Serve by Design

As advertised in my blog postscript, I am a doting grandfather and Poppi! With four grown children and twelve grandchildren, we have been able over the years to make several observations about these family members based upon their birth order. Those firstborns have tended to be high achievers (if not over achievers!), perfectionists, and sometimes, bossy leaders! The youngest of their families are happy, predictably spoiled, and love the spotlight! Charlie - Stepping Up... Again!! What about the middle child or the one I have always observed as the “most well-adjusted” of them all? As a confrontive, competitive firstborn, I am thankful to have married a well-adjusted, adaptable second born! It is a blessing, too, that Monique brings harmony and common sense to our relationship and family! She is the “glue” that holds us all together! While I am devoted to each of our children, (spouses included!) and grands, I have come to champion, in special ways, those in the “middle” of their fam...

I watched a heart-warming feature the other day on a local television news program. It featured a seasoned one-hundred-three-year-old teacher who had mentored a seventy-something year old teacher who, in turn, had impacted a younger next-generation educator! It was a mentoring stair-step of inspiration, instruction, and influence that continues to be celebrated in their small town of Assumption, Illinois! Mentors Add Value! Credit: clker.com There are names for this story. First, Helen Lehman, is the centenarian mentor who started her teaching career in the 1940’s. She is still active in her community and is often stopped by her former students at the local grocery store. They recognize her and appreciate the value that she has added to their young lives. When asked why she spent so many years teaching children, she simply replied, “I love children! You gotta love kids!” One of Helen’s mentees and teaching friends is Jane Shull. She learned so many lessons from this experienced teach...

I have been using all methods of persuasion throughout my years as a church leader. It involves verbal and nonverbal communication in formal and informal settings. I have presented ministry ideas on paper, through email, texts and over the telephone. There have been numerous one-on-one meetings with key individuals, and there have been even more meetings with committees, teams and multiple groups covering tasks with diverse responsibilities. Credit: vectorstock.com The goal behind all this activity has been to facilitate collaboration and hopefully gain “buy-in” to ideas, action plans, implementation strategies, and the advancement of the organization’s mission. I have found this process both exhilarating and exasperating. It requires patience, support, and openness to divergent ideas. The latter has always been a particular challenge to me and to my impatience! But I have found all of this to be a necessary process for getting things done! I have been a student of communication all ...

My Grandson Benjamin looks out for his Poppi! He started treating me with respect and deference long before he was employed this summer as a part-time “stretch therapist” by the local chiropractor. I like to believe his gentle back rub greeting has been perfected since his clinical experiences of late! "My favorite tour guide!" Ben meets people well, loves his family and has numerous close friends. Subsequently, he has become a social magnet for serious discussions, understanding popular culture and is always up for the plain enjoyment of being together. He’s my “go-to guy!” We have enjoyed sharing insights about our current reads with each other while chatting near the bookshelf in his bedroom. Ben likes to read all kinds of literature. When it comes to movies…there isn’t anyone I’d rather see something special with on the Big Screen at Cinemark or even the Little Screen in the upstairs home theater than Ben! This year we adventured through Black Panther , Mission Impossib...

I have been serving as a law enforcement chaplain for twelve years as well as a workplace chaplain for over eighteen years. This has afforded me many opportunities for conversations and counsel that would not have been possible in any other way. Trust is a delicate thing between employees and chaplains that develops over time. It must be earned and there are no shortcuts in the process of deepening the confidence one person has in another. The more you relate and do life together, the more others see that you can be counted on to guard the secrets, concerns, and issues that many deal with on a day-to-day basis. The Strength of Teamwork! Image credit: unsplash.com One of the phrases I often hear among my fellow chaplains at our team training meetings is that “It’s such a privilege to be invited into workplace settings to serve as a chaplain resource to employees!” Where else, except the church, are religiously trained leaders invited to pray, affirm, and encourage workers while they are...

At eighty years of age, Tom Peters is regarded as one of the most influential leaders, motivational consultants, and prolific authors of our day. He has nineteen book titles to his credit. In 1982, Peters and Robert Waterman, Jr., co-wrote the best-selling book,   In Search of Excellence . Forty years later, millions of copies have been sold and it continues to be one of the leading resources for CEO’s, company managers and organizational leaders! I   listened to an online podcast interview this week with Tom Peters and was immediately captivated by his enthusiastic, salty (Navy vet!), and sometimes profane, but straightforward style of speaking. Credit: Adam Nemeroff, unsplash.com Peters espouses a social management approach to leadership. He made it clear in the interview that management is not just about strategy, structure, and organization! Rather, excellent leadership focuses on the principle that “people are the only thing that matters!” And this translates into “People...