One of my main goals this year has been to expand my group of mentors and advisors, so they’ve become a bit of a recurring theme on this blog lately. The results have been remarkable. In the last year, I have developed relationships with a variety of business leaders who, frankly, I’m humbled to even be able to get on the phone. Their advice has been invaluable.
A few of you have been on me to share exactly how I’ve gone about getting all these guys on my team, so I’ll do that here. I’ve definitely learned a few things along the way.
Keep in Informal
I have never actually asked anyone to “be my Advisor.” Doing so seems like a major request, especially of someone who doesn’t know me and who’s time is scarce and valuable. Instead, I simply ask for their advice. This is far less intimidating and it gives the relationship room to grow naturally.
Maximize Their Time - The Advisor Summary
There is a secret to finding great advisors, and this is it. Making the most of very small amounts of your advisors’ time will make them LOVE helping you. No one likes to feel like their time is being wasted, and the corollary is equally true. Make it extremely easy for them to give you a lot of assistance with very little time and they will love you for it.
My favorite way to do that is with what I call an “Advisor Summary.” It has been by far the most important tool in building my advisor relationships – a secret weapon of sorts. It’s about eight pages long and looks very much like the Executive Summary of a business plan. Really, that’s what it is. It is formally written and presented. It has sections on “Who We Are” (mission/vision), “Where We Are Now” (personnel, projects, market reach, etc), “Where We Are Going” (expansion plans, 3-5 year picture), and “Key Challenges and Opportunities.” In case they don’t have time to read all of it, each section also has a two or three sentence “super-summary.”
Of course, they do read all of it. In fact, they eat it up! After reading it, most offer to get together to discuss and then spend a great deal of time giving me specific input on my plans, usually over a long meal. Collectively, their input has been the best education I’ve ever had. It’s fabulous.
I believe the reason these men have responded this way is because so few people who ask their advice put nearly as much time and effort into maximizing the value of their time. Doing so makes it very easy for them to offer real help.
Keep in mind that not everyone will be so anxious to help. Some (in my experience, about half) will not respond at all. When it happens, don’t waste a single moment worrying about it.
Obviously, an Advisor Summary could take many forms. Mine works well in the business world, but variations could also be used by pastors seeking counsel on growing their churches, missionaries on their ministries, and corporate employees on their departments, major projects or even their careers in general. The point is if you want the advice of very busy people, honor their time by making it as easy as possible for them to help you.
Preparing a really good Advisor Summary will take a great deal of your time. It certainly did for me. Once you have one, though, revising and updating it becomes relatively simple. Preparing it is also a very useful exercise in and of itself. Trying to boil down everything you know about your company and what it’s facing into a few short pages will force you to get very clear about what the real issues are.
Ask Specific Questions
This goes back to maximizing your advisors’ time and impact. Don’t just tell them about your business, career, or ministry and ask for their general advice. They’ll give that anyway. Instead, give some serious thought to what is giving you the most trouble. Then ask very specific questions.
At the end of my Advisor Summary, I always attach five or six “Key Questions” written specifically for that advisor. They are always direct, practical, and relevant to the real issues I am facing at that moment. I describe specific problems and request specific answers. I usually get them.
Be aware that people will often judge your intelligence by the quality of the questions you ask – and rightly so.
No Handholding
Your advisors are there to give periodic input on the major issues you face, not hold your hand through every step of the process. Don’t expect them to meet with you every week or even every month. The longest and most treasured mentor relationship I have is with someone I meet with only a few times a year. Meeting that infrequently forces me to get clear about the real issues I’ve been facing, rather than wasting his time discussing that week’s crisis-of-the-moment.
Seek Appropriate Advisors
Most of my advisors are extremely successful business leaders who head companies much larger than mine. Most lead businesses that have some similarities to my own. All of them are men I respect. These things are key. And while you do want advisors who are ahead of you, keep it within reason. If you are just starting a very small business, seeking counsel from the heads of major corporations might not be the best use of your time or theirs.
Give Back
You will never be able to fully repay your best advisors for the value of their time and assistance. Try anyway. Give back as much as you can. This generally doesn’t mean financially, but give your advisor as many expressions of gratitude and honor as you can. Use their advice wherever appropriate and be sure to tell them when it works. Look for ways to bless them, their families, and their staff.
I also try to understand my advisors’ lives and businesses as much as possible and, in time, I do offer my own advice when appropriate. Whether it’s actually helpful to them is another matter, but it shows them I care and it generally seems to be appreciated.
Lastly, and perhaps most importantly, I make it a point to pray for each of my advisors. I ask the Lord specifically to bless them for blessing me, and I believe that He does. Few business leaders have anyone praying specifically for their success. That’s tragic.
Tuesday, July 29, 2008
Friday, July 18, 2008
It's the Product, Stupid!
A few days ago, I had an opportunity to meet with Mike Hyatt, the President and CEO of Thomas Nelson. I’ve mentioned him here before and I’ve been reading his blog off and on for a few years now, so it was a treat to finally meet him in person.
While telling him about the launch of Learn & Master Guitar, Mike stopped me when I described how quickly things ramped up during our first year. He wanted to know “what was the hardest part about getting the word out?” I thought about it for a bit before admitting that, honestly, it seemed pretty easy. I had already spent five years marketing a similar product at another company, so the marketing strategy was no great mystery to me.
The hard part, I told him, was developing the product. It took a large investment and nine months of incredibly difficult work (thank you Steve Krenz!), but when we finally launched, people wanted it. They wanted it because it really was like no other home-study guitar course available. And since it was internet based, word spread fast.
Mike gave a knowing smile and picked up a bright yellow button that had been sitting on the coffee table between us. In big black letters it read, “It’s the Product, Stupid!” I laughed. Apparently, “It’s the Product, Stupid!” is a mantra Mike has been preaching to his team at Thomas Nelson. As he put it, “when the product is right, everything else is easy.”
I am a marketing guy. I like to believe that the right sales copy and marketing strategy can sell anything. Often it can (for a while), but if the product is lousy, it's definitely an uphill battle.
Marketing is about getting people to want what you have to offer. Offer what they already want and marketing gets very, very easy.
While telling him about the launch of Learn & Master Guitar, Mike stopped me when I described how quickly things ramped up during our first year. He wanted to know “what was the hardest part about getting the word out?” I thought about it for a bit before admitting that, honestly, it seemed pretty easy. I had already spent five years marketing a similar product at another company, so the marketing strategy was no great mystery to me.
The hard part, I told him, was developing the product. It took a large investment and nine months of incredibly difficult work (thank you Steve Krenz!), but when we finally launched, people wanted it. They wanted it because it really was like no other home-study guitar course available. And since it was internet based, word spread fast.
Mike gave a knowing smile and picked up a bright yellow button that had been sitting on the coffee table between us. In big black letters it read, “It’s the Product, Stupid!” I laughed. Apparently, “It’s the Product, Stupid!” is a mantra Mike has been preaching to his team at Thomas Nelson. As he put it, “when the product is right, everything else is easy.”
I am a marketing guy. I like to believe that the right sales copy and marketing strategy can sell anything. Often it can (for a while), but if the product is lousy, it's definitely an uphill battle.
Marketing is about getting people to want what you have to offer. Offer what they already want and marketing gets very, very easy.
Tuesday, July 1, 2008
Disagreement in a Multitude of Counselors
Over the past few months, I've been focused on expanding my advisory team and, more recently, getting their input on our company's expansion plan. The extent to which these highly successful and very busy men have been willing to guide me has been both humbling and honoring. Now that we're past the initial getting-to-know-you stuff and on to the real advising, however, there is a new challenge. They don't give the same advice.
On some issues, of course, they all agree. In fact, I now have some very clear next steps based on counsel they've given commonly. It's great when that happens! Unfortunately, there are at least as many issues where they disagree, often strongly. I'm not talking about issues that are vague or general, either. I mean very specific issues, such as org charts, proper compensation structures for management, and when (or whether) to raise capital. These are important decisions I need to get right, and very intelligent men are giving me very different answers. That's good thing.
Proverbs 11:14 says that "there is wisdom in a multitude of counselors." (My paraphrase.) Although it's not clearly stated, the inference here is that your counselors will not agree. Otherwise, what would be the point in getting a multitude? If they all said the same thing, one counselor would do.
My job now is to sift through the advice and choose what is best for my company. That's why we don't lead by committee. Nothing would get done. I know, however, that I am far better equipped to make wise decisions having heard from the "multitude" -- even on issues where they've disagreed.
The other (and perhaps more important) reason for me to have a "multitude of couselors" is that, frankly, sometimes it takes more than one person to convince me I am wrong. (Can you believe it?) This has happened a LOT lately. In fact, it's been more common for my advisors to disagree collectively with me than to disagree with each other. When they do, I pay close attention!
On some issues, of course, they all agree. In fact, I now have some very clear next steps based on counsel they've given commonly. It's great when that happens! Unfortunately, there are at least as many issues where they disagree, often strongly. I'm not talking about issues that are vague or general, either. I mean very specific issues, such as org charts, proper compensation structures for management, and when (or whether) to raise capital. These are important decisions I need to get right, and very intelligent men are giving me very different answers. That's good thing.
Proverbs 11:14 says that "there is wisdom in a multitude of counselors." (My paraphrase.) Although it's not clearly stated, the inference here is that your counselors will not agree. Otherwise, what would be the point in getting a multitude? If they all said the same thing, one counselor would do.
My job now is to sift through the advice and choose what is best for my company. That's why we don't lead by committee. Nothing would get done. I know, however, that I am far better equipped to make wise decisions having heard from the "multitude" -- even on issues where they've disagreed.
The other (and perhaps more important) reason for me to have a "multitude of couselors" is that, frankly, sometimes it takes more than one person to convince me I am wrong. (Can you believe it?) This has happened a LOT lately. In fact, it's been more common for my advisors to disagree collectively with me than to disagree with each other. When they do, I pay close attention!
Friday, June 20, 2008
Seek and Obey
It’s been a day now since I’ve returned from the “Spiritual Fathers” project (see previous post) and I have finally given up on processing all that I took in. There was just too much. Instead, I’ve tried to boil down all that I learned to a few key action items – one or two things I learned that are most essential for me to act on now.
What I settled on were two things that actually stemmed from the same question. At one point, the Spiritual Fathers were asked “what spiritual discipline has been the most critical in your life?”
Constant Prayer: All of the men had this answer in common. To my surprise, they did not emphasize blocking out huge portions of time each day for dedicated prayer. In fact, they avoided saying specifically how much time they spent praying each day for fear we might benchmark against them and become legalistic about it. Instead, they all talked about cultivating a life of near constant prayer; constantly praying throughout the day. Having time each day dedicated to prayer is important, but they had all moved beyond that to a point where they were also praying intermittently throughout the day about every situation they faced. Paul, of course, describes this 1 Thessalonians 5 where he says to “pray without ceasing.” These men actually do.
Instant Obedience: This one came from Jack Hayford. He said that one of the most important disciplines he focused on was seeking to respond instantly to instruction or correction from the Holy Spirit. In other words, instant obedience. I felt immediately convicted about this. I often like to say things like “God is working on me on that” when what I really mean is that “I know what I’m supposed to do (or not do) and I’m not obeying – yet.” Delayed obedience, of course, is not much different than disobedience.
I realized, too, that the two are closely related. I can always tell when I’m not walking in total obedience to the Holy Spirit because my prayer life suffers. I avoid spending too much time in prayer because I know what the Lord is going to tell me, and I don’t want to hear it. And it doesn’t matter what I want to pray about, I know that the Lord will immediately shift the “conversation” to the area where I am not doing what I know to do, so I pray less. A lot less.
This is my resolution, to renew my pursuit of constant prayerfulness, and to strive for immediate obedience to Lord’s instruction and correction (including the area I’ve been fighting him on lately). To seek and obey.
The men on this panel have accomplished truly incredible things in their lifetime. Building some of the world’s most successful ministries while remaining respected and scandal-free is no small feat, especially considering the temptations and constant public examination that come with it. It’s considerably more difficult (and rare) than accomplishing the same in the business world. If the “secret to success” these men share is simply cultivating a lifestyle of constant seeking and obeying, imagine what is possible when Christian businessmen and women consistently live by the same mantra. If we truly see our calling in the business world as ministry (and it is) then we must.
Seek and obey. Simply and consistently. Not just daily, but throughout the day. Cultivated as a lifestyle, it just might change the world.
What I settled on were two things that actually stemmed from the same question. At one point, the Spiritual Fathers were asked “what spiritual discipline has been the most critical in your life?”
Constant Prayer: All of the men had this answer in common. To my surprise, they did not emphasize blocking out huge portions of time each day for dedicated prayer. In fact, they avoided saying specifically how much time they spent praying each day for fear we might benchmark against them and become legalistic about it. Instead, they all talked about cultivating a life of near constant prayer; constantly praying throughout the day. Having time each day dedicated to prayer is important, but they had all moved beyond that to a point where they were also praying intermittently throughout the day about every situation they faced. Paul, of course, describes this 1 Thessalonians 5 where he says to “pray without ceasing.” These men actually do.
Instant Obedience: This one came from Jack Hayford. He said that one of the most important disciplines he focused on was seeking to respond instantly to instruction or correction from the Holy Spirit. In other words, instant obedience. I felt immediately convicted about this. I often like to say things like “God is working on me on that” when what I really mean is that “I know what I’m supposed to do (or not do) and I’m not obeying – yet.” Delayed obedience, of course, is not much different than disobedience.
I realized, too, that the two are closely related. I can always tell when I’m not walking in total obedience to the Holy Spirit because my prayer life suffers. I avoid spending too much time in prayer because I know what the Lord is going to tell me, and I don’t want to hear it. And it doesn’t matter what I want to pray about, I know that the Lord will immediately shift the “conversation” to the area where I am not doing what I know to do, so I pray less. A lot less.
This is my resolution, to renew my pursuit of constant prayerfulness, and to strive for immediate obedience to Lord’s instruction and correction (including the area I’ve been fighting him on lately). To seek and obey.
The men on this panel have accomplished truly incredible things in their lifetime. Building some of the world’s most successful ministries while remaining respected and scandal-free is no small feat, especially considering the temptations and constant public examination that come with it. It’s considerably more difficult (and rare) than accomplishing the same in the business world. If the “secret to success” these men share is simply cultivating a lifestyle of constant seeking and obeying, imagine what is possible when Christian businessmen and women consistently live by the same mantra. If we truly see our calling in the business world as ministry (and it is) then we must.
Seek and obey. Simply and consistently. Not just daily, but throughout the day. Cultivated as a lifestyle, it just might change the world.
Tuesday, June 17, 2008
A Historic Event
Have you ever participated in an event and knew that somehow it was a MUCH bigger deal than you could fully appreciate at the moment? That it was much more important than your own little brain could fully understand? I've had that feeling since the moment I arrived here at The Cove in Ashville, NC for the taping of "A Fireside Chat with Fathers of the Faith."
As you've probably gathered from this blog, I am a big believer in learning all that I can from those who have gone ahead of me. This week I have a unique opportunity to do that from several true patriarchs of the faith -- internationally recognized authors, speakers, and founders of major Christian ministries and movements. Most of them are in their seventies and eighties. They have lived lives that have had a profound impact on the Kingdom. To have the opportunity to meet even one of them would be a tremendous privilege. This week they have all been brought together (a huge feat itself, given their schedules) for a "fireside chat". For three days, they are passing along their wisdom for the next generations of leadership. They are:
Jack Hayford – pastor, teacher, author and currently the President of the Foursquare Church as well as the Founder/Chancellor of King’s College and Seminary.
Loren Cunningham – ‘the world’s most traveled man’ is the Founder of Youth With A Mission (YWAM) as well as an author, and the Founder/President of the University of the Nations.
Lloyd Ogilvie – pastor, preacher, author, 61st Chaplain of the United States Senate and named one the ‘twelve most effective preachers in the English-speaking world’.
John Perkins – an international leader, teacher and author on issues of racial reconciliation and community development, awarded seven honorary doctorates.
Winkie Pratney – a New Zealand author, Christian apologist, authority on revival, and a young adult communicator who speaks worldwide to 500,000 annually.
Dr. Robert Schuler - an often misunderstood patriarch of the faith; founder of the Chrystal Cathedral, world's first seeker-sensitive church; best known for his widely viewed "Hour of Power" television program
Henry Blackaby - (to be taped at a later date) author the best-selling and profoundly impactful book, "Experiencing God".
These are some of the real "grandpas" of the faith for this generation. Last night I listened in as they sat around the Billy Graham's fireplace and shared their answers to questions like these: "What has been the most important spiritual discipline you've cultivated over your lifetime?" "How have you tended the integrity of your heart when others have criticized or wronged you?" "How have you balanced family life with your calling?" And of course, many others. Hearing them share unscripted from their hearts has been an incredibly powerful experience. I can't believe I get to sit in on two more days of it!
I am sure I'll write more on this as I have time, but you can learn a little by visiting www.lionshareleadership.org. The project was devised by Dave Beuhring and is being produced by Lionshare Leadership. You won't find much information publicly available on it, since its completion and launch is still quite a ways off, but let me tell you now... You will want to get these DVDs!
The project is still in need of some more donors to be seen through to completion, so do consider joining with me in supporting a vitally important project for the next generation of Christian leaders. If you would like to help, please let me know.
More on this soon!
As you've probably gathered from this blog, I am a big believer in learning all that I can from those who have gone ahead of me. This week I have a unique opportunity to do that from several true patriarchs of the faith -- internationally recognized authors, speakers, and founders of major Christian ministries and movements. Most of them are in their seventies and eighties. They have lived lives that have had a profound impact on the Kingdom. To have the opportunity to meet even one of them would be a tremendous privilege. This week they have all been brought together (a huge feat itself, given their schedules) for a "fireside chat". For three days, they are passing along their wisdom for the next generations of leadership. They are:
Jack Hayford – pastor, teacher, author and currently the President of the Foursquare Church as well as the Founder/Chancellor of King’s College and Seminary.
Loren Cunningham – ‘the world’s most traveled man’ is the Founder of Youth With A Mission (YWAM) as well as an author, and the Founder/President of the University of the Nations.
Lloyd Ogilvie – pastor, preacher, author, 61st Chaplain of the United States Senate and named one the ‘twelve most effective preachers in the English-speaking world’.
John Perkins – an international leader, teacher and author on issues of racial reconciliation and community development, awarded seven honorary doctorates.
Winkie Pratney – a New Zealand author, Christian apologist, authority on revival, and a young adult communicator who speaks worldwide to 500,000 annually.
Dr. Robert Schuler - an often misunderstood patriarch of the faith; founder of the Chrystal Cathedral, world's first seeker-sensitive church; best known for his widely viewed "Hour of Power" television program
Henry Blackaby - (to be taped at a later date) author the best-selling and profoundly impactful book, "Experiencing God".
These are some of the real "grandpas" of the faith for this generation. Last night I listened in as they sat around the Billy Graham's fireplace and shared their answers to questions like these: "What has been the most important spiritual discipline you've cultivated over your lifetime?" "How have you tended the integrity of your heart when others have criticized or wronged you?" "How have you balanced family life with your calling?" And of course, many others. Hearing them share unscripted from their hearts has been an incredibly powerful experience. I can't believe I get to sit in on two more days of it!
I am sure I'll write more on this as I have time, but you can learn a little by visiting www.lionshareleadership.org. The project was devised by Dave Beuhring and is being produced by Lionshare Leadership. You won't find much information publicly available on it, since its completion and launch is still quite a ways off, but let me tell you now... You will want to get these DVDs!
The project is still in need of some more donors to be seen through to completion, so do consider joining with me in supporting a vitally important project for the next generation of Christian leaders. If you would like to help, please let me know.
Monday, June 2, 2008
Categories of Business Thought
I try to learn all that I can from people who understand business better than I do. As I’ve done that, I’ve begun to see that there are very distinctive categories of business thought. While the top players in these categories all know their stuff, they really do not speak the same language. If you’re seeking counsel from guys like this, it’s important to understand the framework they think in and how it may or may not apply to yours. The three categories of business thought I’ve come to recognize are Corporate, Corporate Entrepreneur, and Bootstrap Entrepreneur.
Corporate: Some of my primary exposure to the world of corporate thought has been through the Executive MBA at Vanderbilt University. The guys at the top of the corporate world are playing a sport I know little about. They deal with leadership on a very high level and tend to think and talk in broad concepts. The best of them are visionaries, but they really do not – and probably should not – think much like I do.
Role Models: Mike Hyatt, (CEO, Thomas Nelson) and Marty Dickens (former President, BellSouth/AT&T) are both fine local role models in this camp. They are effective leaders whose impact extends beyond their companies. They’re also fine Christian men who exemplify Kingdom mindset. Inspiring and leading well enough to steer massive bureaucracy takes serious clarity and strength of mind. I have a lot to learn from them. However, although I deeply admire them, I do not aspire to be them. In many ways, their lives are not their own.
Corporate Entrepreneurs: This category of business thought is a blend of Corporate and Entrepreneur, but it is absolutely its own category. The guys who operate here really do have their own way of thinking about business. If you sit in on a board meeting or brainstorming session with them, they speak and operate in very corporate ways, but they think and act as entrepreneurs. While they might never try to bootstrap a business off of a few hundred dollars, they are highly effective at raising large sums of money, quickly turning it into a fast-growth enterprise, and then selling it at handsome multiple a few years down the road. These men and women are the favorites of venture capitalists.
I like these guys. I am learning a LOT from them. They think like entrepreneurs in a lot of ways, but they are very effective at putting structure to their enterprises. They are big on planning and do it well. They take the best of the corporate world and apply it to the entrepreneurial mindset.
Role Models: I am building relationships with as many of these folks as I can. I cannot name them all here, but Dan Hammond (President, American Hometown Publishing) and Michael Burcham (President, ParadigmHealth) have both taught me a lot recently.
Bootstrap Entrepreneurs: This is business thought in its most basic, primal format. The guys who excel here have generally built their companies from the ground up, often with little formal business training, investment, or outside help. If you were to tell them “it takes money to make money,” they just might laugh. I could write all day about this mindset, because it’s closest to my own. I learn quickly and easily from those who are ahead of me here, because I already think and speak much like they do.
Role Models: Having an Bootstrap mindset does not mean thinking small. Many of these folks are wildly successful. Dave Ramsey is one of my current favorites. His company’s numbers are not public, but they do have over 200 employees and they’re growing fast (debt free, of course). Their company is extremely well run. I know a number of his employees and I’ve learned a lot from them. Dave’s “EntreLeadership” course is a fantastic study on effective management techniques for those with this mindset. I’ve also learned a lot from Robert D. Smith, Lighting Crown Publishers. He runs a massively successful organization out of the basement of his (albeit quite large) home. The level of leadership and efficiency that bounce around between those walls is mind boggling.
The Point: Your own business mindset has probably been formed largely by the career experiences you’ve had so far. Whether you’ve worked primarily in large corporations, in the fast-paced world of venture capital startups, or in the boot-strapper’s world of small business, your work experience has shaped how you see both business and opportunity.
So who should you learn from? In the early stages of your career, I think it best to learn from those who are already excelling in your business category. A recent college grad in a Fortune 500 company, for example, could learn a lot more from successful people in his own organization than from boot-strappers like me – at least more that would be useful in the early stages of his career. However, the more successful you become, the more you will have to gain by studying the ideas and techniques of those outside of your category. They can bring fresh insight, new ideas, and perhaps the inspiration you need to shake things up. In other words, wherever you’re playing ball, learn the rules of that game first – then do all you can to broaden your perspective.
Corporate: Some of my primary exposure to the world of corporate thought has been through the Executive MBA at Vanderbilt University. The guys at the top of the corporate world are playing a sport I know little about. They deal with leadership on a very high level and tend to think and talk in broad concepts. The best of them are visionaries, but they really do not – and probably should not – think much like I do.
Role Models: Mike Hyatt, (CEO, Thomas Nelson) and Marty Dickens (former President, BellSouth/AT&T) are both fine local role models in this camp. They are effective leaders whose impact extends beyond their companies. They’re also fine Christian men who exemplify Kingdom mindset. Inspiring and leading well enough to steer massive bureaucracy takes serious clarity and strength of mind. I have a lot to learn from them. However, although I deeply admire them, I do not aspire to be them. In many ways, their lives are not their own.
Corporate Entrepreneurs: This category of business thought is a blend of Corporate and Entrepreneur, but it is absolutely its own category. The guys who operate here really do have their own way of thinking about business. If you sit in on a board meeting or brainstorming session with them, they speak and operate in very corporate ways, but they think and act as entrepreneurs. While they might never try to bootstrap a business off of a few hundred dollars, they are highly effective at raising large sums of money, quickly turning it into a fast-growth enterprise, and then selling it at handsome multiple a few years down the road. These men and women are the favorites of venture capitalists.
I like these guys. I am learning a LOT from them. They think like entrepreneurs in a lot of ways, but they are very effective at putting structure to their enterprises. They are big on planning and do it well. They take the best of the corporate world and apply it to the entrepreneurial mindset.
Role Models: I am building relationships with as many of these folks as I can. I cannot name them all here, but Dan Hammond (President, American Hometown Publishing) and Michael Burcham (President, ParadigmHealth) have both taught me a lot recently.
Bootstrap Entrepreneurs: This is business thought in its most basic, primal format. The guys who excel here have generally built their companies from the ground up, often with little formal business training, investment, or outside help. If you were to tell them “it takes money to make money,” they just might laugh. I could write all day about this mindset, because it’s closest to my own. I learn quickly and easily from those who are ahead of me here, because I already think and speak much like they do.
Role Models: Having an Bootstrap mindset does not mean thinking small. Many of these folks are wildly successful. Dave Ramsey is one of my current favorites. His company’s numbers are not public, but they do have over 200 employees and they’re growing fast (debt free, of course). Their company is extremely well run. I know a number of his employees and I’ve learned a lot from them. Dave’s “EntreLeadership” course is a fantastic study on effective management techniques for those with this mindset. I’ve also learned a lot from Robert D. Smith, Lighting Crown Publishers. He runs a massively successful organization out of the basement of his (albeit quite large) home. The level of leadership and efficiency that bounce around between those walls is mind boggling.
The Point: Your own business mindset has probably been formed largely by the career experiences you’ve had so far. Whether you’ve worked primarily in large corporations, in the fast-paced world of venture capital startups, or in the boot-strapper’s world of small business, your work experience has shaped how you see both business and opportunity.
So who should you learn from? In the early stages of your career, I think it best to learn from those who are already excelling in your business category. A recent college grad in a Fortune 500 company, for example, could learn a lot more from successful people in his own organization than from boot-strappers like me – at least more that would be useful in the early stages of his career. However, the more successful you become, the more you will have to gain by studying the ideas and techniques of those outside of your category. They can bring fresh insight, new ideas, and perhaps the inspiration you need to shake things up. In other words, wherever you’re playing ball, learn the rules of that game first – then do all you can to broaden your perspective.
Wednesday, May 28, 2008
Forgiveness matters
I had breakfast this morning with a man who's face has haunted me for the past few years, though I barely know him. He had played a small role in a deep betrayal years ago related to another business. He wasn't responsible for it, but because he had a played a role, and because I didn't know him well, it was easy for me to cast him as the villain in my mind. Blaming him also made it easier to forgive the others involved... those I knew, loved, and wanted to forgive.
I hadn't planned to ever confront him about what he'd done. What would be the point? I don't see him, interact with him, or really even know him. Our business together is through and we don't share the same friends. It's all in the past, so why go digging it up again? Right?
That changed when I recently discovered that we now attend the same church. I was polite and greeted him cheerfully when I saw him, but inside I recoiled. I felt genuine distaste for him, and acting as though I felt otherwise made me feel slimy, dirty, awful.
I put it off for a few weeks, but my conscience wouldn't let it go. He is my brother in Christ, we attend the same church, and like it or not, I needed to go to him and lay it all out, "Mathew 18" style. Even as I prayed about it this morning before I went, I told the Lord I didn't think it would do much good.
I was quite wrong. It did do some good. It did a lot of good. To my surprise, the man was deeply and genuinely remorseful. I even felt badly for him. He'd been carrying around the guilt and it clearly weighed on him. Almost immediately, I found that I couldn't wait to forgive him -- and to seek his forgiveness for my waiting so long to go to him. Hearing his story also gave me a different perspective on the position he'd been in at the time.
I left feeling... knowing that chapter in my life was finally closed. At last.
Don't think for a moment that because it's "business" that it's not personal. It's all personal. And it's all spiritual. This is Kingdom work we're doing and Kingdom rules apply. That includes Mathew 18.
I hadn't planned to ever confront him about what he'd done. What would be the point? I don't see him, interact with him, or really even know him. Our business together is through and we don't share the same friends. It's all in the past, so why go digging it up again? Right?
That changed when I recently discovered that we now attend the same church. I was polite and greeted him cheerfully when I saw him, but inside I recoiled. I felt genuine distaste for him, and acting as though I felt otherwise made me feel slimy, dirty, awful.
I put it off for a few weeks, but my conscience wouldn't let it go. He is my brother in Christ, we attend the same church, and like it or not, I needed to go to him and lay it all out, "Mathew 18" style. Even as I prayed about it this morning before I went, I told the Lord I didn't think it would do much good.
I was quite wrong. It did do some good. It did a lot of good. To my surprise, the man was deeply and genuinely remorseful. I even felt badly for him. He'd been carrying around the guilt and it clearly weighed on him. Almost immediately, I found that I couldn't wait to forgive him -- and to seek his forgiveness for my waiting so long to go to him. Hearing his story also gave me a different perspective on the position he'd been in at the time.
I left feeling... knowing that chapter in my life was finally closed. At last.
Don't think for a moment that because it's "business" that it's not personal. It's all personal. And it's all spiritual. This is Kingdom work we're doing and Kingdom rules apply. That includes Mathew 18.
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