Monthly Archives: July 2015

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How To Keep Quality Volunteers In Your Church Or Organization

If you ask any leader of a non-profit or church what one of the hardest things to do is, you’ll most likely hear they have trouble keeping quality volunteers to help out.

They ask and ask but receive no response. If they do receive responses, those responses are subpar.

The end result is finding quality volunteers is hard.

But there’s actions you can take as a leader to find quality volunteers that will stick with your organization for years to come.

Have clearly defined guidelines: Skimping on guidelines for volunteers is an easy thing to do, especially when you’re struggling to bring in people to help.

This is a huge mistake. The guidelines you’ve laid out for volunteers is there for a reason. They help weed out those who will not be a good fit and clearly defines what is expected out of each volunteer.  Read more...

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27 Leadership Lessons And Quotes From Marvel’s Ant-Man

A Reel Leadership Article

I loved reading comic books growing up. Every week, I’d make sure to hit the local comic book stores.

They were like my home away from home. Entering into Lange’s Sports Connection or Home Base or the comic shop in the rundown strip mall, my heart flooded with joy seeing the walls lined with comic books.

The last couple of summers, the feeling has returned. Only, instead of entering comic book stores, it’s from entering the movie theater.

Marvel's Ant-Man leadership lessons

Why? Because the movie theaters have been flooded with movies based on the comic book characters I loved growing up. X-Men, Avengers, Spider-Man, and so many other titles have hit the big screen.

It’s like childhood again.

Now, one of the characters I never followed as a child has reached the big screen. Ant-Man released on Friday, July 17th and small is the new big.  Read more...

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Stereotypes Are Dangerous

There’s a lot of sayings about stereotypes and making a good impression. You’ve probably heard a lot of the sayings.

Once you label me you negate me.
― Søren Kierkegaard

 

Instead of being presented with stereotypes by age, sex, color, class, or religion, children must have the opportunity to learn that within each range, some people are loathsome and some are delightful.
― Margaret Mead

 

“People were clueless. All they ever went by was appearance and rumor.”
― Jay Bell, Kamikaze Boys

our preconceptions hinder us

Image by Bryan Ledgard

People stereotype because it’s easy. Being able to put someone else into a category by the way they talk, dress, or look allows the person stereotyping to put them into a box.

It’s so easy, everyone does it. Even if we don’t want to admit to doing so.

And therein lies the trouble.  Read more...

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The 40 Hour Workweek Is Gone!

This may come as a shock to older leaders but I think younger leaders understand this. The 40 hour workweek is gone.

The mindset of working 40 hours a week has been destroyed. It’s been crushed. And you must learn to adapt to this new work environment.

Keynote speaker Lance Richards recently shared his thoughts at a Solutions Expo in Grand Rapids on this topic. Which made me want to share my take on his talk.

What Killed The 40 Hour Workweek?

Traditionally, office work has been done in an office or a cubicle. Lately, this work has moved towards an open office.

This still only covers a part of where work takes place.

No longer are employees tied to a fixed workstation. Oh no, they now have access to the office within reach of their fingertips all the time.  Read more...

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11 Leadership Lessons And Quotes From Minions

A Reel Leadership Article

This weekend saw the lovable, banana shaped evildoers from Despicable Me and Despicable Me 2 return to the big screen. In Minions, we get to see the semi-origins story of the bad guys you want to love, and maybe eat (they do look like bananas after all).

Discover leadership lessons in Minions

The Minions can’t seem to keep a master. Time after time, we see the Minions accidentally offing the one who’s supposed to be leading the tribe of yellow guys.

That is until one brave Minion stands up and decides things are going to change…

Then, hilarity and leadership lessons ensue.

Minion SPOILERS ahead

Leadership Lessons From Minions

1. Narrator:

Nope, it wasn’t easy for these guys. But they never gave up.

The movie opened with the comical deaths of the Minions former masters. We see a T-Rex take a tumble down a hill and off a cliff, Egyptians crushed by a pyramid, and Dracula killed when the Minions open up the curtains for his surprise birthday party.  Read more...