Culture Always Wins

I may be just old enough to remember this, but there used to be commercials from E.F. Hutton that said “When E.F. Hutton talks, people listen.” Today, one of the guys that has quickly earned that reputation with me is Allan Kelsey, a former pastor who now consults with churches and organizations.

I first met Allan at Gateway Church where we both serve on a leadership advisory group for one of the ministries of the church. He said something profound in that meeting that impacted me: “Culture always wins.” In just one meeting, I knew this was a guy I’d like to get to know and made a point of connecting with him frequently afterward!

I tend to resonate with only a few people; it’s an instant connection that just happens on rare occasion. Allan is one of those people. I’m promoting him on my blog because I believe so strongly in his leadership and authority that I want my church friends to know about him and his company, Leading Leaders.

Here’s a snippet from his website that I believe authentically summarizes his work:

“Leading Leaders’ primary focus is to create dramatically improved performance and life satisfaction for people, by helping them understand who they are first and then where they are gifted. Then turning those abilities into their strongest contribution to the world, work, passions and life.”

I recommend following Allan on Twitter: (@AllanKelsey) and subscribing to his E-Newsletter. He can help your church understand how to leverage the talents and unique identity & gifting of your staff. He’s someone I listen to – I recommend you do the same.

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Strengths-Finder: Revisited

Years ago I met William Hendricks, co-author of “Why You Can’t Be Anything You Want To Be” and was hooked on two simple truths:

God created me uniquely different on purpose.

Focus on my strengths; manage my weaknesses.

In a society that focuses on conformity and averaging, this book opened my eyes to the possibility of changing how I learn and grow. One of the main premises is that our education system teaches us to work on improving in areas where we are weak. So, if a student routinely gets A’s in History and Language Arts but consistently only delivers C’s in Math and Science, our educators teach us to bring those C’s up to B’s. However, there’s nothing wrong with an average grade in a subject where you’re – well, just average. Instead, build on the areas where we have natural gifting and strength so that we can highlight what makes us unique.

Soon after, I read the second work “Now, Discover Your Strengths”. The focus on maximizing my existing strengths resonated deeply with me, allowing me to become extraordinary in areas where I’d naturally been very good. The book didn’t ignore my weakness; it simply taught me how to keep them from become obstacles to growth.

Years later I took the Clifton’s Strengths Finder test. The results, in combination with the Myers Briggs assessment (ENTJ for me), helped me focus on how to leverage my personality, traits and strengths. More recently, I met Allan Kelsey at my church. Allan is a gifted consultant who has a ginormous knowledge around strengths research. Allan encouraged me to take the new Clifton’s Strengths Finder test (available only through the book “Strengths Finder 2.0″ by Tom Rath). Now at 38, the results were slightly different than they were in my early 30′s.

The built-in, customized report that’s generated from www.StrengthsFinder.com was eye-opening. Here’s a bit from each of my top 5 strengths.

Strategic – People who are especially talented in the Strategic theme create alternative ways to proceed. Faced with any given scenario, they can quickly spot the relevant patterns and issues. You can present your ideas in a reasonable, sequential, and methodical way. Moreover, you generate lots of options for others to consider. Because of your strengths, you are innovative, inventive, original, and resourceful. Your mind allows you to venture beyond the commonplace, the familiar, or the obvious.

Ideation – You refuse to be stifled by traditions or trapped by routines. You probably bristle when someone says, “We can’t change that. We’ve always done it this way.” Instinctively, you welcome opportunities to understand people one by one. The hope of discovering a new way of thinking motivates you to read a lot.

Activator – Your straightforward explanations and stories help listeners see you as you see yourself. You reveal your strengths and limitations. You are forthright and plainspoken. Instinctively, you regularly energize people with your ideas about what can be changed or done better.

Relator – Because of your strengths, you are known for making unintelligible or complex ideas, plans, procedures, or regulations easy to understand. It’s very likely that you find it easier to befriend people when they tell you what they want to accomplish. When you can share information that helps people move closer to their goals, you understand each other better. By nature, you may be determined to share some of your knowledge, skills, or experiences with people.

Competition – Because of your strengths, you rely on reason to make sense of facts, events, people’s behavior, problems, or solutions. Instinctively, you peruse books, publications, documents, or Internet sites to gather information and collect insights. This knowledge often gives you the edge you need to produce better outcomes or scores than anybody else can.

Previously, I’d not had the Activator category (it was Command). Reading through the Activator, I instantly understood how this explains my overwhelming desire to tell stories in order to drive home a point. Taken as part of the whole, I’d say that this is a hyper-accurate view of my top strengths. My next step is to find ways to build upon them through my interactions with people. I’m excited to put a renewed focus on these descriptions and learn from my friend Allen Kelsey as he helps me work through the implications and processes necessary to yield substantial growth.

If you’ve taken the new Strengths Finder 2.0 test, tell me your top 5 strengths and how you’re building upon them.

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Tough Economy? Go Wander in the Desert

“It’s time to tighten things up.”

“Show me a new budget with only the needs, not the wants.”

“How can we save money on technology this year?”

If I were to poll, I wonder how many of you working in churches have been hearing questions and statements like the ones above? Based on emails I’ve received and countless blog posts I’ve read, the common theme is a reduction in expenses across most church ministries. Yet I’m also hearing and seeing church leaders requiring budget reductions without the required reduction in expectations to match the new, lower budgets.

“It’s the economy, stupid” are now famous words by James Carville, the former campaign manager for the Clinton administration. So much of the American psyche is built upon such phrases as consumer confidence and market fluctuations. We’re conditioned to think along the bull or bear market concepts and act accordingly.

While I’m all for being responsible and conservative as a general rule of thumb, I also can’t stop reading story after story and truth after truth in God’s Word how He is Jehovah-jireh, or “God the provider”.

Possibly my favorite lesson in God’s total provision was in taking care of the entire nation of Israel as they wandered the desert.

According to the Quartermaster General of the U.S. Army, it is reported that Moses would have to have had 1,500 tons of food each day (which is 3,000,000 lbs!). To bring that much food each day would require two freight trains: each a mile long – which is a lot of donkeys back in that day. So God provided Manna in the morning and Quail to fly in and then simply die in the afternoon, ready to be cooked!

Also keep in mind that they were out in the desert, and sand doesn’t make very good cooking material, so they would have needed firewood to use in cooking the food. This would take about 4,000 tons of wood and a few more freight trains, each a mile long, just for one day. And just think – they did this for 40 years (146,000 days).

They would also need water. If they only had enough to drink it would take 11,000,000 gallons of water each day. Add some more freight trains with tank cars spanning a few miles, every day. God had Moses strike a rock with his staff to make water burst forth – in a desert!

One more thing: each time they camped at the end of the day, a campground two-thirds the size of the state of Rhode Island was required. That’s a total of about 750 square miles, and they somehow all were able to have daily access to food and water.

(paraphrased from Lane Palmer – website link no longer active)

And in all of this, there He was: Jehovah-jireh.

The first lesson is this: We rely on God. Alone. Period.

Our second lesson is this: Plan and look at ways to be wise with the monies God has entrusted your ministry with, but also plan on God showing up and meeting your needs. Set a budget and stick to it as much as you are able within your spending and planning. But don’t take God out of the equation.

The final lesson is this: Don’t worry. Philippians 4:6-7 “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

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