Traditions

Traditions

My daughter, Sarah, came home this week from Dallas for the Thanksgiving holidays. As she began planning out her week at home, I was quickly informed that we would begin decorating the house for Christmas on Friday, the day after Thanksgiving. When I suggested that this would be a little early and that we should probably wait another week or so, she quickly protested and called her sister, Hannah, to support her position. They were both very outspoken and confident that we had ALWAYS decorated the day after Thanksgiving. It was tradition! We absolutely could NOT break with tradition after all these years.

The funny thing...I honestly don't remember ALWAYS decorating for Christmas the day after Thanksgiving. But I guess that really doesn't matter. My family now has a tradition, real or imagined, that has some pretty strong feelings attached. Traditions are like that. They become an expectation around which we can jointly identify; a landmark that assures us we are in familiar territory; and an event that provides emotional security. We would all be well advised to take note of the traditions at work and at home and make sure they are celebrated. Or better yet, introduce some new traditions this year.

Happy Thanksgiving! Guess I'll be hanging Christmas lights tomorrow.

360 Evaluation

360 Degrees

The 360 degree evaluation is making a comeback in the leadership development circles. The concepts is fairly simple; you send comprehensive surveys to your boss, peers, direct reports, friends, and family and ask them to give you honest feedback for the purpose of self-improvement and professional development. Done right, the evaluations are returned to a trained consultant who distills the results and packages the feedback in a way that will be insightful, constructive, and actionable. A couple of weeks ago I met with my consultant to get feedback from my latest 360. I have to admit it was pretty painful to have my weaknesses and shortcomings laid out so blatantly before me. We all know we have them but we assume we've become proficient at covering them up or compensating for them. Not so much I guess. Anyway, after licking my wounds a while, I'm now ready to roll up my sleeves and do what it takes to become a better leader!

I was intrigued by the process of the 360 evaluation. As helpful as it was to get feedback from those closest to me; their opinions and suggestions are limited to their observations of my behavior and actions. What I REALLY need feedback on is my heart, thought and motives. I was reminded of the prayers of Job and David and of God's faithfulness to "evaluate" us when we earnestly ask. Check out these verses:

Job 31:6 - "Let Him weigh me with accurate scales, and let God know my integrity."
Psalm 26:2 - "Examine me, O LORD, and try me; test my mind and my heart."
Psalm 139:23,24 - "Search me, O God, and know my heart; try me and know my anxious thoughts; and see if there be any hurtful way in me, and lead me in the everlasting way."
(New American Standard Bible)

So, if we are sincere about becoming better leaders, God offers the ULTIMATE evaluation. Just make sure you are prepared for the feedback!

Castle Walls

Castle Walls


occasionally, every leader must retreat temporarily. On the front lines, leaders are required to be self-sacrificing, out front, persevering in the face of opposition, tenaciously defending the cause, and tirelessly pressing toward the goal. It can be exhausting. I've been thinking a lot about the importance of retreating lately; of taking time out in a safe place to rest, reflect and regroup. I'm concerned that today's leaders don't prioritize and plan for retreat but I'm even more concerned that they don't have a PLACE to retreat. This led me to think about castles - the ultimate medieval retreat. Inside the castle walls the warrior could let down his guard, take off the armor, stow the weapons, stop looking over his shoulder, love his wife, play with the kids in the courtyard...You get the picture. And why was this possible? Planning and design. The medieval castle was designed with retreat and safety in mind. Let's look at the architecture of the castle:

• Walls - up to 20 feet thick and 40 feet high, these structures were designed to be impenetrable and unscalable.
• Moats - added protection against the enemy getting too close to the walls and possibly becoming undetected. Also kept hoists and ladders at bay.
• Drawbridge - tightly controlling everything coming into and leaving the castle.
• Portcullis - heavy, protective grilled gates opening and closing vertically at either end of a narrow passage way. A sort of "contingency" defense useful for trapping enemy troops successful in infiltrating the drawbridge.
• Watchtowers - set at each corner of the castle to provide keen monitoring of all the enemy activities and other approaching threats. Useful for surveying the activities within the castle walls as well.
• Authority and Order - the impressive defensive architecture of the castle was useless in the absence of clear direction and commitment on the part of the castle occupants. Peace and order on the inside only served to fortify the mechanical defenses.

I encourage you this week to evaluate your "castle." Is home a safe retreat? Have you been diligent to create an environment that is emotionally, physically, and spiritually healthy? If you haven't been intentional in this area, chances are you'll find at least a few vulnerable weaknesses. Make sure you know who and what is coming and going. Not just through the front door, but through cable TV and the internet. Ask a few close friends to help you make an objective assessment of where you might need to shore things up a bit. Make sure unconditional love is communicated freely, creatively, and enthusiastically. You'll be a better leader if you can effectively retreat from time to time.

"Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour." 1 Peter 5:8 (NASB)