I’ve been putting cream in my coffee for as long as I can remember, and the bulk of that cream comes from little containers like this one. But it wasn’t until just a few weeks ago that I saw the fine print on top: “shake well”.

Really? You’re supposed to shake these things?

Guess what I do now? Yep, I shake them…well…every time. It’s now in my file of “Life’s Little Instructions”. It’s more of a quirk than an attribute, but that’s how I roll.

I’m not perfect, of course. Don’t really try to be, because I realize how futile an effort that is. But, I do try hard to take to heart what Dr. Henry Cloud put into words last week at the Global Leadership Summit. Both biblically and psychologically (research) speaking, there is a stark difference between the “wise” and the “foolish” in this world. It’s all in how we receive and respond to instruction, correction, and even our more harsh critics.

A wise person welcomes input – they see the light (of truth) and adjust themselves accordingly. They remain calm and grow in maturity.

A foolish person rejects input – they see the light (of truth) and seek to adjust the light. They respond defiantly without acknowledging their own need to change.

These are the extremes, and we all fall somewhere in the spectrum. Personally, it is my hope and prayer that my heart & mind lean toward the wise.

How about you? Are you able to “shake well”?

A couple months ago one of my staff members came to me with the big news – she was leaving to become a full-time mommy. Awesome…

On the one hand, I couldn’t have been more happy for her! There is no higher calling, IMHO.

But on the practical other hand, ARGHHH! Not cool! Not only did that throw a proverbial wrench into the fledgling development of our new Campus, but it also interrupted a strong and growing work relationship.

So, like any good boss, I played it off a bit. I acknowledged the fact, communicated it as needed, and pursued her replacement. All the while I kept telling people, “I’ll save the mushy stuff for later…” Well, ‘later’ has come. This is our first week w/out Marie at the helm of our Children’s Ministry, and it’s time to give her a little public praise.

For the task that was at hand – starting a new multi-site campus in an environment that had to date not done such a thing – Marie was an absolute perfect fit. I could not have asked for more.

Marie is one of those people that make you question the face value of their resume – almost too good to be true. Then she backed it up by bringing her A-Game to the table. She worked hard to integrate existing structure with future design, involved new faces & veterans, implemented key processes, and gracefully navigated the tensions natural in being “the newbie” on staff. She brought experience, relational insight, humility, and fortitude into tough conversations. She brought a much needed fresh perspective and always had an encouraging word. I am extremely grateful for her service.

I certainly don’t mean to set a precedent, cuz I probably won’t do a blog post every time I lose an employee. But, it’s really hard to not gush about Marie. For the time and place, she was pretty special, and I thought that deserved at least a few words of public thanks.

We’re both ready now to move into the next phase – Marie & Nathan are hard at work planning for their new bundle of joy to arrive, we’ve hired a great new Children’s Ministry Director in Rachel, and our East Campus staff is looking forward to an amazing future.

Especially now that “the mushy stuff” is behind me…

Rick Warren recently tweeted why he doesn’t blog. He said, “…it tempts you to think everything you say is important.” (This coming from a best-selling author of books and a mammoth twitter user, but that’s a different point altogether.)

To me, blogging (and twitter/facebook) isn’t about the importance of my words, it’s primarily about putting myself “out there”. Putting my thoughts in writing helps me to 1) think through them more thoroughly, 2) test them in the waters of the larger opinion pool of my peers, and 3) be a little bit more transparent about who I really am.

So, what I say online may or may not be important to you – that’s for you to judge. But, it’s important to me. That’s why I share it. It tests my faith and confidence in my personal train of thought.

It also challenges me like few other things do. To say something half-way worthwhile, one must gain both knowledge and perspective on a meaningful matter. And that, my friend, takes great time and effort.

How about you? Are you willing to put yourself “out there”? What are you doing to test yourself, to challenge your own status quo? What moves are you making to step up your game of life? And, how are you sharing those insights for the benefit of others?

Today’s social media options are great ways to do just that. But in doing so, I would encourage you to check your motives just a little bit. It’s not about how important your words are to others. It’s more about the process that takes you to the point that you have words to share.

Get in that process. Join your own personal revolution. Then be willing to say something worth saying.

There is a burden on my shoulders today.

Really, it’s there every day. But some days it feels heavier than others. And the real kicker is…I signed up for it. Every day I get in line, take a number, and ask for it – again. “Yes, sir! Thank you, sir! Can I have another, sir?!?”

Make no mistake: Leadership is a tough business. It is a weighty matter – yes, a burden – for those that would choose it. It doesn’t matter if you’re leading a t-ball team, a family, a major corporation, or even yourself; it comes complete with headaches, stomachaches, frustrations, insecurities…I could go on.

Don’t get me wrong – there are many great joys that go along with it as well. It’s just that – most days – the positive list tends to be much shorter than the negative one. This being the case, why do we do it? Why should we do it? Why would anyone sign up for it?

For starters – without leadership, nothing would get done. Absolutely nothing. Not even the laundry.

You see, leaders across all spectrums are initiators. They see something that needs to be done. They believe in that something with enough passion to overcome Inertia and make it happen.

The daily problem, the burden if you will, is that Inertia is a stalwart opponent. She believes strongly in the status quo. “Nothing could be finer than to be in Carolina” is a call to our natural desire for the good old days – our comfort zone where everything is better because it never changes.

But, as any leader will likely tell you, that’s a huge myth – a lie. Things will always change. One of the great things about leadership is that it offers us a strong say in the general direction of that inevitable change.

So join me, would you? Get in line, take a number, and volunteer to be a leader every day of your life. Without you, and me, and many, many other people willing to challenge Inertia face-to-face, we’ll get nowhere.

And nowhere is not all it’s cracked up to be.