I read a great short story by Steve Brunkhorst called Grandfather’s letter.  What incredible nuggets it had for climbers in life!   Steve’s points out that in order to climb from peak to peak—we must endure the valley between the mountains.  It takes courage to step off the peak and descend into the valley in order to climb the higher peak on the horizon.   I feel many of us have walked through a valley for the last 5 or 6 months and are starting to ascend to another peak.  This is the year to count your blessings, break camp and start the climb to the top!  Enjoy this wonderful story and follow the advice of Grandfather’s letter.

One day, a young man was cleaning out his late grandfather's belongings when he came across a bright red envelope. Written on the front were the words, "To my grandson." Recognizing his grandfather's handwriting, the boy opened the envelope. A letter inside read:

Dear Ronny,

Years ago you came to me for help. You said, "Grandpa, how is it that you've accomplished so much in your life? You're still full of energy, and I'm already tired of struggling. How can I get that same enthusiasm that you've got?"

I didn't know what to say to you then. But knowing my days are numbered, I figure that I owe you an answer. So here is what I believe.

I think a lot of it has to do with how a person looks at things. I call it 'keeping your eyes wide open.'

First, realize that life is filled with surprises, but many are good ones. If you don't keep watching for them, you'll miss half the excitement. Expect to be thrilled once in a while, and you will be.

When you meet up with challenges, welcome them. They'll leave you wiser, stronger, and more capable than you were the day before. When you make a mistake, be grateful for the things it taught you. Resolve to use that lesson to help you reach your goals.

And always follow the rules. Even the little ones. When you follow the rules, life works. If you think you ever really get by with breaking the rules, you're only fooling yourself.

It's also important to decide exactly what you want. Then keep your mind focused on it, and be prepared to receive it.

But be ready to end up in some new places too. As you grow with the years, you'll be given bigger shoes to fill. So be ready for endings as well as challenging beginnings.

Sometimes we have to be brave enough to move from the familiar to the unfamiliar. Life isn't just reaching peaks. Part of it is moving from one peak to the next. If you rest too long in between, you might be tempted to quit. Leave the past in the past. Climb the next mountain and enjoy the view.

Dump things that weigh you down emotionally and spiritually. When an old resentment, belief, or attitude becomes heavy, lighten your load. Shed those hurtful attitudes that slow you down and drain your energy.

Remember that your choices will create your successes and your failures. So consider all the pathways ahead, and decide which ones to follow. Then believe in yourself, get up, and get going.

And be sure to take breaks once in a while. They'll give you a renewed commitment to your dreams and a cheerful, healthy perception of the things that matter the most to you.

Most important of all, never give up on yourself. The person that ends up a winner is the one who resolves to win. Give life everything you've got, and life will give its best back to you.

Love always,

Grandpa

The quote below reminds me of:

William Wallace in Bravheart , Maximus in Gladiator, Winston Churchill against Hitler, George Washington against King George and England, Oliver Cromwell against King Charles, Martin Luther against the Pope, Spartacus against his Roman masters, Demosthenes against Philip!

When dictatorship is a fact, revolution becomes a right.

Victor Hugo (1802-1885)

Throughout history, men and women have fought against tyrants who will steal a person's property, liberty and life.  It takes men and women of character to stand for their freedom against the tyrants.  Can you give any other examples that this quote reminds you of?

I am researching the habits of leaders.  Self-discipline is critical to a successful life and it takes self-discipline to develop the right habits.  Like they say, “You make your habits and your habits make you.”   In the spirit of the Wikinomics book, I am going to open up the discussion on habits for all.  Here is an article discussing some important leadership habits, but I think there are others.  Please read this list of leadership habits and add a habit and your thoughts.   All of us are on a leadership journey and I am curious on the habits we feel are essential to leadership.  The readers of this blog are the best! God Bless, Orrin Woodward

Many people are born leaders, yet the ability to lead is actually an art and an amazing collection of skills which can be learned and sharpened. The following top ten daily habits will help you and/or your clients grow as a leader personally, professionally, and spiritually.

1. Spend 30 minutes each morning looking for "cracks" in the major areas of your life.

Your depth of character is key to determining your success as a leader. It is easy for us to say that we are "in integrity," but your actions are the real indicators of strength of character. Spend 30 minutes each morning looking at the major areas of your life: career, marriage, family, community, and spirituality. Write down any instances where you see "cracks" (you have cut corners, something is inconsistent, you have not kept your word, you have been dishonest, etc.) Do all in your power to repair those cracks by apologizing and dealing with the consequences of your actions. After facing up to past actions, begin a plan that will rebuild you and prevent you from making further mistakes.

2. Show up and be ten minutes early for every appointment.

Great leaders show up for every appointment, and they are always on time. Each day, practice not only showing up but being ten minutes early for each and every appointment. "The early bird gets the worm" has never been so true than when it applies to becoming a great leader that others want to follow.

3. Be dedicated to a high level of learning.

Great leaders are highly competent, because they are dedicated to a high level of learning, growth, and improvement. Spend 15-30 minutes each day devoted to learning something new. Do not settle for knowing "how" to do something. Dig deeper by asking the question "why" and then, go find the answer. Search the internet, interview an expert, or take a day trip to find the answer to a question that is on your mind or the minds of those who follow you.

4. Be simple and crystal clear in all communication.

As a leader, your communication should be simple, clean, and clear as a bell. Examine both written and verbal communication for simplicity and clarity. Use as few words as possible, and eliminate jargon and "big words" from your vocabulary. Express yourself in a way that your listeners can understand.

5. Surround yourself with great people.

One of the secrets of a great leader is great people. Hire the right staff, surround yourself with a strong inner circle, and spend time daily with people who have a variety of gifts. With the support of a strong circle of men, women and children, you will be ready for anything that comes your way.

6. Develop a sense of commitment and responsibility.

People do not follow leaders who are not committed and responsible. Commitment and responsibility can be measured by the hours you spend and how you spend them, the money you spend and how you spend it, and by what you do for others. Spend 15 minutes each day analyzing your time, your checkbook, and your volunteer work. Look closely at how much time you spend with family and friends as compared to work, how you spend your money, and how you give back to the community. You may be very surprised at what you find.

7. Develop a positive attitude by altering your mind.

It is very possible to alter your attitude by altering your mind. Saturate yourself daily with motivational literature, positive people, and inspiring music/art. By conditioning your mind to be more positive on a daily basis, you will find that winning will be a daily reward of your life.

8. Accept responsibility.

Great leaders never play the role of a victim. They recognize that part of being a great leader is being ultimately responsible for all successes and failures. On a daily basis, analyze your current projects, and ask yourself "Have I done all that needs to be done? What have I not done that I should?" Once you have analyzed each project, if you find a weakness, go the extra mile by working extra hours, hiring an outside expert, or getting really creative to repair the weakness or to turn it into a success!

9. Make self-discipline a part of your lifestyle.

What do you need to develop self-discipline? Following a better diet or exercise routine? Getting up one hour earlier? Being rigorous with your spending? Learning something new every day? Eliminate excuse-making from your life, and begin to develop habits that will invite self-discipline to become the foundation of your life. Hire a coach to support you during the development of a routine of self-discipline, and remove rewards until the job is done!

10. Develop courage by facing fear.

By a show of courage, you will inspire others to follow and to walk in your footsteps. Spend 15-30 minutes each day doing something simply for the sake of developing courage: speak to an audience, make a difficult phone call, learn a new skill, write an article or a top ten, or visit someone you have always wanted to meet. As Eleanor Roosevelt acknowledged: "You gain strength, courage, and confidence by every experience in which you really stop to look fear in the face. You are able to say to yourself, 'I lived through this horror. I can take the next thing that comes along.' You must do the thing you think you cannot do."

I found a reference to the Gladstone & Disraeli anecdote in the following interview.  Warren Bennis was one of the first leadership authors I ever read.  I truly believe we can Launch a Leadership Revolution—my assignment is to provide the best thoughts from the best minds for us to contemplate and develop our leadership ability.  Here is the article:

David Gergen, editor-at-large of "U.S. News & World Report," engages Warren Bennis, a professor of business administration at the University of Southern California, co-author of Organizing Genius: The Secrets of Creative Collaboration.

DAVID GERGEN: Warren, you write in your book that the day of the Lone Ranger is over; that the era of creative genius and what we’re going to accomplish creatively in the future is going to be a new one dominated by groups. What do you mean by that?

WARREN BENNIS, Co-Author, "Organizing Genius": I think the problems facing us are so complicated that with globalization, galloping technology, and that the idea of a John Wayne--marvelous as he was as an actor--is just going to make it in the new world. The problems are much too complex. Furthermore, it’s always been a group. If you look through history, even though we tend to lionize the great man--as one of my students said, it was John Wayne who rode through my childhood, shaped my dreams of power and authority. It’s typically been a small group of thoughtful and committed people who have changed the world. When you ask people who painted the Sistine Chapel, what comes to most people’s minds, the correct answer is Michelangelo. But it was Michelangelo plus 13 terrific artists and a crew of 200 that did the Sistine Chapel. So all throughout history it’s been a group, a creative group.

DAVID GERGEN: We tend to think of Thomas Edison out there tinkering--

WARREN BENNIS: I know.

DAVID GERGEN: He had a great number of helpers.

WARREN BENNIS: He had a huge number of people whom he treated quite shabbily, so he kind of, you know, took the spotlight to himself.

DAVID GERGEN: What distinguishes a successful group, a great group--

WARREN BENNIS: A great group?

DAVID GERGEN: --from one that’s not successful?

WARREN BENNIS: Well, I think the--I was talking engine--source of these groups is that they’re accomplishing something that they really believe, all of them, is going to change the world, that’s going to make a dent in the universe, whether it’s Peter Schneider at the Walt Disney Studios who thinks the next film they’re going to make is the "Hunchback of Notre Dame" or the "Lion King" is just a different way of animating it, or I guess if the paradigmatic group in the book is really the "Manhattan Project." Imagine, you’re J. Robert Oppenheimer in 1943, with the free world in balance, and your task is to create a nuclear device before the Japanese or Germans do it, so all of these groups felt that they were on a mission from God. In other words, they had a sense of spirit. They--one of them called it his great group of spiritual project. An animator at Walt Disney said, why do I work 80-hour weeks, because I think somehow I’ll find that damn Holy Grail; they can make a dent in the universe. So that all of these groups had a sense of meaning, of spirit, that they could really do something that no one else has ever done, so that this isn’t just your ordinary company vision, you know, which to a lot of people is banal or vapid. But these are groups that all had a sense of true meaning that they’re going to do something that no one else in the world has ever accomplished.

DAVID GERGEN: They also seem to have deadlines.

WARREN BENNIS: Yes, they had that. I should put it differently. At the heart of every great group is a dream, but it’s a dream with a deadline. Great groups, as I wrote about, ship. They get something out, whether it’s a campaign, whether it’s a movie, whether it’s a nuclear device. They all have some--a thingness, if I could. They’re putting out something, not just a lot of talk.

DAVID GERGEN: Steve Jobs and Apple.

WARREN BENNIS: For example.

DAVID GERGEN: You’ve got to get your product out. You’ve got to have a dream, but at the end of the day you’ve got to get a product out.

WARREN BENNIS: Right.

DAVID GERGEN: The other thing was that these great groups seem to be young. I had never understood till I read your book at the Manhattan Project, the scientists there, the average age 25 years old.

WARREN BENNIS: Can you imagine that? I know. Yeah. I hesitate to talk about youth, having turned 72 last week, but--and when I talk a bit about the book to people whose hair is my color, but I do think there’s something about--there’s a certain innocence, a certain sense of not knowing what’s impossible.

DAVID GERGEN: And what you call delusional confidence.

WARREN BENNIS: It’s sort of a reality distortion field, unwarranted optimism, a sense of they can do something. And they don’t know what they don’t know.

DAVID GERGEN: Right. And the other thing I found so interesting, because I did find your--the "Manhattan Project" the paradigm, as you called it, the notion of making sure people in the group, the works in the group, that they think their work is meaningful. The anecdotes that you had about Richard Feinman, the physicist.

WARREN BENNIS: Yeah. They want all these technicians and engineers highly trained, college graduates, and they do sort of calculating work without the computers.

DAVID GERGEN: Bring it into Los Alamos.

WARREN BENNIS: Sort of doing--bringing it to Los Alamos, a godforsaken place, and they were doing just sort of minor calculations here, which were very boring. These were all very bright people. They didn’t know why they were doing it. They were brought their total secrecy. Finally, that young physicist, irreverent, outspoken, said to Dr. Oppenheimer, said, I’ve got to tell these people what they’re working on, because right now they’re just sort of like making little--they have no idea.

DAVID GERGEN: They have no idea about the atom bomb.

WARREN BENNIS: At all, total secrecy. So finally, J. Oppenheimer agreed and had seminars explaining to them not only the meaning of this, what they were doing--the free world was in balance--but also the significance of getting it before the Japanese or the Germans get it. And overnight, according to him, it was a miracle he said. These people began working eighteen-twenty hour days. They knew what they were involved in. Not only did Oppenheimer tell them what the bomb was about but also the physics, the theoretical aspects of it, so they were involved, and he said it was--and finally his words were total transformation. Talk about energizing, animating a group. If people know what the significance of what they’re doing is, I think a lot of people who right now working in boring, dull jobs can, you know, get a new lease on life.

DAVID GERGEN: You’ve written a lot of books about leadership. What is the role of the leader in these groups, the great groups?

WARREN BENNIS: They smell talent. They’re able to hire people, bring people in better than they were. They had--even Oppenheimer before Rolodex had a Rolodex of the best theoretical physicists, nuclear physicists in the world. And he was able to recruit meticulously, so the first, and then secondly to orchestrate this talent, not just to pile a lot of good bodies together. That doesn’t make a great group. But you’ve got to bring together a group of people as Peter Schneider, again, of Disney Studios, the animation studio, said, you’ve got to bring people together who want to play together in the sand box. That’s--the third thing is you’ve got to--you’re not the creator; you’re not necessarily the brightest or the best. You are the curator. You’re not the Fred Astaire on the stage of the Frank Sinatra, but you have created the social architecture that creates the Astaires and the Sinatras doing their best. And the best single anecdote I can give you is about two 19th century English prime ministers, Gladstone and Disraeli, and it was said about Gladstone, Prime Minister Gladstone, that when you had dinner with him, you thought that he was the world’s brightest, wittiest, most charming man you’ve ever met. But when you had dinner with Disraeli, you felt that you were the smartest, the wittiest, the most charming person you’ve ever met. These people inspire. Now, Oppenheimer, take the Manhattan Project, you know, there were seven future Nobel Laureates working for him. They were clearly in a way made more contribution to theoretical physics than he ever did, bright as he was.

DAVID GERGEN: Critical to leadership of an organization, a corporation, is creating trust between the leader and the followers. How much of a challenge is that in an era of downsizing?

WARREN BENNIS: Big, major. I gave a talk recently on, you know, my notions of leadership and empowerment and trust, et cetera, to a group of high potential executives, Fortune 100 company, and after I was through, they said, you know, Dr. Bennis, what you said is absolutely true, but tomorrow there could be a pink slip on my desk. So trust is the major issue facing most institutions right now, generating and sustaining trust. And it’s so difficult. And the only--you know, they can give you a lot of background on trust, you know, talk about constancy and competence, and integrity, and all that, but the major thing is authenticity and to really feel comfortable with your own skin. A leader like Rabin, who had no, you know, social graces of many--politicians had that sense of authenticity. So I think trust--without trust, I don’t think you can have a great group or great organization or lead a great nation state.

DAVID GERGEN: Warren Bennis, thank you very much.

WARREN BENNIS: Thank you, David.

I loved this post by Matt Franks so much that I have decided to make it an article for all to see!  I think I will take my favorite comment of the week and generate an entire post from it.  Please keep the great thoughts coming!  Today's post is on treating others with dignity and respect.  I have experienced some egotistical managers on life’s journey and am disgusted by the way they view and treat people.  We all must serve and encourage others like Matt is displaying wherever he goes.  I will save the full treatment for a future post, but let me give you a preview to open Matt’s servant based leadership behavior.  

Let me share a story I wrote about two great Prime Ministers of Victorian England.  The general facts of the personalities of Gladstone and Disraeli are true, but I have taken artistic liberty to add other characters for suspense and development of the points. 

There is a 19^th century story told about and older British woman who had the rare opportunity to have separate lunches with the two most famous living Englishmen of the era: William Gladstone and Benjamin Disraeli.  Both had been Prime Ministers of England several times.  Both were men of strong character, convictions and decisive leaders.  A young reporter tracked down the fortunate Victorian lady and requested an interview.  The reporter asked her questions about her lunches to determine what the two legendary PM’s were like as persons.  After asking questions like: “What did you discuss?”, “What did he eat?”, and “What were his thoughts on the political scene?” the reporter was wrapping up his interview and contemplating his story in tomorrow’s paper.  He had only one more question for the patient woman, “Which Prime Minister did you enjoy lunch with more?”  She thought for a moment and then a bright smile covered her face.  “When I went to lunch with William Gladstone,” she shared, “I was convinced that I was dining with the greatest living Englishmen!”  The reporter quickly scribbled down his thoughts and thinking the lady had finished was getting up to leave—not wanting to make her feel uncomfortable that she had chosen William Gladstone over Benjamin Disraeli.  As he was thanking her for her time, she politely told him she was not finished.  “When I went to lunch with Benjamin Disraeli,” she enthused, “I was convinced that he was dining with the greatest living Englishwoman!”   As the reporter was leaving, he vowed to never forget the beaming smile that had transformed the elderly ladies presence.  “Yes,” he thought, “it is nice to feel important and capable of impressing others by discussing eloquently on the many subjects of your choice.  But others will remember you on how nice it was to feel important to you and capable of impressing you by your attentive listening on the many subjects of their choice.”

Quote: “You can tell how “big” the person is by the way they treat the “little” person.

Orrin,

I love your 2 quotes! Very thought provoking! Hey I hope the book signing went well in Michigan! This weekend I had an interesting experience that I thought might fit into the title of your lesson especially around responsibilities. It was an experience that I will never forget and something I couldn't wait to share with everyone! It reminded me about my responsibility, as a growing leader, to always be a lifter for other people.

For me, as I described in a few posts back, I have a responsibility to develop my God given potential and practice my personal "daily dozen" everyday. Why? I believe that my gifts and abilities are God's gift to me and what I do with those gifts is my gift back to God! One of the practices I try to do daily is add value to people I have never met before. Whether it is opening up doors for others, saying hi, or striking up a conversation to learn about them I just want to add value to others. In other words I just follow the Golden Rule that is taught to all of us in the Bible: "Do unto others as you want them to do unto you."

Of all places, my experience happened at a Wal-Mart with a 70 year old lady who was a cashier. :) I was checking out in line and just struck up a conversation with this cashier and she worked there because her husband passed away and she needed to earn an income since her retirement was not very good. Anyways to make a long story short one of the items I purchased was 2 packages of Extra chewing gum. When she was done tallying up what I owed her she said "I charged you for 3 packages of gum instead of 2." Then she burst into tears! I said "What is wrong? Is there anything I can help you with?" She said "about 5 minutes ago I did the same thing to someone else and he told me I was so ignorant that I shouldn't even work at Wal-Mart. I am sorry if I made you upset." I told her "ma’am I have shopped at many Wal-Mart’s during my lifetime, but I have never met someone as kind as you. You are a person of worth! I have watched you serve the previous 2 customers and I wish every store I went into had someone like you working the register!" I was in awe that a $1.99 mistake made this experience happen! She said "the only person that ever said that to me was my husband, but since he died no one has paid me a compliment like that before." Can you believe that someone made this woman feel so low for a $1.99 package of gum?!!!!! Anyways I went and got another package of gum off the shelf since I paid for it and then came back to show this wonderful cashier that it was OK. She held my bags and gave them back to me before I walked out the door. Then she said something to me that I will never forget. She gave me a hug and said "I know God has great things in store for you. Thank you for valuing me as a person and not seeing me as "just a cashier." Like I said earlier this was at a Wal-Mart! I went out to my car and just sat stunned because I couldn't believe that experience just happened. It was something I will never forget and know now how important it is to carry out the responsibility of treating everyone with love and respect.

That is why the stakes of leadership are so high! You see when opportunity comes, as we all know, it is too late to prepare. I am very thankful because of my continued leadership learning through TEAM and other leadership organizations I was prepared to add value to someone that just got de-valued by someone else. This experience teaches me that no matter who we ever talk to or run into, God brings us to that moment for a specific reason, but it is our responsibility to be lifters to all people not just a select few! However in order to be a lifter in other people's lives we have got to check our EGO at the door! Back off and stop taking yourself too seriously, because you can't help anyone if you are only concerned with helping yourself! I must say though if I would have seen that man treat the cashier the way he did I might have been asking for forgiveness! :)

There are so many people that everyday are de-valued or de-edified by Egotistical and our jobs as leaders is to see others not as they are, but see them as they could become. It is our responsibility to see the good in other people and tell them how those great qualities will serve others well.

Thanks Orrin!

Best,

Matt

Assignment:  Are you making others feel important?  In what specific ways do you make others feel accepted, approved and appreciated?

What has happened to our Leadership Blog is beyond comprehension.  I started this blog with little fanfare as a way to serve the greater leadership community.  Through word of mouth and a concept called Six Degrees of Separation—this blog has exploded worldwide!  I can’t wait until mid-February, as I will be able to share the research I have compiled in several different areas.   The amount of countries reading and commenting (Some in other languages) has startled me.  There are 36 countries visiting our site daily to learn leadership development and life coaching.  Here are the daily countries:

United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Australia, India, Sweden, Germany, Haiti, Philippines, Netherlands, Bahamas, Poland, Hungary, Denmark, South Africa, Thailand, France, New Zealand, Indonesia, Singapore, Portugal, Norway, Greece, Turkey, Italy, Malaysia, Japan, Spain, Kenya, Bulgaria, Belgium, Ireland, Romania, United Arab Emirates, Mexico, Brazil

There are 28 countries visiting weekly to catch up on leadership and life coaching.  Here is the weekly list of countries:

Saudi Arabia, Cameroon, Virgin Islands, U.S., Croatia, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Russian Federation, Egypt, Pakistan, Malta, Oman, Bermuda  Austria, Czech Republic, Iran, Islamic Republic of, Afghanistan, Slovakia, Estonia, Chile, Taiwan, Ecuador, Cyprus, Korea, Republic of, Kuwait, Hong Kong, Bangladesh, Latvia

There are other countries that I did not include because of minimal visits on our site.  Who knows what the future has in store as we build a worldwide community.  I consider myself a Maven—someone who does research in many areas to save people time and money for all of our benefits.  Here is a portion of the Wiki definition for a Maven:

In recent years, economists have spent a great deal of time studying Mavens, for the obvious reason that if marketplaces depend on information, the people with the most information must be the most important. For example, sometimes when a supermarket wants to increase sales of a given product, they’ll put a promotion sticker in front of it, saying something like “Everyday Low Price!” The price will stay the same. The product will just be featured more prominently. When they do that, supermarkets find that invariably the sales of the product go through the roof, the same way they would if the product had actually been put on sale.

But if we’ll buy more of something even if the price hasn’t been lowered, then what’s to stop supermarkets from never lowering their prices? The answer is that although most of us don’t look at prices, every retailer knows that a very small number of people do, and if they find something amiss, a promotion, that’s not really a promotion they’ll do something about it. If a store tried to pull the sales stunt too often, these are the people who would figure it out and complain to management and tell their friends and acquaintances to avoid the store. These are the people who keep the marketplace honest. One name for them is “price vigilantes.” The other, more common, name for them is “Market Mavens.”

If I see something with a good value proposition, I will share with everyone.  If I discover misleading scams, unethical dealings, or poor character based leadership, I will expose this also.  The goal is to improve people’s lives by doing more of what is right and less of what is wrong.  Can you see how through this blog, we can all make a difference in our world?  Let’s build our leadership community and see what doors God’s Providence opens for us.  As to the future; all I can say is, “Bring it!”  God Bless, Orrin Woodward

While flying to Florida from Michigan, two thoughts popped into my head that I turned into quotes.  I have been thinking about our responsibilities to God and the importance of having ideals in your life.  America is at the crossroads due to many citizens lack of responsibility and ideals.  Both of these quotes clarified my thinking on these important subjects and I hope they do the same for you.  God Bless, Orrin Woodward

If the citizens will not willingly surrender their rights to their responsibilities in Godly obedience—they will be seduced into servitude by Godless dictators of disobedience – Orrin Woodward

I would rather have ideals and be accused of hypocrisy than have no ideals and be praised for sincerity – Orrin Woodward

Here is an article that has me even more concerned about the viability of the United Nations.  Doesn't the US provide funds to support the United Nations?  Is the U.N. working or is it a big spy ring like this article alleges? 

The Associated Press

UNITED NATIONS -- A former Russian top spy says his agents helped the government steal nearly $500 million from the UN's oil-for-food program in Iraq before the fall of Saddam Hussein in 2003.

Sergei Tretyakov, who defected to the United States in 2000, says he oversaw an operation that helped Hussein's regime manipulate the price of Iraqi oil sold under the program -- allowing Russia to skim profits.

Tretyakov, former deputy head of intelligence at Russia's UN mission from 1995 to 2000, names some names, but sticks mainly to code names. Among the spies he says he recruited for Russia were a Canadian nuclear weapons expert who became a UN nuclear verification expert in Vienna, a senior Russian official in the oil-for-food program and a former Soviet bloc ambassador. He describes a Russian businessman who got hold of a nuclear bomb, and kept it stored in a shed at his dacha outside Moscow.

Tretyakov, 51, had never spoken out about his spying before this week, when he granted his first news media interviews to publicize a book published Thursday. Written by former Washington Post journalist Pete Earley, the book is titled "Comrade J.: The Untold Secrets of Russia's Master Spy in America after the End of the Cold War."

"It's an international spy nest," Tretyakov said of the UN, during an interview this week. "Inside the UN, we were fishing for knowledgeable diplomats who could give us, first of all, anti-American information."

His defection was first reported in 2001, followed by the news that he was not a diplomat, but a top Russian spy who was extensively debriefed by the CIA and the FBI.

On this Sunday, I would like to introduce you to another of my favorite authors—James Montgomery Boice.   Very few authors wrote on the deeper concepts of faith as clearly as Boice did.  I remember reading the book, Foundations of God’s City and being inspired to live a life honoring to God.  This certainly is easier said than done, but God’s grace is sufficient for all of us.  I highly encourage you to read any books from James Montgomery Boice and take the time to digest his thinking.  I promise it will enhance your faith and increase your hunger to improve.  Here is just a sample of Montgomery Boice’s thinking out of a book called Foundations of the Christian Faith.   James describes how God takes the evil actions of others and overrules them for good in a believer's life.  As you enjoy this Sunday, stop and think about how God’s Providence has turned evil into good in your life?   Please share your thoughts after reading this article.  God Bless, Orrin Woodward 

There is probably no point at which the Christian doctrine of God comes more into conflict with contemporary worldviews than in the matter of God’s providence. Providence means that God has not abandoned the world that he created, but rather works within that creation to manage all things according to the “immutable counsel of His own will” (Westminster Confession of Faith, V, i). By contrast, the world at large, even if it will on occasion acknowledge God to have been the world’s Creator, is at least certain that he does not now intervene in human affairs. Many think that miracles do not happen, that prayer isn’t answered and that most things “fall out” according to the functioning of impersonal and unchangeable laws.

The world argues that evil abounds. How can evil be compatible with the concept of a good God who is actively ruling this world? There are natural disasters: fires, earthquakes, and floods. In the past, these have been called “acts of God.” Should we blame God for them? Isn’t it better to imagine that he simply has left the world to pursue its own course?

Such speculation can be answered on two levels. First, even from the secular perspective, such thinking is not as obvious as it seems. Second, it is not the teaching of the Bible.

A Universe on Its Own?

The idea of an absentee God is certainly not obvious in reference to nature, the first of the three major areas of God’s creation discussed earlier. The great question about nature, raised by even the earliest Greek philosophers as well as by contemporary scientists, is why there is a pattern to nature’s operations even though nature is constantly changing. Nothing is ever the same. Rivers flow, mountains rise and fall, flowers grow and die, the sea is in constant motion. Yet, in a sense everything remains the same. The experience of one generation with nature is akin to the experience of generations that have gone before.

Science tends to explain this uniformity by the laws of averages or by laws of random motion. But that is not a full explanation. For example, by the very laws of averages it is quite possible that at some time all molecules of a gas or solid (or the great preponderance of them) might be moving in the same direction instead of in random directions, and if that were the case, then the substance would cease to be as we know it and the laws of science regarding it would be inoperable.

Where does uniformity come from if not from God? The Bible says that uniformity comes from God when it speaks of Christ “upholding the universe by his word of power” (Heb. 1:3) and argues that “in him all things hold together” (Col. 1:17). The point is that the providence of God lies behind the orderly world that we know. That was the primary thought in the minds of the authors of the Heidelberg Catechism when they defined providence as “the almighty and ever-present power of God whereby he still upholds, as it were by his own hand, heaven and earth together with all creatures, and rules in such a way that leaves and grass, rain and drought, fruitful and unfruitful years, food and drink, health and sickness, riches and poverty, and everything else, come to us not by chance but by his fatherly hand” (Question 27). Remove the providence of God over nature, and — not only is all sense of security gone—the world is gone; meaningless change would soon replace its order.

The same thing is true of human society. Once again, there is great diversity and change. But there are also patterns to human life and limits beyond which, for example, evil does not seem permitted to go. Pink argues along such lines in his study of God’s sovereignty:

For the sake of argument, we will say that every man enters this world endowed with a will that is absolutely free, and that it is impossible to compel or even coerce him without destroying his freedom. Let us say that every man possesses a knowledge of right and wrong, that he has the power to choose between them, and that he is left entirely free to make his own choice and go his own way. Then what? Then it follows that man is sovereign, for he does as he pleases and is the architect of his own future. But in such a case, we can have no assurance that ere long every man will reject the good and choose the evil. In such a case, we have no guaranty against the entire human race committing moral suicide. Let all divine restraints be removed and man be left absolutely free, and all ethical distinctions would immediately disappear, the spirit of barbarism would prevail universally, and pandemonium would reign supreme.1

But that does not happen. And the reason it does not happen is that God does not leave his creatures to the exercise of an absolute autonomy. They are free, yet within limits. Moreover, God in his perfect freedom also intervenes directly, as he chooses, to order their wills and actions.

The book of Proverbs contains many verses on this theme. Proverbs 16:1 says that although an individual may debate with himself about what he will say, it is the Lord who determines what he actually speaks: “The plans of the mind belong to man, but the answer of the tongue is from the LORD.” Proverbs 21:1 applies the same principle to human affections, using the dispositions of the king as an example. “The king’s heart is a stream of water in the hand of the LORD; he turns it wherever he will.” Actions are also under the sphere of God’s providence. “A man’s mind plans his way, but the LORD directs his steps” (Prov. 16:9). So is the outcome. “Many are the plans in the mind of a man, but it is the purpose of the LORD that will be established” (Prov. 19:2 1). Proverbs 2 1:30 sums up by saying, “No wisdom, no understanding, no counsel, can avail against the LORD.”

In the same way, God also exercises his rule over the spirit world. The angels are subject to his express command and rejoice to do his bidding. The demons, while in rebellion against him, are still subject to God’s decrees and restraining hand. Satan was unable to touch God’s servant Job until God gave his permission, and even then certain bounds were set: “Behold, all that he has is in your power; only upon himself do not put forth your hand” (Job 1:12); “Behold, he is in your power; only spare his life” (Job 2:6).

Playing by God’s Rules

The point of major interest for us is not in the area of God’s rule over nature or the angels, however. It is how God’s providence operates with human beings, particularly when we decide to disobey him.

There is, of course, no problem at all with the providence of God in human affairs if we obey him. God simply declares what he wants done, and it is done — willingly. But what about those time when we disobey? And what about the great number of unregenerate people who apparently never obey God willingly? Does God say, “Well, I love you in spite of your disobedience, and I certainly don’t want to insist on anything unpleasant; we’ll just forget about my desires”? God does not operate in that fashion. If he did, he would not be sovereign. On the other hand, God does not always say, “You are going to do it; therefore, I will smash you down so you have to!” What does happen when we decide we don’t want to do what he wants us to do?

The basic answer is that God has established laws to govern disobedience and sin, just as he has established laws to govern the physical world. When people sin, they usually think that they are going to do so on their own terms. But God says, in effect, “When you disobey, it is going to be according to my laws rather than your own.”

We see a broadly stated example in the first chapter of Romans. After having described how the natural man won’t acknowledge God as the true God or worship him and be thankful to him as the Creator, Paul shows that such a person is thereby launched on a path that leads away from God which causes him to suffer grim consequences, including the debasement of his own being. “Claiming to be wise, they became fools, and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man or birds or animals or reptiles” (Rom. 1:22-23).

Then comes a most interesting part of the chapter. Three times in the verses, which follow, we read that because of their rebellion “God gave them up.” Terrible words. But when it says that God gave them up, it doesn’t say that God gave them up to nothing, as if he merely removed his hand from them and allowed them to drift away. In each case it says that God gave them up to something: in the first case, “to impurity, to the dishonoring of their bodies” (v. 24); in the second case, “to dishonorable passions” (v. 26); and in the third case, “to a base mind and to improper conduct” (v. 28). In other words, God will permit the ungodly to go their own way, but he has determined in his wisdom that when they go, it will be according to his rules rather than their own.

If anger and tension go unchecked, they produce ulcers or high blood pressure. Profligacy is a path to broken lives and venereal disease. Pride will be self-destructive. These spiritual laws are the equivalent of the laws of science in the physical creation.

The principle is true for unbelievers, but it is also true for believers. The Old Testament story of Jonah teaches that a believer can disobey God, in fact, with such determination that it takes a direct intervention by God in history to turn him around. But when he does, he suffers the consequences that God has previously established to govern disobedience. Jonah had been given a commission to take a message of judgment to Nineveh. It was similar to the great commission that has been given to all Christians, for he was told to “Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and cry against it; for their wickedness has come up before me” (Jonah 1:2). But Jonah didn’t want to do God’s bidding, as Christians today often don’t. So he went in the other direction, taking a ship from Joppa, on the coast of Palestine, to Tarshish, which was probably on the coast of Spain. Did Jonah succeed? Not at all. We know what happened to him. He ran into trouble as God took drastic measures to turn him around. After God let him sit in the belly of a great fish for three days, Jonah decided he would obey God and be his missionary.

The Flow of History

Thus far, our study has revealed several uniquely Christian attitudes toward providence. First, the Christian doctrine is personal and moral rather than abstract and amoral. That makes it entirely different from the pagan idea of fate. Second, providence is a specific operation. In Jonah’s case it dealt with a particular man, ship, fish and revelation of the divine will in the call to Nineveh.

There is something else that must be said about the providence of God It is purposive; that is, it is directed to an end. There is such a thing as real history. The flow of human events is going somewhere as opposed to being merely static or without meaning. In Jonah’s case, the flow of history led to his own eventual, though reluctant, missionary work and then to the conversion of the people of Nineveh. In the larger picture, history flows on to the glorification of God in all his attributes, primarily in the person of his Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. That idea is captured in the definition of providence found in the Westminster Confession of Faith which reads, “God the great Creator of all things doth uphold, direct, dispose, and govern all creatures, actions, and things, from the greatest even to the least by His most wise and holy providence, according to His infallible foreknowledge, and the free and immutable counsel of His own will, to the praise of the glory of His wisdom, power, justice, goodness, and mercy” (5, i).

The flow of history leading to the glorification of God is to our good also. For “we know that in everything God works for good with those who love him, who are called according to his purpose” (Rom. 8:28). What is our good? Obviously, there are many “goods” to be enjoyed now, and this verse includes them. But in its fullest sense, our good is to enter into the destiny we were created for: to be conformed to the image of Jesus Christ and thus “to glorify God, and to enjoy him forever.” The providence of God will surely bring us there.

To speak of the “good” introduces the subject of the “bad.” And since the verse in Romans says that “in everything God works for good” to those who are the called ones of God, the question immediately arises as to whether or not this includes the evil. Is evil under God’s direction? It would be possible to interpret Romans 8:28 as meaning that all things consistent with righteousness work to good for those who love God, but in the light of Scripture as a whole that would be an unjustified watering down of the text. It is all things, including evil, that God uses in accomplishing his good purposes in the world.

There are two areas in which God’s use of evil for good must be considered. First, there is the evil of others. Does this work for the believer’s good? The Bible answers Yes by many examples. When Naomi’s son, an Israelite, married Ruth, a Moabitess, the marriage was contrary to the revealed will of God and hence was sin. Jews were not to marry Gentiles. Still the marriage made Ruth a daughter-in-law of Naomi and thus enabled her to be exposed to the true God and eventually come to the place where she made a choice to serve him. “Your people shall be my people, and your God my God” (Ruth 1:16). After Ruth’s husband died, she married Boaz. Through her new husband, Ruth entered into the line of descent of the Lord Jesus Christ, the Messiah (Mt. 1:5).

David was a person who undoubtedly suffered greatly through the sins of others against him, including even the sins of his sons. But as God worked in him through these experiences, he grew to see the hand of God in his suffering and expressed his faith in great psalms. The psalms have been an immeasurable blessing to millions.

Hosea suffered through the unfaithfulness of his wife Gomer. But God used his experience to bring forth one of the most beautiful, moving and instructive books of the Old Testament.

By far the greatest example of the sin of others working for the good of God’s people is the sin which poured itself Out against the Lord Jesus Christ. The leaders of Christ’s day hated him for his holiness and wished to eliminate his presence from their lives. Satan worked through their hatred to strike back at God by encouraging merciless treatment of the incarnate Christ. But God turned this to good, working through the crucifixion of the Lord for our salvation. In none of this was God responsible for evil, though human sin and the sin of Satan were involved. In none of this was God made a partner in sin. Jesus himself said, in reference to Judas, “The Son of man goes as it is written of him, but woe to that man by whom the Son of man is betrayed!” (Mt. 26:24). Earlier he had said, “It is necessary that temptations come, but woe to the man by whom the temptation comes!” (Mt. 18:7). Nevertheless, without himself being a party to sin, God worked through it to bring forth good in line with his own eternal purposes.

The other area in which God’s use of evil for his own purposes must be considered is our own sin. This point is somewhat harder to see, for sin also works to our own unhappiness and blinds our eyes to God’s dealing. But there is good involved anyway. For example, Joseph’s brothers were jealous of him because he was their father’s favorite. So they conspired and sold him to a group of Midianite traders who took him to Egypt. There Joseph worked as a slave. In time, he was thrown into prison through the unjust accusations of a rejected woman. Later he was brought to power as second only to Pharaoh and became the means by which grain was stored during seven years of prosperity for the subsequent seven years of famine and widespread starvation. During that period his brothers, who were starving along with everyone else, came to Egypt and were helped by Joseph.

They were helped by the one they had rejected! And the outcome was in God’s control, as Joseph later explained to them.

I am your brother, Joseph, whom you sold into Egypt. And now do not be distressed, or angry with yourselves, because you sold me here; for God sent me before you to preserve life. For the famine has been in the land these two years; and there are yet five years in which there will be neither plowing nor harvest. And God sent me before you to preserve for you a remnant on earth, and to keep alive for you many survivors. So it was not you who sent me here, but God. (Gen. 45:4-8)

After the death of their father, the brothers thought that Joseph would then take vengeance on them. But he again calmed their fears saying, “Fear not, for am I in the place of God? As for you, you meant evil against me; but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today” (Gen. 50:19-20). There had been great evil in the hearts of the brothers. But God used their evil, not only to save others, but even to save their own lives and those of their wives and children.

Patience and Gratitude

There will always be some who hear such a truth and immediately cry out that it teaches that Christians may sin with impunity. This accusation was made against Paul (Rom. 3:8). But it teaches nothing of the kind. Sin is still sin; it has consequences. Evil is still evil, but God is greater than the evil. That is the point. And he is determined to and will accomplish his purposes in spite of it.

The providence of God does not relieve us of responsibility. God works through means (the integrity, hard work, obedience and faithfulness of Christian people, for example). The providence of God does not relieve us of the need to make wise judgments or to be prudent. On the other hand, it does relieve us of anxiety in God’s service. “If God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O men of little faith?” (Mt. 6:30). Rather than being a cause for self-indulgence, compromise, rebellion or any other sin, the doctrine of providence is actually a sure ground for trust and a spur to faithfulness.

Calvin has left us with wise advice on this subject.

Gratitude of mind for the favorable outcome of things, patience in adversity, and also incredible freedom from worry about the future all necessarily follow upon this knowledge. Therefore, whatever shall happen prosperously and according to the desire of his heart, God’s servant will attribute wholly to God, whether he feels God’s beneficence through the ministry of men, or has been helped by inanimate creatures. For thus he will reason in his mind: surely it is the Lord who has inclined their hearts to me, who has so bound them to me that they should become the instruments of his kindness.2

In such a frame of mind the Christian will cease to fret in circumstances and will grow in the love and knowledge of Jesus Christ and of his Father, who has made us and who has planned and accomplished our salvation.

I found this excellent article about Michael Jordan.  MJ was one of the most enjoyable athletes to watch in any sport—he was a consummate professional in his field.  From last minute heroics, stellar defense or deft passing, Michael helped everyone on his team play better.  In fact, he even helped the opposing team play better because of his presence.   There is much we can learn from individuals who accept nothing less than excellence in their life.  MJ is one of the greatest and we all should learn from his hunger to rise above the field.  God Bless, Orrin Woodward

Growing up every body wanted to be like Mike. Kids would wear Michael Jordan shoes in the hopes that some of his magic might rub off onto them. No other man in history has been able to single handedly shape a game as Michael Jordan did in his career. He was one of the most fiercest competitors to ever grace the courts and as a result dominated the game like no one else in history.

His sporting achievements read like a dream list, winning 6 NBA championships, 10-time All-NBA First Team, Defensive Player of the Year, Rookie of the Year, 14-time All-Star, two time Olympic gold medalist, countless MVP’s to his credit and inducted as one of 50 Greatest Players in NBA History. There is no question that Jordan was a winner, here are some timeless lessons we can learn from his legacy:

1. Winners Aren’t Afraid To Fail

“I’ve missed more than 9000 shots in my career. I’ve lost almost 300 games. 26 times, I’ve been trusted to take the game winning shot and missed. I’ve failed over and over and over again in my life. And that is why I succeed.” - Michael Jordan

Jordan ended his amazingly stellar career with a field goal shooting average of 0.497%. Imagine one of the greatest players in history missing nearly one in every two of his shots, some of which were no doubt in pivotal moments of the game and even potential game winners. Most people make decisions in their life as if one misstep or setback would cause their house of cards to come crumbling down beneath their feet. They fear failure, fear letting down their friends or family, fear what others might think about them, fear the consequences of their actions and thus visualize the worst case scenarios in their mind.

Winners are those rare individuals who in spite of all odds, choose to put their hand up for that game winning shot and whether they make the basket or not, know that they put 100% into that moment. The difference between hero and villain is a fine line and winners know the highs and lows of both. To be given the responsibility and the privilege like Jordan did over and over again in his career to take the game winning shot you must prepare the best you can, live the best you can and believe in every ounce of your ability. Winners don’t just rely on blind faith and see failure as a lesson to learn from. Failure is one of life’s greatest teachers and if you but embrace those lessons you will be stronger for it.

2. Winners Work Harder And Smarter

“I’ve always believed that if you put in the work, the results will come. I don’t do things half-heartedly. Because I know if I do, then I can expect half-hearted results.” - Michael Jordan

It is always surprising to hear people who talk about achieving success in their field, instead of being willing to put in the hard work they look for short cuts. They look to gain as much as they can by working as little as they can. To look for shortcuts is a fools game, no one ever achieved excellence in any great undertaking by subscribing to the ethic of laziness. Jordan was cut from the varsity team as a sophomore during his time at Laney High School in Wilmington. “Whenever I was working out and got tired and figured I ought to stop, I’d close my eyes and see that list in the locker room without my name on it,” Jordan said, “and that usually got me going again.” He eventually made the team and led it to the state championship.

At age 35 he was still working harder than most of the players half his age, and he was still out maneuvering them on the basketball courts. He out hustled, out played, and out skilled his contemporaries a fraction of his age. Jordan’s secret was his work ethic was like no other, even at an age where he had already proved he was the greatest living basketball player, he still worked harder than everyone else to continue to develop his game.

3. Winners Rise Above The Low Expectation Of Others

“If you accept the expectations of others, especially negative ones, then you never will change the outcome.” - Michael Jordan

You have to be willing to rise about the mediocrity of your peers and critics. Mediocrity is a disease that takes hold on those who aren’t strong enough to hold onto their dreams, who don’t have enough belief in them self or too scared to rise above the crowd. When Jordan was cut from the Varsity team in high school, he was relegated to playing for the Junior Varsity team and worked on his skills during the summer with his brother. He spent that year developing his skills and honing his craft earning him a spot in the varsity team a year later. The rest is history. If he was to have believed that he wasn’t good enough like his coach then imagine history without Jordan jumping through the air and making impossible jump shots. Winners aren’t confined to the domain of the most gifted, the most talented or the one with the most opportunities and resources. At the end of the day winners are the ones who rise above everybody else’s thinking and believes in themselves. They pay the price to become the best.

4. Winners Love What They Do

“Even when I’m old and grey, I won’t be able to play it, but I’ll still love the game.” - Michael Jordan

It doesn’t take a genius to work out that Jordan loved the game. Basketball for Jordan was something that brought him joy and fulfillment. He played basketball as a young kid with his father and older brother way before his skills and talents were even known. He worked hard to follow his passion even when obstacles were presented in his path. The path to greatness is all uphill and if you aren’t doing something your passionate about then that road uphill very quickly becomes a grinding slog. Life is too short to slog your way through life, if you know the path is uphill then at least find something that you love to do so that you can have fun while doing it.

5. Winners Are In It To Win

“I play to win, whether during practice or a real game. And I will not let anything get in the way of me and my competitive enthusiasm to win.” - Michael Jordan

Jordan might be considered an over achiever, but he wasn’t sweating it out week in week out to just be in the game. Jordan’s tenacity and drive to win is what fueled much of his devotion to the game and his outstanding record of success was the scorecard. He pushed his body to it’s limit so that he could see what it was possible in achieving. Sure you might argue that it’s just a game, it’s not like world peace is at stake but what separates winners from losers is their willingness to get off the sideline and play all in. They dedicate themselves to an undertaking of excellence in everything they do and commit to a path forged with professionalism.

6. Winners Overcome Obstacles In Their Path

“If you’re trying to achieve, there will be roadblocks. I’ve had them; everybody has had them. But obstacles don’t have to stop you. If you run into a wall, don’t turn around and give up. Figure out how to climb it, go through it, or work around it.” - Michael Jordan

It is amazing how often people quit at the first sign of defeat. Instead of pushing through that defeat they see it as some sort of sign that this path was not theirs to begin with and go seeking another path for their life. The problem is that these people never stick to one thing long enough for success to sprout. They dabble at this and dabble at that and achieve mastery at nothing in life. Obstacles are put on your path to challenge you to rise to a whole new level, a level often time you didn’t even knew existed in your human potential. Obstacles give you a reason to strive further, work harder and find that inner strength that each and everyone of us possess if we just are willing to tap into it.

7. Winners Make Things Happen

“Some people want it to happen, some wish it would happen, others make it happen.” - Michael Jordan

Opportunities don’t magically fall into your lap, you have to create those opportunities. Winners are proactive with their dreams, they are willing to do what the loser’s only dream about. Instead of complaining, getting upset or trying to explain why things didn’t happen for you, stand up and take charge of your destiny. Shape it the way you want, if one door closes, work twice as hard till the next door opens. You can turn around your life today if you just subscribe to the winners mindset that all things are possible if you put your mind to it. Jordan revolutionized the game of basketball, he created what to mere mortals look like impossible shots from impossible angles.

He dazzled professional athletes by making them look amateurish by dribbling around them and pulling out jump shots. Jordan devoted his life to mastering his craft and created shots that generations to come would emulate. He didn’t just play the game, he created the game as he went and defined the game

Francis Schaeffer is one of my favorite all time authors.  His books will make you think, stretch and grow.   I have read nearly every book Schaeffer has written.  I would highly recommend them to anyone wishing to learn about worldviews and how they affect a person’s actions.  I believe that before we can change the world, we must understand it.  Francis Schaeffer’s books taught me to get involved and not just hide in a Christian environment.  We must be in the world, but not of the world if we plan on changing the world!  The following article is from a speech given in 1982 and is a great example of how he makes a person think.  God Bless, Orrin Woodward

Now, moving from public schools to private schools, what is the priority? Notice I am not saying Christian schools, but all private schools, including Christian schools. If you are really going to do something here, you have to think larger than your own interest. What we must do in the private schools, including the Christian schools, is to stand against those who have done so much to ruin our public schools in not allowing them to get a hold on the private schools, and specifically, the Christian schools, through a control of the curriculum. What we should be doing is struggling to see that the Christian school's curriculum is not controlled by those who have with their world view ruined the public schools.

This does not mean that the state does not have a legitimate interest in the safety of the pupils in such a thing as a firedoor. There are Christian schools that have said the state has no right even to tell them not to have a fire trap. That is not so. The state has a responsibility to say that a group of people meeting in a building like this we are meeting in have exit signs around the room, so that if there is a fire you will not all burn to death, and that is equally so for the kids in school. So the issue is not something like fire doors. The issue is that they must not begin to bring the same destructive teaching into the private schools by the back door of curriculum control that they have brought so dominantly into the public schools. We must not allow them to bring in through the back door a control of the curriculum and especially at the very point where the Bible's content is denied and contaminated. Therefore, the protection of the Christian school curriculum is another one of the priorities, which Christians ought to be consciously and intelligently standing for.

However, let me say another side of this question of the Christian school and our protection of it. While we are saying that the Christian school is not to allow its curriculum to be corrupted, we must also say that the private school, and specifically the Christian school, should give a good education.

We are to say we are going to control the curriculum. We are not going to let the state bring in the materialistic view as the final reality through the back door. But if we are going to say that with any validity the Christian schools must be giving a really good education. It should not just be a matter of not teaching what is wrong in a twisted education that rules out a Creator. Our Christian schools should not primarily be negative oriented. It is to be positive.

It is not just to be negative. It should be a superior education, if you are going to really protect the Christian school. It should certainly teach the students how to read and write and how to do mathematics better than most public schools enjoy today. It should do that but it should also appreciate and teach the full scope of human learning. Christian education is indeed knowing the Bible, of course it is, but Christian education should also deal with all human knowledge. We can think of what I said previously about the humanities. Christian education should deal with all human knowledge - presenting it in a framework of truth, rooted in the Creator's existence, and in his creation. Real Christian education, if we are going to protect our Christian schools, is not just the negative side, it is positive, touching on all human knowledge; and in each case, according to the level of the students, showing how it fits into the total framework of truth, the truth of all reality as rooted in the Creator's existence and in His creation. If the Judeo-Christian position is the truth of all reality, and-it is, then all the disciplines, and very much including a knowledge of, and I would repeat, an appreciation of, the humanities and the arts are a part of Christian education. Some Christians seem absolutely blind at this point.

If Christianity is not just one more religion, one more upper story kind of thing (as I speak of it in Escape From Reason and in my other books) then it has something to say about all the disciplines, and it certainly has something to say about the humanities and the arts and the appreciation of them. And I want to say quite firmly, if your Christian school does not do this, I do not believe it is giving a good education. It is giving a truncated education and it is not honoring to the Lord.

If truth is one, that is if truth has unity, then Christian education means understanding, and being excited by, the associations between the disciplines and showing how these associations are rooted in the Creator's existence. I do not know if you know what you are hearing or not. It is a flaming fire. It is gorgeous if you understand what we have in the teaching and revelation of God. If we are going to have really a Christian education, it means understanding truth is not a series of isolated subjects but there are associations, and the associations are rooted in nothing less than the existence of the Creator Himself.

True Christian education is not a negative thing; it is not a matter of isolating the student from the full scope of knowledge. Isolating the student from large sections of human knowledge is not the basis of a Christian education. Rather it is giving him or her the framework or total truth, rooted in the Creator's existence and in the Bible's teaching, so that in each step of the formal learning process the student will understand what is true and what is false and why it is true or false. It is not isolating students from human knowledge. It is teaching them in a framework of the total Biblical teaching, beginning with the tremendous central thing, that in the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. It is teaching in this framework, so that on their own level, as they are introduced to all of human knowledge, they are not introduced in the midst of a vacuum, but they are taught each step along the way why what they are hearing is either true or false. That is true education. The student, then, is an educated person. I just say in passing, John Harvard understood that when he founded Harvard University. It was founded with this whole thing in mind. The student, then if he is taught this way, is an educated person, who will have the tools to keep learning and enjoy learning throughout all of life. Is life dull? How can it be dull? No, a true education, a Christian education, is more than the negative, though that is there. It is giving the tools in the opening the doors to all human knowledge, in the Christian framework so they will know what is truth and what is untruth, so they can keep learning as long as they live, and they can enjoy, they can really enjoy, the whole wrestling through field after field of knowledge. That is what an educated person is.

In short, Christian education should produce students more educated in the totality of knowledge, culture and life, than non-Christian education rooted in a false view of truth. The Christian education should end with a better educated boy and girl and man and woman, than the false could ever produce. Protecting the Christian school must carry with it more than the negative; it should produce a superior education in all areas of. knowledge, and notice I am saying all areas of human knowledge.

I found a Q&A session with Jim Collins in Fortune Magazine.  Jim Collins is the author of Good to Great which is one of my favorite all time leadership books.  I believe the Team leaders display many of the Good to Great principles.  One question describes the importance of building the right team before building the right business.  The more I read about the future of business the more excited I am to be involved with the Team leadership!  Here is the article’s questions.  God Bless, Orrin Woodward

If you were to offer advice to a beginning entrepreneur, what would it be? --Francisco Romero, Albuquerque

First, don't obsess on finding the "great idea." In fact, our research shows a somewhat negative correlation between pioneering a great idea and building a great company. Many of the greatest started with either no great idea or even failed ideas.

Sony (Charts) started with a failed rice cooker. Marriott (Charts) started as a single root beer stand. Bill Hewlett and Dave Packard's great idea was simply to work together - two best friends who trusted each other - while their first four products failed to get the company out of the garage.

They followed the "first who" approach to entrepreneurship: First figure out your partners, then figure out what ideas to pursue. The most important thing isn't the market you target, the product you develop or the financing, but the founding team.

Starting a company is like scaling an unclimbed face - you don't know what the mountain will throw at you, so you must pick the right partners, who share your values, on whom you can depend, and who can adapt.

"Good to Great" looked at companies with long track records. How do the ideas in the book apply to disruptive startup companies, like YouTube or Google (Charts)? --George Kim, Washington, D.C.

My colleague Morten Hansen and I are nearing completion of six years of research studying companies that went from startup to greatness in environments characterized by turbulent disruption. We've deliberately selected entrepreneurial companies in the most severely disruptive industries, using the following analogy: If you wake up in the security of base camp and a storm moves in, you'll probably be fine. But if you find yourself at 27,000 feet on the side of Mount Everest, where the storms are faster moving and unpredictable, a storm just might kill you. Most leaders today feel they are moving higher on the mountain, whether in Google's world or traditional industries, and we want to know, Why do some prevail from vulnerability to greatness in the face of turbulent disruption, while others don't?

Most founders fail to become effective managers after the companies they started become too large for them to control. However, a few, such as Bill Gates, managed to grow into top-tier CEOs. What are the distinguishing factors between the transformed entrepreneurs and others? --Haimu Sun, Evanston, Ill.

It's simply a myth that entrepreneurs can't evolve into company builders. Our research shows quite the opposite: In great companies the entrepreneurs generally grow as the company grows.

Here is a short list of those who evolved into company builders: Henry Ford, Sam Walton, Hewlett and Packard, J.W. Marriott, Sony's Akio Morita, Walt Disney, Intel's Robert Noyce and Gordon Moore, Southwest Airlines' Herb Kelleher, and of course Gates and Phil Knight. They made the shift from time telling to clock building - to seeing their primary creation as the company itself: what it stands for, its culture and how it operates.

If forced to choose just one, what do you feel is the most important quality in a successful business leader? --John Mierzwa, Las Vegas

Willful humility. The best CEOs in our research display tremendous ambition for their company combined with the stoic will to do whatever it takes, no matter how brutal (within the bounds of the company's core values), to make the company great. Yet at the same time they display a remarkable humility about themselves, ascribing much of their own success to luck, discipline and preparation rather than personal genius.

Do you find that the leaders of great companies are less likely to be paid excessively, but more consistently with the others in their organization? --Bill Maltarich, Bonita Springs, Fla.

Our research found no correlation between executive compensation and shareholder returns. Excessive executive pay tends to lead to one thing: even more excessive pay, not increased shareholder value.

What is the subject of your next book, and when is it due out? --Michael Sharrow, San Antonio

I haven't yet decided on my next book. I've got the two big research questions in late stages: "great to good," which I'm writing up now, and the turbulent-disruption research. One of those might become a book, but my first focus is to make sure we successfully answer the questions we set out to answer.

PEER QUESTION

Jeff Sonnenfeld, founder of the Chief Executive Leadership Institute and professor at Yale University School of Management

The quest for greatness that you've studied fits well in America's tradition of success-absorbed self-improvement wisdom ranging from Benjamin Franklin to Stephen Covey. Do you think we should also focus on the wisdom from failure?

Thanks, Jeff. I appreciate the question, because it gives me a chance to correct a common misinterpretation of our work. Our research is not based on studying success. We study the contrast between highly successful and less successful outcomes. We put as much weight on those that failed to achieve (or sustain) great results as on those that did, asking the question "What principles explain the difference between the successes and the failures?"

We'll be releasing the results of a new piece of research that examines the inverse of "good to great" - namely, "great to good": Why do some great companies fall and not others?

I listened to my daughter Christina recite a poem for her school project tonight.  I decided to research the poem and I sure am glad I did!  The poem was written by a Canadian MD during World War I.  This post is dedicated to our brothers and sisters north of the border in Canada.  Laurie and I had the honor of speaking outside of Halifax, Nova Scotia Canada two weekends ago.  I am very proud of the hunger, attitude and leadership we witnessed.  The Canadians are making a difference and watching the courage of so many leaders tells me the men of Flanders did not die in vain.  Here is the story behind the poem In Flanders Field and here is the link.

McCrae's "In Flanders Fields" remains to this day one of the most memorable war poems ever written. It is a lasting legacy of the terrible battle in the Ypres salient in the spring of 1915. Here is the story of the making of that poem:

Although he had been a doctor for years and had served in the South African War, it was impossible to get used to the suffering, the screams, and the blood here, and Major John McCrae had seen and heard enough in his dressing station to last him a lifetime.

As a surgeon attached to the 1st Field Artillery Brigade, Major McCrae, who had joined the McGill faculty in 1900 after graduating from the University of Toronto, had spent seventeen days treating injured men -- Canadians, British, Indians, French, and Germans -- in the Ypres salient.

It had been an ordeal that he had hardly thought possible. McCrae later wrote of it:

"I wish I could embody on paper some of the varied sensations of that seventeen days... Seventeen days of Hades! At the end of the first day if anyone had told us we had to spend seventeen days there, we would have folded our hands and said it could not have been done."

One death particularly affected McCrae. A young friend and former student, Lieut. Alexis Helmer of Ottawa, had been killed by a shell burst on 2 May 1915. Lieutenant Helmer was buried later that day in the little cemetery outside McCrae's dressing station, and McCrae had performed the funeral ceremony in the absence of the chaplain.

The next day, sitting on the back of an ambulance parked near the dressing station beside the Canal de l'Yser, just a few hundred yards north of Ypres, McCrae vented his anguish by composing a poem. The major was no stranger to writing, having authored several medical texts besides dabbling in poetry.

In the nearby cemetery, McCrae could see the wild poppies that sprang up in the ditches in that part of Europe, and he spent twenty minutes of precious rest time scribbling fifteen lines of verse in a notebook.

A young soldier watched him write it. Cyril Allinson, a twenty-two year old sergeant-major, was delivering mail that day when he spotted McCrae. The major looked up as Allinson approached, then went on writing while the sergeant-major stood there quietly. "His face was very tired but calm as we wrote," Allinson recalled. "He looked around from time to time, his eyes straying to Helmer's grave."

When McCrae finished five minutes later, he took his mail from Allinson and, without saying a word, handed his pad to the young NCO. Allinson was moved by what he read:

"The poem was exactly an exact description of the scene in front of us both. He used the word blow in that line because the poppies actually were being blown that morning by a gentle east wind. It never occurred to me at that time that it would ever be published. It seemed to me just an exact description of the scene."

In fact, it was very nearly not published. Dissatisfied with it, McCrae tossed the poem away, but a fellow officer retrieved it and sent it to newspapers in England. The Spectator, in London, rejected it, but Punch published it on 8 December 1915.

In Flanders Fields

By: Lieutenant Colonel John McCrae, MD (1872-1918)

Canadian Army

IN FLANDERS FIELDS the poppies blow

Between the crosses row on row,

That mark our place; and in the sky

The larks, still bravely singing, fly

Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the Dead. Short days ago

We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,

Loved and were loved, and now we lie

In Flanders fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe:

To you from failing hands we throw

The torch; be yours to hold it high.

If ye break faith with us who die

We shall not sleep, though poppies grow

In Flanders fields.

What part are you playing in the media war to ensure these brave young men and the cause they fought for are remembered?  Let us not break faith with those who died to maintain our freedoms - they risked their lives defending freedom and we only risk rejection and derision defending ours.  We have no excuses!  God Bless, Orrin Woodward

Here is a John Maynard Keynes quote that describes why we must discuss economics on this blog.  I could take the easy way out and not discuss any controversial issue.  But if we don’t discuss any controversial subjects—how do we learn the truths to live life by?    I understand that thinking through issues can be tough, but I promise to not attack anyone personally and only attack error and focus on leading people to truth.  If someone does not agree, then develop a reasoned argument of why you think differently and help me grow.  I believe that when people go into labeling and name calling, then it signals a lack of rational points to discuss and have resorted to attacking personalities not principles.  I encourage all of us to not take the low road and focus on principles instead of personalities.  Let’s fear ignorance more than disagreement and focus on iron sharpening iron as we all grow on our way to serving and leading.  As Tim Marks states, “Know why you believe what you believe.”  I am proud of everyone for thinking, whether they agree or disagree is not as important to me as logically thinking through why you think what you think.  If you do not know why you believe what you believe, you may be a victim of some defunct economist or political philosopher.  John Maynard Keynes was an economist who lived in England during the Great Depression.  I personally disagree with much of his thinking, but I respect the fact that he thought deeply about economic issues.   Keynes' ideas still hold sway in many economic circles and his thinking made an impact in our world.   Keynes quote below is an appropriate quote for our discussion on the presidential elections and will help us to hold all of our beliefs to critical reasoning.

The ideas of economists and political philosophers, both when they are right and when they are wrong, are more powerful than is commonly understood.  Indeed, the world is ruled by little else. Practical men, who believe themselves to be quite exempt from any intellectual influence, are usually the slaves of some defunct economist. Madmen in authority, who hear voices in the air, are distilling their frenzy from some academic scribbler of a few years back. I am sure that the power of vested interests is vastly exaggerated compared with the gradual encroachment of ideas.

What intellectual influences have helped you develop the way you think about the economy and government?  Have you studied and read for yourself or have you developed your ideas through parents, teachers, and the media?  Please share. God Bless, Orrin Woodward

No economic system has been proven more wrong than Karl Marx and his communist revolution.  With this being said, no system that has failed so miserably has so many of its ideas still in practice.  It is like a person who realizes that drinking a whole cup of poison will kill him, but determines that half a cup a poison will help him.  The communist spent millions of dollars and years of propaganda to inject their poison into the thinking of Americans.  It is now a documented fact that the communist worked to control the media and change the American values to communist positions.  I would like to take you back to the recognized father of modern communism, Karl Marx.  I believe economic understanding is one of the keys for the future of America.  With so much misinformation out there, I run the risk of being labeled by many sincere people who do not fully understand what is at stake.

America was founded on strong free enterprise and rule of law principles.  How few voters understand this and freely buy into communist positions ought to concern of all us.  The whole goal of this blog is to generate discussion and a better understanding of what the media war is about.  I am not offended in the least if you disagree with our discussion.  All I ask is we think together in an effort to learn truth.  Here is an article on the 10 Planks of the Communist Manifesto.  Do you recognize some of these originally radical ideas as now mainstream American thought?   The ideologies of free enterprise and communism are polar opposites on their view of man, God, and government.  Please read carefully and think about the 10 Planks.  Does it concern anyone else that America would adopt so many principles from a communist system that is defunct, an abject failure, and Godless from an atheist economist Karl Marx?  Why have so many of us been taught these principles as the American way of life?  Some will say I am paranoid, but are we paranoid if they really are after us?  Here is the linked article with the 10 Planks of the Communist Manifesto.

Karl Marx describes in his communist manifesto, the ten steps necessary to destroy a free enterprise system and replace it with a system of omnipotent government power, so as to effect a communist socialist state. Those ten steps are known as the Ten Planks of The Communist Manifesto… The following brief presents the original ten planks within the Communist Manifesto written by Karl Marx in 1848, along with the American adopted counterpart for each of the planks. From comparison it's clear MOST Americans have by myths, fraud and deception under the color of law by their own politicians in both the Republican and Democratic and parties, been transformed into Communists.

Another thing to remember, Karl Marx in creating the Communist Manifesto designed these planks AS A TEST to determine whether a society has become communist or not. If they are all in effect and in force, then the people ARE practicing communists.

Communism, by any other name is still communism, and is VERY VERY destructive to the individual and to the society!!

The 10 PLANKS stated in the Communist Manifesto and some of their American counterparts are...

1. Abolition of private property and the application of all rents of land to public purposes.

Americans do these with actions such as the 14th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution (1868), and various zoning, school & property taxes. Also the Bureau of Land Management (Zoning laws are the first step to government property ownership)

2. A heavy progressive or graduated income tax.

Americans know this as misapplication of the 16th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution, 1913, The Social Security Act of 1936.; Joint House Resolution 192 of 1933; and various State "income" taxes. We call it "paying your fair share".

3. Abolition of all rights of inheritance.

Americans call it Federal & State estate Tax (1916); or reformed Probate Laws, and limited inheritance via arbitrary inheritance tax statutes.

4. Confiscation of the property of all emigrants and rebels.

Americans call it government seizures, tax liens, Public "law" 99-570 (1986); Executive order 11490, sections 1205, 2002 which gives private land to the Department of Urban Development; the imprisonment of "terrorists" and those who speak out or write against the "government" (1997 Crime/Terrorist Bill); or the IRS confiscation of property without due process. Asset forfeiture laws are used by DEA, IRS, ATF etc...).

5. Centralization of credit in the hands of the state, by means of a national bank with State capital and an exclusive monopoly.

Americans call it the Federal Reserve which is a privately-owned credit/debt system allowed by the Federal Reserve act of 1913. All local banks are members of the Fed system, and are regulated by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) another privately-owned corporation. The Federal Reserve Banks issue Fiat Paper Money and practice economically destructive fractional reserve banking.

6. Centralization of the means of communications and transportation in the hands of the State.

Americans call it the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and Department of Transportation (DOT) mandated through the ICC act of 1887, the Commissions Act of 1934, The Interstate Commerce Commission established in 1938, The Federal Aviation Administration, Federal Communications Commission, and Executive orders 11490, 10999, as well as State mandated driver's licenses and Department of Transportation regulations.

7. Extension of factories and instruments of production owned by the state, the bringing into cultivation of waste lands, and the improvement of the soil generally in accordance with a common plan.

Americans call it corporate capacity, The Desert Entry Act and The Department of Agriculture… Thus read "controlled or subsidized" rather than "owned"… This is easily seen in these as well as the Department of Commerce and Labor, Department of Interior, the Environmental Protection Agency, Bureau of Land Management, Bureau of Reclamation, Bureau of Mines, National Park Service, and the IRS control of business through corporate regulations.

8. Equal liability of all to labor. Establishment of industrial armies, especially for agriculture.

Americans call it Minimum Wage and slave labor like dealing with our Most Favored Nation trade partner; i.e. Communist China. We see it in practice via the Social Security Administration and The Department of Labor. The National debt and inflation caused by the communal bank has caused the need for a two "income" family. Woman in the workplace since the 1920's, the 19th amendment of the U.S. Constitution, the Civil Rights Act of 1964, assorted Socialist Unions, affirmative action, the Federal Public Works Program and of course Executive order 11000.

9. Combination of agriculture with manufacturing industries, gradual abolition of the distinction between town and country, by a more equitable distribution of population over the country.

Americans call it the Planning Reorganization act of 1949 , zoning (Title 17 1910-1990) and Super Corporate Farms, as well as Executive orders 11647, 11731 (ten regions) and Public "law" 89-136. These provide for forced relocations and forced sterilization programs, like in China.

10. Free education for all children in public schools. Abolition of children's factory labor in its present form. Combination of education with industrial production.

Americans are being taxed to support what we call 'public' schools, but are actually "government force-tax-funded schools " Even private schools are government regulated. The purpose is to train the young to work for the communal debt system. We also call it the Department of Education, the NEA and Outcome Based "Education" . These are used so that all children can be indoctrinated and inculcated with the government propaganda, like "majority rules", and "pay your fair share". WHERE are the words "fair share" in the Constitution, Bill of Rights or the Internal Revenue Code (Title 26)?? NO WHERE is "fair share" even suggested!! The philosophical concept of "fair share" comes from the Communist maxim, "From each according to their ability, to each according to their need! This concept is pure socialism. ... America was made the greatest society by its private initiative WORK ETHIC ... Teaching ourselves and others how to "fish" to be self sufficient and produce plenty of EXTRA commodities to if so desired could be shared with others who might be "needy"... Americans have always voluntarily been the MOST generous and charitable society on the planet.

Did anyone else recognize how many of Marx’s principles have been swallowed whole into the body politic of American thinking?  How do we educate Americans on the root source of much of our modern thinking on economic issues?  Although communism as a system is dead, the ideas are alive and well in the flow of American consciousness.  Isn't it ironic (to put it mildly) that the American ideals beat the communist ideals in the ideology war, but at the very moment the former communist countries are attempting to learn free enterprise from us - we have swallowed so much of their poison that we have forgotten what made us win the war in the first place!  America is a great nation with great ideals.  I am proud to share the ideals our country was founded upon with anyone.  We must learn our heritage in order to protect our posterity.   I have said and continue to say that, “Ideas have consequences.”  What we believe as a country today, will be tomorrow’s reality.  We need a group of people with the hunger to learn the truth and the courageous leadership to share it.  Will anyone help Chris and I Launch a Leadership Revolution?  God Bless, Orrin Woodward

Update:  I want everyone to know that I believe in a limited government as the founding fathers did.  Limited government means—let the citizens accept responsibility for the greatest sphere of action and only utilize government where no individual or group of individuals can accomplish the task.  Government is by nature a monopoly and when government gets involved in an activity, it very rarely withdraws from the field.  Everyone knows that it is much easier to start a government program than to end one.  The more government is involved, the less money and influence the private sector has in that field.  People naturally learn from mistakes due to the pain of failure, but government rarely learns because they do not experience the same pain of failure as individuals and private companies.  An example would be GM, which ran like a federal government for years, (and had a budget like some smaller countries) but is now paying the price for failed policies and learning hard lessons.  Our federal government when it fails, merely taxes more, increases money supply through inflation or borrows more money—this delays the lessons for our future generations.  I am not the type of person to pass the buck to our future generations and I desire a restoration of the government principles that made our country great originally!  The founding fathers spelled out their principles of government in the Federalist Papers in three broad categories:

1. Settling disputes according to the Rule of Law between individuals.

2. Protection from criminals attempting to steal, lie or coerce profits vs. earn them by service.

3. Ensure liberty for all by providing protection from foreign invaders.

I found this article while researching for a post on the Proverbs.  I felt this had some good information for all of us.  I love learning truth principles and applying them to life.  I feel I have learned more truth applicable to life since 1997, (when I became Christian) than the 30 years of life prior to 1997.  Enjoy the article and please share the Biblical principles you have learned and applied to your life.  God Bless, Orrin Woodward

As with the rest of Scripture, whatever is written in the book of Proverbs is reliable and trustworthy. More than that, it is authoritative and binding in all of life. Yet being proverbs (inspired and reliable though they are), there are some characteristics which people tend to forget.

Take as an example the fact that proverbs often deal with isolated dimensions of life. In "real life," there are many dimensions (not just one) that affect a person's life. As a result, the full impact of the proverb will not always be immediately visible.

Consider a proverb that shows a contrast between two opposing ways of life. Usually, the proverb will describe the one way of life as bringing beneficial consequences, and the other as bringing harmful consequences. Now, these two contrasting results (from the two contrasting ways of life) are accurately described. And if there were two people who were the opposite in this one specific area yet identical in every other way, they would receive opposite consequences (at least within the scope of this one area). Yet since so many other factors are involved in life, these contrasting results are not always visible in full force.

Such factors include more than just our own consistent obedience (or disobedience) to other proverbs and teachings found in Scripture. People do not normally live in total isolation from each other. And the sinfulness or righteousness of the community (or nation) in which one lives will also have an influence on the extent to which he experiences God's blessing. There is also the dimension that we could call "temporary inconsistencies." (See Psalm 73 or the book of Job.) All of these factors (which we could perhaps call "environmental factors") must be taken into consideration.

In this life, one will not always be guaranteed that what is mentioned in any specific proverb will occur to the full extent that is stated. The multiplicity of factors that are part of one's life - both controllable and uncontrollable - will prevent this. But the likelihood or probability of such an outcome will increase, within the context of the other factors. The more a person follows the authoritative guidelines of the book of Proverbs, the more likely he will reap the beneficial consequences. The more a person goes against them, the more likely he will experience the destructive consequences that are warned against.

There are other items to consider when examining the sayings in Proverbs. For instance, the proverbs themselves have a strong emphasis on one's present life. They were written to teach us how to live now, not merely how to live someday in the distant future. To be sure, the future aspect of reality (which we call "eternity") is not denied by the Proverbs. It sometimes directly referred to, but it is not the primary emphasis.

A consequence of the emphasis on the "here and now" is that even those who do not know God can experience some of the benefits of following the proverbs! This is due to the graciousness of God, who gives good gifts to both the righteous and the unrighteous. Quite sadly, however, the good benefits are only temporary for such a person (they cease at his death, when he finds himself standing before his judge).

Another issue is that of the "time factor." People often want immediate results. (Where is their concept of "patience," or "perseverance?") The Proverbs (the rest of the Bible, for that matter) do not guarantee instant results for impatient people. (Impatience would more represent the one who does not live according to the Proverbs, than one who does!)

Not all proverbs are promises or show the best way of living. Some are nothing more than observations. They merely describe aspects of life - "the way it is" - whether or not that way is good or worthy of practice. We live in an evil day, and some proverbs merely describe what we should expect in the world around us, or why certain things happen. They are in no way endorsing the evil they describe.

"Temporary inconsistencies" are just that. Even if (in the extreme) they would last a lifetime, they cease at death for the child of God. (Remember that "death" for the Christian is nothing like death for the non-Christian!) As we read in the prophetic sections of the Bible, a wonderful day is coming for those who belong to God! On that day, everything that is in any way related to the presence of sin and evil will be forever removed. And all the "temporary inconsistencies" of life will be gone forever. (In the meantime, however, while such things exist in our lives, we know that they are there for a purpose. And we know that the purpose is good.)

For those who do not submit to God and his Word, there are also "temporary inconsistencies." This includes everything that can be called "good" or "pleasant" - the blessings of God. And the same day that the child of God eagerly awaits for will be a day of terror and distress for this group of people. For on that day, the blessings of God will be forever removed.

The blessings of the disciple of Christ are not limited to "physical" blessings. The true Christian is blessed (as it says, in Psalm 1) in all he does, under all circumstances. There may (and will) be temporary inconsistencies, as far as physical blessings are concerned, but the "spiritual" blessings in Christ cannot be altered by outward circumstances. In fact, even times of persecution can be looked on as a context for receiving the blessings of God! It has been said that it is better to be a Christian under the worst of circumstances in life, than to be a non-Christian under the best of circumstances in life. To us, the bad is temporary; to them the good is temporary.

The Proverbs of the Bible are not merely "good suggestions" or "antiquated opinions." They do not have the fleeting value of man-made sayings, clichés, or maxims. On the contrary, they are unchangeable and inescapable wisdom. (Man-made sayings have authentic, lasting value only to the extent that they agree with the proverbs of the Bible.)

We cannot "pick and choose" among the Proverbs - accepting some and disregarding others. Remember that the Proverbs found in the Bible are not man-made; they have their origin in God. To ignore them is folly. To act as though they were not true is to choose to be a fool.

The Proverbs are life. To disregard them is death.

I was reading the introduction to a book of quotes on wisdom and was impressed by a page called, “What This Book Will Do for You.”   I want to share with you the thoughts, but change it slightly to make it fit Chris Brady and my leadership blogs.  This introduction captures the essence of why Chris and I write blogs and books.   Here it is:

This self-help leadership blog will give you a priceless liberal (old meaning of liberal, meaning well rounded in classic literature and thought) education, and it includes the prescriptions for successful living.  Here is a blog that will stimulate your thinking and help you to be successful in your work, your study, and in your everyday living.  The prescriptions spelled out in these pages, will, if followed, help develop your inner qualities, for that is where your real wealth is.

Employ your time in improving yourself by other men’s writings so that you shall come easily by what others have labored hard for. – Socrates

This blog is compiled and written for the express purpose of condensing the best thoughts and advice of the greatest men and women in history in the hope that their distilled wisdom will be a guide to inspire you to build a solid bedrock foundation for a better, nobler life.  This leadership blog contains some of the most powerful and persuasive utterances of man—words that will inspire, help and delight you.

The short sayings of wise and good men are of great value.  They are like the dust of gold or the sparkle of the diamond. – Tolstoy

Through the centuries great men and women have stood out like the beacons of a lighthouse to guide and enrich their fellows.  The examples of these greats live on through the years; everyone can benefit by the trails they have blazed toward a better life.  No person is great in and of themselves; they must touch the lives of other great beings who will inspire them, lift them, and push them forward.

He is a rich man who can avail himself of all men’s faculties. – Emerson

This leadership blog of wise sayings was undertaken in the belief that there was a need for a blog of practical, everyday, usable sayings, thoughts and articles—that would help modern man develop his full potential and be the person they are capable of being.  If we are to be highly successful in life, we must look backward to learn from the experience of the greatest minds of the past, and then apply this wisdom to the greatest fulfillment of our everyday living.  The experience of the sages coupled with our own gives us the unbeatable combination to reach our worthy goals.

The wisdom of the wise and the experience of the ages are perpetuated by quotation. – Disraeli

Isn’t that a phenomenal introduction of why a leadership blog?  It was so good I had to share it!  Let’s develop and apply wisdom together, so we can make a difference.  God Bless, Orrin Woodward

Is there anyone else sick and tired of the continuous increases in our taxes?  The average American works past July 4^th before they get to keep their first penny of earnings!  Our founding fathers would be outraged for two important reasons: first, why we let it happen and second, why we haven’t done anything about it?  Does anyone honestly think the answer is to give more funds to the government to take care of our needs?  If you do, let me share with you one of the better documented cases of taxation producing results opposite of intentions.  President Lyndon Baines Johnson was an influential president with a large ego.  Driven by a desire to leave an enduring legacy, President Johnson declared a national "War on Poverty” with an objective of a “total victory” for his Great Society.  By its very definition “war” entails the use of violence and we should be concerned when violence is used against someone’s private property to ameliorate someone else’s living conditions.  Economically speaking, anytime poverty is rewarded—more people will become dependent on aid, where they once were dependent on their personal efforts.  Michael Tanner documents:

Since the War on Poverty began in 1965, federal, state, and local governments have spent more than $5.4 trillion fighting poverty in this country.  How much money is $5.4 trillion?  It is 70% more than it cost to fight World War II.  For $5.4 trillion you could purchase the assets of all the Fortune 500 corporations and all the farmland in the United States.  Yet . . . the poverty rate is actually higher today [1996] than it was in 1965.

Talk about a major investment with a negative return!  Only the government could afford an investment like this.  Would any conventional business be capable of ignoring the investment vs. return on something of this magnitude?  Our politicians ought to accept responsibility and apologize to the American people for their short sighted programs.  The problem with our government is not that it makes mistakes, but that it rarely learns from them.  The more government promises, the more they have to take our property to pay the bills.  I am genuinely concerned every time I hear a politician promise some government benefit.  I know that means more moms off to the work place to pay for the politician’s campaign promise.  Richard Pipes conclusions on the alleged “War on Poverty” in his book Property and Freedom, is biting, on the mark and near impossible to describe any better:

Between the launch of the Great Society in 1965 and 1993, the percentage of the population living below the poverty line rose from about 12.5 percent to 15 percent.  This has occurred during a period when welfare spending increased from under $50 billion annually to $324 billion.  The reason for this unexpected outcome is that welfare fosters dependency and dependency promotes poverty.  This trend is most obvious in the case of the program of Aid to Families with Dependent Children.  Originally conceived as a way of assisting widowed mothers, its main effect has been to encourage unmarried women to have children, who become government wards.  Thus, whereas in 1960 only 5.3 percent of births occurred out of wedlock, in 1990 this figure rose to 28 percent; among blacks, it was 65.2 percent.  Ninety-two percent of families on welfare have no father present.  Bountiful welfare, welfare which does not confine itself to meeting emergencies and situations out of the recipients’ control but attempts artificially to provide them (in FDR’s words) with a “comfortable living,” is not only injurious to the principle of property, an indispensable adjunct of freedom, but self-defeating.

The right to property in and of itself does not guarantee civil rights and liberties.  But historically speaking, it has been the single most effective device for ensuring both, because it creates an autonomous sphere in which, by mutual consent, neither the state nor society can encroach: by drawing a line between the public and the private, it makes the owner co-sovereign, as it were.  Hence, it is arguably more important than the right to vote.  The weakening of property rights by such devices as wealth distribution for purposes of social welfare and interference with contractual rights for the sake of “civil rights” undermines liberty in the most advanced democracies even as the peacetime accumulation of wealth and the observance of democratic procedures convey the impression that all is well.

The more money we throw at poverty the more we take people’s self respect—making the problem worse than when we started.  I love people too much to take their belief in themselves’ and their ability to solve their own problems.  Yes, we may struggle at times, but we will learn and grow through the process.  Richard Epstein writes, “With a tax, the government takes property in the narrowest sense of the term, ending up with ownership and possession of that which was once in private hands. . . Taxation is prima facie a taking of private property.”  We must arrest the tax creep going on in American society.  To boil a frog, you slowly increase the temperature.  The frog will adjust to the slight increases and never attempt to jump out of the pan.  In the same way, we have been slow boiled by rising taxes.  Remember, the revolutionary war was started on a tax of less than 1%.  It is time to massively reduce taxes, just like a company would reduce their budget after a failed business line.  The welfare state has failed, socialism has failed, and communism has failed.  The only successful economic system is free enterprise tempered with Judeo-Christian justice, charity and love.  Winston Churchill said, “The inherent vice of capitalism is the unequal sharing of blessings; the inherent virtue of socialism is the equal sharing of miseries.”  I will take a productive people with the inequalities of wealth associated with people’s different gifts, skills, and work ethic over the envy and laziness associated with a culture that demands equality through coercion.   The welfare state taxes societies’ achievers to give to the past generations temporary poor and in doing so creates a class of permanent under-achievers.  What kind of logic is this? 

Any presidential candidate must address specifically how they plan on reducing government and the multitudinous pork barrel projects now.  No household can afford to run a negative balance for long without paying heavy consequences.  Why do we allow government to routinely do what we would not and cannot do?  We need a mandated balanced budget and some leader willing to make some tough calls to reduce the budget.  I honestly believe that we stand at a precipice—if we continuing to raise taxes, we will destroy the very liberties that made America the land of the free.   Any candidate that is promising all kinds of government benefits is promising to tax Americans today or tax our children tomorrow.  Enough is enough!  Don’t give me unearned benefits—just ensure my opportunity to enter the free enterprise system and my performance will ensure my benefits.  In 1992, I was living in a trailer, but I had a dream and I knew I wasn’t lazy.  I was engaged to be married and excited about the future.  I had plenty to learn, but a willingness to fail and get up and try again.  Don’t give me a handout and take my self respect.  You can give someone encouragement, give someone money, but self respect is an inside job!  Americans are some of the hardest working people and are not looking for hand outs, but hand ups.  The Team is made up of individuals who know, “If it is to be then it is up to me.”  This is what the Team training is all about—teaching people how to help themselves and others.  As Ronald Reagan said, “America is the last best hope for mankind.”  Are you part of the problem or part of the solution?  God Bless, Orrin Woodward

Update:  I want everyone to know that I believe in a limited government as the founding fathers did.  Limited government means—let the citizens accept responsibility for the greatest sphere of action and only utilize government where no individual or group of individuals can accomplish the task.  Government is by nature a monopoly and when government gets involved in an activity, it very rarely withdraws from the field.  Everyone knows that it is much easier to start a government program than to end one.  The more government is involved, the less money and influence the private sector has in that field.  People naturally learn from mistakes due to the pain of failure, but government rarely learns because they do not experience the same pain of failure as individuals and private companies.  An example would be GM, which ran like a federal government for years, (and had a budget like some smaller countries) but is now paying the price for failed policies and learning hard lessons.  Our federal government when it fails, merely taxes more, increases money supply through inflation or borrows more money—this delays the lessons for our future generations.  I am not the type of person to pass the buck to our future generations and I desire a restoration of the government principles that made our country great originally!  The founding fathers spelled out their principles of government in the Federalist Papers in three broad categories:

1. Settling disputes according to the Rule of Law between individuals.

2. Protection from criminals attempting to steal, lie or coerce profits vs. earn them by service.

3. Ensure liberty for all by providing protection from foreign invaders.

God Bless, Orrin Woodward

A few miscellaneous thoughts:

1. Launching a Leadership Revolution, Chris Brady and my #1 selling book, continues to receive positive commentaries in the blogosphere.  This is part of the tipping point of our leadership revolution!

2. Our Leadership Blog just had its all time high in hits yesterday.  This is another part of our tipping point.   We are #24 on ice rocket and climbing.  Let's keep it growing!

3. We are creating a leadership community on this blog that has the ability to revolutionize the culture of our countries.  Many people post comments and ask questions of leadership or clarification of a post.  Please keep them coming as questions are how we think and learn.  If anyone believes they know the answer, feel free to comment and share your leadership understanding.  I would also ask the round tables and policy council members to review answers to ensure accuracy.  This will help us all serve our online communities, help everyone improve, and help me immensely with time management.  Together Everyone Achieves More!  Remember, it is our blog not my blog.

God Bless, Orrin Woodward

I am reading a book called WIKINOMICS by Tapscott & Williams.  My good friend Bob Dickie III, the CEO of Team, bought it for me for Christmas.  I have not finished it, but the first couple of chapters were enlightening.  The world is changing and the command and control organizations are going the way of the dinosaur.  Peter Senge stated, “The only competitive advantage is your organizations ability to learn faster than the competition.”  I have stated, “The only way for your organization to consistently learn faster is to engage as many minds in thinking and learning as possible!”  How can you get any faster than engaging the entire world to help you?   Read what the authors said in WIKINOMICS:

A new kind of business is emerging—one that opens its doors to the world, co-innovates with everyone (especially customers), shares resources that were previously guarded, harnesses the power of mass collaboration, and behaves not as a multinational but as something new: a truly global firm. . . The new art and science of wikinomics is based on four powerful new ideas: openness, peering, sharing, and acting globally. 

Let’s discuss the first concept today and as I read further, we can discuss more of the concepts.    When you think of openness, you think of candor, transparency, freedom, flexibility, access, and sharing.  The old industrial age companies believe in confidential information, hierarchical structure from top to bottom, authoritarian command and control, and contracts to control people and other companies.  Today’s informational age companies that make their boundaries porous to external ideas and human capital outperform the dinosaur companies that rely solely on their internal resources and capabilities.   Here is what the authors expressed in their book:

Yet another kind of openness is exploding: the communication of previously secret corporate information to partners, employees, customers and shareholders, and other interested participants.  Transparency—the disclosure of pertinent information—is a growing force in the network economy. . . People and institutions that interact with firms are gaining unprecedented access to important information about corporate behavior, operations, and performance.  Armed with new tools to find out, inform others, and self-organize, stakeholders are scrutinizing the firm like never before.

Customers can see the true value of products better.  Employees have previously unthinkable knowledge about their firm’s strategy, management, and challenges.  Partners must have intimate knowledge about each other’s operations to collaborate.  Powerful institutional investors who now own or manage most wealth are developing x-ray vision.  And in a world of instant communications, whistle-blowers, inquisitive media, and Googling, citizens and communities can easily put firms under the microscope. 

Leading firms are opening up pertinent information to all these groups—because they reap significant benefits from doing so.  Rather than something to be feared, transparency is a powerful new force for business success.  Smart firms embrace transparency and are actively open.  Our research shows that transparency is critical to business partnerships, lower transaction costs between firms and speeding up the metabolism of business webs.  Employees of open enterprises have higher trust among each other and with the firm, resulting in lower cost, better innovation, and loyalty.

The old adage, “information is power” has changed to “information shared is empowering.”   So why do some companies conceal and control all information from their customers?  I talked earlier of the benefits of social capital, but a firm that controls all the information loses its ability to create social capital.  The market today will reward the companies who are open and punish companies who are closed.   It is hard to trust a person or company who keeps secrets from others.  This is why I love the NY Times test.  If what you are doing cannot be written on the front page of the NY Times, then why are you doing it?   Joseph Schumpeter described free enterprise in a concept he called, “Creative Destruction.”    Creative Destruction according to Mr. Schumpeter is what makes free enterprise so effective in creating long-term wealth.  The underlying principle is that old wealth and ideas will be replaced by new wealth and ideas.  The new creations will destroy the old businesses.   This has happened numerous times over the years.  Look at the record industry; how is that idea doing today?   How about the carbureted automobile?  Is anyone making money with carbureted cars today?  New ideas and money moved in to create CD’s and fuel injectors.

The opening thesis of the WIKINOMICS book is: the future will be created by the open and transparent companies and the firms who guard their information will be destroyed.   I strongly believe the future belongs to the company who will learn and adapt the fastest.  Slow companies who guard all the information necessary to improve the company are committing corporate suicide.  Is your company, job, or business in the (Open) information age or the (Closed) industrial age?   I advise you to take Mr. Schumpeter’s principle of Creative Destruction seriously—it will make all the difference whether you are created or destroyed financially in the information age.  God Bless, Orrin Woodward

I am re-reading a fantastic book I read several years back called The Tipping Point by Malcolm Gladwell.  I believe the Team is at a tipping point and is about to explode and go mainstream.  Gladwell calls a community tipping point a social epidemic and states that there is only a small percentage (5%) who create it.  Gladwell documents three traits that cause an epidemic: contagiousness, little causes having big effects, and changes happening not gradually but at one dramatic moment.  The third trait is called a tipping point.  There are three types of people involved in a social epidemic: Connectors, Mavens and Salesmen.  Any business that expects to grow must focus on serving these three crucial catalysts—No business will survive long-term that mistreats these irreplaceable community influencers.  Malcolm states:

In a social epidemic, Mavens are data banks.  They provide the message.  Connectors are social glue: they spread it.  But there is also a select group of people—Salesmen—with skills to persuade us when we are unconvinced of what we are hearing, and they are critical to the tipping of word-of-mouth epidemics as the other two groups.

To create a tipping point we need the thinking and actions of all three groups.  Not long ago, I attended a conference in Hawaii where I heard Mr. Gladwell speak live.  His concepts of the tipping point are mind expanding and ought to be read and understood by any company expecting to grow their market share.  Let’s read what Gladwell has to say about the three categories of people involved in tipping points.

Connectors

What makes someone a Connector?  The first—and most obvious—criterion is that Connectors know lots of people. . . Six degrees of freedom doesn’t mean everyone is linked to everyone else in just six steps.  It means that a very small number of people are linked to everyone else in a few steps, and the rest of us are linked to the world through those special few. . . . In fact, I go down my list of forty friends, thirty of them, in one way or another, lead back to Jacob.  My social circle is, in reality, not a circle.  It is a pyramid.  And at the top of the pyramid is a single person—Jacob—who is responsible for an overwhelming majority of the relationships that constitute my life. . . . These people who link us up with the world, who bridge Omaha and Sharon, who introduce us to our social circles—these people on whom we rely more heavily than we realize—are Connectors, people with a special gift for bringing the world together. 

In the graph below, notice how Louise connects almost every other person.

Mavens

The word Maven comes from the Yiddish and it means one who accumulates knowledge.  In recent years, economists have spent a great deal of time studying Mavens, for the obvious reason that if marketplaces depend on information, the people with the most information must be the most important.  For example, sometimes when a supermarket wants to increase sales of a given product, they’ll put a promotion sticker in front of it, saying something like “Everyday Low Price!”  The price will stay the same.  The product will just be featured more prominently.  When they do that, supermarkets find that invariably the sales of the product go through the roof, the same way they would if the product had actually been put on sale. . .

But if we’ll buy more of something even if the price hasn’t been lowered, then what’s to stop supermarkets from never lowering their prices? . . . The answer is that although most of us don’t look at prices, every retailer knows that a very small number of people do, and if they find something amiss—a promotion that’s not really a promotion—they’ll do something about it.  If a store tried to pull the sales stunt too often, these are the people who would figure it out and complain to management and tell their friends and acquaintances to avoid the store.  These are the people who keep the marketplace honest. . . One name for them is “price vigilantes.”  The other, more common, name for them is “Market Mavens.”

Salesmen

Part of what it means to have a powerful or persuasive personality, then, is that you can draw others into your own rhythms and dictate the terms of the interaction. . . . I felt I was becoming synchronized with him. . . . But the essence of the Salesmen is that, on some level, they cannot be resisted.  “Tom can build a level of trust and rapport in five to ten minutes that most people will take a half an hour to do,” Moine says of Gau. . . What was interesting about Gau is the extent to which he seemed to be persuasive in a way quite different from the content of his words.  He seems to have some kind of indefinable trait, something powerful and contagious and irresistible that goes beyond what comes out of his mouth, that makes people who meet him want to agree with him.  It’s energy.  It’s enthusiasm.  It’s charm.  It’s likability.  It’s all those things and yet something more. 

What role will you play in the tipping point of the Team leadership community?  Are you a Connector, Maven or Salesmen/Saleswomen?  Everyone plays a part on our way to 1 million and beyond!  Our communities deserve the best and it is our responsibility to develop our gifts and skills.  We all have roles to play and promises to keep!  God Bless, Orrin Woodward

I have a couple of thoughts to share with everyone.  It has been an incredible month in many ways.

1. Congratulations to all the Leadership Blog readers!  You have doubled the traffic to this site again and our blog is rated the #26 ranked blog on the Ice Rocket Blog Tracker system.  I have been writing on this blog for only 3 months and the rank is a tribute to the many readers who shared this blog with others.  I am very proud of all of you and blessed to serve such an incredible group of leaders!  Can we double the traffic again?

2. In a previous career, I won a National Benchmarking Award for technical benchmarking.  I was an engineer at the time at GM and enjoyed benchmarking and the learning associated with it.  As part of my continuous life learning assignment, I benchmarked many companies in the MLM/Networking field recently.   In another month, I will share the results from my benchmarking study.  I developed numerous criteria to determine the best and worst in each category.  I believe it is my responsibility to ensure people have the facts to choose wisely in all of life’s decisions.  Would a benchmarking study of the MLM/Networking industry be of value to you?

3. Chris Brady and I are contemplating writing an autobiographical book of our leadership experiences over the last five years.  We have book publishers encouraging us to write another leadership book and maybe this would be a good topic to teach character based leadership?  Do the readers think this would be a good subject for a new book?

Let’s continue to do our personal best in everything we do.  There is no limit to what can be accomplished if we all do our best and focus on serving others.  As Jesus said, “It is more blessed to give than receive.”   When I started this blog—my goal was to give to others, but I have been more blessed by your thoughts and comments.  We have a bright future together by focusing on living honorably and serving others.  God Bless, Orrin Woodward

This article is dedicated to Jim and Dolores Martin.  Jim and Dolores are an inspiring couple who lead with passion and conviction.  You cannot hear them speak without being moved to action.  The Martin’s have overcome many obstacles to be the leaders they are, but they kept their focus on their purpose.  When confronted with the two roads of life, they did not even hesitate.  The Martin’s took the road less traveled and it has made all the difference for them.   Laurie and I congratulate Jim and Dolores for living a life of character, integrity, courage and honor.   I love the quote, “Be part of the solution, not part of the problem.”  Jim and Dolores have chosen to be part of the solution and are making an incredible difference.  Here is one of my favorite poems by Robert Frost on the road not taken.

Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,

And sorry I could not travel both

And be one traveler, long I stood

And looked down one as far as I could

To where it bent in the undergrowth;

Then took the other, as just as fair,

And having perhaps the better claim,

Because it was grassy and wanted wear;

Though as for that the passing there

Had worn them really about the same,

And both that morning equally lay

In leaves no step had trodden black.

Oh, I kept the first for another day!

Yet knowing how way leads on to way,

I doubted if I should ever come back.

I shall be telling this with a sigh

Somewhere ages and ages hence:

Two roads diverged in a wood, and I--

I took the one less traveled by,

And that has made all the difference.

Robert Frost

Are you taking the road less traveled in your life?  Can you give an example of when you had to separate yourself from the crowd?  God Bless, Orrin Woodward

A major plank for any presidential candidate is how they view government’s role in the economy.  Some candidates view the government as the insurer of the people’s welfare; while others, view government’s role more like an umpire to ensure all citizens play by the rules of free enterprise.  This discussion could develop into many separate books so I give an overview with a couple of specifics cases that will validate the principles.  I feel strongly that no government can insure the welfare of its citizens.  By the very nature of government, it only receives money from the citizens.  How can a government take from its own citizens, pay for all the bureaucrats and still provide more than it has taken?  It is economically impossible, which means the plan is to take from those who have money to give to those who don’t.  There is not one example in the long history of mankind where a reward for laziness has produced more wealth.  Not one, ever!  

Collectivism, regardless of what name you give it—communism, socialism, fascism, Nazism or modern liberals—derives it support from what Albert Jay Nock termed “Epstean’s Law.”  Epstean’s Law states, “Man tends always to satisfy his needs and desires with the least possible exertion.”  What could be better for some uninformed voter than to vote for some politician who promises free food, health care, housing, ET all, under the guise of compassionate care for the less fortunate?  Big companies also get involved by throwing money to politicians who promise special monopoly deals in the marketplace for their product or business.  Epstean’s Law applies to everyone rich or poor and must not be wrongly catered to or our whole country will suffer.  Look at all the well-intentioned government programs that fail and perform the opposite functions of originally planned.  This is why democracies with time become collectivist, as mass-man votes against private property rights and for government welfare for all.   But Epstean’s Law also is the driving force behind every material improvement and labor saving device.  It is highly beneficial when directed by a competitive free-market economy based on the right of private property and equality before the law.  Henry Ford understood Epstean’s Law and stated, “I give the laziest man in my factory the toughest job, because he will find an easier way of doing it.”  This is the positive side of Epstean’s Law.

Government cannot provide for the welfare of its citizens and survive.  Even today we see the results of collectivist action in destroying our great country.  The taxes paid by Americans are at an all time high—when you include all the hidden fees and charges.  The people are drowning through over taxation and are desperate to see their individual financial lives improved.  It is tempting to believe that government can solve their issues and politicians are tempted to promise this to get elected.  DO NOT BE FOOLED!   All we should ask of government is to ensure that everyone plays by the rules and allows human beings to enjoy their God-given rights to grow as fast and as far as they are willing to work.  No one should get a free ride from the government.  But Orrin, what about the unfortunate who need charity?  I am all for charity and we are commanded in the Bible to provide for those in need.  Charity ought to be a private affair and not government directed.  The only thing that has saved this country from collectivism is the inefficiency of the bureaucracy in implementing the collectivist policies.   

Let me give an example from a congressman who understood this principle well.  Davy Crockett, the famous outdoorsman was also a congressman from Tennessee.  After the war of 1812, Congress proposed a bill to appropriate ten thousand dollars to Stephen Decatur’s widow.  The war hero’s widow had fallen on hard times and Congress discussed giving the money to ameliorate her distress.  Only a hard heart would vote against such a compassionate measure, but Davy Crockett had his reasons.  Here is Crockett’s speech he delivered to Congress:

We must not permit our respect for the dead or our sympathy for a part of the living to lead us into an act of injustice to the balance of the living. . . . Congress has no power to appropriate this money as an act of charity.  Every member upon this floor knows it.  We have the right, as individuals, to give away as much of our own money as we please in charity; but. . . . We have no right so to appropriate a dollar of the public money. . . Mr. Speaker, the deceased lived long after the close of the war; he was in office to the day of his death, and I have never heard that the government was in arrears to him.  This government can owe no debts but for services rendered, and at a stipulated price.  If it is a debt, how much is it?  If it is a debt, we owe more than we can ever hope to pay, for we owe the widow of every soldier who fought in the War of 1812 precisely the same amount.  There is a woman in my neighborhood, the widow of as gallant a man as ever shouldered a musket. . . . But if I were to introduce a bill to appropriate five or ten thousand dollars for her benefit, I should be laughed at, and my bill would not get five votes in this House.  There are thousands of widows in the country just such as this one. .

Sir, this is no debt.  The government did not owe it to the deceased when he was alive; it could not contract it after he died.  I do not wish to be rude, but I must be plain. . . We cannot, without the grossest corruption, appropriate this money as the payment of a debt.  We have not the semblance of authority to appropriate as charity. . . I am the poorest man on this floor.  I cannot vote for this bill, but I will give one week’s pay to the object, and if every member of Congress will do the same, it will amount to more than the bill asks.

Crockett knew that “Hard cases make bad law."  The widow bill was defeated and some members did donate money for her hardship.  Not all of the congress participated with their private funds.  It seems most of congress is more willing to be compassionate with public funds than personal funds.  Imagine if Bob Dickie, the Team CEO, started taking Team funds and donating to charities of his choice.  These are Team funds and not at the disposal of any one of us.  In the same way, government funds are the citizen’s money held in a trust to provide the basic infrastructure for all of the people.  Politicians should not spend the public funds on pet projects or anything that creates a special deal for some against others.  This divides people and initiates Epstean’s Law in a detrimental way. 

Any candidate for president that proposes more government to solve the ills of the people is a direct descendant of Marx, Lenin, Stalin, and Mao.  Whatever else government is, it is the society’s apparatus of coercion.  Government has monopoly power to enforce the rules of the game.  If someone enters a bank and attempts to illegally withdraw funds by violence—the police have authority to coerce the bank robber out of his actions through force.  To quote Edmund Opitz, “The business of society is peace; the business of government is violence.  So, the question is: What service can violence render to peace?  The libertarian answer is that violence can serve peace only by restraining peace breakers.”   If you don’t think the business of government is violence then stop paying your taxes and see if violence occurs.  Remember, every law passed also passes corresponding punishments for not obeying the law.  Every law passed means more government intervention to ensure the law is followed.  I am not for a lawless society, but am for reducing the quantity of laws and the controls that bind the human spirit and liberties needlessly. 

To sum up, government provides for defense, ensures God-given rights, and allows the pursuit of happiness.  Government cannot ensure the welfare of its citizens and any politician promising the government will take care of you is either lying or hopelessly ignorant.  We as Americans must insist that our candidate for president allows America to do what it does best—freely solve our own problems.  A moral people following the principles of the Bible does not need a new Sovereign.   The more people follow God, the less they will need government regulations & rules to enforce a myriad of issues.  The American phenomenon is based upon free people thinking, doing and solving issues for themselves with minimal government involvement.  Ronald Reagan said it best, “The ten scariest words to hear—‘This is the government and we are here to help.’”  God Bless, Orrin Woodward

January's Team seminars have been spectacular!  What location did you attend?  What key nuggets did you take and add to your leadership arsenal?  The Team is on its way to 1 million leaders and are having fun, making money and making a difference through leadership development.  Please share what you learned. God Bless, Orrin Woodward

Laurie and I had the blessing to spend a couple of days with Mark and Tami Crawford.  We are so impressed by their hunger to improve and grow.  The Crawford's have built large communities and have done so with character, integrity, and teamwork.  They are both incredible leaders and how they work together creates synergy.  Thank you Mark and Tami for your incredible example of Together Everyone Achieves More.  This is a couple to watch as the Team moves on to its goal of 1 million leaders!

Here are some great quotes on learning to keep us all hungry on our journey of life.

Learning is a treasure which follows its owner everywhere. - Chinese Proverb

Seeing much, suffering much, and studying much, are the three pillars of learning. -Disraeli

If we succeed in acquiring the love of learning, the learning itself is sure to follow. - John Lubbock

Anyone who stops learning is old, whether at twenty or eighty.  Anyone who keeps learning stays young.  The greatest thing in life is to keep your mind young. - Henry Ford

Are you still learning?  Chris and I believe that hunger to learn is the key ingredient to improve as a leader.  Let's keep learning and leading on our way to 1 million people!  God Bless, Orrin Woodward

Living by beliefs and principles leads to convictions.  Here are more of my favorite quotes on conviction.

The men who succeed best in public life are those who take the risk of standing by their own convictions. - James Garfield

Be true to your highest convictions. - W. E. Channing

I can only say that I have acted upon my best convictions.  Without selfishness or malice, and by the help of God I shall continue to do so. - Abraham Lincoln

Trying to live without money is easier than trying to live without convictions. - Roy L. Smith

On February 10th, Chris and I will be able to share our game plan for the future.  Our convictions are solid and we are very excited for the future!  Are you? God Bless, Orrin Woodward

UPDATE: The Team will always be Leadership Development.  Any new project that Chris, myself and others pursue will not change the role of Team.  Team will always help develop leaders, regardless of the specific field the leadership is applied to.

I have enjoyed the comments flowing to the posts on Presidential Principles for Candidates.  The readers of this blog are clear, articulate, and logical thinkers. Here is the original list of the four questions for review purposes.

1. Does the candidate believe in God and understand the blessings this nation has enjoyed because of our faith in God? 

2. Does the candidate have a proven track record of personal and professional integrity and character? 

3. Does the candidate believe that a free people not a controlling government is responsible for our economic blessings?

4. Can the candidate lead people and supply a principle-based vision for America?

Let’s continue our analysis on question number one.  Patriotism for our country flows from an understanding of the underlying principles our country was founded upon.   For a person to be qualified for the president’s position—certainly a love of country and understanding of the founding principles is required.  I get upset when I hear people making character attacks on our founding fathers.  The basic argument goes, “What hypocrites, saying they believe in freedom and yet enslaving the blacks and committing genocide on the Indian nations.”   It doesn't take a genius to prove that human beings are fallen and do not live up to their ideals.  Hypocrisy is part of the human condition.  All of us judge others on the very same issues we ourselves are guilty of.  For example, how many readers have been upset at another’s pride and yet we have a wrongful pride ourselves at times.  Believe me, I am talking to me as much as you.  Although America is not perfect—America did fight a bloody war that freed the slaves and has brought many Indians into the free enterprise system.  We must constantly focus on our ideals and not allow self-centeredness to overcome our principles.  But this is much different than giving up on ideals, because we haven’t lived up to them!

America was founded on ideals.  Ideals like, all men are created equal before an Almighty God.   Ideals like, you will be paid based on your service to others.  Ideals like, representative government, innocent until proven guilty and freedom of the press.   Ideals like, justice, mercy, peace and honor.  Being an American is more a way of thinking than a specific nationality.  Anyone can be an American, regardless of race, creed, color, etc.   America is a land of opportunity—an idea that people should not be judged on the color of their skin; the way they worship God; or their family lineage; but by the content of their character - to quote Martin Luther King Jr.  It makes no difference whether your ancestors were kings, queens, nobility, farmers, paupers, prisoners or slaves, because in America you have an opportunity to rise above your roots.  In a free enterprise society, you are rewarded based on your willingness to serve others.  People from all nationalities would come to America for the opportunity to be rewarded for their efforts.  Yes, many were poor immigrants and lived hand to mouth, but they sacrificed so their children could learn the American principles and prosper.   We owe a huge debt to our ancestors who came to America for the dream of a new start.  Some came as indentured servants, some as slaves, some as poor immigrants, some were here as Native Americans, but we are all joined together as Americans because of our founding ideals. 

In other countries, you are a citizen if you are that nationality.  You may live and even have citizenship in France, Germany, or Italy, but you will never truly be French, German, or Italian.  When you learn the ideals of America, you become part of the great melting pot known as Americans.   This is what we are losing in today’s love affair with multi-culturalism.  Don’t get me wrong, I am fascinated with all cultures and can learn something from all, but when people come to live in America they should learn the principles that made America great.  I have said all this to bring you to my point!  The American president must respect and encourage people from all nationalities living in America, but lead in the assimilation of all cultures into the guiding principles that has made America the freest, wealthiest and most generous nation on earth.  If our own president is not proud of our heritage, how can the people following the presidential leader be proud? 

Research every candidate and ask, “Do they know our history and love our country?”  Is their goal to bring all cultures together to create a better America?  Or is their goal to have a divided America, where people speak their native tongue, do not buy into American principles and fight to change the very principles that made millions of immigrants come to America in the first place?   My ancestors came from England, Germany, Ireland and some were Native American, but I am an American!  If you buy into the ideals discussed earlier, then you too are an American also.  Why do we apologize for the principles that led millions to abandon their homelands to come to our American shores?   I want a president who will be proud of America and help us be proud of our heritage.  No, we are not perfect, but no nation is or ever will be.  I will put our founding principles against any other country in the world and not apologize for them.  I am proud to be an American and proud to enjoy the corresponding freedoms.  I am free to write this article without fear of reprisals from an over arching government.  You are free to disagree with me without fear of retaliation.  If I could choose a country to live in, I would do no better than the gift God blessed me with of being an American.  I hope you feel the same about your country. 

We as a nation, have a responsibility to protect these principles and leave our country better than we found it.  This is why I feel so strongly about the media war.  The media war is designed to teach our citizens the principles that God has honored and blessed.  Will you help me and the rest of the great leaders of Team educate our people on these guiding principles?  If you will, then we must find a candidate who supports and encourages theses principles also.  One of my biggest fears is to be  near death and having my great grandchildren around me and ask, “Grandpa, tell us again what it was like to live in a free America?”  We have much to do and we are the Team of leaders to do it.  Yes, it is time to Launch a Leadership Revolution! God Bless, Orrin Woodward

Assignment:  What do you love about America?  What candidates believe in our founding principles and remind us of what it means to be an American?  Please share.

I just read another incredible article.  On June 6, 2007 33 senators voted against the English language being America’s official language.  What is up with that?  America has for centuries been the melting pot of the world.  People from all nations have come to America and learned our culture including our language.  Why would so many senators reject something as basic as the English language for the official language of America?   Retired US Colonel Harry Riley was extremely upset at the lack of patriotism displayed by these senators and wrote:

Senators:

Your vote against an amendment to the immigration Bill 1348......to make English America's official language is astounding. On D-Day, no less, when we honor those that sacrificed in order to secure the bedrock, character and principles of America.

I can only surmise your vote reflects a loyalty to illegal aliens.  I don't much care where you come from.  What your religion is.  Whether you're black, white, or some other color.....male or female......Democrat, Republican or Independent.

But I do care when you are a United States Senator representing Citizens of America....and Vote against English as the official language of the United States.

Your vote reflects Betrayal.  Political Surrender.  Violates Your Pledge of Allegiance.  Dishonors historical principle. Rejects Patriotism.  Borders On traitorous action and, in my opinion, makes you unfit to serve as a United States senator, impeachment... Recall........Or other appropriate action is warranted or worse.

Four of you voting against English as America's Official Language are Presidential Candidates:  Senator Biden, Senator Clinton, Senator Dodd and Senator Obama. 

Four Senators vying to lead America, but won't or Don' t have the courage to cast a vote in favor of "English"  as America's Official Language when 91% of American Citizens want English officially designated as our language. 

This is the second time in the last several months this list of Senators have disgraced themselves as "political Hacks", Unworthy as Senators and certainly unqualified to serve as President of the United States. 

 If America is as angry as I am, you will realize a backlash so stunning it will literally "rock you out of your panties"......... And preferably totally out of the United States Senate.

The entire immigration bill is a farce... Your action only confirms this really isn't about America.....it is about self-serving politics......despicable at best.  It has been said:

"Never Argue with an Idiot....They'll drag you down to their level!"

The following Senators voted against making English the official language

Of America:

Akaka (D-HI)

Bayh (D-IN)

Biden (D-DE) (Wants to be President)

Bingaman (D-NM)

Boxer (D-CA)

Cantwell (D-WA)

Clinton (D-NY) (Wants to be President) 

Dayton (D-MN)

Dodd (D- MN) (wants to be president)

Domenici (R-NM) coward. Protecting his senate seat

Durbin (D-IL)

Feingold (D-win) - not unusual for him

Feinstein (D-ca)

Harkin (D-IA)

Inouye (D-hi)

Jeffords (I-VT)

Kennedy - (D-ma)

Kerry (D-ma) (tried to be president)

Kohl (D-WI))

Lautenberg (D-NJ)

Leahy (D-VT)

Levin (D-MI)

Lieberman (I-CT) Disappointment here .....

Menendez (D-NJ)

Mikulski (D-MD)

Murray (D-WA)

Obama (D-IL) (Wants to be President)

Reed (D-RI)

Reid (D-NV) Senate Majority Leader

As Lazar (D-CO)

Sarbanes (D-MD)

Schumer (D-NY)

Stabenow (D-M

PRESIDENT ABRAHAM LINCOLN

"Congressmen who willfully take actions during wartime that damage morale and undermine the military are saboteurs and should be arrested, exiled or Hanged!!!

Assignment:  I am not for hangings, but why do you think so many senators voted against English as the official language of the USA?  What do you think of Colonel Riley’s letter?  Are some of the leaders of our nation no longer proud of our American heritage?

I received this email and believe this is true news from Australia.  It looks like Australia is cracking down on radical Islamist in their country.  I know and am friends with many peace loving Muslims and this is not meant as an attack against my fellow Americans.  This radical wing of Islam does not accept the laws of the host nations and pledges to bring Sharia law to each country.  America is the great melting pot and immigrants must buy into the American culture to unify the melting pot.  If I move to another nation, I certainly would pledge to live by the rules of that country.  If I did not like the culture, then I should not move to the country in the first place.  This is common sense to me, but I have heard that common sense is the least common thing.  Here is the article.

Muslims who want to live under Islamic Sharia law were told on Wednesday to get out of Australia, as the government targeted radicals in a bid to head off potential terror attacks. 

Separately, Howard angered some Australian Muslims on Wednesday by saying he supported spy agencies monitoring the nation's mosques.  Quote: 'IMMIGRANTS, NOT AUSTRALIANS, MUST ADAPT. Take It or Leave It I am tired of this nation worrying about whether we are offending some individual or their culture. Since the terrorist attacks on Bali, we have experienced a surge in patriotism by the majority of Australians.'  

'This culture has been developed over two centuries of struggles, trials and victories by millions of men and women who have sought freedom'.

'We speak mainly ENGLISH; not Spanish, Lebanese, Arabic, Chinese, Japanese, Russian, or any other language. Therefore, if you wish to become part of our society, Learn the language!'  

'Most Australians believe in God. This is not some Christian, right wing, political push, but a fact, because Christian men and women, on Christian principles, founded this nation, and this is clearly documented. It is certainly appropriate to display it on the walls of our schools. If God offends you, then I suggest you consider another part of the world as your new home, because God is part of our culture.' 

'We will accept your beliefs, and will not question why. All we ask is that you accept ours, and live in harmony and peaceful enjoyment with us.' 

'This is OUR COUNTRY, OUR LAND, and OUR LIFESTYLE, and we will allow you every opportunity to enjoy all this. But once you are done  complaining, whining, and griping about Our Flag, Our Pledge,  Our Christian beliefs, or Our Way of Life, I highly encourage  you take advantage of one other great Australian freedom,  

'THE RIGHT TO LEAVE'.'

'If you aren't happy here then LEAVE. We didn't force you to come here. You asked to be here. So accept the country YOU accepted.'

Assignment: Do you believe the culture of the host nation should be followed by immigrants moving into the country?  Did your ancestors immigrate to the US or Canada?  Do you feel a full citizen even though your ancestors were immigrants?

This post is dedicated to Larry and Marsie VanBuskirk.  Larry and Marsie visited our 982 square foot house 14 years ago and taught Laurie and me the importance of leadership development.  I can still remember the three books they told us to read - Magic of Thinking Big, Psychology of Winning, and Seven Habits.  Larry and Marsie changed our lives with that 2 hour visit.  We will be forever grateful and thankful for their difference making act in a young couple's lives.  The VanBuskirk's are two of the hardest workers and servers on the entire Team.  They have applied leadership development to their personal lives and are building many other leaders. 

Can one person really make a difference?  The answer for me is a resounding yes!  I can look back at my own life and remember meeting my 4^th grade teacher Mr. Franz Luoma.  I want to thank Mr. Luoma for taking an over active 4^th grader and by encouraging and focusing him - helped him to develop his abilities.  I truly am indebted for Mr. Luoma's willingness and patience to teach me self-discipline.  It has made a huge difference in my life and his statement, “When the going gets tough, the tough get going”, still echos in my head when life gets tough.  Wherever you are Mr. Luoma, please know that you made a difference in my life!  Here is true story from the Economic Press of another teacher who made a major impact in many young boys lives. 

Years ago a John Hopkin's professor gave a group of graduate students this assignment: Go to the slums. Take 200 boys, between the ages of 12 and 16, and investigate their background and environment. Then predict their chances for the future.

The students, after consulting social statistics, talking to the boys, and compiling much data, concluded that 90 percent of the boys would spend some time in jail.

Twenty-five years later another group of graduate students was given the job of testing the prediction. They went back to the same area. Some of the boys - by then men - were still there, a few had died, some had moved away, but they got in touch with 180 of the original 200. They found that only four of the group had ever been sent to jail.

Why was it that these men, who had lived in a breeding place of crime, had such a surprisingly good record? The researchers were continually told: "Well, there was a teacher..."

They pressed further, and found that in 75 percent of the cases it was the same woman. The researchers went to this teacher, now living in a home for retired teachers. How had she exerted this remarkable influence over that group of children? Could she give them any reason why these boys should have remembered her?

"No," she said, "no I really couldn't." And then, thinking back over the years, she said musingly, more to herself than to her questioners: "I loved those boys...."

What role model from your youth made a difference in your life?  Have you taken the time to honor and thank them?  Please share with the rest of us who they are and what they did to make a difference.  Is your leadership based on the love you have for others?

Here is a great article by John C. Maxwell from one of my favorite leadership books - 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership.  This ties right in with the quote, “Example isn't everything, it is the only thing.”    John has some phenomenal points to contemplate on your leadership journey.   John’s article agrees perfectly with Chris Brady and my thoughts in the best selling book, Launching a Leadership Revolution.  This proves that leadership is leadership in any area and when you learn to lead—you are invaluable to any business. 

This fall I had a rare opportunity to update and revise a book I wrote 10 years ago. When I wrote The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership, I attempted to share everything I knew about leading people by teaching the timeless principles I had discovered. The book became very popular, appeared on The New York Times best-seller list and remained on the Business Week best-seller list for nearly two years. It is by far the book I'm best known for.

However, not long after the book was published and I began teaching the leadership laws internationally, I realized that I had left out a couple of very important concepts. When my publisher, Thomas Nelson, invited me to revise the book, I jumped at the chance. I had learned so much in those 10 years, and I wanted to share it. What began as a minor update turned into a major revision in which I rewrote about 70% of the book.

One of the concepts I included in the new edition is something I call "The Law of the Picture: People Do What People See." It deals with the importance of the examples leaders give to their people. You see, good leaders must communicate vision clearly, creatively, and continually. However, the vision doesn't come alive until the leader models it.

Good leaders are aware that others do what they do. And they always keep in mind that:

1. Followers are Always Watching What Leaders Do

If you are a parent, you have probably already realized that your children are always watching what you do. And just as children watch their parents and emulate their behavior, so do employees who are watching their bosses. If the bosses come in late, then employees feel like they can, too. If the boss cuts corners, employees cut corners. People do what people see.

Followers may doubt what their leaders say, but they usually believe what they do. And they imitate it. Former U.S. Army General and Secretary of State Colin Powell observed, "You can issue all the memos and give all the motivational speeches you want, but if the rest of the people in your organization don't see you putting forth your very best effort every single day, they won't either."

2. It's Easier to Teach What's Right than to Do What's Right

Mark Twain quipped, "To do what is right is wonderful. To teach what is right is even more wonderful -- and much easier." That's one of the reasons why many parents (and bosses) say, "Do as I say, not as I do."

One of my earliest challenges as a leader was to raise my living to the level of my teaching. I can still remember the day I decided that I would not teach anything I did not try to live out myself. That was a tough decision, but as a young leader I was learning to embrace the Law of the Picture. Norman Vincent Peale said, "Nothing is more confusing than people who give good advice but set a bad example." I say, "Nothing is more convincing than people who give good advice and set a good example."

3. We Should Work on Changing Ourselves Before Trying to Improve Others

Leaders are responsible for the performance of their people. The buck stops with them. Accordingly, they monitor their people's progress, give them direction, and hold them accountable. And to improve the performance of the team, leaders must act as change agents. However, a great danger to good leadership is the temptation to try to change others without first making changes to yourself.

As a leader, the first person I need to lead is me. The first person that I should try to change is me. My standards of excellence should be higher for myself than those I set for others. To remain a credible leader, I must always work first, hardest, and longest on changing myself. This is neither easy nor natural, but it is essential.

4. The Most Valuable Gift a Leader Can Give is Being a Good Example

A survey conducted by Opinion Research Corp. for Ajilon Finance asked American workers to select the one trait that was most important for a person to lead them. Ranked No. 1, with 26% of votes, was leading by example. Second, at 19%, was strong ethics or morals. More than anything else, employees want leaders whose beliefs and actions line up.

Leadership is more caught than taught. How does one "catch" leadership? By watching good leaders in action!

So as you approach the end of the calendar year and start thinking about the performance of the people you lead, stop for a moment of honest reflection and ask yourself this question: What kind of example am I setting? If you're setting a high standard for integrity, competence, work ethic, and professional growth, if you're being all that you desire your people to be, then you're setting up yourself, your people, and your organization for success. If not, you need to make some changes.

Assignment: Are you leading with character and integrity?  Would you want 100 people in your community who lead, act and respond exactly like you do?   For 2008, what areas of leadership will you personally improve in the most?

I have been asked by many to comment on this year’s presidential elections.  I can certainly comment on the principles involved and share some of the major issues with you.  Because I am constantly thinking about the future and reading about the past—I am not the best guy to talk to about current events.   I will not be recommending a candidate for you to vote for, but I will share the principles for you to analyze each candidate by.  For the sake of clear writing I will not place he/she every time it is needed, but I do recognize the president can be either a man or woman.

When I look for a leader of the most powerful country in the world—I look for four major things:

1. Does the candidate believe in God and understand the blessings this nation has enjoyed because of our faith in God? 
2. Does the candidate have a proven track record of personal and professional integrity and character? 
3. Does the candidate believe that a free people not a controlling government is responsible for our economic blessings?
4. Can the candidate lead people and supply a principle-based vision for America?

There are many subsections to each of these four points that I will expound on over several post.   Let’s start with the candidate’s Faith.  Faith in the Biblical God will shape a person’s world-view and how he or she sees people.  If people are made in God’s image, then they have God given rights and responsibilities and the president ensures justice for the game of life.  If people are merely higher forms of animals, then they have no inherent rights or responsibilities and the president is more of a zoo keeper.   The president’s world-view will affect every decision he will make during the presidency.  I am surprised that more people do not study the leader’s world view before supporting them.   What could be more important than understanding how he will weigh the pros and cons of every issue he confronts?

What is a world-view?  Francis Schaeffer in his classic, How Should We Then Live described a world-view as a grid:

People have presuppositions, and they will live more consistently on the basis of these presuppositions than even they themselves may realize. By presuppositions we mean the basic way an individual looks at life, his basic world-view, the grid through which he sees the world. Presuppositions rest upon that which a person considers to be the truth of what exists. People's presuppositions lay a grid for all they bring forth into the external world. Their presuppositions also provide the basis for their values and therefore the basis for their decisions.

Can you see why a person’s world-view would be critical in analyzing whether to vote for them?  When I meet new people, my goal is to get to know them.  I do this by asking questions and listening to determine their world-view.  In order to lead people, you must know where a person wishes to go and where they are starting from.  I believe all mentoring breaks down to: determining a person's current world-view, determining what a person wishes to accomplish, and determining the world-view necessary for them to achieve their goals and dreams.  In several future post, we will delve into each of the four bullet points and develop a grid to analyze the candidates.  God Bless, Orrin Woodward

I  received this email from Doug Stroh.  He forwarded it from a couple that are doing an incredible job of launching a leadership revolution.  I will attach the email in full.  Congratulations Lon and Kris for your hunger to make an impact in life!  So many individuals are our making a difference in their communities and I want to recognize all of you on this blog.  I personally thank all of you for doing what you do to make a difference! God Bless, Orrin Woodward

Hi Doug,
Just wanted to share our excitement for the future! We’ve been sharing the TEAM with many businesses and educational institutions. For instance, we’ve met with Director of HR at Swift Transportation, the President of Elkhart Chamber of Commerce, the CEO at Perrigo, a top 5 financial advisor at Edward Jones and director of operations at Renegade RV. We’ve also met with the Kansas superintendent of schools (Kiowa and Wichita districts).  Every one of them has gone fantastic! We’ve moved a ton of tools (about $1,600 in Dec). They all want to review the materials to learn more. Many of them have finished the LLR book and totally agree with everything that’s being taught. Most of them want to create or add to their media library! Yesterday Josh, an 18 year old kid, met with various principles in KS and it looks like to they want to implement the TEAM’s training system for their teachers and students. This will be funded by the KS school system once the superintendent signs off. This is the same superintendent that Josh and Lonnie already met with. He’s the one that recommended that we speak with the principles! We are so excited for what this media is going to do for thousands of Americans. It has already made such a tremendous impact in our lives and many others. Thank you to TEAM Leadership for taking a stand!

Sincerely,
Lon & Kris
Dream Team Freedom Fighters

How are you making a difference with your Team materials?

This post is dedicated to Lance and Tracey Smith.  Lance and Tracey are phenomenal leaders and have developed the rare ability to see the different sides of each situation.  By seeing others view points and experiences from their perspective—the ability to lead and influence is increased.  Every leader who wishes to build a large community must gain multiple perspectives on each key situation before deciding on a course of action.  Before you judge any situation, be sure to hear from all the parties involved.  You may discover that your one sided view was not the whole truth.  I believe most people want to do the right thing and listening before acting is imperative to good leadership.  The Smiths have developed the art of listening and understanding through over 20 years of building communities.  I am very proud of them and their wisdom in working with teams.

There are absolutes truths in life, but human beings experience life through their own personal paradigms or world views.  The same situation can be experienced by various individuals and each draws their own version of what happened.   In most cases, the stories are different due to their different perspectives.  Everyone is telling the truth as they know it, but it takes a wise leader to discern how to proceed.  I love the elephant story as it teaches us humility in our own interpretation of the facts and a—seek first to understand attitude.  This story also teaches us that Together Everyone Achieves More because it helps us identify the particular animal we are dealing with at the time.  We are all blind in some areas and we each can see in others.  By working together, we can quickly ascertain the facts and proceed to the solution without needless arguing or turf protection.   Seeking first to understand builds trust and trust generates strong teams with fast responses to changing conditions.

Six blind men were discussing exactly what they believed an elephant to be, since each had heard how strange the creature was, yet none had ever seen one before. So the blind men agreed to find an elephant and discover what the animal was really like.

It didn't take the blind men long to find an elephant at a nearby market. The first blind man approached the beast and felt the animal's firm flat side. "It seems to me that the elephant is just like a wall," he said to his friends.

The second blind man reached out and touched one of the elephant's tusks. "No, this is round and smooth and sharp - the elephant is like a spear."

Intrigued, the third blind man stepped up to the elephant and touched its trunk. "Well, I can't agree with either of you; I feel a squirming writhing thing - surely the elephant is just like a snake."

The fourth blind man was of course by now quite puzzled. So he reached out, and felt the elephant's leg. "You are all talking complete nonsense," he said, "because clearly the elephant is just like a tree."

Utterly confused, the fifth blind man stepped forward and grabbed one of the elephant's ears. "You must all be mad - an elephant is exactly like a fan."

Duly, the sixth man approached, and, holding the beast's tail, disagreed again. "It's nothing like any of your descriptions - the elephant is just like a rope."

And all six blind men continued to argue, based on their own particular experiences, as to what they thought an elephant was like. It was an argument that they were never able to resolve. Each of them was concerned only with their own idea. None of them had the full picture, and none could see any of the other's points of view. Each man saw the elephant as something quite different, and while in part each blind man was right, none was wholly correct.

There is never just one way to look at something - there are always different perspectives, meanings, and perceptions, depending on who is looking.

Assignment: Can you give an example where you experienced a disagreement of perspectives that created conflict?   How does this story speak to you?  God Bless, Orrin Woodward

This post is dedicated to John and Barbara Sims.  John and Barb are great leaders because they focus on sharing their wisdom through stories.  Instead of offering a direct answer, one of their gifts is to share a story and allow you to apply the principles you have learned.  In my opinion, this is the best type of learning because our goal is to teach people to think—not just do what we tell them because we said so.  When I hear the Sims’ speak, I think of Abraham Lincoln.  Lincoln shared stories, parables, anecdotes to teach and John models this teaching.  Laurie and I are proud of John and Barb and their leadership example.

The quote, “Everyone is susceptible to leadership", is true.  The only question is—will you be susceptible to good or bad leadership?  I study leadership and organizations for a living.  Laurie and I have been blessed to speak to many organizations around the country and marvel at how the teams take on the behaviors of the leaders.   There is a saying, “Anything you do right will be duplicated 50%, but anything you do wrong will be duplicated 100%.”  What type of leadership are you following in your job or business?  Are you modeling the same good and bad behaviors?  Proper servant leadership must come from the top down.  If the top leaders are not practicing servant leadership and not willing to change, then you see an organization of win-lose behaviors.  Anyone attempting to practice win-win will get frustrated and leave or go through the motions.   Leadership makes all the difference in organizations, churches, communities, clubs, and families.   

If we are all susceptible to leadership, then be sure to associate with great leadership.  Association with great leadership will help you learn to be a great leader, but association with poor leadership will hinder your progress in leadership.  You cannot do good business with bad people and you cannot build a great organization with bad leadership.  When joining an organization as an employee or contractor—the key questions should relate to the character and integrity of the leaders.  This may sound strange for some because we are so used to asking questions like—what products, future plans, and pay?  But why would this matter, if the character of the leaders is not right?  This is why I love the Team leaders!  The leaders understand that they are the project and must improve to help others improve.  When a leader is through growing, they are through!  The Team leaders are just getting started. 

I have another assignment for the incredible readers of this blog.  The comments you have given on each subject have been very helpful to me.  Mentoring is a major part of leadership and we want to learn from you.  After you have developed yourself into a performer—the next steps are to develop other performers around you.   All of the readers have leaders in their lives and my question is, “How do they lead you?”   Can you give a specific mentoring example where they helped your thinking, changed you perspective, or encouraged you through the growth process?  Chris Brady and I would like to use some examples of mentoring and other specific ways leaders make a difference.  With the thousands of readers, I think we can develop a world class mentoring book together!  Please share how leaders have helped you grow and maybe you will see your story in a book.  God Bless, Orrin Woodward

This post is dedicated to my good friends Billy and Peggy Florence.  Billy and Peggy are people of character who believe a good name is above any amount of wealth.  They have been blessed with both a good name and wealth because they understood success is from the inside out.  You must take care of the inside person before you will see the outside results.  Billy and Peggy are models of character and integrity and do the right thing for the team—even if other options may have been easier personally.  The Florence’s understand that it takes years to build character, but only minutes to lose it.  Protect your character like Billy and Peggy have and let’s do some great things together on the Team!

Today’s story is from a book I read yesterday.   It is so powerful and exemplifies the battles people must wage to keep their character.   As you read this story, think through the times in your life where selling out would have been the easy thing.   There are many examples of compromise in a person life for money, fame, power, fear, lust etc.  Men and women of character will not compromise their principles—they know if you start to compromise that it is impossible to not justify further compromises and the principle is lost.  Here is the story.

A man aboard a plane propositioned a woman sitting next to him for one million dollars.  She glared at him but pursued the conversation and began to entertain the possibility of so easily becoming a millionaire.  The pair set the time, terms, and conclusions.  Just before he left the plane, he sputtered, “I—I have to admit, ma’am, I have sort of ah, led you into a white lie.  I, um, really don’t have a million dollars.  Would you consider the proposition for maybe—ah, say—ah, one hundred thousand dollars?”  The lady incensed at the lie, but still imagining the use of $100,000 reluctantly agrees.  As the man was getting up from his seat, he confessed, “Ma’am I really don’t have one hundred thousand, but can we close the deal for one hundred dollars?"

On the verge of smacking him across the face for such an insult, she snapped back, “What do you think I am?”   The man looked into her eyes, “That has already been established,” he replied.  “Now, we’re just haggling over the price.”

When I read this last night I was floored!  It is the best story of I have read on the powerlessness of your convictions when you begin to compromise them.  If I were to plead with you to do one thing in your life—develop your character and principles that you will not compromise on.  Show me a man or woman of character and I will show you someone who knows the non-negotiable principles in their life.  In this story, the ladies purity was not a non-negotiable and once the compromises started there was no end.  Compromising on core convictions is like taking the first step onto children’s slide—you can control the first step, but not how far you slide after that step. 

Can you think of other examples of selling your character for money?  Is your character for sale?  Think about all the great men and women from history.  One of the things we admire in our heroes is their convictions and willingness to stand for their core principles.  This is character and if you sell your character—you have sold something of permanent value for something of temporary value.  If you have failed in this area—begin today to rebuild your most important earthly asset.  God Bless, Orrin Woodward

Assignment:  Can you give examples in your life where you held to your core principles and maintained your character?  Maintaining your convictions is not easy or else everyone would do it, but it is essential to leadership!