History in the Making

Stay in the Darn Wagon

Can't tell you how many times I've pulled my boys in a wagon far from the house on a hot day... only to have them refuse to ride back home.

On good days, I can convince them I'm not a pack-mule and satisfy them with a lollipop. On bad days, I have to conjure up super-human strength to lug these pumpkins home... dragging the wagon behind me.

Okay, I confess this is actually a gripe couched in a personal story. Let me shoot straight. More and more, I find myself trying to convince people to stay with projects.

No less than three people have bailed on me this week when I was "miles from home."

John Maxwell is famous for saying, "We cannot become what we need to be by remaining what we are."

We don't get promoted into greatness. We have to go through the fires of commitment and hard work and struggle and follow-through to become a person of integrity. To become better than we are.

One More Proof I'm Not a Teacher

Quoting Andy Stanley on Ed Stetzer's blog:

"I prepare at least three weeks ahead so I don't really pick up the sermon until late Saturday afternoon."

"I haven't really looked at my sermons for three weeks. That is how I like to do it."

"On Saturday night I pick it up, and ... take out and... simplify... to where hopefully everything just says the one thing and then I am done."

"I study all day on Wednesdays, and as much as I need to on Thursdays. I spend at least a day and a half on the message, plus Saturday night picking it up and changing it."

"I have learned picking it up cold makes me look at it with fresh eyes and it is going to be better.

"When I go home this week, the next three weeks will be in folders."

And he comes out with that content????

Yeah, I don't got it.

Just My Preferences so Don't Get Mad

Give me a choice between a conference and an "un-conference"... and I'll take something experiential every time. I have enough interesting friends to have my own "un-conference" any day of the week.

Give me the choice between a web 2.0, mobile-friendly website and one that lurches my computer to a halt but inspires me with its creativity... and I'll lurch every time.

"We Pay Our Storytellers Here"

Love that line by Robert Redford to Meryl Streep in Out of Africa.

There's no Job Application for Your Dream

My biggest personal milestones - and consequently the things that have most furthered my career - are activities that I undertook on my own initiative. Organizations are extraordinarily risk-averse. Even Walt Disney had to pay for the drawings of his theme parks with his own money.

Blurbs and Commentary

Was on a plane this past weekend and did a TON of reading.

From current issue of Rolling Stone: Bono to the Edge on his guitar-playing ability: "I would argue there are colors in the spectrum that you own, that weren't there before you painted them, and that your lack of dependence on blues and scales sets you apart."

(I would say that what's kept the greatest band in the world together for so long is... encouragement. Do we say things like this about our teammates?)

From The King of Madison Avenue: A biography on advertising genius David Ogilvy: "Search the parks in all your cities, you'll find no statues for committees."

(Teams accomplish more than any individual can, but I can't tell you how much I agree with this - there is no such thing as creative genius by committee. There is always a visionary director for creative projects.)

"Five years is about the maximum that you can go without refreshing [your] brand."

Okay, I'm --what-- like 10 years late, but finally reading The Experience Economy and loving it. I've underlined something on almost every page.

Developing The Listener's Palate

Audiences don't come ready-made. They're groomed as listeners.

I grew up near Ginghamsburg Church in Ohio where their Saturday night service trained me to listen with a pen.

At Catalyst, we can tell our business speakers they'll get a receptive audience because we've raised them on mixed content.

When my pastor Tony McCollum speaks, I listen with an expectation to laugh because he uses humor as a tool for disarming hearts.

Mark Dever said that he's trained Capitol Hill Baptist Church to listen for exact phrasing in sermons because he preaches from a manuscript.

Next time we complain about our audience not bringing their Bibles or not laughing at our jokes or not taking us seriously or listening intently, we have to remember... we raised them that way.

My Prayer for Pastors...

I know what it's like to get to Friday after a week of study. It hasn't been easy. The praying, the searching, the reading. You think you've got it together, but there's a hint of doubt. You never know how it's going to translate from paper to microphone. The music is ready. The graphics are created. The service order is set. And it's consistent with the pattern you've set for the past 52 services. It feels safe, secure, assured to work.

But I pray that you try something pee-in-the-pants courageous this weekend.

Watching 'Unleash' Live

at www.newspring.cc/unleash/2009

What I'm Doing Now

Brad interviewing Francis Chan... who is the most audacious lover of people I've seen. Sold over 180,000 copies of Crazy Love and gave it all away.

Update: he's talking about the fact that "conversions" can tragically be manipulated by talented communicators without the power of the spirit. This is refreshingly dangerous insight.

Leadership Journal in the House

Showing off the new Google phone...

Books

Book I just finished: Flickering Pixels, Shane Hipps
Book I just picked-up: The Principle of the Path, Andy Stanley
Book I wish I had: The Experience Economy, Pine & Gilmore

Now your turn. Would love for you to copy and paste in the comments:

Book I just finished:
Book I just picked-up:
Book I wish I had:

Panoramic Chicken Meeting

Big company meeting yesterday with Chick-Fil-A.  And they brought the goods with them.

Oh Snap

U2 360 Tour

How to Spark Initiative in Those You Lead

Nine times out of 10, when we complain about lack of initiative in those we lead, it's because we've unintentionally put a lid on it. Here are some thoughts...

1. Responsibility has to come with authority. Has to.
2. How we react to mistakes is crucial. Slapped fingers stifles initiative.
3. Our environments have to be permission-giving. Experimental even.
4. Invite them to the table. People don't try when their opinions don't count.
5. Give credit to everyone at some point for some thing. Look for it.

A Diminishing Propensity to Freak Out

That's what growing in faith should feel like.

Dig Trenches

So Israel faces drought in 2 Kings 3:9-20, or a "meteorological downturn" if you will...

¹¹ "Is there no prophet of the LORD here, that we may inquire of the LORD through him?"
      An officer of the king of Israel answered, "Elisha son of Shaphat is here. He used to pour water on the hands of Elijah."

... The hand of the LORD came upon Elisha ¹⁶ and he said, "This is what the LORD says: Make this valley full of ditches. ¹⁷ For this is what the LORD says: You will see neither wind nor rain, yet this valley will be filled with water, and you, your cattle and your other animals will drink. ¹⁸ This is an easy thing in the eyes of the LORD;

 ...²⁰ The next morning, about the time for offering the sacrifice, there it was—water flowing from the direction of Edom! And the land was filled with water.

You Can Take the Man out of the Metro...

My sister - who is a video designer for World Vision in Seattle - turned me onto "glamping," which is glamour + camping. I  don't know but I think I might have just found my ideal vacation.

Thursday Morning Rundown

• Undeveloped 8mm film cartridges are pouring in from our experimental west coast shoots. We FedExed 4 cameras to four cities to see what would come back...
• We're adding new buzz event photos to the Catalyst west coast site, thanks Daley Hake
• My new fascination: pre-loaders for flash websites. Check out this site devoted to them.
• Got my copy of Tony Morgan's Killing Cockroaches - Tony's the funniest serious guy I know
• Carlos Whittaker is hosting our Catalyst west Before Party on Wed, April 22 at 6pm
• A website devoted to the special effects behind The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
• I heard Charles Lee did an incredible job with the Idea Camp last week
• Church Planting Network is giving away a free e-book of Leadership Learnings from bloggers. My name starts with A, so mine is first...
• You know you have a cool job when you're talking to the chairman of a university theater department about a "wild and crazy idea."
• I'm afraid U2 might be losing its sense of epic melody. Hmmm.
• My orthodontist added rubber bands to my braces. I used to look 13. Now I can't yawn. Six more months of this hellacious existence.
• Read about the first viral restaurant in Newsweek: KogiBBQ.com. They twitter where their catering truck is going to be - and then lines start forming.

Check This Out

Here's why we picked Tripp Crosby to be one of our Catalyst west emcees. If you want to see milk-out-the-nose funny, check out this video...