The team at Seacoast is packed with sharp people and Mac Lake is one of their best. Mac and I have never met, unless the world of social media counts. If it does we’ve met frequently. I’ve enjoyed our emails, Twitter, blog and TokBox correspondence. Mac is a deliberate and strategic thinker. I don’t know anyone currently more passionate about developing leaders than Mac Lake.

CBS’s new Undercover Boss was a great finish to a night of Super Bowl fun. I was amazed watching Larry O’Donnell, President and COO of Waste Management, as he went to work at the most menial jobs of the company he leads. He discovered there were actions from his chair that negatively impacted the people that work hard to make the company work. I applaud any leader that opens the door to learning insights from those he or she is supposed to be leading

This year I have used my blog to journal, to encourage, to inspire, to teach and to share insights into my life and the leadership role I have at Grace Community Church. I am so thankful for the growth in readership this year. I am preparing for another great year in 2010. Your suggestions are welcome.

Develop or learn the system and it will make life easier and you’ll better enjoy the ride…

In my years of leading and managing, I have observed all types of work ethics. As a student of leadership, I have read books and attended conferences on organizational development and workplace issues. One frequent message I hear is the encouragement to work less and enjoy life more. I know the reason. There is an epidemic of over-achievers in our society neglecting family and failing to enjoy life because they are consumed with things of lesser importance.

Over the next few days I will share some of the results of the Leadership Perception Survey I posted recently on my blog. Just so you know, there is no hidden agenda here. Several have asked. I simply believe perception of a situation matters, sometimes as much as reality. In leadership, we must always be aware of another person’s perception and realize that not everyone thinks as we do. That doesn’t mean perception has to alter what we do, certainly not if we are doing the right thing, but perception can play a factor in success and may alter the strategy we use to accomplish our vision.

In the Biblical days of Solomon, bird hunters would spread a net on the ground, baited with food for the birds. As the birds would fly down for dinner, the hunters would pull up the nest quickly, capturing many of the birds. Birds are smarter than one might think, though. If they saw the hunters laying down the nets, they wouldn’t land and so they wouldn’t be caught by the trap.

Possibly because I watched this movie on the long plane ride home from Lithuania and had visited the KGB Museum while I was there, but the movie Defiance left a huge impression on me. (Read about my KGB Museum experience HERE.) Maybe it was because I knew this was based on a true story and it graphically displays the conditions of people during times of war and domination by another nation. Whatever the reason, I am not usually an emphatic person and it is hard to impress me (just being honest), but this movie may well be remembered as one of the most impactful and even favorite movies of my life.

I am trying to decide what to blog about in the coming weeks. Any suggestions?

The following list may be an indicator of what people are interested in when they come to this blog. These are the top 10 posts so far in the month of June:

The shortest chapter in the Bible is Psalm 117. I have often wondered what was going through the Psalmist’s mind when he recorded his thoughts for this Psalm. Was he finished? Did he get interrupted? Was there something else he wanted to say? Was he satisfied with his work? (Obviously God was.) This shortest chapter has huge meaning. If we were to memorize just these two verses and implement them in our life, I think it may make a difference in our perspective on the world and the situations in which we find ourselves.