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Podcast Season 3, Episode 38: Lessons on Leadership from the Little Things in Life – You Don’t Always See the Help That Was Needed

Life is full of examples that teach us lessons. That’s why stories and illustrations make learning so much more effective. When a story can be used to illustrate or demonstrate a valuable lesson, the story makes it much more understandable, relatable, and memorable. With that in mind, I want to take some time to do just that – share examples of circumstances and stories experienced in everyday life which illustrate leadership lessons that we can learn and apply. This is one of those examples, and it teaches us that you don’t always see the help that was needed (or that was given!).

Here is the link to the podcast.

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Lessons on Leadership from the Little Things in Life: You Don’t Always See the Help That Was Needed

Life is full of examples that teach us lessons. That’s why stories and illustrations make learning so much more effective. When a story can be used to illustrate or demonstrate a valuable lesson, the story makes it much more understandable, relatable, and memorable. With that in mind, I want to take some time to do just that – share examples of circumstances and stories experienced in everyday life which illustrate leadership lessons that we can learn and apply. This is one of those examples, and it teaches us that you don’t always see the help that was needed (or that was given!).

I was reminded of this when I had a video meeting for work. It was early in the morning, and I wanted my wife to be able to rest while I was meeting, but I was also watching our grandchildren. So, I made sure I had everything prepared for them to be entertained while I was on the call. I had some of their favorite independent activities out and set up, I had snacks for them, and I had made sure that they had used the bathroom. I was sure that I had everything all set. Because I was sure that everything was good, I was focused on the meeting and did not notice when one of them needed some help with something, and went into the other room where my wife was resting. My wife woke up to help them with what was needed, and then she graciously entertained them until I was done with my meeting. Because I didn’t hear any commotion and I was focused on the meeting, I did not even realize this was happening until the meeting was over.

What this showed me was that I needed some help that I didn’t know I needed, and I received help that I didn’t know I had gotten. Without even being aware of it, a grandchild needed assistance, and my wife stepped in and took care of it. I want to interject here that my wife has been this kind of partner for me my entire married life. She has always helped me in so many ways, usually behind the scenes, because she loves me and wants me to succeed. I also want to be clear that there was no emergency, and my grandchildren were not in danger of any harm, but it was still a great example of receiving help when I wasn’t even aware it was happening.

In retrospect, I can see this has been true throughout my life. In both my life and in my work, there have often been ways in which I have been helped without being aware of it. Sometimes I didn’t know I needed it until I was right in the middle of the circumstance, and then I was grateful that it was there. Other times, I didn’t know it had happened and I only learned about it afterwards, and I was humbled by that. Therefore, because of those experiences, I am absolutely certain that there were also other times about which I never knew and still don’t to this day. As I reflect on this, I think of four lessons that this shows me from my own experience that I hope are just as valuable for you:

  1. Be humble enough to recognize that you have needed and received help. Sometimes you’ve needed help even when you didn’t think you did. Be courageous and confident enough to understand that, and be willing to recognize and accept it.
  2. Give appreciation when you see that you have been helped. You may not always be aware that it has happened, but when you are, you need to express gratitude.
  3. Be thankful even if you didn’t see it. Often you have received help without your knowledge because someone has a true motive of service and love, and didn’t want the recognition. Accept the fact that you may have received help and be glad that you did.
  4. Do the same for others. Remember that others have helped you succeed, even if or when you did not know they were doing it. You ought to willing to do the same, and with the right heart.

That’s the lesson on leadership from this little thing in life, from my wife stepping in to help with the grandkids when I did not even know it was happening. You have been helped many times and in many ways throughout your life, just like I have. Sometimes you have been aware of it, but other times you have not. Regardless of whether you knew it or not, be grateful it was there and be willing to do the same for others.

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Quote Your Dad

“If you’re good, you don’t have to tell people. They’ll tell you.”

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Podcast Season 3, Episode 37: Lessons on Leadership from the Little Things in Life: Just because you can do it better doesn’t mean you should

Life is full of examples that teach us lessons. That’s why stories and illustrations make learning so much more effective. When a story can be used to illustrate or demonstrate a valuable lesson, the story makes it much more understandable, relatable, and memorable. With that in mind, I want to take some time to do just that – share examples of circumstances and stories experienced in everyday life which illustrate leadership lessons that we can learn and apply. This is one of those examples, and it teaches us that just because you can do something better than someone else doesn’t always mean that you should.

Here is the link to the podcast.

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Lessons on Leadership from the Little Things in Life: Just because you can do it better doesn’t mean you should

Life is full of examples that teach us lessons. That’s why stories and illustrations make learning so much more effective. When a story can be used to illustrate or demonstrate a valuable lesson, the story makes it much more understandable, relatable, and memorable. With that in mind, I want to take some time to do just that – share examples of circumstances and stories experienced in everyday life which illustrate leadership lessons that we can learn and apply. This is one of those examples, and it teaches us that just because you can do something better than someone else doesn’t always mean that you should.

I have learned a lot about this from the independence of my two-year-old granddaughter. She is at the age and stage when she constantly wants to do things by herself. Just about anything that I am trying to do, from washing the dishes to responding to an email on the computer, she will jump in front of me and insist that she do it. Things that used to be done for her, like putting on socks and shoes, she has now become determined to do on her own. While this is adorable, it also brings challenges. Some of those things she is not yet able to do, and so it can be frustrating for both her and me when she refuses any help or won’t let someone else do it, even though it is something that is beyond her capability to do at this point in time. Other things she is able to do, but it takes a long time to be done, and generally not very neatly, and if I am not intentionally recognizing the importance of her learning in the process, it can be a challenge of patience.

This, then, begs the question of whether or not I should just jump in and take over. If I did, it would avoid the frustrations, and everything would get done quicker and better, with less mess. However, there would also be some incredibly valuable learning opportunities that would be missed. First, she would miss the opportunity to learn from failure. Second, she would miss the opportunity to grow in the struggle. Both of those are necessary in her development if she is going to learn to thrive and succeed well.

The same two things are true for anyone in any kind of work or endeavor, and therefore, they need to help frame the way you view these circumstances:

  1. Failure is necessary for learning. When we make it unsafe to fail, people. (and kids) don’t learn from their failures, they don’t gain an understanding of facing and navigating risk, and their ability to handle failure and loss diminishes. If failure is avoided enough times, then any potential obstacle will lead to quitting or defeat.
  2. Struggle is necessary for growth. Just like exercising your body or exercising your brain, struggle is required in order to make progress. But struggle doesn’t happen when the task is easy and you don’t have to work at it. That means that initially it’s going to take longer and not be done as well, but as strength and skill increase, so does the outcome.

Having spent over 30 years in education, too often I have seen parents rescue their children from academic or social failure, and what those children learn is that they will never have to experience failure because someone will rescue them. But then the day comes when they do experience failure for the first time, no one is there to rescue them, and they are not equipped to handle it. They would’ve been much better prepared for navigating life successfully if they had been allowed to struggle and fail and experience the frustration and consequences of those things in order to grow and learn.

That’s the lesson on leadership from this little thing in life, from my granddaughter forcefully insisting that she needs to try to do something by herself without any help. People need to experience failure so that they can learn from it, and they need to experience struggle so they can grow. Therefore, even if you could do it better, sometimes it is better to let someone else do it, knowing that it will make a mess. Be willing to do that. They will learn, they will grow, and you will both be better served in the long run.

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Jesus Rose for You

There are two sides to the coin of the work of Jesus Christ on the cross at Calvary. One side is the price that He paid by His death as a perfect, sinless man, which was the sufficient price to pay the penalty for the sins of mankind. That’s why last week I made he point that Jesus died for you. The other side of that coin, however, is the victory that was achieved when the perfect man who was also fully God rose from the grave victorious over sin and death. That’s why I can also so that Jesus rose for you.

Jesus died for you and me because we were not able to pay the penalty that was necessary for our own sin, which also meant that we would be forever separated from God because of our sin. But thankfully, and graciously, God provided the substitution for us through his son Jesus Christ, who sacrificed his life on Good Friday but then rose from the dead on Easter Sunday. And that, my friends, is what we really celebrate! Jesus died for you to pay your penalty, but he rose for you to make it eternal. And because Jesus died and rose again, the Bible tells us that all we have to do is place our faith in the work of Jesus Christ on the cross to receive salvation, and the assurance that we will spend our eternity in heaven with God.

Jesus died for you to pay for your sin, and then He rose for you so that you could be reconciled to God. If you have never placed your faith in Jesus, accepting His payment for your son, I would encourage you during this Easter time to make that decision. Jesus died for you. Jesus rose for you. All that is required of you is to believe.

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Jesus Died for You

Easter is almost here. You can tell because the seasonal aisle at the store is full of plastic eggs, Easter baskets and candy, chocolate bunnies, stuffed bunnies, and all the things that tell you that the important holiday that celebrates the Easter Bunny bringing candy-filled plastic eggs and pastel-colored hard-boiled eggs has arrived. But is that what really makes this day significant? Sure, it’s fun to decorate the eggs and give Easter baskets to kids, but is there a deeper purpose for Easter?

You probably already know the answer to that. Beyond the Easter eggs and chocolate bunnies, the true focus of this day is Jesus. Specifically, it is something that Jesus did. Even more specifically, it is something that Jesus did for you. What exactly is it that He did? He died for you!

Easter is really about that. It’s about “celebrating” the death and resurrection of Jesus. (Next week, I want to focus on the significance of His resurrection, but this week I am focusing on the significance of His death.) Now, I use that word “celebrate” carefully, because it is not a celebration of the beating, torture, and death of someone who was viewed as antagonistic to societal and cultural norms. Rather, it is a celebration of what that death accomplished.

You see, Jesus – the Son of God and one of the persons in the Holy Trinity, and therefore fully divine – took on human form, born as a baby in a manger in Bethlehem, and lived about 33 years as a human being, a living person like you and me. However, because of His divinity, He was able to live sinlessly even though He faced temptations just as we do. Because He lived a sinless life, He was, therefore, qualified to pay the penalty that our sin deserved, that we are unable to pay. The result was that the crucifixion of this perfect person satisfied the debt we owe, enabling you and me to be reconciled to God.

Our sin separates us from God, because God is perfect and we are not, so our sin disqualifies us from spending eternity with God in heaven. Our imperfection means we cannot go to a perfect heaven to dwell in the presence of a Holy God without something being done to resolve that issue. (My dad once said, if you find a perfect church, don’t join it because you’ll mess it up.) The wonderful thing is that something was done. Jesus, perfect Jesus, died on the cross to be the sacrifice that pays for all of our sin. His death paid for our sin, so that God would se.e us through His substitutionary act, seeing us as perfect through Jesus so that eternity with God became possible. To say it simply, Jesus died for you so that you could live with God.

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Quote Your Dad

“It’s right to do right because it’s right.”

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Podcast Season 3, Episode 36: Lessons on Leadership from the Little Things in Life: Sometimes You Can’t See the Stars, But That Doesn’t Mean They’re Not There

Life is full of examples that teach us lessons. That’s why stories and illustrations make learning so much more effective. When a story can be used to illustrate or demonstrate a valuable lesson, the story makes it much more understandable, relatable, and memorable. With that in mind, I want to take some time to do just that – share examples of circumstances and stories experienced in everyday life which illustrate leadership lessons that we can learn and apply. This is one of those examples, and it reminds us that you don’t always see the significance of your impact.

Here is the link to the podcast.

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Lessons on Leadership from the Little Things in Life: Sometimes You Can’t See the Stars, But That Doesn’t Mean They’re Not There

Life is full of examples that teach us lessons. That’s why stories and illustrations make learning so much more effective. When a story can be used to illustrate or demonstrate a valuable lesson, the story makes it much more understandable, relatable, and memorable. With that in mind, I want to take some time to do just that – share examples of circumstances and stories experienced in everyday life which illustrate leadership lessons that we can learn and apply. This is one of those examples, and it reminds us that you don’t always see the significance of your impact.

One of the items on my wife’s bucket list was to see the stars. I don’t mean the stars that you see when you step outside on your back patio and look up at the sky, maybe see the Big Dipper, the North Star, and a few of the other stars in the sky. What I mean is that she wanted to go someplace where you could stand outside at night where there are no other lights, and look up and see hundreds of thousands of stars all across the expanse of the sky. One of the places that we knew was known for that was Big Bend National Park in West Texas, so I was thrilled when we were recently able to take a trip there, so that she would have an opportunity to see the night sky (“The stars at night are big and bright, . . . deep in the heart of Texas!”).

The first two nights that we were there, we couldn’t see anything. The skies were cloudy and overcast both day and night, and as much as we wanted to see the stars, cloud cover kept it from happening. But then the third afternoon, the weather cleared and the clouds moved on. We waited until well after dark, then went outside into the dark night, looked up at the sky, and stared in awe. The expanse of stars across the heavens was absolutely incredible! We could see constellations, planets, and known stars (yes, I was using an app on my phone to help me identify those things), as well as tens of thousands of other dots of light in the sky. Amazingly, we could see the Milky Way. We couldn’t begin to capture the majesty of it in pictures, even though we tried.

One of the things that I realized, besides the awesome magnificence of the Creator of the heavens and earth, was that those same stars had been there the previous two nights; I just had not been able to see them. But just because I couldn’t see them didn’t mean that they were not there. Once the clouds had cleared, I was finally able to see what had been there all along. And that same idea is true of the work you do. You don’t always see the outcome or the impact of what you are doing, but that doesn’t mean something isn’t happening

I can clearly remember the day I received a particular phone call. I was walking my dog outside, and my cell phone rang with a number that I did not recognize, so I answered it (which I don’t normally do). When I said hello, the voice on the other end identified himself as a student I had taught 15 years earlier. He proceeded to recount for me an experience in my class that later led to a conversation I had with him, which he said had changed the trajectory of his life. We had a great conversation, and in the process, I learned that I had made an impact years earlier that I did not even know I had made.

I share this just to be an encouragement to you. If the work that you are doing is the calling that God has placed on your life, and it is work that you are doing to serve others and honor God, and if you are doing it well, you are making an impact. You may not see it in the moment. In fact, you might not see it until years down the road, if at all. I hope that somewhere, sometime, someone lets you know about the impact you have had, just like that student did in his phone call to me, but even if they don’t, that doesn’t mean it hasn’t happened.

That’s the lesson on leadership from this little thing in life, from seeing the stars come out from behind the clouds. Your life and your leadership are making a difference. You are having an influence on others. Right now, you may not know the difference you are making, but like the stars behind the clouds, just because you haven’t seen it doesn’t mean it’s not there.

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