In-the-Box Thinking

The purpose is to stimulate my creativity 

from within, not construct from without 

- Paul Martinelli 

Thinking-in-the-box releases me from thinking I need to come up with new stuff. I believe the ideas, and what-it-takes-to-get-it-done is already inside me. Behavioral scientists say we only use a fraction of our abilities. Yes, maybe I need a bit of the stimulus I get by reading books, listening to speakers, seeking counsel, having good conversations, but I want to reconstruct and build on what God's given me.

I don't want to open that box up in front of St. Peter and find all the things God had in store for me that I didn't receive because I spent so much time piling unnecessary stuff on top of it.

Think-in-the-box and let me know if it frees you up just a bit, if your creativity expands.

To that end....have a great day!

Repeat Well, and Simply Lead

Leading Slow, but Steady

After talking to a group of men once about living one day-at-a-time, one gentleman came up to me and said "I'm sorry, but sometimes that's just too long."

Here's to just putting one foot in front of another and accepting our daily bread.

To that end....

Leading, Influence and Control


Daily we all influence and through this influence, we in turn lead others. Not always, but normally.



Example: years ago, in around 1980, I was with a group of people and one them was women 8 month's pregnant. When the waitress came to ask for orders, the pregnant woman orders a beer. The waitress takes everyone's order and walks off. A few minutes later, she comes back a let's everyone know that she does not agree with the pregnant woman's choice to drink while pregnant and that another waitress, who feels it is not her place to make such a "judgement," will be taking over the table.



Now, let's take a look at all the influencing that took place during this 5 minutes and what it led to.



obviously there was the influencing by the pregnant woman's choice to order a beer

there had been other influences in the waitress' life that led her to be influenced to voice her opinion and not just give up the table to another waitress because of those past influences that led her to the convictions to begin with

the waitress was influenced by the pregnant woman to give up her table, thus, her tip from a large group of people

the new waitress was influenced

others at the table were influenced to discuss and even verbally express judgement on and ridicule the 1st waitress

at least one person, me, was influenced enough by the 1st waitress to remember 25+ years later the event. I had never considered, up until then, the dangers drinking brought to an unborn fetus. Those thoughts and concerns were not part of my thought patterns at that time in my life, but yet, I'm influenced by the actions of another with such an exchange of words and actions.

Now, replace the word influence with lead.

In the same exercise, take either word and replace with the word influence or lead with control and you'll find them not near the same. The only person that controls us is ourselves. We have choices. We have free will. There are of course consequences to choices. But, just because some leads, or influences, us doesn't mean with have to follow. We might loose friends, or a job, or "respect"....but we have control over how we are influenced.

This was originally posted on GodandWorkMatters in November, 2008

Courageous Follower: Taking Action

A leader leading leader is not the only one leading. A leader leading leader attracts people that follow and lead well and empowers both to take action.

Courageous Follower: pg 35 - "leaders want their staff to assume more responsibility, initiate ideas, and take action of their own."

Some positive examples this week of a leader leading leader; Curtis staying after me for a meeting (it took 2 tries to get me in the meeting) about settings on a new piece of software that we're trying to implement, Jamie going beyond her normal responsibilities to get a problem fixed, and Austen developing a new market awareness program.

This is type of work that energizes a leader and leaves him refreshed at the end of a hard day instead of worn down.

We must all learn to do the job we're hired to do and accept that the job is not all laid out on a policy or a checklist. We have to think and take action; ask questions, insure we have the knowledge and keep asking ourselves and others questions until we do.

Don't be the weakest link, take action and be a leader leading leader.

This is also a great example of good Character, Competence and Chemistry as described by Bill Hybels in Courageous Leadership and Dan Cathy of Chic-Fil-A.


Follow well.