Tag: listening

Categories
motivation

Listen First, Speak Last

Cartoon of boy with his mouth taped and a girl

Listen first, speak last.

Peter Drucker in The Effective Executive, page xxiii

I did not expect to find “listen first, speak last” in a book on business leadership. But there it was. Peter Drucker elevated it to a rule for executives to follow.

Listen first, speak last: Cartoon of boy with his mouth taped and a girl

This didn’t play into my stereotype of the brash, bombastic, self-assured, influential executive. Aren’t leaders supposed to be the boss and have people do their bidding? At least that was the excuse I used when I tried to reason why some are leaders and others are followers.

Continue reading “Listen First, Speak Last”
Categories
motivation

Do You Wish to Rise?

Quote by Saint Augustine: Do you wish to rise? Begin by descending. You plan a tower that will pierce the clouds? Lay first the foundation of humility.

Today, November 13, is the birthday of Augustine of Hippo. As best as we can tell, he was born 1667 years ago today. I admire his devotion and his habit of writing copiously. But one of his quotes has me reflective today.

“Do you wish to rise? Begin by descending. You plan a tower that will pierce the clouds? Lay first the foundation of humility.”

Saint Augustine of Hippo

Humility isn’t something we typically associate with leaders. After all, doesn’t it take a big man or woman to get anything done? Shouldn’t the spoils go to the victor? And isn’t the victor someone with a lot of chutzpah, ego, and audaciousness?

Yet we have seen many victors that have been brought down by hubris. If there isn’t a foundation of humility when a leader faces trouble, the foundation crumbles. A foundation of humility is crucial for sustained success.

Humility allows you to

  • Be willing to learn and change before success turns to decline
  • Lend a helping hand
    • You never know who may return the favor
    • It reminds you of what is truly important
    • Goodwill is the best public relations
  • Consider alternatives to “the way we’ve always done it”
  • Take criticism in a positive way
  • Listen when the temptation is to defend and attack
  • Allow others to come aside as co-leaders and team members
  • Keeps a temper from exploding and causing collateral damage

A foundation of humility pays big dividends. It is so hard to practice when success comes. Yet, it is better to humble yourself than have others do it for you.

Categories
books motivation Quotes

Why is isolation so dangerous?

"When we isolate ourselves from others, we become islands unto ourselves. And like Tom Hanks in the movie 'Cast Away,' we eventually draw a face on a volleyball, name it Wilson, and start talking to it." Mark Batterson in "Whisper"

Has anyone felt isolated lately? Of course, we have! After all quarantine is a synonym for isolation. Hospitals have isolation wards that keep infected people from spreading illness. In some situations, like a pandemic, isolation is necessary.

Health professionals have told us isolation has been necessary to stop the spread of the coronavirus. Yet, It isn’t easy for any of us. There has been several recent articles on how isolation is affecting us.

I liked today’s quote by Mark Batterson because of its humorous approach. It also reminds me isolation can become dangerous because it can cause us to do some crazy things.

  • We may start believing the negative self-talk that comes from our thoughts.
  • We may find unhealthy ways to numb the loneliness
  • When we finally get with people, we may come off as desperate, or a little neurotic (especially if you introduce you volleyball as your new friend)
  • It opens us up to scammers and others that take advantage of the lonely and isolated.

Batterson’s book is about how to listen to the voice of God. He reminded me that one way to hear His voice is to be in a community of believers. We all need friends and mentors to keep us from going off the rails. Isolation and a lack of humility can be a great disadvantage when you need someone to talk through an idea.

We are all social creatures. Even introverts need time with others. We may not be able to meet face-to-face. Technology may not be your strong suit. But I encourage you to find ways to reach out to friends even when it may take extra effort. We all need others to keep us from getting very lonely, and a little neurotic.

"When we isolate ourselves from others, we become islands unto ourselves. And like Tom Hanks in the movie 'Cast Away,' we eventually draw a face on a volleyball, name it Wilson, and start talking to it." Mark Batterson in "Whisper"

Categories
CHOG News church cartoons Newsletters

This may take a while, Pastor!

Cartoon of a man kneeling at an altar. He says to a pastor, "I've had quite a week. So you might as well get comfortable."

Confession is good for the soul. But it occasionally backfires. I’ve been in a situation where I apologized to someone for an offense I was sure I committed so long ago. Then to my surprise, the person didn’t remember it. At least they didn’t until I brought it up again. Either they learned to forgive and forget, or my conscience betrayed me into confessing something no one remembers I did.

However, an altar call and some confession really is good for the soul. Too many people carry a heavy burden of guilt and shame. It is good to get it out there with a compassionate pastor. But if you keep having “one of those weeks,” perhaps it’s time to talk with your pastor about some ways to be led not into temptation!

I drew this for the July 2017, Church of God E-newsletter.

 

Categories
Attack of the Zombies holiday

One advantage of having a Zombie

Cartoon of a boy and a zombie. The boy says, "You're a better listener ever since you became a zombie!"It’s all how you look at it, right? If you have the type of zombie that sits around all day and moans, then you might just may have found a good listener.

Continue reading “One advantage of having a Zombie”