Change is Good

Remember as a child how exciting it was for your family to change the furniture configuration in the living room? I do. It was like having a whole new home. It created a major sense of excitement and anticipation for our family, especially my brother and me. Or when you would change your bedroom up and move the bed to the other wall (perpendicular) and put the dresser on the other side of the room, and your trophies in a different spot? Like a whole new room. All good memories. We decided today to reconfigure the office space here at Catalyst. Why? No good reason, other than sparking some fresh thinking and feeling like we are starting "new" in 2009. Everyone was involved. Everyone was excited. Fresh eyes and fresh perspective.

Will it improve productivity? Who knows. But maybe it will spark some extra momentum as we start 2009. With all the change happening around us, it feels right to create some change that we can control.

Gift Card Giver House Partay

yes, I know, I spelled party wrong- on purpose. Last night was the first official NATIONWIDE Gift Card Giver House Party evening. There were hundreds of folks around the country gathered in homes playing games, having fun, and providing unused gift cards for those less fortunate. Check out the new website. And if you have any gift cards laying around, whether unused or just a few dollars left on them, send em in! It's a great way to help others.  [gallery columns="4"]

Top Ten Blogs I am Reading

It's been a week of top tens. Top Ten Books I've read, top ten events to attend this year, and now the top ten blogs I am reading.  Again, this is the top blogs I am currently reading. Not necessarily the top ten blogs I recommend (that would be hard to limit to only 10). No particular order.

1. Seth Godin

2. Ben Arment

3. Tim Sanders

4. Perry Noble

5. Mike Hyatt

6. Anne Jackson

7. Todd Rhoades 

8. Swerve (Craig Groeschel and Bobby Gruenewald)

9. Guy Kawasaki

10. Carlos Whittaker

Thrill of Victory... and agony of Defeat

Tough game last night for the Sooners. They didn't have the same mojo that was present the last 8 games. Florida had a lot to do with that. But two trips inside the 5 yard line with no points and two additional drives inside the 20 with nothing will pretty much guarantee a loss. 5 straight losses in BCS bowl games is a real drag right now for the program. Oklahoma is the winningest team in the last ten years among all college teams, but has lost the ability to win the Big game. The agony of defeat. Ugh. 

It pains me, but I now must move Florida into a tie or at least a close second with USC for the best team of the decade. See the updated post here, which I am sure will create some controversy among all the rabid college football fans out there. Congrats to Florida and their team and coaches. They seem to be a class act. And to all the Florida fans who now have ample reason to talk trash.

The power of Margin

Margin is a powerful concept. 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 on a daily basis, even if it is 5 minutes to think, walk, pray, or simply relax. 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. 

On the flipside, lack of margin makes us tense, creates stress and pushes for quick decisions. Lack of margin leads to stale and forced relationships, and drives us towards the most available options, but many times not the best.

Top Ten Events to attend in 2009

My suggestions for what Leadership events you should attend in 2009. Obviously, I highly recommend attending Catalyst in Atlanta (October 7-9), Catalyst West Coast in LA (April 22-24), and Catalyst One Days in different cities (next is February 26 in Atlanta). So outside of those, here is my list of suggestions. 1. Catalyst Events

2. Q- April 27-29, Austin, TX. 

3. Drive- May 4-6, Atlanta, GA.

4. Orange- April 29-May 1, Atlanta, GA. 

5. Innovation3- January 27-28, Dallas, TX.

6. Maximum Impact- May 8, Atlanta, GA. (simulcast)

7. Leadership Summit- August 6-7, 2009

8. Exponential- April 20-23, Orlando, FL

9. Unleash- March 12, Anderson, SC

10. National Pastors Convention- February 10-13, San Diego, CA

bonus event: The Idea Camp- February 27-28, Irvine, CA. A free conference for idea makers.

What Have You Done for Me Lately

Ooooo-ooooo-oooooo-yeah!!! (Don't act like you weren't humming to the Janet Jackson classic from the nineties.... Actually the question is "what have I done for you lately?" If this blog is about trying to create conversations, and maybe in some way create some elements of community, I wanted to throw that question out there to you. How can I help you? 

Now if your response is "let me speak at Catalyst," well I'm not sure that is a realistic expectation! But, seriously, let me know how I might be able to assist you. You can email me or respond here.

Top Books of 2008

Here is my top ten list of books from 2008. 1. Tribes- another classic from Seth Godin.

2. Outliers- Malcolm Gladwell makes me think with every book he writes. 

3. Jesus Wants to Save Christians- Rob Bell

4. Wild Goose Chase- Mark Batterson

5. Made to Stick- Chip and Dan Heath

6. IT- Craig Groeschel

7. Crazy Love- Francis Chan

8. The Starfish and the Spider- Ori Brafman

9. Culture Making- Andy Crouch

10. The Pixar Touch- David Price

Young Leader Trends

Alan Nelson from REV Magazine recently asked several thought leaders to comment on the challenges facing the church. His article was entitled "What's Eating Your Lunch." I was asked what are the issues facing young leaders in the church. Here was my response: The biggest trend emerging among younger pastors and church leaders is collaboration. Not that other generations have chosen to avoid or not engage in collaborative efforts, but today's under-40 leaders are seeking and intentionally finding ways to work together, even in situations where it might be more convenient to work on their own. Obviously, the ease with which we engage in technology, social media, niche networks, and unique communication devices makes working together much easier than in the past. But it is still in stark contrast to other generations. As a general rule, young leaders are less concerned about who gets the credit and more concerned with the outcome and the greater good that results.

Boomers -- make sure to give your young church leaders the chance to engage in projects with other leaders in your community, and especially with leaders from other churches in your area.

Another major trend is the rise of the "free agent." Leaders are no longer looking at a career as a one church or one organization story. This phenomenon has taken the business community by storm over the last five to seven years, but it's now becoming more commonplace among younger church leaders. This is clearly evidenced by the reality that young leaders are more project-oriented, committed to tackling a project now and seeing immediate results, and less committed to the long-term building of an organization or personality-based church over 20, 30, or 40 years.

Boomers -- don't be afraid to allow your younger staff to lead projects and don't be overly concerned when they leave to tackle something new. Free agents seek new opportunities, and if you don't provide the environment that allows them to do this, they'll look elsewhere.

You can read the other responses from Sam Rainer, Dave Kinnaman, Michael Lindsay, and others here.

Best posts of 2008

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