Attack problems, not people.

Attack the problems, not the people.

Oh what a difference that can make in relationships, from marriage to the workplace.

I’ve often said, that as we sit as a management team dealing with an issue: We’re not here to fix blame. We’re here to fix the problem.

Often the tendency to blame another person prevents the group from attacking the problem.

Now, not all problems can be solved. Some situations have to be managed. There are just some things in a sinful and broken world we just have to manage, not resolve.

So, acknowledge that there’s a problem. Recognize we are imperfect people working in an imperfect organization that exists in a far-from-perfect world.

Jesus said: “Judge not; then you will not be judged.

Are you transparent?

People appreciate it when leaders are vulnerable.

I’ve seen leaders who have made major mistakes, who keep denying their mistakes and defending their actions. They go down fighting against the skeptical and judgmental court of public opinion.

I’ve also seen leaders who have blown it in a big way. But they were quick to admit their mistakes, ask forgiveness and seek a new start. Most of the time, they move forward forgiven and accepted by their colleagues.

What’s the difference? Well, it’s the built in sense of grace and mercy towards those who are truly repentant and transparent. We are more forgiving of those who humbly admit their weaknesses, that with those who stubbornly maintain their infallibility.

Jesus told us to forgive others, just as we have been forgiven. We are to be quick to confess our own sins; at the same time quick to forgive others.

That kind of culture starts at the top, with the leader.

Lessons Learned from Climbing Cotopaxu

1. You get to the summit one rock at a time.
2. It's encouraging to climb together.
3. It sometimes helps when someone gives you a push from behind.
4. You eventually pass the pain threshold.
5. Take time to stop and look at the view.
6. There's great satisfaction in reaching the top.
7. Descending, coasting, sliding is more dangerous than climbing
8. With the challenge, you carry away bruises and scars.
9. Even after the climb and decent, there are rough roads.
10. I don't need to do this ever again.

The Global Megashift

I’m just reviewing an amazing and enlightening book by James Rutz entitle MEGASHIFT.

Most people, even most Christians, believe that Islam is the fastest growing religion in the world. But the evidence points to evangelical Christianity as the fastest growing faith as it sweeps China, Africa and Southeast Asia.

As I’ve long suspected, much of the church growth in the world falls between the cracks of most church surveys. Most surveys include mainline denominations and Roman Catholic churches, but miss the 707 Million “switched-on disciples” of the new church that is exploding around the world.

Hundreds of millions don’t show up on the surveys because they meet underground, or in homes, or on ski slopes. The surveys probably don’t capture, for example:

The very active Latino church meeting in a storefront in I walk past each Sunday on my way to my “mainline” church. Or the group my friend is pastoring at Copper Mountain ski resort with 20-40 attendees each Sunday, plus another 15-30 skiers who gather in a small chapel at the top of the mountain. Or they probably missed the house church of about 15-20 people I attended last month in Quito Ecuador.

Rutz states this group of 707 Million “core apostolics” are growing at 8% per year. Until 1960, Western evangelicals outnumbered non-Western evangelicals 2 to 1. By 2000, non-Western evangelicals outnumbered Westerners 4 to 1. Today that moved to 7 to 1. There are now more missionaries sent from non-Western nations than Western nations.

And this growth is fueled by some very non-Western occurrences: healings, answers to prayer, visions, and actual resurrections.

True, 3000 people were saved at Pentecost. But today, 3000 people come to Jesus every 25 minutes! There’ll be 175,000 more new believers tomorrow than there are today.

The U.S. church is no longer the parent, servicing the needs of the infant church world-wide. Today, the U.S. church must see itself as a small part of what God is doing globally. We are actually observers to what God is doing around the world. As U.S. Christian media must move on from their position as experts in communicating the Gospel to being partners with the innovation and boldness of brothers and sisters around the world using media (radio, TV, Internet, SMS, social networking, YouTube) to reach their countrymen with the Good News.

(Figures courtesy of MEGASHIFT AND World Net Daily)

Structure follows strategy

Structure follows strategy.

We’ve been talking a lot about that at our offices.

You see, it’s fine to create a good structure. But you shouldn`t be trying to find a strategy to fit your structure. You need to find a structure to facilitate your strategy.

Another way of saying it is: form follows function.

In crisis situations, you need a top-down style of get-it-done mentality.

In growth situations, you need an organic, collaborative model of doing things.

Jesus talked about the danger of putting new wine in old wineskins. It doesn’t work. The new wine will burst the old brittle wineskins. You need new containers for the new wine.

Same with new strategies. Old structures may not support new strategies.