Sharpening the Mind

I just finished attending the Chick Fil A one day Leadercast – and it was incredible!

I will be writing several posts over the next couple of weeks as it relates to what I learned from my time at the conference – time that was well worth the cost and the investment.

Prov 3:13 “Happy is the man who finds wisdom, and the man who gains understanding.”

Regularly sharpening and filling your mind with information gleaned from stand out leaders is something that I regularly try to do and I would encourage you to do this as well. It only makes you a better person, a better leader, a better employee, a better husband, and a true Real Christian Business Man.

The conference was centered on one major theme, choices. Each leader spoke on what he/she wanted to as it related to this broad topic. Here is the first take-away that stood out to me last week:

Andy Stanley, who is the lead pastor at NorthPoint Community Church – which is one of the largest if not the largest Church in America with their main campus in Atlanta GA – had his first two points really hit home with me. He posed two questions.

1 – What would my replacement do?

If I wasn’t in this job, if I was fired, if I left, etc. – How would someone that was new, my replacement, handle this situation?

Boy this really causes you to think doesn’t it! Many times we get in the rut of doing the same ole same ole… because we have done it for so long or because “that is just how we handle these situations.” etc.

But if you set your mind on this one question when you have to tackle difficult situations, you will come out of it with a much different but greater perspective than ever before.

2 – What would a great leader do?

What a way to look at a problem – forcing your mind to think or react like a great leader would (Thomas Jefferson, Abraham Lincoln, Churchill, etc.). Great leaders have time and time again proven that their decisions can change the direction of what they are facing. Once again, this type of outlook causes you to look at a situation with a totally different perspective. It could be what allows you and your organization to flourish and thrive. It could be what gives you that edge that you really need to solve a complicated problem.

Keep learning and growing! And as Andy Stanley has just taught me (and hopefully you), maybe it’s time to take a look at things from a different perspective?