A headline in the USA Today sports section of our local paper this week was “Chase for Fame A-Rod’s Shame.” Baseball star Alex Rodriquez is suspended for the entire 162-game 2014 season. It will cost him his $25 million dollar salary, every ounce of his reputation, credibility and likely a shot at the Hall of Fame. It’s a loud crash heard in every corner of the baseball kingdom.
Bob Nightengale reflected in the USA Today article, that Rodriquez was always the best from teen to major league. Even though he dated celebrities and was the highest-paid player in baseball history, it wasn’t enough. His 654 home-runs were inadequate. He wanted to join the 800 home-run club. Nightengale concludes his article with this sobering comment, “Alex Rodriquez, the person, is no longer famous. A-Rod, the disgraced ballplayer, will forever be infamous.” Indeed, a very loud crash.
One of the great books I’ve read in the last five years is Jim Collin’s book, “How the Mighty Fall.” Collins four-year research of top-tier businesses who skidded to the bottom of the pile reveals a pattern of five commonalities in a specific pattern of decline. Stage 1: Hubris Born of Success. Stage 2: Undisciplined Pursuit of More. Stage 3: Denial of Risk and Peril. Stage 4: Grasping for Salvation. Stage 5: Capitulation to Irrelevance or Death. Right now, A-Rod is in stage four, still fighting, still trying to be heard. Nightengale predicts stage five is just around the corner.
Success in any individual, any career, any organization has the same temptation. I’ve watched it in others and fought it in myself. I’m vulnerable and you are vulnerable. The higher we climb on the ladder, the more precarious the balance.
Here are a few things I’m learning that I believe can help avoid a loud crash or even a slow slide.
Stay God-focused – Stage one kicks in when we become arrogant, gravitate toward entitlement and lose sight of the true underlying factors that created success in the first place. When I fail to recognize God’s providence, His grace, His blessing and His provision in my life, my footing is already becoming unstable. I remind myself often that every good and perfect gift comes from God (James 1:17). I seek to remember that life is a gift and I’m a steward of God’s stuff (Psalm 24:1 ).
Stay Grateful – It’s so easy to start viewing my success as deserved rather than a blessing. Staying God-focused helps me to stay grateful. I’m reminded to proclaim often that I’m blessed more than I deserve. I try to give thanks each day that God has gifted me and shaped me for His purposes for this time and place. I’m incredibly thankful for the amazing diversity of people who’ve contributed to my life and my success. Other self-sacrificing partners in ministry have made me look far better than I really am.
Stay Growing – Leaders are learners. They never know it all. The moment I start thinking I have nothing more to learn and now I should be the teacher because I have figured out the key to success, I’m on shaky terrain. I have started to succumb to hubris. I want to continue learning because it was inquisitiveness that contributed to my success in the first place. Leaders who stay successful keep growing at every age and stage of life.
I feel saddened by A-Rod’s dilemma. While it seems obvious to me, he may not even be aware of how it happened. I’m not writing to humiliate or to judge. I’m writing this so I can learn and not repeat the same pattern in my own life. And maybe, just maybe, someone else will be saved from a loud crash.
QUESTION: What would you add that has helped to avoid the hubris brought by success? I’d love to hear it below.
It’s easy to take risks when you don’t have anything to lose. But success can stifle your risk-taking. It’s counter-intuitive, but it’s true. Success is an anchor. You don’t move ahead for fear of losing what you have.
I’ve seen it happen in businesses, churches and other organizations. The founding leader risks everything to launch it, build it and establish it. But once the organization is solidly successful, everyone fights to keep it just the way it is. They don’t want change. They don’t want to lose what they have. It’s comfortable. It’s secure. It’s familiar. Risk-taking is stifled, shunned and feared. Institutionalization sets in. Maintenance is the norm. A long-slow death is inevitable.
I’ve personally had the thrill of being the founder of an organization that has charted an up-and-to-the-right growth curve for nearly three full decades. Of course, we’ve had our dips and setbacks. But here’s the big picture. From six to over two thousand. From a staff of one to over fifty. From a budget of tens of thousands to millions. It continues to thrive. Why? How?
Number one above all else, there is the God-factor. His providence. His blessing. His calling. His wisdom. His provision. His power. His grace. No doubt about it.
Yet every other church has the same access to God and His resources. As I’ve reflected many times over the years, here are the additional factors:
Risk is Good – From the get-go, calculated risk has been in the DNA of our organization. Problems are viewed as opportunities not obstacles. Roadblocks force you to find a new road to your destination. A new road brings new discoveries. Fear of taking risks destroys dreams. The dream in your heart is worth the risk.
Embrace Failure – Failure is never final. You never know how far you can go until you’ve failed. Every successful leader has a bucket of wisdom filled with things that didn’t work. We’ve started things and shut down things. We’ve regrouped and reorganized. Failure that comes from pushing too far is a gift. It shows you who you are and clarifies what matters.
Resist Security – With success always comes the temptation to build walls, fences and security systems to protect the accomplishments. It is natural to try to safeguard that which is proven. We drift toward comfort and status quo. Leaders cast a vision of new opportunities. Leaders must be willing to risk leaving the comfort-seekers behind to take the adventurous toward new territory.
Release Control – Leaders who focus on keeping everything in their grasp will eventually become the ceiling for their organization. Find other people more talented than you and empower them to fully engage their gifts. Expect untested people to step up. Call tested people to step up in untested areas.
T.S. Eliot said it best, “Only those who will risk going too far can possibly find out how far one can go.” What risk will you take today, this week, this year?
QUESTION: What would you add? I’d love to hear your comments below.
As one in the business of listening to those in crisis, guiding those off-track, restoring those who are broken and inspiring others to transformissional living, I’ve never known a single person who made one bad decision. Everyone I’ve ever coached or counseled over the past 35 years can point to a series of bad decisions. Their lives gradually unraveled. Yet, I realize that I’m always just one stupid decision away from destroying my life and legacy!
We all encounter regular crossroads where we have to make decisions. They are usually small decisions. Tragic stories of iconic heroes who morally crash and burn always happen in slow motion. I’ve never heard of a politician, a sports figure, a spiritual leader or a celebrity who woke up one morning and thought: “I think I’ll have an affair with a woman half my age. It will be fun for a few months. But then she will kill me, then herself. Everyone will wonder why I risked my role as a superstar NFL quarterback. My wife and my kids will spend the rest of their lives trying to forgive me.”
No, we never have that kind of clarity at the beginning. Instead, we make some small decision. Perhaps it is a simple choice to flirt with an attractive person at our place of work or to have a one-night fling while out of town on a business trip. Then it snowballs from there.
One bad decision becomes two. Two becomes three. And eventually it cascades into an unexpected end. Twenty years from now, our family and friends will still be trying to get over the betrayal and the crazy unfathomable culmination of stupidity
Here’s what I’ve been learning to keep me from making a bad decision:
We never make decisions in nothingness. Everything matters. Our words and actions will resound on into eternity.
One bad decision will be remembered forever. We can have a lifetime full of good deeds and behaviors but it can be wiped away and forgotten with one misstep.
We are all vulnerable. If we think we are not vulnerable to lapses in judgment, we are fooling ourselves. In fact, we are setting ourselves up for failure. I always have at the tip of my tongue these words, “Except for the grace of God, go I.”
We need intentional accountability. It won’t happen by accident. I have built a group of close friends whom I’ve given permission to challenge me if I veer off course. Who will do that for you?
We need to live our lives on-purpose. If you don’t have a road map, you could end up about anywhere. Do you have a clear mission? Do you have a plan to help you out live yourself?
The good news is, we can determine our legacy. We can decide how we want to be remembered. But we all encounter crossroads with small decisions. It’s not a single choice. It is a series of choices. And the best news is, if you’re still alive and reading this, it’s never too late to change course and make your life count. What one decision do you need to make today?
QUESTION: How do you want to be remembered? You can leave a comment below.
I couldn’t help but notice the North Dakota personalized license plate in the Florida restaurant parking lot. It said, “Werdone.” As the 60 something couple got out of their SUV, I asked them if I could take a picture of their license tag. “Sure,” they said. “You aren’t the first one who has asked.” I told them this would be a great topic for my blog. And as we walked together with them toward the restaurant door, I clarified the intent of their mobile message. They indeed were communicating a message that they were retired—we are done.
I regret that I didn’t get to have significant conversation with this North Dakota retiree couple who were enjoying the warmth of our Florida winter. I’m not sure if they have clarity about their calling and purpose in this season of life or if their whole lives have been focused toward the finish line of retirement. In my brief 30 second interchange with them, I got the impression it was the latter.
Having lived in Florida for nearly three decades now, I’ve repeatedly encountered people who have seen retirement as the finish line. They have the “werdone” mindset. They’ve completed their years of service in a particular career and now they will focus their lives on rest and relaxation. No agenda. No schedule, except maybe a tee time. Every day will be free for golfing, boating, fishing, or travel.
Yet with a “werdone” mentality, I’ve seen large numbers of retired people who are unhappy, depressed, grumpy and even suicidal. They have no mission. No purpose. No reason to get out of bed. Little to nothing to live for. They become angry, often lashing out at younger people. I’m sad every time I see it happen.
However, I rub shoulders every day with so many who live in contrast to the “werdone” crowd. Yes, they’ve broke the tape at the end of their career journey. They’ve officially retired. But they’ve retreaded. They’ve discovered a clear purpose for living. They use their expertise, experience and wisdom to mentor younger generations. They volunteer their time, investing in things that will outlive them. They use their talent to contribute to projects and ministries that are impacting others. They leverage their resources for maximum influence. They love to make a difference.
I’ve noticed that this second group of retirees are finding significance and meaning in life. They aren’t struggling with depression. They aren’t wondering if they matter or if anyone will remember them. They have joy in the journey. They are making a contribution. They feel fulfilled. They are energized. They love life. They look forward to each new day.
If you are in that “werdone” mode and struggling, it’s a new year. Make a change today. Volunteer at your church, synagogue, hospital, hospice, school, soup kitchen, or favorite non-profit. Read a stimulating book like Halftime or a practical get-started book like Success to Significance. Keep exploring options and possibilities until you find just the right fit. Of course, use the more relaxed environment of retirement years to do the recreational things you love to do but make sure you are living with a focus and purpose that guarantees you will out live your life.
QUESTION: What have you discovered that has helped you live with significance? Please share it in the Comment area below. Thank you!
Thank you for reading, subscribing and sharing my blog over the past year! As 2013 exits and 2014 rolls in, here’s a countdown of the top 10 views over the year. Maybe one or more of these will be an encouragement as you start your new year!
8. Four Things to Keep You from Quitting
7. How Do You Want to Be Remembered?
4. What Makes Your Heart Sing?
3. Most Admired Leadership Qualities
And now the drum roll…..
Thanks again for all your comments, your suggestions and shares over the past year! I’m very blessed to be fulfilling the purpose God has for me, inspiring transformissional living in others. Have a blessed year.
QUESTION: What was your favorite post this past year? I’d love to know in the Comment section below. Thanks!
I wish you a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! My wife Linda and I will be leaving tomorrow for our 7th trip to one of my favorite places, Israel. We are hosting a group of 19 individuals who will be traveling with us for a life-changing journey. My wife and I will be celebrating our 39th wedding anniversary on December 27, our first day in Israel. Our group will be arriving in Jerusalem on New Year’s Eve. We will visit Bethlehem the first day of 2014. I can’t think of any better place to begin a new year!
Therefore, I won’t be posting any blogs during the next 10 days since I’ll be busy making sure our guests have a wonderfully powerful spiritual experience. I’ll begin with posting regular blogs again the first full week of January 2014! So, my prayer for your new year is this great ancient prayer of one of the very earliest Christ-followers, Apostle Paul:
14 For this reason I kneel before the Father, 15 from whom every family[a] in heaven and on earth derives its name. 16 I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, 17 so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, 18 may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, 19 and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God. 20 Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, 21 to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen. (Ephesians 3:14-21)
May God’s great peace and His grace be enough for you each and every day of the new year!
While recently reading one of my favorite bloggers, Mark Miller, I was grabbed by something his assistant Teneya said as they were looking forward to increase their impact for 2014. She simply stated, “We’re going to have to decide to do the right things vs. the nice things.” Wow! I had to think about that for a bit. Aren’t the right things also the nice things?
As I read Mark Miller’s blog post, I quickly saw myself as a leader who naturally slides toward doing the nice things instead of the right things. I really like to be a nice person. I want to be known as a nice guy. I love it when people like me. It’s easier than doing the right things.
Please understand. I don’t major on doing the wrong things. In fact, I want to be remembered as a person of top-notch character and utmost integrity. I never want a hint of immorality, dishonesty or shadiness to tarnish my reputation. I try to take the high road in every situation. So, this tension about nice or right is not at all related to wrong or right.
This question about doing the right thing or the nice thing is all about choosing excellence over ease. It’s about making decisions that will lead to great not just settling for good. Way too often in my leadership history, I’ve tried to be nice rather than to say what really needed to be said. Too often I should have said “no” to more busyness, but instead I took the easy road and said “yes,” just to be nice.
As you plan for 2014, will you choose to be nice or do what is right? Here are some options you may face:
Pursue truth through conflict or avoid conflict because it makes some people uncomfortable?
Have a difficult performance conversation or continue to give inflated performance ratings?
Confront problems and issues or avoid discussing problems at all costs?
Dismiss an employee who can’t grow with the business or keep the person on the payroll indefinitely?
Give stretch assignments to people and expect them to struggle or avoid giving stretch assignments because they may create some discomfort?
Say, “no” to non-strategic work or say, “yes” to non-strategic work?
Decline a speaking engagement or accept every request regardless of the audience?
Attend a portion of an all-day meeting or stay all day so as not to offend the host of the meeting?
Eliminate a program to reallocate needed resources or sacrifice new ideas so outdated ones can be funded?
Doing the right thing does not always feel like the nice thing to do when you want others to like you. But excellence in leading an organization requires us to do what is right, not just nice. I happen to believe that great leaders do what is right in the nicest way possible. Doing what is right doesn’t mean being rude or uncaring. But leaders must make the difficult decisions that are right. It’s right for the organization. It’s even right for the under-performing individual when you free their future so they can find the right fit where they succeed and shine.
As you prepare and plan for the upcoming year, ask yourself frequently—Is this the RIGHT thing to do or just the NICE thing to do?
QUESTION: What have I missed? Please add it in the Comment section below. Thanks!
Many editorials, blogs and articles have been written over the last days. Hundreds have given their commentaries on radio and television. World leaders traveled to South Africa to pay their respects. The world lost a man who left an implausible legacy a few days ago. I won’t even try to compete with my words to adequately honor this incredible leader.
However, I read a few words of reflection the other day (and I apologize that I cannot remember who to give credit to). These few lines captured what we can learn from Nelson Mandela about changing the world. I wrote the words down (except for the author’s name). Here they are:
You Can. – Many times the first words that come to our minds and mouths when faced with seemingly impossible challenges are “I can’t,” “It won’t work,” “It’s too hard,” or “I don’t have the resources needed.” Nelson Mandela proved that one individual can do more than ever imagined.
You Can Make a Difference. – So many people I know don’t think they can actually leave a mark on the world. They wonder if any one will even remember their name, let alone their impact. The whole world knows Nelson Mandela’s name and impact.
You Can Stand Up to Insurmountable Forces. – President Mandela showed the world that a legacy of discrimination could be dismantled with persistent intentionality. South Africa’s first back chief executive risked everything to focus on racial reconciliation as he tackled poverty, inequality and institutionalized racism. And, the walls of apartheid collapsed.
You Can Put Up With Far More Than You Think You Can. – It seems nearly impossible to think of spending 27 years in jail for leading a revolutionary movement against wide-spread injustice. But Mandela endured the challenge and it made him better instead of bitter. He relied on the sufficiency of God’s grace and a clear vision of changing the world to get through nearly three decades of imprisonment.
Your Lever is Far Longer Than You Imagine It Is, If You Choose To Use It. – Nelson Mandel found ways to leverage his influence far beyond any other black man in South Africa. In fact, he leveraged his influence way beyond most other world-class leaders of the last couple centuries. He built relationships with other leaders of influence. He negotiated with those who could bring change. His life-long impact was leveraged to the max!
If You Don’t Require the Journey to be Easy or Comfortable or Safe, You Can Change the World. – This is the one we would most like to avoid. We want to accomplish great things and change the world with little cost to us. Nelson Mandela laid it all on the line. He had a vision of a united South Africa. Comfort, safety or ease weren’t a part of his vocabulary. You and I can change the world if we are willing to sacrifice.
There are world-changers who are reading this blog who need to be reminded: You can. You can make a difference. You can stand up to insurmountable forces. You can put up with more than you think you can. Your lever is far longer than you imagine it is, if you choose to use it. And, if you don’t require the journey to be easy or comfortable or safe, you can change the world. I can. You can. We really can.
QUESTION: Which one of the above is the biggest challenge for you? Please share it in the comment section below. Thanks!
It’s been 21,916 days. That calculates out to 3,131 weeks, or 525,984 hours, or over 31 million minutes or about 1.9 billion seconds. And in case you aren’t a math wizard, I’m simply talking about the 60 years and 1 day since I was born. Yesterday I celebrated six decades of air flowing in and out of my lungs. It was my sixtieth birthday.
All of us except my wife Linda (behind camera) and our 4 month old twins (already in bed).
After burping our four-month old twin grand babies in the morning, I spent five plus birthday hours driving from Jacksonville back to my home in Cape Coral, Florida. Then, I picked up some new prescription sunglasses, went out to eat dinner with my wife and came home, unpacked and read through several hundred birthday greetings on Facebook. Life is good!
I know. You must think I live a boring life! I didn’t celebrate the changing of a decade in a big way. Actually, my wife is about nine months behind me in age and we do the big celebrations of the decades and half-decades around her birthday: sky-diving, para-gliding, hot-air balloon rides, hang-gliding, bungee jumping, whitewater rafting and more! We really do love to live on the edge! Next summer we plan to hang-glide in the Swiss Alps and sky dive again in Florida! Life is good!
My birthday weekend was actually spent doing what is most important in life—connecting with my family. All our three adult children, their spouses and our four grandchildren gathered in Jacksonville for the weekend. We spent a part of the weekend making memories together in the oldest city in America—St. Augustine. We took horse-drawn carriage rides, visited the oldest fort in America, and took a magical outdoor stroll to enjoy the over-the-top holiday lights accenting this historic city. And then we enjoyed some birthday cake together. It was a wonderful weekend creating a legacy! Life is good!
Yesterday as I drove home, I reflected on the decade of my 50’s. It was a monumental decade. The last two of our children found their spouses and married. Our four grandchildren were born. I engineered and executed a leadership succession plan for the church that I founded. I started this blog as one medium for living out my personal mission of inspiring transformissional living in others. I launched my Gingerich PhotoArt website. I wrote a proposal and was awarded a significant grant for a four-month sabbatical during 2014. And, so much more. Life is good!
As I look forward to my 60’s, I’m anticipating that the best is yet to come! Many great leaders have found their 60’s to be their most productive, effective and fulfilling years. Laura Ingalls Wilder’s best-selling series began with “Little House in the Big Woods” at age 64. Benjamin Franklin signed the Declaration of Independence as he was turning 70. Nelson Mandela became President of South Africa at age 76. Mother Teresa received the Nobel Peace Price at age 69. And Ray Kroc finally got the McDonald’s fast-food chain up and running as a franchised business just as he entered his 60’s.
My cousin Dean Gingerich, who is 3 months older than I, just sent me this in a birthday email from his home in Montana, “We had a fellow at church give a 2 day seminar on jobs (learning to love your work). It is a statistical fact that a man’s most productive decade is his 60’s, followed by the 50’s and lastly the 70’s. So we still have 20 good years ahead of us.” I’ve repeatedly observed this to be true.
Life is good! I’m anticipating much fruitfulness over the next years. I’m leveraging my first half success for second-half significance and I’m inspiring others toward transformissional living! Life is good!
QUESTION: What is one thing you are looking forward to in your next decade? I’d love to hear it in the comment section below.
Alex Harvey, a 20-something young leader who reads my blog sent me this email recently: “I just had a great talk with my dad about the difference between confidence and arrogance…I was really hoping you could possibly write a blog post about these topics and any other related topics. I would also love to hear how you have learned to be humble and how that changed your world-view.”
Here’s a quote that has always helped me. “There’s a thin line between confidence and arrogance…its called humility.” (Unknown). The bigger question is, can confidence and humility simultaneously exist in the same person? Is it possible that a leader is both confident and humble? To answer, we must know the difference between confidence and arrogance. Here’s how I would define the difference: Confidence smiles while Arrogance smirks.
Confidence Smiles – When you know who God has made you to be, your calling, your mission, your purpose, your strengths, your weaknesses, your talents and gifts, you should be confident. With God’s wisdom and power inside, you can leverage your strengths with assuredness, decisiveness and confidence.
Arrogance Smirks – When your confidence is unbridled and rooted in your self more than in God and gratitude for what God has given you and who He has made you to be –you can easily slip into arrogance. Leaders who become arrogant can achieve short-term success. But arrogance will ultimately lead to downfall. We’ve all seen it happen over and over again.
Humility Sustains – In order to protect yourself against arrogance, your confidence must be rooted in humility. Humility is that thin line between confidence and arrogance.
It feels awkward to even mention the things that have helped me walk that thin line in my leadership. Just sharing this makes me think I’m possibly stepping off the humility line into arrogance. That line is very thin and I am always very self-conscious about crossing it.
However, leaders take risks so I’m going to confidently say, here are a few ways I attempt to combat arrogance: 1) I remember it’s not about me. It’s all about Someone much greater than me. 2) I stay in awe of God’s grace and blessings. I daily recognize that God has given me more than I deserve. 3) I acknowledge my strengths and talents are not self-created but from God. 4) I try to own my mistakes, weaknesses and screw-ups. 5) I regularly express gratitude to the team members around me who are instrumental to my success. 6) I daily express gratitude to God for life, health and strength to live out His purposes through me.
Bottom line, a very thin line indeed, is that humility rooted in gratitude will be your best protection from arrogance. Only then can you live and lead with confidence to accomplish the great things God has purposed in and through you.
QUESTION: What additional attitudes or actions have helped you avoid arrogance? I would love to hear them in the Comment section below. Thanks!
