References

You can’t take people where you have never been before.

I heard a leader say this a few years back and that sentence still sticks with me today. It is amazing how one sentence can change the way you think, speak, lead and even live your life.

What this sentence did was provide me with a reference as to how I approach my life and leadership. It is an essential truth, if we want to continue to increase our influence and effectiveness we need to be intentional about our personal growth. We need to increase our references so we can continually take ourselves and others further.

If you always do what you have always done, you will always get what you’ve always got.

That’s another one of my favourite references. It is stupidity to think that if we continue to do the same thing over and over again we will get a different result. It is thus extremely important for us to continue to build up our references so that we have unique and fresh ways to approach similar issues.

But how do we build these references? I believe the starting point in about being intentional. If we understand the importance of growing our references we will make sure it happens.

I have personally found these tools incredibly beneficial for me in growing my reverences:

Reading: You can’t beat the age old way of transferring knowledge – the written word. Books are a great way to learn new ideas and gain insight from stories. What are you reading at the moment?

Online: There are numerous websites dedicated to leadership and personal development, my firm favourite is Ted.com. If you haven’t already, go check out this inspiring resource, it will provide you with great insight.

Podcasts: Numerous authors and speakers have free podcasts where you can download free audio files of them sharing their pearls of wisdom. Get onto iTunes, search for your favourite guru and start downloading.

Conferences: There are many conferences run nationally and globally around leadership and development. When last did you attend one?

Mentors: Or how my friend Trav likes to call them, Primary Influencers. Who are you hanging out with and who is speaking perspective into your life? Having the right mentors can often be a powerful tool to build up your references.

We can only take people where we have been before. So where are you taking yourself?

Ideas

Why didn’t I think of that?

What is the one thing people say most often after they stumble across a great idea?

For instance, have you come across Groupon yet? If not have a look at what they are doing as they have been the center of attention lately. I recently came across this innovative eventing idea recently called Pecha Kucha and look forward to attending one of their events this week alongside what seems like a bunch of others according to their facebook invite. On a recent fishing trip I was awed at a very vibrant bar in the middle of nowhere which was in essence a converted shipping container.

All great ideas.

And the one thing I hear from peoples mouths when discussing these ideas is...

'It's so simple... why didn't I think of that!'

And its true isn't. None of these ideas are overly complicated! Yet we kick themselves for coming up with it in the first place...
But it's the lines that follow that interest me.

'Man, I had a similar idea!' or 'I have this idea which has been on my mind...'

It seems we don't have a shortage of ideas. It seems we have a shortage of execution on ideas. The frustration expressed in the 'why didn't I think about it' line is actually more about a lack of execution than a lack of coming up with an idea...

Its not that these great ideas are simple, its that they are now out there! And as similar as they might be to ours, the fact is someone took the risk and we didn't!

The problem seems to be something I could call 'layering'. Ideas are simple, we have established that already. But what we tend to do is layer the idea with all sorts of complications around the probability that the idea will succeed.The running of future scenarios tends to keep us away from kicking off in the first place.

Perhaps we take simple ideas and make them complicated?

Perhaps those that execute on ideas keep reminding themselves to just keep it simple?

Or perhaps they just know they would rather execute even if they were to fail than be one of those who wishes.... that they had 'thought of the idea in the first place...'

I hope we will be talking about your idea around the fire sometime soon...

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Travis Gale has spent the last 5 years running his own development business in South Africa’s corporate world and is currently involved in various long term partnerships with clients across a number of industries. Furthermore he has travelled to conferences internationally hunting down latest trends and insights. Having cycled around the world and survived a tsunami, his passion for crossing borders often lends itself to an interesting blend of stories and insight. He sees himself as a ‘change catalyst’ and displays strength in facilitating insight into the right spaces. Find out more at www.appletreelive.com

Brilliantly Humble

I was in a workshop recently where we asked the participants to pair up and tell the other person, for 1 minute, why they were such an amazing person.

The truth is there is beauty and brilliance in everyone. God was showing off when He created each and every person. It is said of us that we are fearfully and wonderfully made.

But have you ever tried to tell someone else how truly amazing you are? Try it. Do you think it will be easy?

Well the guys on the course found it extremely difficult. Most lasted about 30 seconds before they started to mumble and become rather awkward. Others started to explain how amazing their partners or family were, and by default that made them a great person.

We so often struggle to see the brilliance in us, the incredible gifts we have been given.

Why is this? As we began to dive into this a little further, a common reason emerged: we have a desire to be humble and not come across arrogant. I’m sure we all agree that we would rather spend time with someone who is humble than with someone who is arrogant. What I also uncovered was that most of us have a warped idea of humility.

Humility is often perceived as thinking less of ourselves. I personally believe it has more to do with knowing who and what you were created to be and being that to your best of your ability!

Imagine if we could take a long, hard, honest look at ourselves and see the gifts and talents we have been blessed with. Imagine if we would not shrink back from exercising those gifts but using them to the best of our ability.

This would require a radical shift in the way we think. I would challenge you to try. I would challenge you to understand how amazing you are and to continue to discover what your unique giftings are.

I would then charge you to be truly humble: to live our who you really are to the best of your ability. Imagine the impact we could make if we lived from this space?

Lets do it…

"Don't ask yourself what the world needs. Ask yourself what makes you come alive and then go do that. Because what the world needs is people who have come alive." H Thurman.
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Don Muller has spent the last 4 years working into corporate and church leadership development and training both locally and internationally. He has a passion for and works towards seeing individuals live out their strengths and calling daily.

The Burden

If you are a communicator, a brilliant book worth reading is Communicating for a Change by Andy Stanley. I guess you would need to determine if you are in fact a communicator before you read the book so the question you would need to ask yourself is: do I speak to other people at all during the day? If the answer is yes, then read it. 

During one of the chapters Andy refers to communicators needing to be burden bearers.  A burden, he explains, is what what shifts us away from simply conveying information to others. He says that others can tell if we are carrying a burden versus simply dispensing information. He challenges us further stating that when we communicate we need to know that one thing - the one idea, message, principle or truth that we had to deliver at all costs.  What is it that people have to know?  What do you feel compelled to share? It's beyond information... it's a burden.  A burden is what brings passion into a message enabling you to wrap up the hearers of your message and take them on a journey.

So imagine you were given a platform to speak to a crowd of people.  This will be your only opportunity, a never to be repeated experience. Imagine you arrived at the podium and had all ears on you. You've been given free reign to talk on anything you would like.

What would be the one thing you would communicate?  What would be your burden that you would share?

If, like me, you can't answer that too clearly right now then perhaps the following questions will help you clarify what it is:
What change would you most like to see in the world?
What is the most significant way to live?
Where do you believe we as human beings can make the biggest difference?
What topics are you drawn to, be it on TV or in the media?
What life experiences have stuck fast in your memory banks?
What frustrates you most about the state of the world?
What inspires you?

The idea would be to look for a common thread. What seems to stick out as you answer the questions. What could that one thing be?

I believe - that as much as our platform in this blog was imaginary - that those of us who begin to own our burdens WILL be given the platform off which to share it.

The world needs more burdens.

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Travis Gale has spent the last 5 years running his own development business in South Africa’s corporate world and is currently involved in various long term partnerships with clients across a number of industries. Furthermore he has travelled to conferences internationally hunting down latest trends and insights. Having cycled around the world and survived a tsunami, his passion for crossing borders often lends itself to an interesting blend of stories and insight. He sees himself as a ‘change catalyst’ and displays strength in facilitating insight into the right spaces. Find out more at www.appletreelive.com

Change

Very few things in life are certain, but we can be certain of change.

The only thing that is constant is change.

Everything changes, nothing stays the same.

We can’t escape it, change is all around us and always present. No matter what stage of life you may be at, you will experience some sort of change. I’m sure if I had to ask you what sort of change you are experiencing right now, you would be able to give me at least one example of change – whether it be a change in job, a new relationship, the end of an old relationship, moving to a new city, a new boss or maybe the loss of a loved one. Change is always present.

I find it very interesting how we react to change. It is often met with negative emotions or new happiness – both of which I believe inappropriate.

Inappropriate? Well, this is why I think so:

Often change will signal the end of something - the end of an era or a chapter. With this end often comes a longing for the good old days, a desire for things to be how they used to be. As a result, we never fully embrace the change or the new chapter, but we resist and compare – which in turn leads us to be discontent.

We so often let the past rob us of the present.

Other times we may be extremely excited about change. This is often when the change signals the end of time of discontentment. Maybe a boss who has made your life miserable is moving on, or maybe you are leaving a job you hate for a new one. Maybe you are moving with the hope of greener pastures. But as we experience the new pastures we often find that it is not what we had dreamed it would be, and we in turn hope that the next change will bring us happiness. Hoping for change to bring us happiness is inappropriate because it never will.

We so often let our hope for the future rob us of the present.

Even though we will always experience change, the present is all we have. Change can cause you to look longingly back into how things were or expectantly into what is coming, but what I believe we should do when change comes along is to look purposefully into the present. What can I embrace right now that honours and remembers the past but will set me up to maximise on what is coming.

If we can move to this, we will move from reacting to change to responding with purpose.
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Don Muller has spent the last 4 years working into corporate and church leadership development and training both locally and internationally. He has a passion for and works towards seeing individuals live out their strengths and calling daily.

Upgrading the Other Way

Last week I sent out a BBM broadcast to my loyal Blackberry friends notifying them I would be leaving the community. It was time for an upgrade and Blackberry was not part of my next move! 90% of the responses assumed I now had an Iphone. Either they would be joining me soon or expressed their satisfaction in my choice.

But I am not getting an IPHONE... or any other smart phone for that matter.

But is that a smart move?

I recently wrote a blog on my experience of spending a few days without my Blackberry after it had crashed. It was a liberating experience where I enjoyed a slower pace and more space. I realised in that short amount of time that turning my phone on was almost the same as turning on the world. In an instant I was connected to clients, friends, news, information, tweets...

As much as I love everything about technology it had invaded my world and had the potential to rob me of being present and enjoying what I love the most. I had to think about what really counted and then make a decision about how to make it count!

So I got a plain and simple Nokia C5.

So far the response has been interesting. Some have given me a few months before I get over it! Some have told me its embarrassing! Even the Vodacom salesmen couldn’t believe it! Now when everyone puts their phones down on the table, mine will rest alongside its bigger more sophisticated brothers!

An eye opener had been how often I reach for my new phone and search for something to do on it - a habitual pattern! With no attractive offerings the phone seems to slowly only find my hands to make a call or read a text.

So why did I do it?

To make a statement - No.

To try and get everyone else to do the same - No.

The answer is simple. I know myself. I know what is most NB to me. And I know what I need to do in order to put myself squarely in the middle of what is most NB to me.

If it means letting go of ‘stuff’ that I enjoy then so be it.

As long as I do what I need to do to remain focussed on what really counts.

So thats my challenge (and it may not involve your phone!)

What clutter can you strip away in order to remain present & focussed on what really counts on a daily basis?

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Travis Gale has spent the last 5 years running his own development business in South Africa’s corporate world and is currently involved in various long term partnerships with clients across a number of industries. Furthermore he has travelled to conferences internationally hunting down latest trends and insights. Having cycled around the world and survived a tsunami, his passion for crossing borders often lends itself to an interesting blend of stories and insight. He sees himself as a ‘change catalyst’ and displays strength in facilitating insight into the right spaces. Find out more at www.appletreelive.com

The Power of Community

"It is in the shelter of each other that the people live."

This is the Irish proverb that inspired a song by a band called Jars Of Clay. The song is called the Shelter, and the lyrics have been the catalyst for me to consider the importance of community. Jars Of Clay sing:

"For those who've yet to find it
 The place is near where love is moving 
Cast off the robes you're wearing
 Set aside the names that you've been given
 May this place of rest in the fold of your journey
 Bind you to hope 
You will never walk alone 

In the shelter of each other 
We will live
 We will live (Never walk alone)

If there is any peace 
If there is any war 
We must all believe 
Our lives are not our own 
We all belong

God has given us each other
And we will never walk alone 

In the shelter of each other
 We will live."

This is powerful truth. Our lives are not our own. We were not created to do life alone, we exist and thrive in community. In his book Outliers, Malcolm Gladwell tells about the power of community present in a small Italian immigrant town called Roseto in Pennsylvania, USA. It was noted that in Roseto, people died only from old age, there was no illness or medical conditions that was claiming lives. As this phenomenon was investigated, it was discovered that their culture was the reason – a culture of community living in community. It was an amazing discovery – the power of their community brought them health.

Without community we cant thrive. Even Hollywood knows this truth. If you have watched the blockbuster Castaway, you would have witnessed Tom Hanks slowly slip into insanity (with his friend Wilson – the volleyball) as he was isolated on a deserted island. Law enforcement also understands this truth. One of the harshest forms of punishment is solitary confinement. Isolate a man and you will destroy him.

Community causes us to thrive but isolation causes us to die.

I then began to consider the corporate world. Corporates aim to thrive, but how much community is present in the work place? Is this a place of thriving community where people use their skills and ability to impact those around them, or a place of isolation and selfish ambition? The word corporate speaks about a group of people working together, yet the truth is so often little or no community exists in any team or corporate.

As leaders, we set the tone and create the environment for community to exist. Would you say the people that you lead feel like they are living in the shelter of the others in their team?

We were created for community. I encourage you to use the gifts that you have been given to benefit others, to create the “shelter” that will cause your team to thrive!