Monthly Archives: August 2016

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Uncommon Unity: Why Catalyst is Calling a Family Meeting

As many of you know, the Catalyst conference in Atlanta, Georgia is my favorite conference. Today, Friday, and Monday, I’m thankful to welcome members of the Catalyst staff the opportunity to share a little about the Catalyst conference and what’s going on this year.

First up is Tyler Reagin. You may remember him from the 2nd episode of the Answers From Leadership podcast.

Andy Stanley speaking at Catalyst

Image courtesy of Catalyst

It’s common in our culture to sort, divide, and exclude. These days, we often look out for our own best interests, but we believe Jesus is building something uncommon. He is building something that invites, transforms and sends.

This year’s Catalyst Atlanta event is about coming together, not as the same, but as uniquely gifted pieces forming an effective whole. And leadership is at the core of building that unity within the Church.

So, this October, we’re calling a family meeting.  Read more...

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Leadership Lessons From The Queen Of Katwe

Could you imagine living a life of abject poverty? You don’t know where your next meal will come from. You don’t know how long it will take you to walk the 5 kilometers to school? There’s even the possibility your mother or father will be dead upon your return.

Everything is uncertain. And everything is unpleasant. That was the life of you Phiona Mutesi.

Book review of Queen Of Katwe

Growing up in Katwe, a slum in Uganda, that was Phiona’s life. She had no certainty. And life was more than likely going to be extremely hard on her.

Then everything changed when she stumbled upon a chess club run by Robert Katende.

Robert hadn’t led a great life either. He was a war refugee who became a missionary through Sports Outreach Institute.

He helped Phiona change the course of her life. And that of many other Ugandan children.  Read more...

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What Reality TV Taught Me About Being an Entrepreneur

I hear a lot of entrepreneurs say they’ve thrown out their televisions in exchange for self-improvement books, meditation, and more hours chipping away at their dreams. If it isn’t Shark Tank, it’s doing nothing to grow the business and put money in the bank.

Well, I’m an entrepreneur that loves to spend hours watching reality competition shows. After a long day of work, nothing is more satisfying than sitting on my couch with a bowl of cereal and watching other people battle for their dreams. Far from being a s*****, not only is competition fun to watch, it also helps me becomes a better entrepreneur.

TV and entrepreneurship can go together

This is not to say I can attribute all of my success to watching The Bachelorette. But, I’m not quick to discount the lessons I’ve learned from this show, and other shows like it, either. Here are three very important things that reality competition shows have taught me about being a successful entrepreneur.  Read more...

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Make Seasonal Decisions

Living in Michigan, we can get the full brunt of each season.

Winters can be brutally cold. Summer can be brutally hot and humid. Fall sees extreme color change. And in Spring we see great new growth.

Each season is unique. Each season also requires unique clothing, driving abilities, etc…

We have to make decisions based on the seasons of our lives

Seasonal Choices

As the seasons change, we begin to change the clothes we wear. From the heavy and warm winter clothes to the light and cool clothing choices of summer, there’s a different way to choose your clothes.

We also choose to drive differently in the varying seasons. In Summer, it’s much easier to drive fast. In Winter, we tend to drive slower.

Our decisions are based on the season of the year.

We also do this in our lives. We make choices based on what season of life we perceive ourselves to be in.  Read more...

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Leading The Millennial Generation With Ann Fishman

The Answers From Leadership Podcast 019

Today’s guest on the Answers From Leadership podcast is Ann Fishman. For more than two decades, Ann has been at the forefront of major generational trends. Receiving four U.S. Senate Research Fellowships, she introduced America to lifelong learning and intergenerational mentoring by creating Senate Information Papers, national workshops, and Federal legislation.

I’m excited to bring Ann on the show to discuss generational trends in leadership, especially in relation to millennials. After my talk with Ann, I was pumped.

I think you will be as well.

Know how to communicate with millennials

Listen To The Answers From Leadership Podcast

Podcast Show Notes

Ann, what else do you want listeners to know about you?

The most interesting thing about my life is that I handed a cake to Roy Rogers when I was 10, I accidentally met Elvis Presley at an airport, and I was trapped in Hurricane Katrina and got out by a tugboat. You don’t get more interesting than that.  Read more...