Squirrels gather nuts for the winter. There's no food in winter. The nuts are a solution to a problem. Squirrels gather solutions. They don't grab broken nuts and empty shells and bring them to their squirrel lair. They bring good, hearty nuts that will keep them fed. Most people gather problems. "The website is down." "We can't find the shipment." "The client can't meet on Friday." "The customer won't let us do that." Problems don't feed anyone. Solutions do. What do … [Read more...]
Want something to blow your mind?
June 3, 2011 by
I had just finished a conversation with Jim Denison, a brilliant theologian and wonderful man. He told me what was happening at the Brooklyn Tabernacle church in Brooklyn, NY. Ridiculous stuff that comes close to miraculous is going on at BTC. I asked Jim what was behind all of it. He said it's a spiritual renewal led by prayer. So I prayed for spiritual renewal. I left lunch and I prayed for God to create spiritual renewal in me that would blow my mind. I prayed that prayer for a few … [Read more...]
Judge a book by it’s cover.
May 31, 2011 by
Peter* said to me, "You're courageous and enthusiastic. Your energy inspired me. I've accomplished things I wouldn't have started before." We were performing an exercise providing others with evidence-based encouragement. I was humbled. I was honored. I was confused. I didn't view myself as courageous and enthusiastic. I didn't think of myself as inspiringly energetic. I had hardly any interaction with Peter in our 7 weeks working together. Yet I had this influence on him. Peter … [Read more...]
What color is your wristband?
October 27, 2010 by
I see a lot of yellow wristbands everywhere. Then there's the pink ones, the blue ones, the purple ones, etc. So many people are supporting worthy causes. That's pretty cool. Marketers figured out painless ways to sell charitable support. Give a little money, get a wristband. Wear the wristband, show that you're good, kind and giving. For little commitment, we buy belonging while contributing to a cause we think might be important. For a little commitment, a charity just earned a … [Read more...]
Move the Heat Around
October 19, 2010 by
To light a fire, light kindling in different places. This increases the likelihood that the fire will catch. As a fire is lighting, we may reposition the heat. We move the kindling around to expand the reach of the heat. A quick review - Fire requires heat, oxygen and fuel. Your message is the heat. The visibility of the message is your oxygen. People are your fuel. Your kindling is your Innovators and Early Adopters. Identify who they are. Light them with your message. Want to … [Read more...]
Read the Kindle
October 12, 2010 by
It's hard to change the world all at once. If we start with a few key people we increase our chances. The few are our kindling. People in organizations can be broken down into the following group: Innovators, Early Adopters, Early Majority, Late Majority, and Laggards. Check out the graphic for the breakdown. When we want to light a fire, we can throw matches on to a log or we can choose the right kindling to light and let the kindling catch the logs on fire. Find your … [Read more...]
Smoke on the Water… Fire in the Sky
October 8, 2010 by
I was sitting near the fire pit. I was excited to start the fire. An hour later I was frustrated. We had wood. Lots of it. But it was not in the condition to light. We struggled to light anything. After 45 minutes of fighting smoke, we gave up. It takes fuel, oxygen and heat to start a fire. The fuel must be the right kind for the job. It must be in the right condition. Not all fuel is in the right condition to light. When the wood is wet, we get smoke. When the gasoline is … [Read more...]
Set People on Fire!
October 1, 2010 by
Basics of fire science tells us we need three things to start a fire: Fuel (Ex.- Wood, Gasoline, Alcohol, etc.) Oxygen Heat You need all three to create a chain reaction. People are our fuel source; our message is our heat; visibility is our oxygen Without people to ignite, you just have a bunch of hot air. … [Read more...]
