Browsing Tag

mentoring

Thought Leaders Usually Aren’t

Summer time is here, so I’m recycling some of my favorite posts from past years. This one was especially fun to write because I was on a roll — or rather, on a rant! So I’m reposting this for your summer reading amusement:

Please don’t call me a thought leader. Last week I had coffee with an acquaintance who used the phrase to describe me. He meant it as a compliment — and I took it as such. But I still corrected him.

“No,” I insisted, “I’m not a thought leader. Please don’t call me that. It’s an overused term …

Junkyard Management, Leadership,

On mentoring

Every now and then somebody asks me to mentor them. I suppose this is God’s way of reminding me I’m getting older. But it is also God’s way of reminding me to give back.

For much of my young adult life I wanted a good mentor but never could find one. It wasn’t until my late 40’s that I found a few. So I’m sympathetic to those who approach me.

But just because I sympathize doesn’t mean I agree to do it. Many of the people who ask get a “no, sorry” response. In my head a few get a …

Junkyard Management, Leadership,

Seriously, Nobody Cares if You Are The Smartest Person in the Room

Last week was my final meeting on a board I joined almost 18-years ago. Eventually I might rejoin the board, but it feels strange to step aside from something that has been a big part of my life.

It reminded me of this story, which I shared a few years ago. I’ve refreshed it and am posting again because the advice from this mentor was so powerful. Here goes:

Many years ago I joined a board of directors for a reasonably large organization. It was an honor to be invited, and I wanted to help the organization in the best …

Goble Properties, Junkyard Management,

Nobody Cares if You’re the Smartest Person in the Room

Many years ago, I joined a board of directors for a reasonably large organization. It was an honor to be invited, and I wanted to help the organization in the best possible way. As the board discussions covered finance, marketing, staff compensation, and any number of other issues, I did my best to offer my thoughts on all the subjects.

Perhaps I wanted to do a bit too much, though. After one particularly long conversation about a new campaign launch, one of the longest-serving board members, who was a good 20 years older than me, pulled me aside. He asked …

Random Thoughts,

Being With Jesus

A few days ago I was mentoring a young man and he asked me something that triggered this comment:

“In the first quarter of my life I studied and learned a lot about Jesus. In the second quarter of my life I continued to learn about Jesus as I also served Jesus. In the third quarter of my life I find myself learning and serving, but with a deep desire to become like Jesus. And in the fourth quarter of my life I suspect I will learn about Jesus, serve Jesus, want to become like Jesus, but most of all …