Learning to Lead

If you are going to be an effective leader, you must develop the skills that it takes to stay on top of the game. You cannot become what you need to be by remaining what you are. This is a tough marketplace. You need to be competent. People don’t care how rocky the ocean is, they just want you to bring the ship in. To bring the ship in, you need to be able to navigate through the rough waters. You need to know what it takes to lead your family, your team, your division or your church.

A leader is a learner. This will require you to be well read, to attend conferences, training sessions, tapping into online opportunities and learning from people at every opportunity. If I am going to hire someone on my staff, they must have a teachable spirit and a willingness to learn. If you are going to influence people, you need competence.  Part of this competency, is the ability to communicate in a way that people can understand it and receive it. You may be a leader and have vision, faith and God’s blessing, but if you cannot communicate in a way that people can understand it, it is useless.  

1 Corinthians 14:8
Again, if the trumpet does not sound a clear call, who will get ready for battle?

You must sell your vision to your team. If you are a parent, you must communicate your vision to your children. If you are a Sunday School teacher, you must sell your vision to the class. If you are an Office Manager you must sell your vision to the staff.

People want to be led. They want someone to say, “This is the direction that we are going.” The test of leadership is that when you declare that this is the way to go and no one is following you, you are only taking a walk. You may not be the leader. As I said, people want to be led. If someone is not performing in the tasks that they have been given, there are generally four reasons why people do not perform to your expectations.

Four reasons people do not perform
1.  They do not know what they are supposed to do.
2.  They don’t know how to do it
3.  They don’t know why they should do it.
4.  There are obstacles beyond their control.

Before you start disrupting every one’s life, take a moment and reflect if you have adequately communicated what you expect. I am in the communication business, yet this is hard for me sometimes. As a result, I’ve made my share of blunders along the way. When you make mistakes, admit them and learn from them.

It's Official ... Stevens Creek is headed west

Official Announcement: Stevens Creek is expanding to Grovetown!

I know that when some of you may read that official announcement and say, "I already knew that." Well, you knew that we were planning to go to Grovetown, but you did not know where. Today, March 25, 2009, we received a contract from the Columbia County Board of Education that opens the door for Stevens Creek to hold services in the brand new Grovetown High School.

So, today we are extremely excited that this dream is one step closer to becoming a reality. So far we have over 60 families that have joined the team. By our grand opening on September 13th, we will have over 100 families. In fact, on opening day we will have over 300 in attendance in Grovetown.

We have a lot of work to do between now and then. Begin praying that God gives us a great harvest in this new field. Not only will this expand God's work in the western part of our county, but it will free up some seats at the Stevens Creek Road facility. It's time to invite your friends...there's room at The Creek for all of them. Bring them on.

Wrestling with Disappointment

Have you ever expected something to happen and when the decision was made you were left out in the cold? You know how it is. In your mind you plan for it; you visualize it; you simply know it's going to happen and then it doesn't. Ugh! Ugh! Ugh! Ugh! Words cannot express the deep disgust that you have. I mean there is something deep inside that just ticks you off.

Now that it's happened you just don't know what to do with the frustration. You try to ignore it and think you will be better in the morning. Well,the morning is here and I am still ticked, still unsettled, still trying to figure it out. Why? Why? Why?

I tell myself that it is not a big deal ... it's not worth it ... get over it. Okay, I am going to move on. Today, I am not going to stew over this. Today, I am going to think positive, look for the best. I am going to look at what I have left and not what I have lost. Today is a new day. I am going to enjoy it. Whew, I feel better already. Thanks for listening. I hope you have a great day.

Oh, are you wondering what I was ticked-off about? Okay, I will tell you... if you insist. I am furious that the NCAA committee over-looked the South Carolina Gamecocks for the 2009 basketball tournament. The Gamecocks had 21 wins and 8 losses in the regular season. Did you know that they were 10-6 in the conference play and were co-champions in the SEC East. Here's what you may not know ... never before in the history of the Southeastern Conference has a team gone 10-6 in conference play and not been invited to the dance. Give me a break! Maryland got an invitation with a losing conference record. The Terps were 7-9 in conference play. I know ... they play in the ACC and supposedly the SEC is down.

Is the SEC really down or have you been listening to the sport's reporters? You see they started saying that the SEC is down before the season ever started. They decided before the first bucket was made that the SEC would not be good this year. It's just not right.

Okay. Let me breathe ... who, who, who, he .... who, who, who, he. Okay, the good news is that South Carolina was invited to the NIT Tournament. We will join the likes of Kentucky, Florida, Auburn, St. Marys and several other notable teams. As you know, the NIT has a great history. It was once "the" tournament to be in. Let's be honest ... would you rather play in the final four in Detroit or in New York City? Hmmm... I love NEW YORK! That's right. The Big Apple ... that's the goal now.

What if South Carolina won the NIT? Hmmm. Now that I think about it, I am not sure that would be good. That would mean that the Gamecocks would be the NIT Champions three times since the turn of the century. Is that good? I don't know. I am still processing all of this.

Here's how I feel today. I feel like a guy that could not get a date for the prom and ended up going to the dance with his sister. Oh well, let's make the best of it.

-- Marty
3/17/09