I love to read. Normally I’m reading several books at one time. This year I read lots of books, but these three stood out as my favorites: (Click on the book title to read a description from Amazon.com)
Rumors of God by Darren Whitehead & Jon Tyson
You Lost Me by David Kinnaman
Jesus, My Father, the CIA, And Me by Ian Morgan Crowe
What was your favorite read this year? What book should I make sure I don’t miss?
Recently I had the opportunity to meet and later interview Claire Diaz-Ortiz. Claire leads social innovation at Twitter, where she has worked since 2009. She wrote Twitter for Good: Change the World one Tweet at a Time and is a frequent international speaker on social media, leadership, and social change. Claire began using Twitter in 2006 while living in a Christian orphanage in Kenya.
Claire holds an MBA and other degrees from Stanford and Oxford, and is the co-founder of Hope Runs, a non-profit organization operating in AIDS orphanages in Kenya. She also owns Interwebs Publishing and Saving Money Media, a blog network that has been helping families live better on less since 2008.
Claire, tell me what it is you do for Twitter. What’s your role?
I lead social innovation and run the Twitter for Nonprofits program. I spend my days working with non-profit organizations, foundations, and philanthropic leaders — including religious organizations and religious leaders. I love chatting with anyone who wants to use Twitter to make a difference in the world around them. 
Can you give an example of how you’ve seen Twitter being used for good?
One of my favorite latest stories is about @NickKristof live-tweeting a brothel raid. Information is power, and when we become educated about the realities around us we are more likely to get involved in making a positive difference. Twitter is all about open information, so it’s a great tool to use for this purpose.
Do you have any advice for the Twitter newbies or even for those of us who have been doing this a while? How can we make our experience even better?
I teach the T.W.E.E.T. framework in my book, Twitter for Good, and I really believe it works. Newbies and old hats alike can benefit hugely from creating a Twitter strategy, which is something I talk about a lot. Why are you on Twitter? Are you trying to meet new folks? Are you trying to build a movement? Are you just here because your boss made you sign up? Figuring our why you’re on Twitter is the first to figuring out what you aim to achieve on the platform.
What is the number one thing you see Twitter users doing wrong, that keeps them from being effective on Twitter?
Social media is not press release media. Don’t think of Twitter as one more way to tell people about your cool stuff. Twitter is about relationships, and you’ll win by building them.
I’m just curious, for someone who works at Twitter, do you still use other forms of social media? Do you recommend this? If so, which ones?
Absolutely! I’m a social media nut and my latest obsession happens to be a little thing I like to call Pinterest.
Thanks Claire!
What an amazing influencer Claire has become. You can read more about her and her journey of “mistaken grace” at ClaireDiazOrtiz.com or via @claired on Twitter.
How have you seen Twitter used for good?
Do you want to harness the greatest power in your organization? The best assets of your church, business or non-profit never appear on your balance sheet.
The truth is that any organization is only as good as the people within it. Take the greatest idea and put the wrong people behind it and little progress will be realized. With the right people, even average ideas can achieve tremendous results.
Are you taking the advantages of human capital?
Are you relying on the knowledge, insight and experience of everyone on your team to make the organization better?
Brainstorm – Have assigned times periodically where everyone on the team gets to give input into the organization’s future. I like to provide ways for even the most introverted on our team to share thoughts with me.
Allow mistakes – Create an environment where team members are willing to take risks without fear of repercussion if things go wrong. This atmosphere will often be created with the leader’s instant reactions to mistakes made, but will be reinforced by how the organization learns from failure.
Ask questions – Genuinely seek help from those around you. Recognize the fact that others may know more than you know about a particular subject. I like to follow others on the team when they are the expert in a subject.
Don’t pre-define – If you want help solving a problem or planning for the future, start with a clean slate, without having a pre-determined outcome when addressing an issue. If the leader always has the answer, team members are less likely to share their input.
Be open to change/new ideas – The leader must genuinely desire the involvement of others. Everyone on the team knows if the leader is really considering other people’s opinions. If team member’s suggestions are never implemented, they eventually will stop sharing them.
How are you currently taking advantage of human capital?
For more ideas on creating an environment of innovation click HERE.
(This is an expanded version of a previous post.)
Cheryl and I went on our first cruise recently. It was the Giving Rocket cruise with my good friend Casey Graham. We went because we love Casey, we needed a break and we always wanted to try a cruise. It was a Royal Caribbean cruise and sailed to the Bahamas and a private island.
I’ve heard people say they could never try a cruise. Some of the same people say they would never try a bed & breakfast. (I wrote about why you should HERE.)
Things I like:
Eating – I got 2 entrees every night…just because I could.
Forced downtime – I’m almost never still. It’s not in my nature to truly relax. (I do take a Sabbath, but my idea of “resting” is to do something I want to do…such as something productive. )
Price – You can get a nice vacation for a reasonable amount of money. There are great deals on a cruise. (This is in spite one of my things I didn’t like.)
Things I don’t:
Limited access to Internet – Can we not speed up satellite connections?
Motion sickness – I understand that our first night was unusually rough at sea. Our ship had to alter it’s schedule to accommodate the weather. I was sick. After the first night, however, I was fine.
The “extras” – I’d rather a cruise simply tell you how much the price is, include everything in it, and know on the front end what the total cost is going to be. I’m sure there are cruises that do that, which are obviously more expensive, but I’d like to try one.
Overall, it’s a great experience and we will take another cruise.
Have you been on a cruise? Where’d you go? What cruise line?
Introducing…from the men of Culby X…
It’s free, it’s inspiring, and it’s good.
Forgive me, but this is a personal privilege post. My son Nate, a pastoral student at Moody Bible Institute in Chicago, released his first Christmas album today. This was his brainchild. He recruited the guys on his dorm floor, Culby 10th floor, to help. Nate coordinated the electronic music, another guy sang, and the guys on the floor participated with Scripture input, marketing, and general morale support.
Most amazing to me is that this project was completed in a dorm room. I don’t recall that insanity in dorm rooms from my days in college. Don’t let anyone tell you this generation can’t make a difference. The guys of Culby X, and so many others, will prove you wrong.
Download the album:
Like their Facebook page:
And have yourself a Merry Christmas!
It’s always interesting to compare Thanksgiving practices with others. I thought it might be fun to hear some differences in how we celebrate.
Take a couple minutes to answer these questions in the comments.
Bonus question: What’s one thing you do at Thanksgiving which may be unique from what would be considered a traditional celebration?
Join the fun! Leave your answer as a comment. All who enter will be eligible for a free book. On Monday I’ll randomly draw from comments and give away my favorite book that I’ve read this year. (I’ll tell you then.)
Some things you have to live to fully understand.
All my life I’ve heard the phrase, “You’d have to experience it to understand it”. The older I get the more I know that statement to be true about many things. I was reflecting recently about ways I’ve heard that statement used and ways it’s come true in my life. Some of these below I have experienced; some I haven’t. Some I hope to; some I hope I never will.
(in no particular order):
For what have you heard (or lived) that phrase apply?
(This is a revised repost, with additions, after I heard this phrase again last week.)
This is a guest post by Ally Spotts. I love hearing from the next generation of leaders.
Ally Spotts is a 20-something writer & blogger who believes that what feels like a crisis is almost always an opportunity to step out in faith and do something courageous. To read what she has to say about all things life & dating follow her on Twitter or be her friend on Facebook.
I’ve always been resistant to the idea of leadership and I don’t think I’m the only one. I’m a part of a generation that embraces individualism, self-sufficiency and self-reliance.
We don’t want to be told what to do.
Sadly I think our resistance to leadership is a misunderstanding of what leadership actually is. Leadership is not someone in charge telling us what we should or shouldn’t do.
Leadership is less about power than it is about relationship.
I’m getting married in two months and being in relationship has taught me a lot about leadership. My fiance is a really good leader to me. Here’s what I’ve learned in the months that we’ve been dating.
Leaders have to have long term vision and short term strategy
From the first time I spoke with Darrell he knew he wanted to marry me. His long term vision gave him confidence to move forward with me. But vision in itself didn’t make him a good leader to me.
He didn’t call me and say, “I want to marry you – how do you feel about that?” He said, “I’m interested in you. Can we keep talking so I can get to know you better?”
He was a good leader because he used his vision to develop a short term strategy.
The long term vision without the short term strategy would have scared me half to death. The short term strategy without long term vision would have left us talking on the phone forever and ever.
Good leaders have both vision and strategy. They can’t lead without one or the other.
Leaders have small asks and can communicate them well.
Part of his “strategy” was creating small, safe asks for me to move forward in relationship with him. He would say, “I really enjoyed talking to you. Can we we talk again tomorrow?”
We lived across the country from one another so after several weeks of over-the-phone conversation he said, “I’m ready to meet whenever you are. Think about if you’d rather meet in my hometown or yours, and when you’re ready I’ll make it happen.”
I was never confused about where we were headed or what his intention was with me, but I also didn’t feel like I had to have a plan for “step 8” when we were still on “step 3.”
If I had been confused about where we were going or what he was asking of me I might have felt insecure and backed out of the relationship altogether.
Good leaders have to be able to communicate what step of the process is being executed and what is required of each person who is participating.
Leaders acknowledge and affirm the effort that is given.
After we had been dating for a few weeks he said to me, “I’m so grateful for the time and energy you’ve invested in this relationship. Your time and energy are valuable and I’m honored that you would gift them to me.”
I felt so honored by that statement it made me want to give even more time and energy to him.
It’s easy to give your energy and your effort to someone when you recognize that they appreciate what you’re investing. If you want people to respond to your leadership, first speak to what they are already giving.
You’ll earn their trust and their affection and they’ll likely give you more than you’re even asking.
Leaders lead by words and example.
When people ask how I knew I want to marry Darrell one of the things I say about him is that he is the first to admit when he is wrong.
So often he leads by example. He acts with integrity and conviction and I follow him. He sets the tone and I mirror it. Sometimes he acts incorrectly and he is quick to speak to that.
He uses words to lead me in those times. He says, “I was wrong to do/say that. It would have been better to do/say ______. Will you please forgive me?”
It is good to lead with actions. When we act with integrity those around us follow. But it is not enough to lead with just actions because leaders aren’t perfect. Good leaders use their words to speak where their actions fall short.
Good leaders need both words and actions to lead well.
It hasn’t always been easy for me to warm up to the idea of leadership but I’m getting used to it more and more every day. I’m thankful for the way my fiance has changed the way I see leadership in my relationship and leadership in general.
What do you think about Ally’s current view of leadership?
Mustard Seed Thoughts
