Weekly Thought – February 7, 2017

Fred appreciated Einstein’s words: “Things should be made as simple as possible, but not any simpler.” He liked bringing things to fundamental principles, but not creating pat formulas. He observed the intricacies of thought and enjoyed untangling ideas, so the artfulness of leadership appealed to him.

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Forget the Formulaic

There is no valid list of denominators for leaders – no formulas to follow. The ingredients vary in each situation. Sometimes, for instance, leaders must exhibit courage, yet at other times, their decisions are so obvious no courage is required.

I could list several “Traits of a Leader” but it would be like giving you a list of ingredients without giving the amounts or mixing directions. A bony skeleton has all the structure, but without the internal organs and flesh, it doesn’t resemble a human. Most lists are usually just intellectual exercises. You can go down the list, check the boxes, total the score and declare yourself a leader. But without the ability to put them together in an effective manner, leadership is still absent.

For example, one of the greatest requirements of a leader is knowledge of human nature. However, the application of that knowledge varies, depending on the activity. Napoleon was considered to be the greatest general because he was the master of human nature in war. This was the basis of his power. He knew how hard he could push, how far he could go, how much he could do with what he had. Ironically, he didn’t seem to have the same capacity for people knowledge when it came to politics.

Another example is Winston Churchill who showed tremendous leadership in the emergencies of World War II. When he tried to exert it afterwards, he failed. He understood the power of war-time leadership, but could not translate that into post-war success. There is no firm, constant hold on power – it is a delicate, artful balancing act.

Some people ask if leadership is innate or learned. I think it can be coached but never implanted. The great violinist Heifetz could be taught in the beginning days of his musical career. He learned the fundamentals: notes, rhythm, intonation, bowing, and fingering. As he developed he then needed a coach, not a teacher who taught the rudiments, but someone who fine tuned his skills and knowledge of the repertoire. As he became a world famous performer a great conductor remarked, “I can only tell him if he is doing what he told me he wants to do.”

I don’t believe you can make a leader out of someone without an innate sense of leadership. These skills show up early. You can watch three or four year olds and see those abilities demonstrated. With these innate abilities, circumstances and training will bring it out. The natural is a start, but needs the nurturing of development.

This week think about: 1) When did I first realize I was a leader? 2) How can I develop others? 3) What circumstances are most favorable for leadership development?

Words of Wisdom: “There is no firm, constant hold on power – it is a delicate, artful balancing act.”

Wisdom from the Word: “The discerning person acquires knowledge, and the wise person seeks knowledge.” (Proverbs 18:15 NET Bible)

Weekly Thought – January 24, 2017

Fred’s heart for pastors was well-known. After the website (breakfastwithfred.com) began he received daily emails from men and women who shepherded congregations. They asked specific leadership questions, but mostly wanted to ask about the role of integrity in both the laity and the clergy. He answered directly and compassionately, often giving them a safe haven to talk.

Three Legacies

After decades in business I can still see my father’s influence in me. Here are three which stand out:

1) Dad was a stickler for integrity. At home he was a strict disciplinarian. PKs (preacher’s kids) are always on public display. Dad and Mother knew this and demanded we be on time, have our lessons prepared, and respect the ministerial position through proper behavior. Dad took very seriously the Biblical imperatives about the role of a pastor. We knew how he felt about the family’s being in order. It was a heavy burden at times, but it made us keenly responsible even as young men. I was never tempted to rebel because I understood his motivation. I inherited my father’s admiration for integrity, and I hope that is part of my legacy when I leave.

2) Dad taught me the value of a spiritual life. This is often difficult in a pastor’s home. The struggle between the spiritual and the material is an on-going battle. Ours was no exception. Our home existed for the spiritual welfare of the church. I never heard business discussed, for example, until I left at age twenty-one. I had to begin my entire business education after that. The same struggle is true, though reversed, in homes of executives who do not nurture the spiritual elements. Children who grow up without a spiritual foundation then come to salvation must begin that entire part of their education. Yet, the material side was a continual tug of war. We scraped by financially. We also were held to a different standard by Mother and Dad focusing on the reality of heaven – sometimes to the neglect of earthly things! But I did learn possessions and accumulation are not the measure of wealth.

3) Dad believed and lived out the principle of giving to others if you have it to give. He regularly offered his clothing, our food, and certainly our home to those in need. And more than that, he offered spiritual counsel and knowledge gained through his study of the Word. I internalized this principle as a young man and hopefully have continued to use it throughout my life. When the opportunity to write articles for LEADERSHIP JOURNAL came, I eagerly accepted. I could use what I had learned to stretch others. Frequently I am asked “what are the most important things I need to learn about leadership and management?” It gives me satisfaction to share what I have gained through others, as well as my own experiences. If I have it to give, then Dad would certainly press me to give with all my might.

This week carefully consider: 1) What lessons have I learned from my parents? 2) How am I influencing my family, my co-workers, my church members? 3) Whose leadership do I emulate?

Words of Wisdom: “I inherited my father’s admiration for integrity, and I hope that is part of my legacy when I leave.”

Wisdom from the Word: “The one who conducts himself in integrity will live securely, but the one who behaves perversely will be found out.” (Proverbs 10:9 NET Bible)

Weekly Thought – January 17, 2017

Fred believed leadership was both science and art – skill and intuition. He spent most of his life studying great examples and applying them to his experiences and for the benefit of others.

Leadership More Than A Position

As the son of a preacher, I noticed a curious thing growing up. People in church leadership positions didn’t necessarily know how to lead.

My father pastored a number of small churches in Alabama, Kentucky, and Tennessee. Unfortunately, many of the people were inexperienced in management. Factory workers who ran plant machinery by day came to board meetings at night and tried to become executives. It didn’t work. Even in my early teens, I could sense the ineptness.

As employees, they had no experience in good leadership and they were incapable of offering anything to the church in the way of management skills. They assumed places of leadership without having leadership training. I watched day-laborers with warped ideas of what it meant become absolute dictators in the church.

One of these men would suddenly become chairman of the board. He did not know anything about organization, future planning, human dynamics, or vision. He didn’t practice organizational leadership in his job or even in his family. Yet suddenly he became a mini-mogul.

Worse yet, most of these people failed to recognize their lack of training or ability. They assumed the title and the position gave them the authority they needed. They did not understand leadership is a function. It isn’t license to order others around, but it is a service performed for the good of the whole group.

I struggled as I watched my Godly, people-oriented pastor father defeated over and over by his lack of political and management skills. He was revered as the “padre of the slums” in the mill district of Nashville where he pastored for years. I saw him outmaneuvered and broken down by the power brokers, even in a small church.

My mother was the manager. She saved us from starvation in the depression era. She stretched $125 per month my father earned to feed all seven of us. How I wished that church leaders had the organizational skills of my mother.
These experiences convinced me of the value of an orderly way of doing things. I grew up wanting to be a leader – not just to occupy a position of leadership, but to perform capably.

This week think about: 1) Why do I want to be a leader? 2) Who demonstrates the true nature of leadership? 3) How can I recognize leadership talent and provide training?

Words of Wisdom: “It (leadership) isn’t license to order others around, but it is a service performed for the good of the whole group.”

Wisdom from the Word: “Elders who provide effective leadership must be counted worthy of double honor, especially those who work hard in speaking and teaching.” (1 Timothy 5:17 NET Bible)

Weekly Thought – December 20, 2016

Fred and Mary Alice grew up in the depression. Their Christmases were very lean, particularly Mary Alice’s. As they raised their family, the idea of lavishing their children with luxurious gifts didn’t enter their minds. They wanted the children to appreciate a life that didn’t lead to extreme materialism. They wanted them to understand what a healthy life meant. Merry Christmas to you from BWF Project, Inc.

Viewing Our Values

The simple life is balanced. It is not necessarily devoid of tensions, but they are held in healthy tension. The wife of my good friend John Bullock used to say that she always wanted him to have two irritations at a time because, while having one drove him crazy, with two he could oscillate between them and keep his balance. She was a wise woman.

If our core values were manifested physically, we could see the grotesqueness of imbalance. Years ago I saw a man with elephantitis. It was hard not to notice his distorted features. I started thinking about the impact on people if we wore our value systems externally and others could see a tangible representation of who we are internally. What would a man given over to greed look like? How difficult would it be for others to look past the deformed extremity? How would your value system appear? What deformities would exist?

Great sculpture has to be balanced. Skilled artists can look at a mass of stone or clay, and see where the center of gravity is – where the balance exists. A mistake can result in destruction of that balance – and artistic disaster. Purpose is shown through the balanced life, just as the purpose of the artist’s material is displayed through his perfected work.

Remember the great story of the statue of David? When Michelangelo was asked how he carved such a splendid work out of the massive piece of marble, he replied, “Simple. I just cut away everything that wasn’t David.” A simple life has cut away everything that isn’t real to reveal true purpose. It is beautiful because it is in balance.

Think about: 1) How am I ensuring my life is in balance? 2) Where are my value distortions? 3) What is a good values focus for 2017?

Words of Wisdom: “If our core values were manifested physically, we could see the grotesqueness of imbalance.”

Wisdom from the Word: “Then he looked at wisdom and assessed its value; he established it and examined it closely.” (Job 28:27 NET Bible)

Weekly Thought – December 13, 2016

Fred respected clarity. He thoroughly enjoyed listening to people with “immaculate vocabularies.” He lived wanting to use his gifts effectively and productively. To do this required understanding and application.

Thank you for praying with us for the Breakfast With Fred Leadership Institute. We are an intergenerational ministry of conversation and connection. We serve Christian higher education by stretching and blessing the next generation of leaders… to the glory of God. Your end of year financial gifts to continue our work are sincerely appreciated and well used.

Who’s Calling

There is a difference between a mandate and a call. A call is personal – it comes to the individual. A mandate is collective. While a call is an individual’s reason for service, a mandate is an organization’s reason for being.

A leader needs to have a sense of call to serve effectively. Prison evangelist and former All-Pro football player Bill Glass emphasizes this when training his prison counselors. He says, “You have volunteered to be a counselor, but you have dedicated your life to personify Christ in this prison.” He goes through a litany of experiences that a volunteer might find offensive and off-putting. But he knows the true volunteer will hang in, despite the possibility of being uncomfortable. The call is greater than convenience.

A call might change. A person might sense a calling to a different organization or a different form of service. Sometimes I think the call may actually lead someone out of the ministry. Recently, I talked with a pastor in Iowa whose primary ministry was Bible teaching. I asked him how he was doing, and he admitted he was unhappy. So were his people. I asked him, “What is your true love?”

“Winning people to Christ,” was his answer. “In your saint-saturated congregation, there is nobody who hasn’t responded to the gospel. And whenever you get up to teach, you don’t see a single soul who needs the message of salvation. You are by nature an evangelist. Have you considered leaving the pastoral ministry?”

“What did you do before surrendering to preach?” “I sold cars and I loved it because I got to tell people about Jesus. I loved it. But people around me said I would be a good preacher and my wife wanted to be the wife of a pastor, so here I am.”

He allowed church pressure and his ego to get in the way, and he ended up in the pastorate… and in the slough of despond as John Bunyan described it.

When I checked back he had graciously resigned, gone back to sales and enjoying his evangelistic opportunities. He misunderstood the nature of the call and stepped into a place for which he was ill-designed.
His heart to win people to Jesus did not match the mandate of the organization he served, so he altered the call. Now he has harmony.

This week think about: 1) How clear is my call? 2) What is the mandate of the organization I serve? 3) Who needs me to help them clarify their call?

Words of Wisdom: “A leader needs to have a sense of call to serve effectively.”

Wisdom from the Word: “The Lord came and stood there, calling as at the other times, ‘Samuel! Samuel!’ Then Samuel said, ‘Speak, for your servant is listening.’” (1 Samuel 3:10 NET Bible)