Tuesday Links

- Ron Edmondson recently interviewed me on his blog. Check it out. - Check out Pop Tech. Sort of an east coast TED experience. Worth paying attention to for sure. Some great thinkers will be at their event, and good articles and resources on their blog and website.

- We had our mid summer creative meeting last week. Lots of great ideas. Check out the list of folks who attended.

- 67 new innovations. Part of Innovation Insanity from Trendwatching. Some great projects and ideas on the list.

- "Adoption is Everywhere" is the cover story this month for Christianity Today magazine.

- This week is Hillsong Conference in Sydney at Hillsong Church. Major props and prayers to all of our friends from Hillsong, who put on an amazing event. Make sure to keep up with all that is happening on the backstage page. And let's continue to lift up the event in prayer throughout this week.

- The latest Leadership podcast from Andy Stanley is up- When Less is More. It's a 2-part podcast. Definitely worth the listen.

- Make sure to download the Catalyst iphone App to your smart phone. Stay up to date with the latest podcasts, articles, blogs, and special offers.

Building Bridges

Building a bridge is an art. Not literal bridges that you drive over, although those are important. I'm referring to building bridges in business, friendships, co-workers, mentors, and key partnerships. I'm referring to building a new relationship with your neighbor. I'm referring to connecting with someone that you've wanted to meet with for a long time and only having 15 minutes for a meeting. How do you turn that meeting into an hour or more, and then eventually into a friend?

Many folks just think that showing up is half the battle. Well, sort of. But there's more. When it comes to winning a client, or inking a new partnership, or developing a new friendship, there are some key things I've learned over the years that might be helpful.

A few thoughts:

1. Love people until they ask why. Let your actions speak so loud that people can not help but to see your authenticity, and ultimately demand an explanation for the reason you do what you do.

2. Prove your craft before asking for something. Excellence, skill and know how is key on this. Show that you are competent before you demand that they should partner with you.

3. Ask more questions than they do. I love this one. Many times asking great questions is way more strategic than giving great answers.

4. Spend lots of time listening. Once you've asked a great question, listen. And listen more. And listen more.

5. Find points of connection and shared interests, and be intentional. A crucial part of great bridge building. Find out what motivates someone, what their interests are, what they enjoy. Is it sports? rock climbing? history? Whatever it is, find out and then build on those areas of shared interests.

6. Follow up. This is the #1 step that everyone seems to forget. We have to follow up. Never assume that because you haven't heard from someone, it means they are not interested. They're busy, just like you. Take the first step and reach out. And then reach out again.

Are you risking?

I admire leaders with courage. Leaders willing to risk. This is really basic, but Step out and Step up. 1. Step out. This is the Risk. Take the first step. If you are part of an organization, many times the "paralysis of analysis" can creep in. Or the "delay mentality"- "we'll just wait unit next year....." If it's time to move, step out. Throw the idea on the table. Talk about the elephant in the room. Make a call. Send an email. Schedule the meeting. Make it happen.

2. Step up. This is the Responsibility. Be willing to lead. If you are willing to step out, you need to be prepared to step up and take ownership and responsibility. Big ideas and big dreams get fulfilled because someone has the drive and focus to make it happen. If you are an entrepreneur, then this is a no brainer, because the responsibility always falls on your shoulders. But in organization life, many times the idea gets lost because no one wants to drive it.

Interview with Eugene Cho, founder of One Days Wages

Had the chance to catch up recently with my good friend Eugene Cho, founder of One Days Wages, an international grassroots movement dedicated to fighting and ending extreme global poverty. Along with One Days Wages, Eugene is pastor of Quest Church and founder of Q Cafe, a community cafe featuring great coffee. music, and live events.

Please consider how YOU can get involved with One Days Wages and the great work happening among this community and movement to end extreme global poverty. Especially in regards to the One Days Wages and Catalyst project. Our goal is to raise $50,000.

[vimeo]http://www.vimeo.com/12954417[/vimeo]

Millenials- the EPIC generation

My good friend Tim Elmore is one of the leading experts on understanding the Millenial Generation. He is the founder and President of Growing Leaders, a great organization focused primarily on helping college students and those who work with college students to become better leaders. I recently had the chance to join Tim while he was training coaches part of the University of Oklahoma Athletic Department. Tough assignment for me......In the room were coaches from basketball, football, soccer, tennis, track, gymnastics, golf, and several other teams.

One of the things Tim discussed was the idea of the "next generation" of Millenials being an E.P.I.C. Generation. Thought this was interesting. Here is what he meant, and very useful in understanding the 20 somethings that are on your staff or your team.

1. Experiential- all about the 5 senses. Sensory engagement is critical and a reality in terms of what Millenials have grown up with.

2. Participatory- want an experience to be customized. Millenials have grown up in a participatory culture. Don't just listen. Actually want to participate. This is very important in terms of creating a work environment/team culture that is attractive to 20 somethings.

3. Image-Rich- all about pictures, video, large screens, large TV's, high res pics on your phone, etc. Pictures/video are an incredibly powerful learning medium for Millenials, vs. just text. Especially in terms of memory.

4. Connected- information is constant for Millenials. Text, facebook, twitter, phone, email. This can be both a positive and a negative. But still a reality.

I HIGHLY recommend you buy Tim's new book Generation iY when it releases later this summer. It's a must have resource if you want to understand the Millenial Generation, and how best to lead them.

Joshua Dubois, Scott Belsky, Michael Hyatt, Carlos Whittaker

Four leaders all part of the latest edition of the Catalyst Podcast. A power-packed lineup. This episode features an interview with Joshua Dubois, director of the White House office of Faith Based and Neighborhood Partnerships. Joshua and I discuss the President's Fatherhood and Mentoring Initiative, which just was rolled out on Monday earlier this week. Also included on this episode is a roundtable discussion between Scott Belsky, Michael Hyatt and Carlos Whittaker. Scott is the founder of the Behance Network and also author of Making Ideas Happen. Michael is the CEO of Thomas Nelson, and Carlos is uber popular blogger at Ragamuffin Soul, worship leader and musician. This conversation happened backstage at Catalyst West.

Plus the usual banter between Ken and me.

You can listen here or, even better, subscribe and download from itunes.

Register TODAY for CATALYST to get best rates

A reminder to the blog community.... TODAY is the early registration deadline for Catalyst in Atlanta. If you are planning on attending, go ahead and register today so you can save on ticket prices. Rates will go up tomorrow, so don't delay.

Speakers this year include Andy Stanley, Seth Godin, Daniel Pink, Francis Chan, TD Jakes, Craig Groeschel, Beth Moore, Gabe Lyons, Christine Caine, Rani Hong, Tad Agoglia, Scott Harrison, and Perry Noble. And the LAB lineup is the best yet, featuring 20 leading voices on 10 key topics.

We are giving away 10 tickets throughout the day today through the Catalyst Blog and Catalyst Twitter feed. Check it out.

Look forward to seeing you in October!

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Interview with Jon Acuff, Part Three

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Part Three of my interview with Jon Acuff, blogger, author, speaker and founder of Stuff Christians Like. In this final installment, the humor continues to flow. Jon talks about his label as the "middle finger" man, reveals the importance of being able to laugh at yourself, and why radio interviews create instant feedback. You can watch Part One and Part two of the interview here.

[vimeo]http://www.vimeo.com/12804435[/vimeo]

Notes from the Lausanne Conversation

Had the chance to be on a panel last week in Orlando as part of the "12 Cities/12 Conversations" Tour that is leading up to the Lausanne Congress in South Africa this October. On the panel with some amazing leaders, and I took notes pretty much the whole time because of some great nuggets from the panelists. Here are a few of my notes:

- The new wave of Millenial believers are just as passionate about the Gospel, Scripture, and the core foundations of our Christian faith as any other generation that has come before.

- In terms of cultural engagement, we should be a thermostat, not a thermometer. Focused on Timeless truths in relevant ways.

- Engaging in culture for many Christians has been about Us vs. Them. It should really be Us for Them. - (Erwin McManus)

- We have to fight against the idea of just wearing a wristband and then feeling like we've done something.

- The new generation of leaders doesn't care who gets the credit. It's all about collaboration. Not about personalities, but more about the outcome.

- The global church is now the influencer in terms of sending and teaching. Leaders in the US need to realize that we are really no longer the leaders and in charge, and that's ok.

- One of the greatest needs right now for many evangelistic organizations is online missionaries. The internet has changed the game in terms of reaching the lost.

- It's God's responsibility to change culture, not ours. But, we do have cultural power that we can use as Christians.

- Justice makes for great Evangelism and Evangelism makes for great Justice. Those don't have to be separate. We really need to bring these two back together.

- Those of us under 40 have watched Christians in the US try and create policy and defend our position, all the while losing ground, over the last 30-40 years. So now the generation of leaders under 40 just want to go "live out" the Christian faith, and just do something. Activism for our generation in many ways is a response to what has happened previously.

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Young Influencers List, June Edition

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Here you go, the Young Influencers List for June. You can see past editions here. 1. Esther Fleece- special assistant to the President on Millenial Relations for Focus on the Family. She is leading the charge for Focus on connecting with the next generation of leaders.

2. Herbert Cooper- pastor of the People's Church in Oklahoma City, and a great communicator and leader. Plus he grew up in OK.... us Oklahoma boys have to stick together!!

3. Lindsey Nobles- director of communications for Thomas Nelson, and a blogger extraordinaire.

4. Travis Mason- a young business gun in DC working for Booz Allen Hamilton as a strategy consultant.

5. Britt Merrick - pastor of Reality in Carpinteria, CA., with church plants across CA as well as in London. Formerly with Channel Island Surfboards.

6. Carrie Boren- former actress and now Missioner for Evangelism at Episcopal Diocese of Dallas. Degrees from Oxford, Harvard and Yale.

5 Keys for Teams

1.Be Honest. Authenticity is in, surface-level "political correctness" is out. Be real. If there is gossip or rumors, squelch them. Be willing to confront one another. 2. Be Grateful. If there's a reason to celebrate, take time to do it. This is the thing that gets lost or gets left out the most.

3. Be Hustlers. Listen to Seth Godin, Scott Belsky, David Allen, Jason Fried, Gary Vaynerchuk, and others. The new label of a great employee is someone who hustles and is a linchpin. Same goes for teams. Good teams with great hustlers become great teams.

4. Be Generous. Generous towards vendors, partners, and outside relationships, as well as generous to each other. Most people immediately think money, and that's part of it. But the broader context of being generous is willing to serve each other.

5. Be Excellent. Sounds like a mantra from a Bill and Ted movie, but this one is critical. Be GREAT at what you do. Better than anyone else. Great teams are winners. And winners always have a standard that is set a level above everyone else. Teams that are excellent at what they do attract team members who are excellent at what they do.

End of Week Links and Thoughts

- Loving the US Open at Pebble Beach. I've been able to play there three times in the last 4 years, so this is really cool. No. 7 and 8 are two of the greatest golf holes in the world. - You can read the article that Gabe Lyons and I did for Neue Magazine on the future of Church conferences.

- I've been a Lakers fan since I was little, so pretty pumped about the big win on Thursday night. Glad Derek Fisher got another one- really like him.

- Sporting a new pair of glasses these days. Needed some extra power. Call me four eyes.

- Great interview with Bill and Melinda Gates and Warren Buffett on the Charlie Rose Show. Talking about the Giving Pledge, a new campaign asking the most wealthy families in America to give away half of their wealth in their lifetime.

- Great new podcast from Andy Stanley: When Less is More.

- This next week is the big Super Early Bird Deadline for registering for Catalyst in Atlanta. Get in early and save big.

- Bucky Balls are now available in Gold, Silver, and Black. Love these. The best item I've found for a creative to have on your desk that helps you think clearly. Much better than a stress ball!

- Been reading Gary Vaynerchuk's book Crush It. Great read for entrepreneurs and leaders in general.

- Hilarious post from Tyler Stanton on his blog regarding some up to date tips on flying. Love it.

Andy Stanley and Craig Groeschel in Seattle; best rates end today

Catalyst One Day is coming to Seattle on Thursday, August 26, 2010. We will be at The City Church, led by great friend Judah Smith. Catalyst One Day includes practical and relevant teaching on leadership from Andy Stanley and Craig Groeschel, You won't want to miss this day. If you live in the Northwest or have friends in the Northwest, please help us get the word out!!

Also joining us in Seattle for this One Day event will be Mark Driscoll, lead pastor of Mars Hill Church, and Judah Smith, for a great conversation with Andy on the keys to creating momentum that they have seen in their organizations/churches.

If you are planning to attend, make sure and REGISTER TODAY. Best rates end today (Thursday), so go ahead and register online or call 888-334-6569 and talk to Aaron Foster.

Can't wait to hang with great leaders in the Northwest in August! And make sure to register today before ticket prices go up.

Circles of Influence

The impact of our influence many times is determined by the circles or spheres of our influence. Our circles of influence can be intentional or unintentional; they can be private or public, and they always have a unique and very specific engagement model. Not sure how scientific my different levels are below, but at least they get the conversation started. And give us a context for how to think and plan regarding our different levels of influence. In Greek, the word for sphere of influence is "oikos." So think about your Oikos and how you are being strategic in influencing those around you.

One thing is for sure- don't live in Influence Fantasy Land. If you think you have a much wider circle of influence than you really do, it will create problems for you, your team, and those closest around you. I call this "Influence Imagination." I know many leaders who have this symptom. They think they are a way bigger deal than they really are, and believe they have way more influence than they really do.

Family, Personal and Social levels of influence exist for most of us. The other levels take intentionality, focus, and determination.

1-10: Family Level: immediate family and/or those you live with.

10-100: Personal Level: friends and c0-workers; those you see on a regular basis- weekly if not daily.

100-500: Social Level: neighbors, business partners, church friends, sports parents, vendors,

500-1000: Influence Level: intentional influence really starts here. you now have followers and those who are listening, reading, or paying attention to what you are saying and doing. This level usually involves a local context. And you still know most of these people, if not all of them, on a personal level.

1000-10,000: Public Level: your influence has gone public at this level. You have a blog, you are a writer, you are influencing people outside of your ability to know them all personally. Most leaders who have aspirations of being a Major influencer end up cresting out at this level.

10,000-100,000: Popular Level: your influence has gone "popular" at this level. Maybe you are the mayor of a city, or you have a widely read blog, or you are a public speaker, or you are a CEO of a well-known organization, or you coach a popular sports team, or the pastor of a megachurch. Leaders at this level of influence get invited to gatherings, move the needle in culture, and have established and built in systems that continue to push their levels of influence up.

50,000- up: National Level: at this level, your influence is established. You have the ability to make things happen in a way that most only hope to reach.

What circle of influence are you currently residing in?

Interview with Charlene Li

The latest edition of the Catalyst Podcast features an interview I did recently at Catalyst West backstage with Charlene Li. Charlene is the best-selling c0-author of the book Groundswell, and the author of the recently released best-selling book Open Leadership. She is the founder of Altimeter Group, and considered one of the top experts in the world on social media.

When the leading organizations in the world need a social media expert, they call Charlene. She has spent years researching, consulting, and advising on social media and social technologies.

You can listen to the interview on the Catalyst website, or better yet, subscribe and download from itunes.

The Way I Get Things Done

I'm a big fan of David Allen's Getting Things Done, and Scott Belsky's Making Ideas Happen, and Michael Hyatt's tips on his blog. I've established my own system that seems to work for me. Thought I would share it. Let me admit- I don't necessarily recommend the system I've instituted for myself. I would recommend implementing a system the experts recommend. But for me, the following system works.

1. I keep a "to do" list in my drafts on my entourage. Right now I have 197 items on this list. This is where every task, to do item, action item, or follow up is recorded. If not at my computer, I will record in my moleskine or iphone and then put in the to do list once a week.

2. I keep three folders on my desk - Action items folder, Reference folder, and Backburner folder. This is taken directly from Scott's book and his methodology. These folders are for papers, documents, printed emails, etc that need to be kept in physical format, not just digital format.

3. Moleskine for capturing ideas, taking notes and thinking/dreaming. Any to do items are transferred to my to do list on entourage once a week at least.

4. Email inbox- I keep my inbox to under 20 emails daily. If it gets to be more than that, it becomes too much of a distraction. I don't use my inbox as a "to do" list. Anything that can go on a "to do" list goes on the "to do" draft.

5. I am starting to use Evernote to capture notes from meetings. Still not sold on it in terms of fitting into my system, but I am liking it so far. And those who use it swear by it.

6. I receive all of my email. But in terms of responding to email and other requests, I try to forward as much as possible to my assistant. Not because I don't want to respond personally, but more because it frees me up to focus more of my time on items that only I can do- speaker selection, programming, strategy, planning, new business development, strategic partnerships, etc.

7. I keep a very detailed system of folders in my inbox. But more for reference, and not for follow up or action. Emails only go in these folders once they have been completed or followed up on. But having them in folders for reference is incredibly important.

8. Our team does very FEW meetings. We don't meet "just to meet." We meet only if needed. This helps tremendously in allowing time to move things towards completion.

Jon Acuff, Part Two

Part Two of my interview with Jon Acuff, the founder/CEO/President/secretary/shipping coordinator/trashman/assistant/bag handler for Stuff Christians Like. In this interview we talk about Jon's bookshelf, the next book project he is working on, the Vietnam school project, and random funny things. [vimeo]http://www/vimeo.com/12445744[/vimeo]

Young Evangelicals on ABC NEWS

At the recent Q Conference in Chicago, a panel including Gabe Lyons, Tyler Wigg Stevenson, Shannon Sedgwick Davis, Jon Tyson, and Nicole Baker Fulgham had the chance to share their perspective on the current state of young "evangelicals" in the US, and what we are thinking about, working on, and collaborating towards. I think this is a great reflection of the spirit of unity among our generation. Check out this video.

If for some reason you can't get the video to play, go here.

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