The Blog

With over a billion active blogs available today, one has to wonder, why on earth would anyone even consider adding another blog to the mix? Well, to be honest, I’m not 100% sure. But despite my own apprehensions, that’s exactly what I’m about to do. And, in staying true to that ever-important question why, I’ve listed three reasons I feel comfortable adding one more to a billion.

1. It’s an opportunity to more frequently share thoughts, ideas and questions that lie at the very heart of leadership and our purpose in life.

For over twenty years my obsessive studies and unique mix of experiences in business and athletics have allowed me to dissect the subject of leadership every which way imaginable. As a result, I’ve developed some fairly radical thoughts, ideas, and opinions that I think you might find helpful in your leadership journey. But even more important than these thoughts and ideas, are the questions that I believe lie at the very heart of leadership and our purpose on this earth. So, although I love to share thoughts and ideas, it’s the opportunity to challenge you with the deep questions that go along with these thoughts and ideas that really excites me about writing a blog.

Although I’ve sensed a call on my life to write a book for a number of years, before actually embarking upon the journey in the spring of 2009, I felt moved to answer one very important question: Why? Why do I really want to write a book? I knew by searching deep within my heart to answer this question, with God’s help, I would be able to not only define what true success would be for this pursuit, but I would also be able to make certain my motives were pure.

After weeks of prayerful consideration, I concluded there were two main reasons to move ahead: First, I wanted to put the heart of my leadership philosophies in writing for my children to have for generations to come. And second, I wanted to put these same philosophies in a format that would encourage the hearts of a few of my most influential friends in business and in athletics. If I could get a book in print that would accomplish these two things, the project would align perfectly with my purpose in life, and regardless of the time, money, or effort it would take to complete it, it would be worth it.

“Forty miles-per-hour? The speed limit is fifty…are you serious?” Of course, this was only the first of a flurry of comments that spewed from my mouth as I drove near the bumper of the “Ya-hoot” (as I kindly referred to him) in front of me. I was on my way to a speaking engagement and this guy was obviously on his way nowhere. And, as perfectly spaced on-coming cars kept me from passing, I found myself stuck, following him nowhere for what seemed like an eternity -- until finally, his left blinker flashed. “Yes!” I shouted, with freedom in sight. Then ... it happened; he decided to play it safe and wait until the lone car, still a quarter mile away and practically crawling toward us, had passed. It was all I could take. On the brink of a melt down I gunned it, swerved right, and flew past him leaving only inches between the two vehicles, while both tires spun through the yard on the right. As I passed the car, still mumbling under my breath, my wife flashed a look of astonished disgust at me -- then shared a few well-deserved words of reprimand regarding my behavior.

Within minutes I was calmly driving the speed limit again reflecting upon what had just happened -- and the irony in it.

What passions are you pursuing in life? Do they wake you in the middle of the night or dominate your thoughts throughout the day? Are they what you’ve always dreamed of becoming or feel “destined” to do with your life? Or maybe they’re just a part of who you feel you were called to be—your purpose. Whatever they are, in the midst of pursuing them everything else in life seems to slip into the shadows of insignificance.

I must confess that after nearly two decades of pursuing my passions in both athletics and business, God opened my eyes to a bit of an unpopular view of the pursuit of my passions. And He did it through a simple question that I believe we all ask ourselves from time to time: Why do I do what I do? The challenge is; do we answer honestly?

As a young athlete I occasionally asked myself this question regarding my passion for basketball. Why was I willing to spend hours upon hours of my teenage years pushing myself to exhaustion? Was it for the love of the game, the thrill of victory, or maybe the camaraderie or the competition? Whatever it was, I eventually dismissed the question, satisfied with how I’d justified my pursuits in my own mind.

I absolutely love the opportunities I get to speak and teach on the topic of leadership. The chance to encourage other leaders to strive to be their best by leading in the right ways, for the right reasons, is near and dear to my heart to say the least! Of course, one of the coolest things about teaching leadership is that you’re actually modeling the subject your teaching. Think about it. Leadership in its most basic sense is influence. And, when you teach, you’re influencing. But what’s even more important to realize about the opportunity to teach leadership is that, as with all worthwhile opportunities, this opportunity comes with a price, responsibility.

For me, the responsibility that comes with teaching leadership seems fairly simple. I have a responsibility to show up prepared to communicate with clarity. I also I have a responsibility to have a deep understanding of the subject. But most importantly, I have a responsibility to share truth – truth that goes beyond what others want to hear, into what God has impressed upon my heart that they need to hear. So, despite the fact that these days the message folks want to hear, more often then not, is in higher demand than the one they need to hear, I have a responsibility to remain true to the heart of the message – even if it comes at the expense of my own personal popularity.