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Leadership

Junkyard Management, Junkyard Wisdom Book, Leadership,

What’s Wisdom Got To Do With It?

Apologies to Tina Turner for hijacking her song title and making it worse, but the question of the day is why junkyard … wisdom?

Everybody understands the junkyard piece, at least they do when they read my bio. I grew up working Saturdays and summers in our family’s wrecking yard – aka junkyard – and it shaped my perspective on the world. I see life through the prism of a family business that bought junk and sold parts.

But how does wisdom fit into this perspective?

Wisdom is elusive to define. It is many layered, showing up in …

Book Reviews, Junkyard Management, Leadership,

Junkyard Saints

I’m currently reading Jon Meacham’s new book, His Truth is Marching On: John Lewis and the Power of Hope. This post isn’t about the book itself — though from what I’ve read I highly recommend it. Instead, I was struck by something Meacham says in the opening pages about sainthood.

“Generations of believers have held that some human lives are in such harmony with the ideals of God that they should be singled out. One need not embrace Catholic practice and doctrine to benefit from the contemplation of men and women who, in the words of an old hymn, …

Junkyard Management, Leadership, Salvaged,

Six Ways to Motivate Your Team During a Pandemic

Last year I shared my six ideas for motivating your team (which had previously been published by Outreach Magazine). I wondered how the six ideas hold up during a pandemic. Would they still work in an era of zoom calls and working from home?

I looked over the list and decided to give it a refresh. Usually I write about stuff I know and have decades of experience with, but this time I’m winging it like everyone else. So your feedback is even more welcome as we all learn how to motivate folks in these crazy times!

Anyway, here are …

Leadership, Random Thoughts,

Another Clueless Guy

A recent Facebook post of mine caught the attention of a long time friend. She asked if it might be a bit too much coming from me, a wealthy white man. There was, she suggested, an air of tone policing as I asked folks to monitor their Facebook posts during the election season. It was my attempt to encourage people to be known by our love, not our opinions. But my comments hit her differently.

We had a good exchange on the topic, mostly out of the public eye, and it was helpful for me process the truth in her …

Book Reviews, Leadership,

Becoming Brave

My friend Brenda Salter-McNeil has a new book being released so I asked her to give us a sneak preview. Trust me when I say you will want to read this one. Brenda writes with passion and transparency while always keeping truth at the center of her message.

Sometimes her words are challenging. They push me to see things through her heart and to understand life from the perspective of an African-American woman. That has not always been comfortable for me, but it has always been a way to grow and learn. And, ultimately, to better understand how to love …

Leadership, Random Thoughts,

Black Lives Matter

Black lives matter to me.

This makes some of my friends uncomfortable. Usually, for two reasons: they want to say all lives matter, and/or they want to point to the eponymous organization Black Lives Matter which has an agenda they find upsetting.

Well, nonsense.

Our hearts and minds have become so polarized we find it increasingly difficult — even impossible — to embrace opposites. Whatever we call it – spiritual tension, wrestling with God, or cognitive dissonance – we struggle to reconcile two truths that seem to contradict each other.

Worse, we can’t even embrace two obvious truths without wanting …

Junkyard Management, Leadership,

Wit and Wine

I’ve lost track of the number of boards I’ve served on. From organizations I’ve started myself to boards that have been around for nearly a century. They’ve included churches, foundations, mission groups, retreat centers, colleges, conferences, and companies.

The common denominator in them all? Building a good board is hard work. You need quality people who share your vision and have the capacity to help. Finding the right people is not easy.

Decades ago I discovered the late Max De Pree’s books about leadership. One of the most helpful insights was the four W’s for board members: work, wealth, wisdom, …

Leadership, Philanthropy,

Tony Campolo

Tony Campolo has been a friend for decades. We first met in a brief encounter when he spoke at my college. Our friendship grew through letters — remember those? On several occasions through the years he spoke and advocated for ministries D’Aun and I were involved with.

Last month Tony had a stroke. The word is he is getting better, but this latest episode reminded me how much I appreciate the man. He was a mentor from afar, always full of encouragement, and even when I didn’t agree with him (or found his advice unhelpful) he always modeled love in …