Quote: “The person who does not read good books has no advantage over the person who cannot read them!” – Mark Twain

As a young leader growing in the field of financial management, I thought I was doing well with an MBA, a Finance degree, and a CPA…that is…until I was given a real leadership responsibility for a team of people and quickly realized that I needed to learn some things about leading people.  In all of my formal college education and training, I learned a lot about financial management, but unfortunately, as a new leader of people, I learned that my education was significantly lacking in the practical areas of leadership. So I went on a personal quest to learn how to become a great leader and discovered that a wonderful leadership education was available to me by simply reading books written by great leaders.  Furthermore, because I learned from Stephen Covey that a person learns 95 percent of what they teach, I also began a leadership development book club called The Make It Happen Leadership Development College to begin to help teach other leaders how to become great leaders as well. With my little after-hours leadership development book club and the simple concept that “leaders are readers”, my team leaders and I began to grow each month as servant leaders of an extraordinary team of “Make It Happen” people. And the best part is: I believe that you and your team leaders can do the same thing if you carefully choose great leadership books and read them together!

Now that I am a pastor and a faith-based writer of leadership development books, I also believe that the words we read as leaders have a powerful influence on the direction and outcome of our personal and professional lives. In fact, the Bible says in Psalms 119:105 that “Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path” which clearly indicates that God’s word can and will direct our lives if we choose to read His word.  Furthermore, if the words of God can direct our lives when we read it, other words we read can also influence our lives as we allow those words to have access into our mind and our thought patterns. 

To fully understand how powerful the words we read can be in our lives, it is essential for people to understand the Life Cycle Of Words. Further explained:

• Words create Thoughts
• Thoughts produce Feelings.
• Feelings inspire Choices.
• Choices generate Actions
• Actions determine Habits
• Habits develop Character
• Character fulfills Destiny
• Destiny breeds Legacy

And legacy is the life you leave behind when you are no longer alive on earth.  Simply put, the Life Cycle Of Words demonstrates that the power of life, destiny, and legacy is actually in the power of the words we read, think, write, and speak on a daily basis. Wow! With a spirit of wisdom and commitment, may you and I become outstanding leaders whom leave a powerful lasting legacy by carefully choosing the words we read, think, write, and speak each day.

The Make It Happen Training And Development Value: “Make It Happen” People Invest And Participate In Training And Development!

Have a blessed “Make It Happen” day!

The Make It Happen Moment ® Leaders Are Readers Copyright 2012, The Make It Happen Learning Institute.  You have permission to reprint The Make It Happen Moment ® Leaders Are Readers, in its entirety only, and forward to your colleagues and friends, provided the copyright notice remains part of the reprint and transmission.  All other rights reserved.

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Wooden Cross

“Good morning, son!  I am so glad you will be home.  I have some orders to finish up and was wondering if you could help me today.”

“Yes Papa.  I can give you a hand.  What would you like me to do?”

“See those large logs over there in the corner of the shop?  We need to square them off into wooden beams.”

The small woodworking shop is a family owned business with many customers in the city of Jerusalem.  Tables, chairs, doors, cabinets, desks, and furniture are normal everyday customer orders.  But this week’s special order includes the making of large wooden beams for the Roman government.

With hammer and chisel in hand, the carpenter’s son begins to chip away at the logs as requested by his father. 

Clang.  Clang.  Clang.  As he goes to work on the logs in his hands, he contemplates this tree of life planted in love by his father thirty-three years ago.

Growing up in a place known for religion,

A harvest of wheat is worth more than a smidgeon.  

An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth,

Can something be done to make such a penalty moot? 

Strong and sturdy, full of life and shade,

This tree was cut down so that debts can be paid.

Providing shelter for many from the storms of life,

So much can be done for those living in strife. 

Doing everything in their own power and might,

Why do so many work and work blinded in their sight?

Gentle and humble living day after day,

This tree has grown up just to give its life away.

“How’s it coming son?  Are you ready for a break?  Your mother has cooked some lunch.”

“Ok, Papa.  I’ll be right there.”

After having lunch with his Papa, the carpenter’s son gets back to work.

Clang. Clang. Clang.   He reflects again on the life of this tree being sculpted by his hands. 

Laughing and giggling, climbing up in its branches,

Innocent children find a tree of adventure and plenty romances. 

Adults searching for answers and a life full of meaning,

Find a tree that can be trusted is a tree that isn’t leaning.

Old or young, bald or grey,

This tree embraces all and never turns away.

A subtle breeze blowing through its leaves forecast a change in season.

Although the wind cannot be seen, this tree and its branches sway for a reason.

Perched high up in a nest, rising early in the morning,

Can you hear the gentle dove announce the sun as it is dawning? 

Swinging on a swing and life twirling all around,

This tree is always safe because its roots grow deep into the ground.

“Son, how’s it coming in there?  Are you finished yet?  We don’t want to keep the government waiting!” 

“Yes Papa.  I AM finished. The cross beams are prepared.”

The special order is delivered to Pontius Pilate in time for Passover.

Clang. Clang. Clang.   “In My Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.” John 14:2 NKJV

Planted In Love Poetic Devotional Copyright 2009, Gary J. Borgstede.  You have permission to reprint the Planted In Love Poetic Devotional, in its entirety only, and forward to your colleagues and friends, provided the copyright notice remains part of the reprint and transmission.  All other rights reserved. www.makeithappenbooks.com

Isaiah 45:3 “I will give you the treasures of darkness And hidden riches of secret places, That you may know that I, the Lord, Who call you by your name, Am the God of Israel.”

Observation

In this verse, the prophet Isaiah declares that the Lord will give to His anointed leader called by name and whose right hand He holds, the treasures of darkness and hidden riches of secret places so that the anointed leader will know the Lord as the One and Only True Living God of Israel.  Even in dark secret places, the Lord still reigns because He has created the darkness and He knows every secret place. Furthermore, the Lord has special treasures in darkness and hidden riches in secret places, which He will give to His anointed leaders when they go through the dark secret places of life where no one can find them but the Lord.

Application

There are times in my life when I may feel like I am all alone in a dark place that no one knows but me; however, it is in those times of seemingly dark isolation when I discover that the Lord is right there with me as a glorious light in the midst of the darkness. As a child of God called by His name, no matter how isolated or dark a place may seem in my life, the simple truth is that I am never alone and there is never a place too dark for God because Psalms 139:7-12 states, “Where can I go from Your Spirit? Or where can I flee from Your presence? If I ascend into heaven, You are there; If I make my bed in hell, behold, You are there. If I take the wings of the morning, And dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, Even there Your hand shall lead me, And Your right hand shall hold me. If I say, ‘Surely the darkness shall fall on me,’ Even the night shall be light about me; Indeed, the darkness shall not hide from You, But the night shines as the day; The darkness and the light are both alike to You.” When the Lord holds my hand and leads me through the darkest places of my life, He gives me treasure and riches that I could not have received any other way because the Lord is good, He is faithful, and His Word is true, even in the darkest places of my life.

Prayer

Heavenly Father, I praise You for You are El Elyon, God Most High, Creator Of Heaven And Earth!  Thank You Lord for Your faithfulness to fulfill the entirety of Your Word throughout my entire life by remaining faithful to complete the good work that You began in me 20 years ago. Knowing that You will never leave me or forsake me, even in the darkest places of my life, is a treasure of darkness that I will forever behold in worshipful gratitude to You, my Creator, Savior, Redeemer, Lord, and Forever Faithful Friend! I love You Jesus! Amen!

Treasures Of Darkness Copyright 2011, Gary J. Borgstede.  You have permission to reprint the personal devotion, Treasures Of Darkness, in its entirety only, and forward to your colleagues and friends, provided the copyright notice remains part of the reprint and transmission.  All other rights reserved.

Related articles

• Treasures of the Darkness (stocktonbiblechapel.wordpress.com)
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Spring Time Azaleas

Quote: “Giving thanks and remembering what we have to be thankful for gives us hope for today and for our future!” – Jeff and Michelle Niederstadt

As spring approached, it was time for me to mow the lawn for the first time since the dead of winter.  Pollen was all around as the trees began to awaken from their slumber and the spring flowers began to bud with colorful exuberance.  However, my azalea flower bed was overrun with rogue vines growing over the top of the bushes choking the brand new budding azalea flowers.  As I was pulling the weeds away to free the new azalea blooms, I couldn’t help to think about how the devil tries to do the same thing to us just when God is about to birth something brand new in our lives.  That’s because the Bible says in John 10:10 that the devil comes to steal, kill, and destroy, but the Lord has come to give us life and life more abundantly.  Unfortunately, if we allow the devil to have his unauthorized way in our thoughts and minds, he will definitely choke the abundant life that the Lord has come to give us, just like those rogue vines in the garden at spring time.

So then how can we effectively stop the devil in his tracks on his mission to steal, kill, and destroy the abundant life that Christ paid so much to freely give us? Well, I believe one of the best ways we can do this is to pray to the Lord with a grateful heart for all that God has done for us regardless of the fiery darts of the devil intended to discourage and disappoint us in life.  Philippians 4:6-7 states, “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.”   You see, when we cast our cares upon the Lord, with thanksgiving in our hearts, and having faith that He hears our prayers, He begins to weed out the life-choking rogue vines encroaching upon our lives by the devil so that God’s peace may fully blossom in our hearts and minds regardless of our situation.

Therefore, the best weed-eater we have in our tool shed to weed whack the devil over the head is the weed-eater of an effective prayer life fueled by an abundantly grateful heart dependent upon the unsurpassing peace of Almighty God.  James 5:16 states, “The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much” and 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 tells us to, “Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” So according to the Bible, it is God’s will for us that we should pray with fervency and always give thanks to Him.  As we do, we can rest assured that God’s good plan and blessing for our lives will burst forth like the abundantly beautiful azalea blooms in spring time as a testimony to the Lord’s glory, goodness, and faithfulness.  Through fervent prayer and a thankful heart, the peace of Jehovah Shalom, the Lord our Peace, will rule and reign in our hearts and minds as all of our hopes and dreams in Him eventually germinate, blossom, and come fully alive at His perfect right time!

The Make It Happen People Value: “Make It Happen” People Possess A Positive Attitude!

Have a blessed “Make It Happen” day!

Edited by The Make It Happen Moment ® Editorial Team

The Make It Happen Moment ® Grateful Copyright 2010, The Make It Happen Learning Institute.  You have permission to reprint The Make It Happen Moment ® Grateful, in its entirety only, and forward to your colleagues and friends, provided the copyright notice remains part of the reprint and transmission.  All other rights reserved.

My 88 year-old living grandfather, Gasper P. LaCiura, wrote and self-published a book at age 78 titled, Love & Roses. I’ve titled this post with the same basic title as a showing of my love and respect for him as his grateful first-born grandson. With his permission, I share my personal letter to honor him below.

______________________________________________________________________________

On this Christmas eve in 2007, I am writing this letter, Pa Pa, to honor you and tell you how much I love you for being the best grandfather a young boy, and now a grown man, could ever have.

I want to thank you for letting me experience the thrill of driving your boat as a young lad and teaching me that life is a daring adventure to be enjoyed with those you love.

Thank you for the many opening days of shrimp season when you, my dad, and I would diligently prepare for and excitedly anticipate the blessing of a bountiful first drag of the net. Whether we caught the “mother lode” or we forgot to “tie the pocket”, I learned through these shared outdoor experiences how to appreciate the good things of real life and real family.  

Thank you for the many summer weeks and long week-ends at the camp where I learned how to enjoy and discover the simple things of a “Tom Sawyer” life on the bayou. Shooting snakes, catching garfish, and frying fresh catfish for dinner are the boyhood memories that influenced me to stay near to home as a man and offer my children the opportunity for similar storybook adventures in the sportsman paradise of Southeast Louisiana. 

Thank you for giving me my very first car – a classic 1966 mustang – for the price of $1,200, teaching me that nothing in life is free and anything worth having is worth the hard work to achieve it. 

And most importantly, thank you for always being there for me to listen to my dreams, encourage my pursuit of them, and inspire my belief that nothing would be impossible for me with a little bit of faith, hope, and love.

Now that I am a grown man, blessed by God with a family of my own, doing my best to fulfill my commitments and fully live life with convictions of truth and principle in my heart, the time for me to tell you how much you mean to me must not continue to slip away any longer.  Therefore, without any further delay and believing in the principle that “the pen is mightier than the sword” which you taught me, I write this heartfelt letter to honor you. 

While I may not be able to see you or talk with you as often as I’d like, I want you to know that in all my successes and even my failures, nothing means more to me than the gift of your life, love, and laughter that you shared with me throughout your life, helping me become the man of purpose and conviction that I am today.  In the same way that Pa Pa Tony taught you that “your word is your bond”, many of the life principles that you have taught me are as timeless and priceless as the railroad watch you have saved for me to pass on to my first-born son as a timeless family legacy.

In closing, my sincere prayer for you, Pa Pa, as you reflect upon your prosperous and blessed life, is that your personal relationship with our heavenly Father, Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, will grow ever more closely and intimately as each day passes just as I love and know you as the best grandfather a boy and a man could ever have in a lifetime! I love you Pa Pa!

Your grateful grandson,

Gary B.

Merry Christmas and many more Happy New Years!

Love And Roses – A Time Honored Letter To My Grandfather Copyright 2007, Gary J. Borgstede.  You have permission to reprint this personal family letter, in its entirety only, and forward to your colleagues and friends, provided the copyright notice remains part of the reprint and transmission.  All other rights reserved.

Hebrews 5:8-9 “Though He [Jesus] was a Son, yet He learned obedience by the things which He suffered.”

Observation

In this verse, the writer of Hebrews makes the profound statement that our Lord Jesus “learned obedience by the things He suffered.”  While it is a little difficult to comprehend that the Lord of lords and King of kings had to learn obedience by the things He suffered, I take great comfort in knowing that even the Lord had to learn obedience by submitting his human flesh to the ultimate will of God for His life.   As a result, I should not be surprised that I must also learn obedience by the things I suffer as a human being through the submission of my flesh to the ultimate will of God for my life. 

Application

Because the Lord was victorious in learning obedience through the things He suffered, being both fully God and fully human, I too can be victorious in learning obedience by the things I suffer as a believer because Christ lives in me and gives me the strength and grace to learn obedience through my sufferings as a human being filled with His Holy Spirit.

Prayer

Heavenly Father, I praise You for You are Jehovah Tsidkenu, the Lord my Righteousness!  Thank You for giving me the strength and grace to learn obedience by the things I suffer in the flesh as I submit my flesh to Your ultimate will for my life. Through Your glorious victory over sin and death through the things You suffered at the Cross, in Christ, I am more than a conqueror also by learning obedience through the things I suffer too. I love You Jesus! Amen!

Learned Obedience Copyright 2011, Gary J. Borgstede.  You have permission to reprint the personal devotion, Learned Obedience, in its entirety only, and forward to your colleagues and friends, provided the copyright notice remains part of the reprint and transmission.  All other rights reserved.

Quote: “Every path has a destination. Direction – not intention - determines destination!” – Andy Stanley

While on a mission trip to the Native American Indian islands of Alaska, I had the opportunity to go salmon fishing with Mr. Casey, one of the elders of the local church in Metlakatla.  It was after our work was completed one afternoon that Mr. Casey offered to take me and a friend fishing with him before nightfall.  So the three of us climbed into a 16-foot skiff and headed to another island to fish along its shores in the Pacific Ocean.  Unfortunately though, while we were trolling for salmon along the island shore, a murky ocean fog began to roll in toward us. Worried about the fog impairing our ability to get back home safely, I respectfully assured Mr. Casey that it was ok for us to abandon our fishing expedition and head back home; however, Mr. Casey didn’t think much of the fog as it totally besieged us. Needless to say, I was not at all comfortable with the fog surrounding us, especially when I found out that we had no compass on board.  Furthermore, with a smile on his face, Mr. Casey said that we had no need to worry because he often spent a night on the island when this happened and it wasn’t too bad as long as the night temperature stayed above freezing and the bears stayed away.  With a courteous nod, I chuckled at Mr. Casey’s Alaskan humor and then began to seriously pray for our lives…

Once we caught enough fish, Mr. Casey decided that it was time for us to head back home across the open waters in the dense fog. And as you might imagine – without a compass - I was certain that we were destined for a Gilligan’s Island experience becoming totally lost in the middle of the Pacific Ocean in a 16-foot skiff on the longest boat ride of my life. But somehow, Mr. Casey, a lifetime experienced Native American Indian fisherman, navigated our little skiff back into the safe harbor of Metlakatla despite the endangering fog that seriously impaired our ability to see.  Maybe it was the direction of the wind or the direction of the currents or the fact that Mr. Casey had traveled that path so many times he could do it with his eyes closed – I don’t really know – but what I do know is that Mr. Casey followed the right path and it brought us home safely.  Once we arrived at his home on the island, Mr. Casey told his wife the story about the fog and my worry about sleeping on the island. Laughing together with everyone on our team, Mr. Casey’s wife affectionately labeled me an official “Greenhorn”. 

I share this true story because sometimes we may find ourselves lost in the fog of life, not knowing which direction we should take to get to where we want to be; however, if we allow the Word of God to be a light unto our path and a lamp unto our feet as the Bible declares in Psalm 119:105, we will have no need to worry about our path.  In fact, Proverbs 3:6 states, “In all your ways acknowledge Him [Jehovah Rohi, the Lord my Shepherd] and He will direct your paths.” By the truth of God’s Word and the power of His Holy Spirit, we have a built-in compass leading and directing our steps even when the fog of life may seem so thick that all we can do is walk by faith and not by sight. Therefore, with a spirit of faith and humility, fear not when life is a challenge to navigate because the Bible promises in Psalm 37:23 that “The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord, and He delights in his way.”

The Make It Happen Professionalism Value: “Make It Happen” People Are Professionals!

Have a blessed “Make It Happen” day!

Edited by The Make It Happen Moment ® Editorial Team

The Make It Happen Moment ® Divine Direction Copyright 2010, The Make It Happen Learning Institute.  You have permission to reprint The Make It Happen Moment ® Divine Direction, in its entirety only, and forward to your colleagues and friends, provided the copyright notice remains part of the reprint and transmission.  All other rights reserved.

1 Timothy 6:17-19 “Command those who are rich in this present age not to be haughty, nor to trust in uncertain riches but in the living God, who gives us richly all things to enjoy. Let them do good, that they be rich in good works, ready to give, willing to share,  storing up for themselves a good foundation for the time to come, that they may lay hold on eternal life.”

Observation

In these passages of Scripture, the apostle Paul is teaching Timothy how to effectively disciple and coach people of influence and affluence in his community. His encouragement and admonition to the wealthy is to place their trust in the Giver of the wealth and not the wealth itself. Additionally, he emphasizes that God gives us all things richly so that we can enjoy life as a real life blessing by doing good to others, being rich in good works of the kingdom, and generously sharing the blessings of abundant life with others.

Application

As the Lord opens doors of abundant blessing for me and my family that no man can close, I must recognize that the Lord gives me all things richly to enjoy, but never to worship, and that He blesses me abundantly so that I may be an abundant blessing to others. 

Prayer

Heavenly Father, I praise You for You are Jehovah Jireh, the Lord my Provider!  Thank You for supplying all of my need according to your riches in glory by Christ Jesus and for giving me life and life more abundantly to richly enjoy with others.  As a child of the Most High God, thank You for the blessing of Abraham upon my life and my family so that in Your blessing, we are blessed to be a blessing in Your kingdom! I love You Jesus! Amen!

All Things Richly Copyright 2011, Gary J. Borgstede.  You have permission to reprint the personal devotion, All Things Richly, in its entirety only, and forward to your colleagues and friends, provided the copyright notice remains part of the reprint and transmission.  All other rights reserved.

Have you ever wondered about the strength and magnitude of a powerful rising tide that indiscriminately raises all ships?  Think about it for a moment.  No matter what, when a tide rises, it raises all floating ships.  There is no escaping a rising tide; therefore, the only thing a ship can do is rise with the tide as it rolls in.

I believe that a rising tide that raises all ships is like people who possess an abundance mentality and seek to win in life by helping other people win in life.  Through the indiscriminate use of their extraordinary God-given talent and potential, abundant thinking people understand the principle of sowing and reaping and realize that as they work to help other people win, they too will win.  In other words, if they help raise the success tide for other people, professionally and personally, the principle of sowing and reaping will raise the success tide for them as well.  The supernatural kingdom effect of abundance thinking inspired by the infinite goodness and mercy of God is as real and powerful as a natural rising tide. 

So then why don’t people naturally embrace an abundance mentality that helps other people win in life?  I believe it is because people have lost a primal wonder of how abundantly great and good God’s nature is in our own lives and have replaced it with a misdirected primal self-reliance on our human nature which is mostly scarce and competitive in an unredeemed state.  In fact, our society emphasizes and reinforces competitive behaviors from very early in life where we are taught that to win, someone else must lose.  As a result, we are effectively programmed to think that helping others will cause us to lose what is actually not even ours in the first place.  When we do this, we believe there isn’t enough of God’s goodness to go around for everyone; but, this is simply not true because Psalms 23:6 states, “Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life.”  Therefore, if you don’t possess such a primal abundance mentality inspired by God, you may think that the only way you can become successful in life is if other people fail in life.  Then, selfish human nature will likely cause you to work against the tide by trying to sink other people’s ships rather than helping to sail their ships.  Unfortunately, this will wear you out and actually work against you in the end.

Thomas Edison believed that there is actually more opportunity than there are people to see it; therefore, instead of draining your energy working against people, start thinking like Thomas Edison and begin sharing your thoughts, time, power, influence, knowledge, praise, finances, love, respect, beliefs, authority, talents, strengths, and potential with other people to help them win in life.  When you give from an abundant heart grounded in the love of God, God will see that your generosity is returned back to you and so much more.  Your life success will actually grow as you help other people become successful in life, just like the rising tide that raises all ships.  With a spirit of faith and generosity, don’t be afraid of becoming a primal tide of God’s abundant goodness and mercy towards others, but rather abundantly celebrate God-given opportunities to help others rise in life and enjoy the primal tide of God’s abundant goodness and mercy in your life as well!

The Make It Happen Abundant Celebration Value: “Make It Happen” People Celebrate Accomplishments Abundantly!

Have a blessed “Make It Happen” day!

Edited by The Make It Happen Moment ® Editorial Team

The Make It Happen Moment ® Primal Tide Copyright 2010, The Make It Happen Learning Institute.  You have permission to reprint The Make It Happen Moment ® Primal Tide, in its entirety only, and forward to your colleagues and friends, provided the copyright notice remains part of the reprint and transmission.  All other rights reserved.

Related articles

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The content below is taken from the February 14^th Get Off Your Attitude Radio Show where Ryan Lowe and I discuss the faith-based leadership content of my two business leadership books: The Make It Happen Journey and Kings Come Forth. Besides reading the basic content of our discussion below, there is also a link to the actual podcast of the radio show at the end of this post.

 1.      As an executive business leader with more than 20 years of professional business leadership experience, a degree in Finance, a Masters in Business Administration, and a CPA, what caused you to make such a significant career transition from the business world into Christian ministry?

Well, after working for more than 16 years as a business executive at Ochsner, the place I was born and the place that helped cure my sister of cancer twice, it was a very difficult decision for me to choose to leave.  However, my wife and I really felt that the Lord was leading us in a new direction for our family and my life.  With that said, I guess it was sort of like when God called Abraham to leave the land of his family and move to a new land that God would show him.  Abraham had to trust God and leave the place of familiarity to move to a new place of faith in God.  It was the same with me, so I approached the President of Ochsner Health System and asked for the blessing to leave, even while Ochsner had been a wonderful place for me to work, learn, and grow as a business leader for so many years. With the President’s blessing to leave Ochsner, I took the huge step of faith trusting God to lead me on a new exciting faith adventure with Him. 

At that time, my church which is Church of the King in Mandeville, Louisiana was continuing to grow and needed some help with building the operational infrastructure to sustain the growth, so I joined the leadership team as a full-time volunteer for one year and then joined the paid staff as the CAO and an Associate Pastor at the end of that year. Now being on the staff for more than 2.5 years, it has been an awesome pleasure and privilege to be part of Senior Pastor Steve Robinson’s Lead Team and working with the tremendous leadership team at Church of the King to believe God and to make a big impact in His kingdom.  At Church of the King, we build people and with 4,000 to 5,000 people attending services each week at our 4 campus locations across the Gulf South region - Little Creek Campus in Mandeville, North Causeway Campus in Mandeville, Gulf Coast Campus in Biloxi, and our South Shore Campus in Metairie – we are making a significant difference reaching people with the love of God and building lives in our community.

2.      Besides being on the Lead Team at Church of the King in New Orleans, you are also the President and Founder of The Make It Happen Learning Institute. What is The Make It Happen Learning Institute and why did you create the organization?

The Make It Happen Learning Institute is a leadership development and professional coaching organization that I created in 2003 to help leaders in the marketplace to build organizations on faith-based leadership principles from the Word of God and help create cultures of empowerment that unleash people’s God-given potential to make a difference in life.  The vision of The Make It Happen Learning Institute is Reaching People, Unleashing The Extraordinary! ®.  Through the team values and the leadership principles that I teach as an executive leadership coach, I believe business leaders in the marketplace are effectively engaged, equipped, empowered, and encouraged to build their teams and their organizations to the glory of God and the benefit of others. 

Unfortunately, when I first became a leader, even though I had an MBA, a CPA, and a Bachelor’s degree in Finance, I quickly realized that I needed to learn some things about being a leader which I had not learned in college.  Therefore, I began to attend leadership conferences and also reading all kinds of leadership books to help me become an effective leader. Then I realized that even though learning about leadership was helpful in my personal leadership growth and development, it would be even more helpful to my team if I could help teach them the leadership principles that I was learning as a leader; therefore, I started a leadership development book club called The Make It Happen Leadership Development College to help the leaders on my team grow and develop as leaders also.  I called it The Make It Happen Leadership Development College because we were learning things from leadership books that were not taught in college.  From that little leadership development book club came the idea for the founding of The Make It Happen Learning Institute to not only help the leaders on my teams to  grow as leaders but to also help the leaders in other organizations to grow and develop as leaders as well.

3.      Tell me about your book The Make It Happen Journey.  What is the book about and what was your motivation for writing the book?

The Make It Happen Journey is my very first book that I wrote and it is about the journey I took with my team at Ochsner Health System to build an extraordinary team of make it happen people.  In fact, I had never really set out to be an author; however, as I was building my team on Make It Happen Team Values, I discovered, as Ken Blanchard would say, “values needed to be lived and not framed”, so I was constantly living, breathing, teaching, and modeling the values every day with my team and also teaching my leaders to do the same. Therefore, as a result of doing that for a few years, I thought that it would be helpful to actually write all of the values and leadership principles in a book so that my leaders could use it as a leadership tool and reference with their own teams.  So I started writing the book; however, after writing one chapter, I became discouraged and actually quit until sometime later when one of the leaders on my team began to encourage me to start again and finish it.  He was an entrepreneur who was writing and self-publishing medical coding books to help medical coders become certified professional medical coders and he believed that I could do the same with my book by writing it and self-publishing it.  So with his encouragement, I decided to get up early every morning to write the book and self-publish it.

Additionally, the Bible says that the two greatest commandments in the kingdom of God is to love the Lord with all your, heart, mind, soul and strength and to love your neighbor as yourself.  As servant leaders in the kingdom of God, I believe every leader has the spiritual leadership responsibility to do this with the help of God in their respective teams and businesses.  There are many examples of business leaders who are successfully building their organizations on the values and leadership principles of the Bible.  For example, Chick-Fila, Hobby Lobby, and Interstate Batteries are just a few of the many businesses that are building their organizations on biblical leadership principles and are thriving in the marketplace as a result.  The lie of the devil is that it can’t be done, but the truth is that it can be done and it can be done well!

4.      Of the nine team values that you write about in The Make It Happen Journey, describe which values you think have the biggest impact in building an extraordinary team?

Well, I believe that all of the Make It Happen Team Values are very important, however, before I share the importance of those values, I’d like to share how they came about.  At the time I was given leadership responsibility for my large division at Ochsner, it was no secret that we were having significant problems in performance.  In fact, prior to my leadership assignment for the division, our division had three different leaders in three short years, so the life cycle of the leader responsible for the division was not very good at all and I was seriously wondering if it would be any different for me.  With that as a reality, I knew that I had a major challenge on my hands and was majorly concerned about my ability to make the changes that needed to be made, until one evening when I heard a physician colleague share a personal story about his family’s vacation experience flying Southwest Airlines.

He said they were on their flight home from being out west when they landed in Dallas with a three to four-hour layover. However, as his family was waiting in the lobby, he noticed there was a plane at the gate headed for New Orleans, their final destination, and passengers were beginning to board right at that time. So, he went to the ticket counter and asked the agent if it would be possible for he and his family to get on that plane instead of waiting several hours for their flight. The ticket agent happily checked the system and found that there were, in fact, enough open seats on the plane for him and his family. However, she told him that, because the plane was leaving in just a few moments, there would be no way Southwest Airlines could retrieve their luggage in enough time to get it on the plane. My colleague considered this dilemma for a minute and then decided that they would prefer to fly home sooner than later, and that they would just have the luggage delivered to their home once it arrived. Therefore, he and his family immediately received their tickets and boarded the departing plane.

After he was seated on the plane, he peered out the window and, to his astonishment, he noticed that his luggage was sitting on a cart right outside the plane. Because of this, he hastily called over the flight attendant, who was wearing a “Can Do” pin, and asked her a simple question, “Is it true that you (Southwest) are really the ‘Can Do’ people? After she contemplated his question for a moment, she confidently answered, “Yes, why do you ask?” With that, he succinctly explained to her the situation regarding the connection his family was making and the fact that because of the lack of time, Southwest would not be able to get their luggage on the plane before the plane departed. He further mentioned that, as he sat there, he noticed his luggage just outside on a cart. With all that said, he then challenged the flight attendant by saying, “If you (Southwest) really are the ‘Can Do’ people, then it seems to me that you could find a way to get my luggage on this plane.” After listening attentively to his plea, the flight attendant politely responded to his challenge by saying, “I guess you’re right. Let me take you to the pilot so we can talk to him about this situation.” In the meantime, the door to the plane had just been closed.

Now, I’m not sure how widely known this is, but Southwest has one of the fastest turnaround times in the airline industry, for getting people on and off their planes an back in the air. The reason they do this is that everyone in the company knows the company makes money when planes are in the air, not when they are on the ground. As a result, they build all of their processes and structures to support a quick turnaround, hence their policy of no assigned or first class seats. So, with that in mind, I am sure you can imagine that at that moment just before the flight, the pilot, probably considered the most important person on the plane, was doing some pretty important things preparing the plane for a safe flight. I say that the pilot is probably considered the most important person on the plane because he or she is the person who has the lives of all the crew and passengers in his or her hands as they travel from one city to the next. If the pilot does his job well, everyone lives and gets to where they are going safe and sound. If he does not do his job well, there could be all sorts of problems. With that as a possibility, I guess you might agree that the pilot has a pretty important job. However, the flight attendant challenged by my colleague regarding their “Can Do” value did not hesitate for one moment to interrupt the pilot from what he was doing to prepare the plane for their safe flight. Of course, this was before 9/11, when access to the pilots and the cockpit was unrestricted.

When the pilot stopped what he was doing to hear the situation, he quickly responded by asking my colleague one question, “Do you have your baggage claim tickets?” With an affirmative answer, the pilot then asked him to give him the claim tickets. Once the tickets were handed over, the pilot then climbed out of his seat, walked to the door of the plane, opened it, whistled to a ground crew member, and shouted, “Hey, you over there, could you please grab this luggage and hand it to me?” The person on the ground quickly took the claim tickets, matched them to the proper luggage, and then swiftly handed it to the pilot so they could put it on the plane. As the pilot then closed the door, he turned to my former colleague, handed him his luggage, smiled, and simply declared, “You know, it’s fun to be that good!” Then he stepped back into the cockpit and safely flew their family and their luggage home to New Orleans.

When I heard him tell this story, it was like I was struck by lightning. I was left awestruck by his experience with that entire flight team at Southwest and I knew instantly that I needed to build my team with that same kind of “Can Do” spirit and teamwork if we were going to be able to turn things around for our team mates and customers. So I went back to my team, shared the Southwest “Can Do” story with them and asked them if they thought we could build the same kind of team. With their encouraging yes, I promised to do everything I could to serve them as their leader and help them make it happen in faith. I told them that we couldn’t be the “Can Do” people of Southwest, but from that day forward, we would be the “Make It Happen” people at Ochsner and I began to define our Make It Happen Team Values as a team which are fully described in The Make It Happen Journey to help other leaders do the same with their teams.

5.      Besides writing The Make It Happen Journey, you have also written a second book titled Kings Come Forth. Why did you choose such a title for your second book and what is the basic message of the book?

Yes, Kings Come Forth is an interesting title for my second book; however, I believe that it fully captures the essence of the message contained in the book. While The Make It Happen Journey is written in the make-it-happen language of business for any business leader in business whether they have faith in God or not – if businesses don’t make it happen in business, they go out of business – Kings Come Forth is written specifically to encourage, equip, engage, and empower men and women of faith in the kingdom of God (royalty) to rise up in their spiritual leadership responsibility in the marketplace as business leaders (modern-day kings and queens) and make a huge difference in our community for the glory of God and the benefit of others. In the Bible, there are three identified roles in the kingdom of God – Priest, Prophet, and King. In Kings Come Forth, business leaders in the marketplace will find the scriptural references and support for their spiritual leadership roles in the marketplace as kings in the kingdom of God.

Furthermore, as a complementary leadership resource, The Make It Happen Journey, can be used by any business leader – whether they have faith in God or not – to build a solid team that makes a significant difference in the community and the lives of people.  In Philippians 4:13, the Bible says, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” In the make-it-happen language of the marketplace, this means, “I can make it happen through Christ who gives me strength.” The Make It Happen Team Values in The Make It Happen Journey helps business leaders chart a course to build their businesses and their teams on the “can do” principles of the Word of God with excellence and wisdom. Because Joshua and Caleb possessed the “can do” Spirit of God, in faith they gave a good report of the Promised Land and declared in Numbers 13:30, “Let’s go up and take the land—now. We can do it” (The Message).

I believe that God has given the body of Christ the land of the business community, however, business leaders must believe like Joshua and Caleb that we can take the land and make it happen in Christ. Therefore, The Make It Happen Journey is written as a leadership tool to effectively equip business leaders with practical faith-based values that can create team cultures of excellence that benefit people in business, unleash people’s God-given potential to make a difference in life, and glorify God as the King of kings and Lord of lords.

6.      In Kings Come Forth, you describe two distinct leadership styles in the marketplace.  Which style do you think is the most prevalent style and why?

The distinction between a king that troubles or oppresses and a king that prevails with God is an important distinction because modern-day kings in the marketplace—business leaders—whether they know it or not, are leading with a prevalent tendency toward one or the other of these two distinctly different leadership expressions. The business leader who leads as a king that troubles or oppresses leads with a spirit of taskmaster and possesses defining taskmaster leadership character traits. And likewise, the business leader who leads as a king that prevails with God leads with a spirit of servant leadership and possesses defining servant leadership character traits.

Taskmaster leaders have leadership character traits such as:

• Internal motivation driven by power

• Ego-centric perspective focused on self

• Decisions grounded in fear and insecurity

• Tasks people without the proper tools and resources

• Takes from people more than gives to them

• Recognizes self accomplishments at the expense of others

• Tears people down physically, spiritually, and emotionally

The story of Pharaoh in the Bible provides a classic example of a leader with a spirit of taskmaster. In this taskmaster environment, the leader is the most important person on the team, the people are there to merely serve the boss, and the customers receive the lowest service priority. Unfortunately, such a leader today puts profit over people by tasking them with rigor, doubling the quota, and taking away the straw without any regard for their spiritual, emotional, and physical well-being.

On the other hand, servant Leaders have leadership character traits such as:

• Internal motivation driven by influence

• People-centric perspective focused on others

• Decisions grounded in faith and security

• Equips people with the proper tools and resources

• Gives to people more than takes from them

• Recognizes the accomplishments of others at the expense of self

• Builds people up physically, spiritually, and emotionally

The story of Nehemiah in the Bible provides a classic example of a leader with a spirit of servant leadership. In this servant leadership environment, the leader is the least important person on the team, the leaders are there to serve the people, and the customers receive the highest service priority. Such a leader today puts people over profit and serves people by giving them everything they need to win in life – personally and professionally – with the highest regard for their spiritual, emotional, and physical well-being. And as a result, the people serve their customers with the highest care and concern.

Unfortunately, when leaders in the marketplace today lead with a spirit of taskmaster, I think they just don’t know that they can lead differently and actually have the blessing and favor of God to  help them if they are willing to learn how  to lead with a spirit of servant leadership instead. The simple truth is that leaders who prevail with God and build their teams on biblical values and leadership principles will be blessed with the greatest talent on their teams and the highest performance because people want to be cared about and customers want too be served with excellence.

7.      Where can people purchase your books and how can they learn more about The Make It Happen Learning Institute?

The best way for people to learn more about The Make It Happen Learning Institute is to visit my faith-based leadership insights blog for marketplace leaders at www.makeithapppenmoment.com. On the blog, there is all kind of free leadership material and information that can help resource leaders to make a significant difference in the community by building their teams and organizations to the glory of God and the benefit of others.

To check out the podcast of the Get Off Your Attitude Radio Show hosted by Ryan Lowe where Ryan and I discuss the faith-based leadership content of The Make It Happen Journey and Kings Come Forth, please Click Here.

To see the short video book trailer for Kings Come Forth and The Make It Happen Journey, please Click Here.

Lastly, please join me on the make it happen faith adventure in the marketplace to build teams and businesses for the glory of God and the benefit of people by sharing this faith-based leadership discussion transcript of my guest visit on the Get Off Your Attitude Radio Show with your family, friends, and colleagues. Many thanks and blessings!

Copyright 2012, The Make It Happen Learning Institute.  You have permission to reprint this discussion transcript, in its entirety only, and forward to your colleagues and friends, provided the copyright notice remains part of the reprint and transmission.  All other rights reserved.

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