Leadership Thought: Working for Good and Bad Bosses

Dear Friend, 

Tom Harper, who oversees Biblical Leadership, a digital resource for those interested in improving their leadership, shares an excellent message on his experience working for good and poor bosses. 

Tom suggests you think about the worst boss you've ever had. "Despite their autocratic, unkind, or incompetent ways, did you still somehow benefit from working under them? I bet you did, even if you learned what NOT to do.

Now search your memory for the best one. Maybe you're even working for them now!

My worst boss made me feel like an idiot and took credit for things I did. My favorite boss still brings a smile to my face. In fact, I still run into him in coffee shops. He'll probably even read this post. (Cheers, Steve!)

Steve was my boss over 30 years ago. He was full of good humor, modeled a tireless work ethic, fought for us both internally and out in the market, and was wildly creative. We celebrated our wins and laughed a lot.

He rooted for me even after we parted ways. I was sad to leave him as I progressed in my career, but I've always tried to lead like him. He's a great encourager and still has a smile for me whenever I see him.

If you've had a great boss, too, you and I have models to build our own leadership on.

If you haven't found a great one yet, be on the lookout for him or her. And when you find them, learn all you can for as long as you can.

Great bosses are rare.

Why not be one of those rare leaders yourself?"

Thanks, Tom, for your excellent message.

I would love to hear from those Leadership Thought readers what you feel makes for a good boss, and I will consider printing your responses but only with your permission.

Yours in faith and friendship,

Tom

Leadership Thought: Three Words to Remove from Your Vocabulary

Dear Friend,

Never doubt the providence of God. One of my favorite stories of God's amazing providence is revealed in the following story.

A British family went to Scotland one summer for a vacation. The mother and father were looking forward to enjoying the beautiful Scottish countryside with their son.

But one day, the son wandered off by himself and got into trouble. As he walked through the woods, he came across an abandoned swimming hole, and as most boys his age do, he took off his clothes and jumped in!

He was totally unprepared for what happened next. Before he had time to enjoy the pool of water, he was seized by a vicious attack of cramps. He began calling for help while fighting a losing battle with the cramps to stay afloat.

Fortunately, a farm boy was working in a nearby field. When he heard the frantic cries for help, he rescued the English boy and brought him to safety

The father of the boy who had been rescued was, of course, very grateful. 

The next day, he went to meet the youth who had saved his son's life, and the two talked. The Englishman asked the brave lad what he planned to do with his future.

The boy answered, "I'll be a farmer like my father."

The grateful father said, "Is there something else you would rather do?" 

"Oh, yes," answered the Scottish lad. "I've always wanted to be a doctor, but we are poor and could never afford to pay for the education."

"Never mind that," said the Englishman. "You shall have your heart's desire and study medicine. Make your plans, and I'll take care of the costs."

So, the Scottish lad did indeed become a doctor.

The intriguing part of the story is that years later, in December of  1943, Winston Churchill (the English boy), became deathly ill with pneumonia. While in North Africa, his life was saved for a second time by the same Scottish boy, Sir Alexander Fleming, who had become that doctor. 

This time he was saved with a new drug Fleming had invented, the first antibiotic, penicillin. 

Two years later, under the unshakable leadership of Churchill, Britain and her allies would defeat Hitler and the Nazis, ending the most diabolical regime in history. Holy Moments, Matthew Kelly, p. 165-67)

One never knows how the providence of God is shaping events of history to conform to his will.

It is so true  that "The King's heart is like channels of water in the hands of the Lord; He turns it wherever He wishes. (Proverbs 21:1)."

Genesis tells about Joseph, who was sold by his brothers to be a slave in Egypt, but who eventually became the prime minister of the land.

Paul and Barnabas had such a bitter quarrel about taking John Mark on a missionary journey that they wound up going their separate ways, resulting in two successful preaching expeditions instead of one. 

Charles Swindoll suggests, "It is time to remove three words from our vocabulary as we add the word providence to our communication. They are chance, fate, and luck. Those humanistic terms suggest there are blind, impersonal, and spontaneous forces at work in the ranks of humanity. NOT! Only One is at work in you, for it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure" Philippians (2:13)."

Swindoll continues, "Take heart my friend. God is in full control. Nothing is happening on Earth that brings a surprise to Heaven. Nothing is outside the scope of his divine radar screen as he guides us safely home. Things that seem altogether confusing, without reason, unfair, even wrong, do indeed fit into the father's providential plan. The Finishing Touch, Charles Swindoll, p. 140

Aren't you glad He's in control?

Yours in faith and friendship,

Tom

Leadership Thought: A Pastor's Episode of "Stinkin Thinkin"

Dear Friends,

A man walked into a fortune teller's tent at a carnival and paid his money to have his palms read. The fortune teller said, "I see many things." 

"Like what?" he asked.

"You will be poor and unhappy until you're 45," said the fortune teller.

"Oh," he said dejectedly. Then he had a thought. "What will happen when I'm 45?"

"You'll get used to it." 

Negative thinking often sets the tone for our life. If we expect things to be bad, that is the way they will be. On the other hand, if we expect things to be good, that's the way they will be.

In Alcoholics Anonymous, people often talk about "stinkin thinkin." 

A few years ago, I had an episode of "stinkin thinkin." It was at a time when we were pre-recording sermons during Covid. I was working on a Sunday message and trying to record it while speaking into a computer screen. Preaching to a video camera was a new and challenging assignment for me. It was not an easy or natural undertaking for me, and I had continually reinforced that belief by telling myself again and again how difficult it was.

I had just spent four excruciating hours trying to record a 25-minute message, with Pastor Nick, who was overseeing the taping. Again, and again, I would make a mistake and have to back up and start all over again. Finally, in exasperation, I cried out, "This is impossible," and guess what?  It would continue to be impossible as long as I persisted in reminding myself that this is the way it would continue to be.

I told Pastor Nick that my mind was so filled with negative thinking that I needed to go home and reassess my attitude. When I arrived the next day to repeat the taping, I possessed an entirely different attitude. I attacked the challenge, believing that I could accomplish the task and within an hour I had completed the recording.

What had changed? It was my attitude. In the intervening 24 hours, I had realized that my attitude was impacting my actions. My negative expectations had become a self-fulfilling prophecy.

In between recordings, the Holy Spirit had reminded me of one of the first verses I memorized as a new believer: Philippians 4:13, which proclaims, "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me."

Shame on me. I had found myself giving up when I should have been looking up. I had succumbed to "stinkin thinkin."

Ben Franklin once said, "Blessed is he who expects nothing, for he shall receive it," and nothing was just what I had received.

Dwelling upon past negative actions and experiences will always get us in trouble. Reminding ourselves of our own inadequacies and insufficiencies will keep us from achieving those significant things God wants us to accomplish. Shame on me for forgetting this and reminding myself of my weaknesses rather than His strength, and my past experiences rather than His present power.

We need to be like the little engine that could, who kept climbing to the top of the steep mountain all the while repeating, "I think I can," "I think I can," "I think I can." And then when we make it to the top, we can relax, enjoy the feeling, look back down the mountain and proclaim because of God's power, "I knew I could,"  "I knew I could,"  "I knew I could."

Let us always remember that what seems to be the end may really be a new beginning,

Yours in faith and friendship, 

Tom

Leadership Thought: A Message for Everyone, Especially Fisherman.

Dear Friend,

It has been said that “nothing is too small that it can’t be blown out of proportion.” As believers we need to be truth tellers. We need to be extremely careful that we never “blow the truth out of proportion”

We need to be careful with the things we say with our lips, so that we develop a reputation for always being honest in every aspect of our lives, unlike the chairman of a local chamber of commerce I read about. 

He had to introduce a speaker of the organization’s annual black-tie affair. He introduced the speaker with the following words. “The man I am about to introduce is someone I know you are going to enjoy listening to. He is the most gifted businessman in the country. He  made one hundred million dollars in California oil.”  

The speaker came to the podium rather embarrassed. “Mr. Chairman,” he said, “Thank you for the wonderful introduction. However, the facts need some clarification. It wasn’t oil, it was coal. It wasn’t in California; it was in Pennsylvania. It wasn’t one hundred million dollars. It was only one hundred thousand. And it wasn’t me. It was my brother, and he didn’t make it, he lost it.”

Hopefully, unless we are fisherman, not any of our conversations are as untruthful as this man’s introduction.

Paul writes in Col 3:9-10 “Do not lie to one another, since you have put off the old man with his deeds, and have put on the man who is renewed in knowledge according to the image of Him who created him.”

Solomon reminds us “ lying lips are an abomination to the Lord.” Proverbs 12:13.

As believers we are called to be truthful in every area of our life. Let us never give anyone reason to question our truth telling ability.

When we speak, let us “speak the truth in love” (Eph. 4:15). And if we can’t speak it in love, then it is not yet ready to be spoken.

Speaking the truth and always being honest has several advantages. You will never have to remember your lies, which often takes more energy to remember than it does to be honest. And secondly you will earn the trust and respect of others who will know they can always trust you and your word.

Let’s all work together to stop "truth decay.”

Yours in faith and friendship,

Tom