On Leading Well

Year: 2008

  • Four Powerful Words

    OK, now that we’ve explored the implications of digital screens, I want to reflect on some profound analog concepts. Freedom, liberty, personal responsibility, sacrifice, loyalty, honor and unity come to mind.

    Last week our family used spring break to visit Washington D.C., our nation’s capitol. During our decade overseas, we visited many of the great seats of government throughout Asia and Europe, but we’d never seen the home court. Wow!

    If you ever want a dazzling multimedia experience, I suggest standing in the cavernous memorial to Abraham Lincoln among a silent crowd and slowly digesting the words of Abe’s Gettysburg Address and his Second Inaugural Address. You can read them online, or you can read them under the massive statue, covered by the roof with the names of the States of the preserved union, looking down at the Capital across the reflecting pool, the Washington Monument, and two full miles of the West Mall. In contrast, the Korean War Veterans Memorial only highlights four words: Freedom Is Not Free. It will take your breath away as you gratitude wells up from a deep place inside. Ditto the WWII and Vietnam Memorials. This is hallowed ground.

    The sense of respect and honor grows as we visit Arlington Cemetery (310,000 servicemen and women are buried there, marked with a simple white cross), the tomb of the Unknown Soldier (inscription: “Here rests in honored glory an American Soldier known but to God”) and the JFK eternal flame. And so my fellow Americans, ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country. Fellow citizens of the world, ask not what America will do for you, but what we together can do for the freedom of man.

    As we moved from place to place, from museum to museum, and out into the colorful parkways lined with pink and white cherry blossoms in full bloom, the deafening drumbeats of ceaseless scoffing and endless criticism of the United States by the media somehow faded away. Live blues flowing from the Cherry Blossom festival certainly contributed. I could picture George Washington and a few close friends sitting on the back porch of his Mount Vernon estate, overlooking the Potomac River, dreaming of a country that would be so radically different from the despotic self-serving governments the world had known to date. I found myself believing that George’s personal assessment of the United States still rings true today:

    That the Government, though not absolutely perfect, is one of the best in the world, I have little doubt. – George Washington

    <$BlogFeedsVertical$>

    <$BlogItemFeedLinks$>

    ?alt=rss

  • Communication: “Where’s My Screen?”

    “Where’s my screen?” blurted the middle-aged woman next to me while we waited for the Indiana Jones show to begin at Disney World. Her rummaging instantly produced a sleek iPhone. We still had 10 more minutes to blow, why not get a little bit of work done while waiting?

    Over-35’s value smartphones as a means to greater effectiveness, efficiency and tech-cool. But many blogs I read, especially in ministry, continue to insist that an email inbox will always be the way to get real work done.

    But what does this generation of Screenagers think? Did you know that email was last on the list of 8 preferred methods of communication – after DVDs and books?

    “What Are Your Preferred Methods of Communication?”

    Dr. Tim Elmore of http://www.growingleaders.com/ asked recent focus group of 16-24 year olds this question. This group’s top eight methods of communication are:

    1. Text messaging
    2. Internet (i.e. MySpace or Facebook)
    3. iPods and Podcasts
    4. Instant messaging
    5. Cell phone (actually speaking with someone)
    6. DVD / CD
    7. Books
    8. Email

    Dr. Elmore continues:* “I want you to notice a few things about this list. First, note that email is last on the list. One student described email as “a way to communicate with older people.” Second, with one exception, this list moves from more personal to less personal in nature. They want something customized not generic if they’re going to pay attention. Third, and most importantly, these students prefer a “screen” for six out of their top eight favorite methods of communication.

    The Screen Age
    Every generation shares common characteristics. However, each generation is defined by some shared elements in their developmental years. The primary elements that define a generation are:
    1. Shared Music
    2. Shared Experiences
    3. Shared Crises
    4. Shared Television Programs
    5. Shared Celebrities (people of influence)
    6. Shared Age and Era

    Today, the delivery of almost every one of these elements share one thing in common–they are driven by a screen. Call me the master of the obvious, but students want to interact with a screen. In fact, we’ve begun to call students “screenagers” because they are more at home in front of a screen than watching a talking head on a stage. They want a personal message, but want to control how intimate and vulnerable they become. They like the option of signing off when they wish.

    The fact that text messaging landed at number one on the list tells us a lot about students today. Bear with me as I venture some observations about why text messages are the preferred method of communication:

    1. Text messages represent very current communication.
    More so than voicemails, a text means I need to interact now about something relevant to you.

    2. Text messages are generally sent from someone you know.
    Unlike phones, you generally don’t get a “wrong number” or generic call on a text message.

    3. Text messages are brief and to the point. [Unlike this lengthy blog post :-)]
    The person texting doesn’t waste words; in fact, they usually abbreviate the message.

    4. Text messaging is in your control.
    The receiver can stop when they want to.

    This kind of control is attractive to students today. They want communication on their terms. Students today are inundated with messages, from every side. I believe they’re most likely to respond to a text message because it allows them fast, current, relevant communication with friends–but at a safe distance. They like intimacy without a lot of vulnerability. It sounds like a paradox and perhaps it is. I believe this is but one of several paradoxes that exist among Generation Y. Consider this. This is the first generation who does not need authorities to access information. Why? They have screens. However, they do need authorities, like you and I, to help them process that information. We can interpret it for them. This is our challenge.”

    *Normally I would link to a post of this length, but I received this information by email and can’t locate it on Elmore’s site.

    Leadership challenge: What communication methods do I need to develop in order to connect – life-on-life – with this generation?

    <$BlogFeedsVertical$>

    <$BlogItemFeedLinks$>

    ?alt=rss

  • Self-Leadership in Personal Finance

    The United States economy, as everyone well knows, is experiencing a correction. They say when Wall Street sneezes other markets catch cold. Google advertising has gone flat (still strong, but not growing, which sent the stock value plunging $250 per share) and people are charging less to their credit cards. Some see this as a crisis for a consumer economy driven by fear and greed. Others see wisdom and veiled hope as consumers think twice before opening our wallets. Imagine an entire country rediscovering the notion of personal responsibility….

    Wanna survive a financial crunch? I offer three rules and three links for consideration as Personal Finance 101. We’ve tried our best to live by these rules during 22 years of marriage and they have served us well:
    Rule #1. God owns it all.

    Rule #2. Spend less than you earn. Over time you will be able to do most of what you want to do in life.

    Rule #3. Divide your monthly income into three parts:
    a. Give at least 10%. (Pay God first).
    b. Save at least 10%. (Pay yourself next).
    c. Plan to enjoy life on what remains.

    For very practical wisdom and a knock on the side of the head, check out 10 Things I Know At 40 That I Wish I Knew At 20, everything-you-ever-really-needed-to-know-about-personal-finance-on-the-back-of-five-business-cards, and SoundMindInvesting.com. The last one gives excellent lifelong perspective on giving, saving, investing and diversification.

    Self-leadership lesson: Live by the rules.

    <$BlogFeedsVertical$>

    <$BlogItemFeedLinks$>

    ?alt=rss