ready to learn from these incredible women who will bring their expertise and practical leadership insight from the world of business, ministry, science, design, economics, psychology and more.

 

Juliet FuntJuliet Funt is the CEO and founder of WhiteSpace at Work, a training and consulting firm helping organizations, their leaders and employees reclaim their creativity, productivity and engagement. With thought-provoking insights and actionable tools, she has become a globally-recognized expert in helping leaders cope with the “age of overload” in which we all live and work. A warrior against reactive busyness and a force for change in organizations around the world, Funt teaches a streamlined method for personal process improvement that reduces complexity in the workplace. Teams that incorporate a WhiteSpace mindset and skill set increase creativity and engagement, reclaim lost capacity and execute at their finest. Her clients include a number of Fortune 100 companies and span a wide array of industries, from financial services to technology, manufacturing to the military. Funt’s new book, A Minute to Think, releases at the 2021 Summit.

 

Dr. Francesca GinoDr. Francesca Gino is a professor in the Negotiation, Organizations & Markets Unit at Harvard Business School recognized for her award-winning research and teaching on how to have more productive, creative and fulfilling lives. Dr. Gino has a diverse expertise on the psychology of organizations. She is a sought-after consultant and speaker—some of her clients include Disney, Goldman Sachs, Honeywell, Novartis, P&G, as well as the U.S. Military. Dr. Gino’s research has been featured in The Wallstreet Journal, The Economist, Harvard Business Review, Financial Times, The New York Times, Newsweek, National Public Radio, Scientific American and Psychology Today. She has been honored as one of the world’s Top 40 Business Professors under 40 and one of the world’s 50 most influential management thinkers by Thinkers50. In Dr. Gino’s latest book, Rebel Talent, she shares her research behind why it pays to break the rules at work and in life.

 

Michelle PolerWhen Michelle Poler, Venezuelan native, art director and branding strategist, decided to start a project to overcome her own personal fears, she didn’t expect it to go viral—100 Days Without Fear caught the attention of the Today Show, Forbes, CBS, CNN, Huffington Post, Buzzfeed, Fox News, Telemundo, Glamour, Elle, The Rachael Ray Show, Refinery29 and Daily Mail among many others. Gaining an audience captivated by her passion, bravery, creativity, humor and practical life-changing advice, Poler founded Hello Fears, a social movement reaching more than 70 million people worldwide, empowering them to step outside their comfort zone and tap into their full potential. She is a sought-after keynote speaker, having spoken for TEDx, Google, Yum Brands, Facebook, Wells Fargo, ESPN, Netflix, Procter & Gamble, Microsoft, Toyota and many more. Poler is the author of, Hello, Fears: Crush Your Comfort Zone and Become Who You’re Meant to Be, which helps people be their best selves and focus on the best possible outcomes.

 

Ibukun AwosikaOver the course of her career, Ibukun Awosika has had the honor of influencing Nigeria’s economic growth by chairing a number of influential corporate and nonprofit boards. She is Founder and CEO of a group of manufacturing, retail and bank-way security system companies; as well as, Chairman of First Bank of Nigeria Limited, the country’s premier banking brand. Globally recognized, she has received multiple awards, including the 2020 Forbes “Woman Africa Chairperson” award, and was also the first Nigerian recipient of the prestigious “International Women Entrepreneurial Challenge” award in 2008.  Through her projects, Ibukun champions entrepreneurs, empowers women and youth and supports missionaries who provide medical and educational supplies to those in need.

 

Bianca Juarez OlthoffBianca Juarez Olthoff understands the power of words and is known to wield them wisely to help people navigate life, live significantly and connect in community. As both a pastor and author who has been in ministry for more than 20 years, she inspires people to live with passion. Her leadership at The Father’s House Orange County has allowed her church to reach people all over the world. As the founder and president of the nonprofit, In The Name of Love, she is committed to serving the incarcerated and equipping them to discover freedom despite their surroundings. Olthoff describes herself as a passionate, Jesus-loving, Bible-teaching, book-writing MexiRican. Experience her energy in her best-selling book, Play with Fire and her most recent book, How to Have Your Life Not Suck: Becoming Today Who You Want to Be Tomorrow, which explores how to win at work and navigate through life’s many decisions.

Stay tuned for announcements about the incredible women we’re adding to the lineup!

 

For your chance to hear from this incredible lineup (and some great men too!), get your tickets today at GlobalLeadership.org/Summit. Access super early bird rates when you buy before May 18th and save up to $60 per ticket when you by two or more!

FREE Online Event For Church Leaders—Join Us March 18 for Church Now | Church Next

Join the Church Now Church Next on March 18th.

Pastors and church leaders are facing some of the most unexpected and difficult circumstances in our most recent history. The way our churches operate and lead has been turned upside down, but there is still reason to hold onto hope. So, let’s come together to understand where we’ve come up to now, and how to forge ahead together with optimism and hope for what God has in store for His Church next.

Hosted by Craig Groeschel, Life.Church and the Global Leadership Network are partnering together to welcome you to join us FREE online Thursday, March 18th for Church Now | Church Next.

Hear from Craig Groeschel, Dr. Henry Cloud, Michael Todd and a team of pastors from Life.Church—Melody Dixon, Sam Adams Marin and Tome Dawson. This incredible faculty will be addressing some of the most foundational questions about what we’re facing in leading the Church today and into the future. If you are a church leader in any capacity, this event has been designed especially for you to give you hope and clarity in this season.

The topics that will be covered during this event include:

  • Boosting Your Leadership Health, featuring Dr. Henry Cloud
  • Taking Digital Ground & Changing Lives, featuring Michael Todd
  • Five Reasons to be More Optimistic than Ever, featuring Craig Groeschel
  • Exploring the Future of Gatherings, featuring a Life.Church pastors panel

Not only will you be able to experience the encouraging insight and wisdom from this great faculty, but there will also be opportunity to come together online with pastors and church leaders from all over the country for worship lead by Life.Church Worship.

Mark your calendars for March18th and sign up FREE today at GlobalLeadership.org/ChurchNext.

Rehab Center in Vietnam Expands to 19 Locations Because of the Summit

GLS audience singing in Vietnam

The Global Leadership Summit started in Vietnam 10 years ago and has since expanded to cities all over the country with thousands of attendees. Many lives have been changed as a result of the Summit in Vietnam, and today we want to highlight just one of those stories.

Watch what happened in the lives of Trinh and Trung who experienced the Summit and were propelled forward in their purpose to serve those afflicted with drug addiction. Because of the leadership skills they’ve gained, they now have 19 rehab centers across Vietnam.

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“The Global Leadership Summit changed me,” said Trinh, GLS champion in Vietnam. “It changed our ministry and it can change Vietnam. It has brought church denominations together so we can learn and grow from one another. I’m so happy we have a chance to show the love and power of God to one another, understanding strength is not in fists, but in God’s love and standing together.”

To learn more about how you can be involved with expanding the GLS both in the United States and around the world, go to GlobalLeadership.org/Give.

Risky Business

Investors sit around a conference table figuring out their next steps in partnerships.

Would you describe yourself more as a risk-taker or risk adverse?

If you’re a leader, I hope you’re not afraid to take some risks this year. A simple definition of leadership I like is “Leaders Go First.” To go first means to take a risk. To step out on ground that hasn’t been tested before. To be willing to look foolish if it doesn’t work out, but to make a way for others to follow you.

By personality, I would be the one who prefers to wade into the water from the shallows, rather than jump right in off the diving board. I want to watch a few others go off the ski jump before I try it out. But as a leader, I don’t always have that luxury. People are waiting for me as a leader to go first, test it out, and then they’ll follow.

People are waiting for me as a leader to go first, test it out, and then they’ll follow.

 

There are a few basic reasons you might avoid risks:

1. You don’t have all the information

You prefer to take calculated risks, so you need time to calculate and consider all the options. You want more information, research, skills and examples of others being successful in order for you to take the jump.

 

2. You may look foolish if you fail

Nobody likes to feel like a failure or embarrass themselves publicly. Some people’s opinions really matter, and it feels too damaging to potentially lose face with them.

 

3. You don’t believe the potential reward is worth the risk

There’s a common expression, “High Risk, High Reward.” But sometimes the level of risk is not outweighed by the reward—each of us has a threshold for how much we are willing to bet in order to potentially win big. A certain percent of revenue. A degree of physical safety. Our loved ones’ stability.

 

4. You may harm others or lead them astray

If you’re a leader, risks you take might affect others around you, like employees, shareholders, community groups or your family. You recognize your risk isn’t just about you and that’s a good thing! This will keep you from selfish risk-taking.

So, if you lean risk-adverse or risk-avoidant, you’re not alone. There is a lot of logic behind this based on the harm it may cause various aspects of your life. Not all risks are good risks.

As was famously said to the hero and leader in JRR Tolkien’s ​Lord of the Rings​ Trilogy, ​“It’s a dangerous business, Frodo, going out your door. You step onto the road, and if you don’t keep your feet, there’s no knowing where you might be swept off to.”

Just like Frodo, as a leader you must go first. It’s the burden and privilege of leadership. But take courage, there are good reasons to take risk!

 

Reasons you should take more risks:

1. You’ll never have all the information, but you can make calculated risks

Gathering information is wise before taking a risk. But there’s always going to be some element that we do not know or can’t predict. It wouldn’t be a risk if we had control of every possible outcome. Get the basic information about the road ahead, do your research, ask for advice from others and learn from their mistakes as well as your own. In this way you can take a calculated risk and understand what you may stand to gain or lose.

 

2. Most people’s opinions don’t matter

The list of people whose opinions of us really matter in life is quite short. Your spouse, parents, children…maybe a few other friends. The list of people we are trying to impress with our success, money, intelligence and titles is much longer, but in the big picture their determination of if we are a success isn’t going to matter. Recognize the level of risk you’re taking and if it might harm relationships with your closest stakeholders, or if you’re trying to avoid failing in front of an anonymous crowd. Take the risk and your loved ones will be there win or lose.

 

3. There is great reward from risks taken

Being the first to the moon, first to market with a product, or first to blaze a trail will often come with notoriety, wealth and influence in your industry. People will come to you in the future to teach them how to do what you’ve done, and if successful, your ideas will spread. But more than that, studies show taking risks is actually good for the brain. The ScienceDaily Journal, in an article entitled reports, ​”Daring and risk-willingness activate and challenge the brain’s capacity and contribute towards learning, coping strategies and development.” In short, the study shows that risk-takers are smarter.

“Daring and risk-willingness activate and challenge the brain’s capacity and contribute towards learning, coping strategies and development.”

 

4. You can empower others and enrich their lives

The joy of leadership is empowering others. When you take a risk, it invites others to do the same, to reach out to new heights never before imagined, to solve unsolvable problems, and to work towards the betterment of other people. Our risks can make other people’s lives better. Many cannot afford to take risks themselves, or don’t have the skillset you have. When you take risks, it serves others who come after you and can make their lives better.

Invent that solution. Write the words someone needs to hear you say. Create that program. Give your money to that cause. Serve others without it being returned to you.

Today, you are the youngest you will ever be, and also have more life experience than you’ve ever had before. So, what are you waiting for?

 

Reference: SINTEF. “Risk-takers are smarter, according to a new study.” ScienceDaily. www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2015/11/151130113545.htm (accessed January 9, 2021).