Notes from Andy Stanley @ Catalyst

**There was a lot in his sermon that stood out to me,  I’m not sure how to condense this into one post.  So I’ll type the notes and do a short reflection.

Two of the best-kept secrets of leadership:

A. The less you do, the more you accomplish.

B. The less you do, the more you enable others to accomplish.

The TARGET: Do what only you can do.

Why Leaders Miss This Principle

Some leaders buy into the myth of being well-rounded.  TIP:  Great achievers are not well-rounded. They are men and women who play to their strengths and delegate their weaknesses.

Leaders forget to distinguish between their authority and their core competencies.  TIP:  Leverage your authority as little as possible. Ex. Every leader has authority over things they are not good at.  Best to say, “I’ll let you make that decision” to someone who is good at it.

Some leaders are not able to distinguish between their competencies and their non-competencies. TIP:  You are not the smartest person in your organization, you are just the leader.

Some leaders feel guilty delegating their weaknesses.  TIP: Your weakness is somebody else’s opportunity.

Some leaders won’t take the time to develop other leaders. TIP: Leadership is not about getting things done right.  It is about developing people. This means allowing them to lead and make mistakes (some of which may be costly).

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Discovery Questions from Andy Stanley:

1.  What do you do that is almost effortless from your perspective, but seems like a daunting task to others?

2. In what arenas do people consider you the “go to” person?

3. What facets of your job energize you?

4. What do you wish you could stop doing?

5. What organizational environments are you drawn to?

6. What environments do you avoid?

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DISCOVERY PROJECT:

Develop your ideal job description.

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I think my next blog will respond to these questions and tackle the project.   There is so much to chew on and digest from his message.

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MAKING IDEAS HAPPEN Notes from Scott Belsky @ Catalyst

The Creative Process is about having an idea and surviving the project plateau.

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1. Make a list of actionable ideas for the future.  Review them once a month.

2. Creative Compromise:  Seek & Value Restraints The projects that suffer most are those without restraints.  A way to do this is to divide projects into a) Increments of time/time lines   b)Create milestones/ goals to achieve in each time increment   c) Tasks. Decide which tasks are associated with each milestone.

3. Overcome the Reactionary Workflow. We receive an endless stream of email, texts etc.  It’s important to create a non-stimuli time frame, whether it’s an hour a day or a block of time each week.
4. Short Circuit Reward System.  Short term rewards keep us interested.  Some ways to do this: create a game, look at the metrics, seek competition, have a team, accountability.

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Questions

Are you a starter or a finisher of projects?

If you are a starter, do you have a process for making sure projects are followed through to completion?

If you are a finisher, do you have a process/way of getting ideas to begin with?

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For me:

I’m a starter.  Love the beginning of new projects or the initial new idea.  Finishing on the other hand, it gets boring.  I don’t have a system, but after hearing Scott it made me want to develop a system - maybe even steal some of his ideas.  I especially like the idea of having a place to list all one’s ideas and then reviewing them each month to see which one’s are actionable.

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Technorati Tags: Scott Belsky, Catalyst, Creative Process, idea, Workflow

Gain confidence from doubt.

Notes from Scott Belsky @ Catalyst

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This sounds good.  At this moment I am wishing I could gain energy from tiredness. LOL.  I’ve been stressed out and going into performance/task oriented mode.  This is also the mode of indecision and being unsure of what to do to fill back up with energie (German for energy).  BUT alas, instead I am trying to slow down/cut some things out of my schedule before I head to Cabo and rest up.

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Confidence from doubt.  This is a tough one.  It reminds me of Nelson Mandela’s words,

“I learned that courage was not the absence of fear, but the triumph over it. The brave man is not he who does not feel afraid, but he who conquers that fear.”

Lately I’ve had some fears come up regarding letting people in, specifically guys.  I feel so over dating, over relationships, and over opening my heart up.  While I continue to hope and long for a relationship and a family one day, the dream lies limp and listless after being pulled from the pool of my past experience.  I want to hide my heart away from romance and trust, and instead focus only on friendship and to keep anyone wanting more at bay.  This is simply a statement of where I am.

But do not worry about commenting or giving me advice.  I know I will move forward and face this fear, and eventually gain confidence to believe and open my heart.  It may not be today, but the day will come.
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Back to the quote, confidence from doubt.  How freeing to realize that having doubt does not disqualify us, but rather that is is an opportunity for us to move forward and gain confidence.  How freeing to realize that most people struggle with doubt and that we do not need to let it dictate our actions or to be crippled by it, instead we can move forward with confidence.

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That’s all folks, as Bugs Bunny would say.

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Technorati Tags: confidence, doubt, Scott Belsky, Catalyst, Nelson Mandela, courage, fear

Nothing extraordinary is done through ordinary means.

Notes from Scott Belsky @ Catalyst

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Think outside the box.  While we want to learn from those who have gone before, we do not want to create step plans and put limits on our imaginations.  If we are trying to do something that has not been done before, we need to step outside of what has been tried before.  Use the wisdom of others, but be willing to JUMP off and explore new possibilities.

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For me this speaks to a the new blog I want to start, which is based on hearing the stories of those around me.  I’m putting the project on hold until after Cabo and am still unclear on the details of how to proceed - but I will have to think outside the box and be courageous in pursuing it.  I don’t have a predecessor to follow, and after returning to the idea multiple times in the last four years, it’s time to step out and try it and see where it goes.

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Question:
Is there something extraordinary you want to accomplish?  What are some ways you can think outside of the box for it?  What are you willing to do to make it happen?

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People become the character they are in the story they believe.  The story we tell is important, and if we are not careful lies will hijack our story (i.e. that the American Dream, losing weight etc. is the end result).   As leaders, we are dictating stories and it is important that we reflect God’s story.  His beautiful story is waiting.

Notes from Donald Miller @ Catalyst

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Donald’s message took me back to the few class sessions I sat in on Narrative in college.  I had hoped to audit the class, but was unable to keep up with the reading as I was taking 23 units, working part time and being an R.A. my senior year.  I think in stories.  When I meet a person, they are like a new book.  I love asking questions, hearing them talk and finding out who they are.  I want to know their heartbeat and soul, beyond appearance and superficiality.

My healing can be summarized as deconstructing the story I believed and entering into God’s true story.

My Childhood story:  I am alone.  I am lost.  I am forgettable and unimportant.  There is no constancy.  I cannot effect change or create my own life.  I am at the will of God and His desire is to cause me pain to make me stronger and to use me in the lives of others because I am expendable.

Through dear friends, truth-tellers, wonderful counselors and parents who have helped me see and experience unconditional love I have been able to glimpse, grasp onto and enter into the true story:  I am loved.  I have been found.  I am memorable and important to God and to others.  While life is uncertain, there is constancy and I have the ability to change and create a life through my choices and actions.  I am not a victim who is powerless.  I have been given authority over my life and myself.  I can choose God’s will and His will is good and loving.  While God may allow pain in my life, whether it is for refining me or for an unknown purpose, I can rest in His love.  I am not expendable to Him, which is why He sent His son - to draw me into an intimate union with him.

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While this summarizes my healing - there is healing I am in need of each day as lies may re-enter the scene or as the world may inflict new wounds on my heart (hurtful words, disappointment, loneliness, rejection, broken relationships).

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Questions to reflect on:  What story are you living?  What character are you playing?  Are you experiencing God’s true story?  If not, what are some ways you can reach out/start to move towards His true story?

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Here’s to the journey my fellow journeymen.  Onward we go.  Scrapping the chaff life deposits on our skin away so we can be light and run, dance and live.   

Technorati Tags: character, story, God’s story, healing