Jon Acuff is a Quitter

Yep, I said it. Jon Acuff is officially a Quitter. In a good way of course! Had the chance to catch up recently with my good friend Jon Acuff, blogger, speaker and best-selling author of Stuff Christians Like, as well as author of the recent release entitled Quitter: Closing the Gap Between Your Day Job and Your Dream Job

In Part One of the interview we discuss why and when quitting makes sense, how to best pursue your dreams, what happens when no one cares, is Quitter really a good book title??, and his upcoming Quitter Conference on July 30 in Nashville.

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Stay tuned for Part Two of the interview later this week where I ask Jon to comment on five random topics.... Laughter guaranteed!

Your Best Marketing Tool

Marketing has changed in the last 10-15 years. Used to, if you had a good ad campaign, eye catching design and a well-written tagline, people would notice and take action. Not necessarily anymore.

In today's economy, your best marketing tool is a great product.

With so many things vying for our attention, getting noticed and standing out among the crowd is incredibly difficult. Thousands and thousands of marketing messages are all around us. On a constant basis.

To assure people buy your product, use your service, become part of your church, attend your event, interact with your website, subscribe to your blog, shop at your store, eat at your restaurant, or read your book- create something excellent!

Create something that people talk about. That stands out regardless of how much noise is occurring in the market. The kind of service or product that everyone wants their friends to experience up close.

A few great products that come to mind:

- Apple stuff

- U2

- Cirque du Soleil

- Pixar Animation

- charity: water

- TED

What other GREAT products or services come to mind that don't need a bunch of marketing because they are so incredible??

Tips on making creative meetings great

We have a big Catalyst creative brainstorming meeting today. 70 people together to dream big, think outside the box, and come up with some crazy ideas and antics that we might possibly pull off in October, or even sometime later in 2012 and beyond. Creative meetings are one of those things that take some intentional work to develop. So here are a few thoughts on making sure that your next creative meeting is great.

1. The answer is always "yes, and" and never "no, but" in a brainstorming meeting. Debbie downer and Mr. No aren't invited. Ever.

2. All ideas are welcome and needed. Many times the great ideas end up being an average idea that was built on and built on and built on.

3. If you have any leaning towards operations or finance or asking the question of "how much will that cost" then you are banned and can't ever come to a brainstorming meeting again.

4. Think/dream way bigger and with no limitations whatsoever. Try to develop ideas outside the norm and outside your industry or niche.

5. Make sure you do your homework. Research ideas, get on youtube for a couple of hours, see what others are doing, and intentionally find ideas and insight that will fuel conversations and idea development.

6. Record every idea that's thrown out. Capturing ideas and then being able to find them later and put them into action is crucial. Everyone thinks they can remember the best ideas, but literally within a couple of hours you'll have forgotten.

7. Music, vibe and atmosphere are crucial. Set a tone with the appropriate music, appropriate and energetic lighting, lots of snacks, and plenty of coffee and caffeine. A high energy environment makes being creative way easier.

Project 58: Collaboration and Hope around Extreme Poverty

I am really excited about the 58: project. And the word is getting out! CHECK OUT this USA Today article on project 58: from yesterday.

Is it possible for the Church to end extreme poverty in our lifetime? The answer may surprise you. It's time for our low expectations to change.

The stakes have never been higher. But, the news has never been better! The amazing news is this: extreme poverty is ending. The tide is changing. In just 25 years the percentage of people living in extreme poverty has been cut in half (52% to 26%). And every statistic is showing momentum toward zero in our lifetime.

Go to this 58: FACEBOOK page and join the cause right now.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_y7WDmgLcWk[/youtube]

So we are coming together. Not around a brand but under the only banner that matters – the name of Jesus Christ.

58: is inspired by Isaiah 58. Read it. And then read it again. Join in this commitment to live the True Fast and discover the amazing promises of God when you give up something good for the sake of something great. Discover what Isaiah 58 means for our generation.

We have the power and influence to literally change the world. And projects like 58: motivate and inspire me to continue moving towards the end of extreme poverty in our generation.

JOIN the cause today!

Are you replacing yourself?

What are some of the most difficult things in leadership? I would argue that replacing yourself is one of the most challenging parts of leadership- Succession is really really difficult.

Succession, simply the transition of leadership or power, is very difficult for most companies or organizations. Whether a Fortune 50 like GE, Wal-Mart, or Apple; a non-profit like the Red Cross, Focus on the Family, or World Vision; a small startup or family held business; a church of 200 or 10,000; or one of the thousands of mid sized companies across the country. In any case, this is a tough leadership paradigm to get right.

Large companies put millions of dollars into making sure succession is smooth and seemless. Look at Apple- succession from Steve Jobs to whoever the next CEO will be could literally cost the company billions of dollars in market capitalization, and even more in brand equity. It is a huge issue for the long term health of any company.

Family held businesses or “founder-driven” organizations are really at risk of bad succession plans. Most founders of family held or not for profit organizations can’t let go, and drive everyone crazy around them. Especially in companies that are highly missional- founders are great at starting and building, but usually terrible at letting go and allowing the organization to grow into a second phase of organizational life without them, with a different leader at the helm.

Here in America, we do a really good job of succession when it comes to our President. It is a civil and democratic process. Not the case in other parts of the world, especially in third world and developing countries. Leaders hold onto power and do everything they can to stay in the seat of President or Prime Minister way long after they should be there. Usually because the power of their position corrupts their realities at the deepest levels. I believe this is one of the major issues for these countries- bad succession leads to internal strife, violence and disruptions in growth. These leaders not only hold onto to their power, but fail to develop any other leaders around them to take over.

What about you and your current leadership realities? Whether a team, a company, a non-profit, a church, a family held business, or a Fortune 50, you should be thinking about succession. How are you replacing yourself? If you are not thinking about this, you are neglecting a core part of your responsibility.

A few things to consider:

1. Is it time for you to replace yourself? Have the courage to always leave before you need to or have to.

2. Who are you grooming to step into your role? Start looking and grooming the next leader way sooner than you think you need to.

3. Does the organization or initiative need a fresh perspective and fresh eyes? Most of the time the answer is yes.

4. Power corrupts. Don't let your power trip end up keeping you from correctly leading the organization into the next season of healthy organizational life.

5. The legacy of your leadership relies significantly on how well the organization continues to thrive after you are gone. Your replacement is a direct reflection of the quality of your leadership.

 

The Power of Margin

Margin is a powerful concept. For businesses, margin is one of your top priorities. Margin in business creates profits.

Margin in family creates memories.

Margin in our personal finances creates opportunities.

Margin in our lives overall creates options. Options to pursue dreams, think, pray, relax, meditate, process, grow and ultimately live life more fully.

As leaders, it is important that we create moments of margin for ourselves. Time to dream, time to laugh, time to retreat- on a regular basis, daily, weekly, monthly, yearly. Even if it is 5 minutes during the day to think, walk, pray, or simply relax. Margin gives us energy and renewed momentum and enthusiasm. And it is equally important to allow for margin in the culture of your team, and margin for your individual team members. Even something as simple as a funny story shared with the team, or a stop by someone else's office to catch up and say hi, or a quick review of pictures or great memories from something earlier in the year.

On the flipside, lack of margin makes us tense, creates stress and pushes for quick decisions. Lack of margin leads to stale and unhealthy relationships, and drives us towards the most available options at the time, but many times not the best. Lack of margin makes for rushed projects, for forced creativity, and for strategy that only thinks of the short term gains, not the long term opportunities.

Margin is the fuel for responding to the unexpected, and the option we all need for being more focused, intentional, life-giving and less stressed.

Average is... well, just average

Are you just being average? In your job? In your family? Your friendships? Your community? Your organization? Your Church? Your passions and hobbies? Your leadership? Are you typical? common? ordinary? all right? fair? everyday? commonplace? decent? moderate? customary? general? mediocre? run of the mill? tolerable? usual? All common synonyms of average. Yuck.

I don't know about you, but I don't want to be mediocre or tolerable or run of the mill. And let me clarify- we're not talking about whether you were a C student in Calculus or Chemistry or English class in high school, or being an athlete, or an amazing communicator, or an orchestra singer, or a world renowned pianist. There are certain gifts or wirings or areas where I'm going to be average at best, regardless. For example, I'm an average (maybe more below average!) basketball player. I'm never going to be better than average at basketball, no matter how much I practice and work out.

I'm referring to the things in life and leadership that we can control. That we can get better at. That require intentional focus and a mentality that says I'm not going to settle for just being okay. Areas where my competence can continue to grow.

Don't be that person who just does enough to get buy and keep your job for one more day. Don't be that person who everyone says, "yeah, it was an ok presentation, nothing out of the ordinary." Don't be the that leader who simply is trying to "not rock the boat" and hold on for as long as possible without stirring things up. Don't be that person who is the last option when it comes to helping out or volunteering because you have a reputation for just showing up but not helping. Don't be that person who your boss or employer has to painstakingly consider every quarter whether to have a sit down conversation about your performance.... "I like you Bob, but your performance and contribution to the team is just average." Don't be that person who no one wants on their team because they know you won't contribute anything to the conversation or to solving the problem. Don't be that.

There are way too many average people right now in the world. So... Right now, get up, straighten up, stand up, and do something extraordinary. Decide you want to be excellent. Do Something outstanding. Make today remarkable.

Being average is ..... just average. And being average needs to end.

 

"Be Present" at Catalyst Atlanta- best rates end Today

Make plans now to join us for Catalyst in Atlanta October 5-7, 2011 at Gwinnett Arena. The BEST rates on ticket prices end TODAY (Thursday, June 23), so go ahead and register your group today.

You won’t want to miss the Catalyst Conference, where 13,000 young leaders will converge for the leadership experience of the year, including high-octane speakers, powerful worship, innovative programming, and an experience unlike any other. I'm really excited about this year's theme of "Be Present." A perspective and approach that every leader needs to understand and practice.

Hear from leadership authorities including Andy Stanley, Jim Collins, Francis Chan, David Platt, Priscilla Shirer, Mark Driscoll, Dave Ramsey and Judah Smith, along with several innovative thinkers and practitioners like Princeton professor Dr. Cornel West, TOMS Shoes founder Blake Mycoskie, Global Soap Project founder and CNN Heroes Award Winner Derreck Kayongo, Hillsong United and NYC visionary Joel Houston, Barna Research President David Kinnaman, and adoptive mother of 13 Katie Davis.

Plus, Catalyst Labs will feature innovative thought leaders like David Platt, Michael Hyatt, Reggie Joiner, Mark Batterson, Tim Elmore, Dave Gibbons, Margaret Feinberg, Bob Goff, Susan Isaacs, Mike Foster, Bethany Hoang, Samuel Rodriguez, Stacy Spencer, Jon Acuff, Lecrae, Jo Saxton, Charles Jenkins, Jim Daly, Darren Whitehead, Vicky Beeching, Eugene Cho, Lisa Sharon Harper, Jon Tyson, Lysa Terkeurst, Bobby Bailey, Jeanne Stevens, Mary Graham, and others.

Best Rates on Catalyst tickets end TODAY- Thursday, June 23rd, so register now. Call 888.334.6569 to speak to a Catalyst Concierge, or register online. Use Rate Code FOB today and receive a ticket price of $199 (savings of $120 off regular prices). Catalyst will sell out, so make sure and register early!

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What I remember from the 80's

A few things I remember from the 80's 1. A Team

2. Space Shuttle Challenger Explosion

3. The fall of the Berlin Wall

4. Friendship bracelets

5. Guns n Roses

6. San Francisco 49ER's Football- Jerry and Joe

7. Ronald Reagan

8. Nintendo

9. Tight roll jeans

10. Michael Jackson

11. Barry Switzer and Oklahoma, the Boz

12. Ocean Pacific

13. Mullets

14. Breakdancing and Parachute Pants

15. Kareem, Magic and Bird

16. Big Hair bands

17. 1980 US Hockey Miracle on ice (barely remember this one)

18. Mary Lou Retton

19. E.T. and Back to the Future

20. Jean Jackets and Acid Wash

What do you remember?

Interview w/Blake Mycoskie from TOMS Shoes

Recently caught up with good friend Blake Mycoskie, the founder and Chief Shoe Giver of TOMS Shoes. Lots of new things happening with Blake and with TOMS, including a whole new line of TOMS Eyewear, which Blake talks about in the Part One interview below, as well as discussing his soon to release book Start Something That Matters in Part Two. Really excited that Blake will be with us at Catalyst in Atlanta in October!

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A few things i've learned this past year

Last week was my, uhhh hum, 39th birthday. But 39 is the new 29 right?? In reflecting back over the past year, there are a few lessons that stand out for me. So I thought I would share those with you all here on the blog community.

1. I haven't arrived yet. Definitely haven't arrived. Not now, and really not ever. Which means I have to stay hungry and keep learning.

2. Everyone needs a cheerleader. We all need someone to believe in us. Reminded more than ever this past year of this.

3. My turn to be the expert. We all have to embrace our role at some point as being in the seat of expertise. Not because of arrogance, but because of responsibility and stewardship of influence.

4. Laser-like focus. The older I get, the more focus I want and need to have on what I'm good at, and what God has gifted me to do. More focus, not less.

5. Fun isn't just an option. It should be a requirement. This past year I lost track of something important to me- making sure life is fun and that fun and celebration is part of everyday life.

Best College Football Rivalries

This should create some conversation...... My opinion of the top 10 College Football rivalry games being played today:

1. OU vs Texas

2. Auburn vs Alabama

3. Ohio State vs Michigan

4. Florida State vs Miami

5. Georgia vs Florida

6. Notre Dame vs USC

7. Army vs Navy

8. Texas vs Texas A&M

9. Clemson vs South Carolina

10. Oregon vs Oregon State

Honorable mention:

OU vs Nebraska (but since this one is now done, I didn't want it on the top ten list), Kansas vs Missouri, Auburn vs Georgia, Lehigh vs Lafayette (most played rivalry in college football history)

Who do you think is missing from the Top Ten list?

Open Your Free Present

I'm incredibly excited about Catalyst coming up in October in Atlanta. I can't believe this will be our 12th year of gathering thousands of next generation leaders in Atlanta together.

If you haven't been to the Catalyst Conference website for this year's event on October 5-7, 2011, go there now.

First, you need to check out the speakers and invited guests for this October's event.

Second, you need to register to win an iPad 2 and a custom made Republic Bike. We're giving an iPad 2 away every week leading up to Catalyst!

Third, you need to Open Your FREE present from Catalyst. If you go to the homepage, then just click on the Open Your Free Present icon, fill out the few lines of info, and then once you are done you'll have access to over 30 free songs from some of our friends who are creating great music, plus 3 free e-books, plus some of the best talks from past Catalyst events, the most recent Catalyst GroupZine curriculum, and a great resource from Andy Stanley.

All of this for FREE!!

It's our present to you in just saying thanks for continuing to lead and inspire and be Catalysts in your community.

Now go check it out!

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Young Influencers List, June Edition

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Here you go, the June edition of the Young Influencers List. You can see all the past editions here. 1. Andy Barron- amazing photographer and graphic designer from LA.

2. Perrin Rogers- pastor at The Triumphant Church in Hyattsville, Maryland, and a leadership junkie!

3. Sarah Cunningham- author of Dear Church, speaker, blogger and skinny white girl (according to her website!!)

4. Justin Lathrop- founder of Helpstaff.me, a staffing company, and Exec Pastor of strategic development at The Oaks Church.

5. Cole Nesmith- creative director for Status, a church community in Orlando, and also founder of Uncover the Color.

6. Katelyn Graves- director of operations for Cobblestone Project, a strategic initiative to connect needs to resources in Northwest Arkansas.

Have someone who should be considered for an upcoming Young Influencer edition? Leave a comment below.

Up close or Far Away

Are you the same up close as you are far away? Doesn't matter what it is, something can look great from a distance. But once you get up close, many times we realize things aren't the same.

How about you? Do your acquaintances and those who are considered "distant" friends think of you completely different than those who know you best? Do you treat those closest to you completely different than a business partner or a strategic customer who many times we "have" to serve and put up a potential false front with?

How about your organization? Does your organization and team look the same up close as it does from a long ways away? From a distance, I know lots of companies I would love to work for just because they have cool office space and a relaxed corporate culture. But once I really got to know them, how much of my opinion would change?

Ultimately, we can all much easier fake who we really are when we keep people at arms length and distant from us. But in the end, it comes back to honesty, humility, and authenticity.

Leaders and organizations who are authentic look the same up close as they do far away. In fact, I would argue that authentic leaders become more and more authentic the more you get to know them. The more layers you peel away, the more you see true authenticity. Not the opposite.

Take a moment to think about yourself, your team, the organization you serve, or the Church you attend. Same up close as far away???

Is Your Church Diverse?

Is Sunday the most segregated day of the week? Is Sunday morning at 10 am the most segregated hour of the week? Important questions to wrestle with.

And I had the chance to catch up with Scott Williams, author of the brand new book Church Diversity, former pastor of the NW OKC LifeChurch.tv campus, and popular blogger and speaker, to talk about this topic that he addresses in his new book.

Scott has great perspective on the issue of diversity, the Church, leadership, and what it means to Church leaders.

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Leaders are.....

A few leadership thoughts as we start the week: - Leaders are problem solvers.

- Leaders are not afraid to run straight towards a problem, instead of away from it.

- Leaders step in and solve issues that clear the way for progress.

- Leaders are constantly moving forward, and don't dwell in or on the past.

- Leaders are honest, and in times of crisis, are not afraid to take the heat and be accountable for problems that may not be theirs.

- Leaders are willing to answer lots and lots of questions during times of change and uncertainty.

- Leaders "have the back" of their team members, and always have the best interest of their team in mind. Always.

- Leaders own up to their mistakes. They step up and take the blame.

- Leaders are willing to take risks, and boldly step out even when it doesn't make sense.

- Leaders are trustworthy.

- Leaders have no excuses, and break through to solutions and overcome barriers without complaining or relying on an excuse to protect themselves.

- Leaders pursue visions and dreams bigger than themselves.

- Leaders fight to end injustice and are a voice for the voiceless.

- Leaders are authentic. With great leaders, the more you get to know them, the more you want to follow them.

- Leaders put others before themselves.

- Leaders are passionate about their vocation, and sense of calling. They love the work they get to do.

Creating a Culture of courage

Courage is not just a personal trait. It's an organizational trait as well. And we all want, in some way, to be part of an organization and team that demonstrates courage. That is willing to push up the hill, against the odds, beyond all doubts, to achieve results and impact that most thought not possible.

So here are a a few points about creating a courageous organizational culture:

1. Allow for Failure. The road to success is many times put together through multiple failures.

2. Reward Innovation. You reward what matters most.

3. Take bold risks. Bold vision is inspiring, and creates bold team members.

4. Pursue the right opportunities. Aggressively pursue a few things that make sense.

5. Say NO often. While it's important to take bold risks and pursue the right opportunities, it's also conversely important to say NO to almost everything else. Being focused on doing a few things great is way better than doing a bunch of things average.

6. Liberally pass on responsibility and authority to your team. If you want your team to be courageous, give them the chance to lead.

7. Set standards that scare you. Your level of excellence and expectation for your product or service or experience should almost be something that is unattainable.

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Who is They??

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I am walking through the airport a few days ago, and overhear a conversation among several employees griping about something. Their conversation was centered around "I can't believe THEY decided to make that decision.... they are asking us to show up early but they don't understand. I can't wait to tell them what I think. Maybe then they will give us a chance to succeed...." Who is they?

You hear it all the time.... "they" don't want me to get a promotion. "they're" the reason the project is failing. It would have worked if "they" wouldn't have messed things up. It wasn't my fault- "they" were supposed to take care of that. "They" can figure it out because I don't care anymore.

As leaders, many times, we are the "they." And we need to constantly be aware that the idea of "we" and "me" instead of "they" should be our compass. Passing the buck to an unknown entity like "they" just causes confusion and frustration. It's easy to put all the blame on "them" because "they" don't have a name or face or personal connection. The onus is on US, WE and ME, not THEM or THEY, whoever those folks might be.....

So next time you have the urge to say "they", change it to "us." All of the sudden, the rules change.

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