Being Intentionally Intentional

I always enjoy seeing intentionality.   I think most of us enjoy clarity and intentionality is one of the best ways to communicate clearly.   Over time, intentionality is one of the traits or skills I’ve tried to master.

When I’m talking with organizational leaders, I often suggest that intentionality is one of the key factors of success.  In fact, without being intentional, it’s difficult to even know when you have achieved success.   Over time, I’ve joined the adverb to the adjective and often talk about being ‘Intentionally intentional’.    This is not all that unusual to combine words for emphasas as I’ve I have seen other consultants talking about being committed to commitment or being earnestly earnest just for example.

Intentionality however is the granddaddy of them all. People that are non-intentional go through life just bouncing from one activity to the other and filling their days with activity.   While that is a lazy way to live, it’s a horrible way to lead an organization.

I’ve upset the applecart often, perhaps that is why I do consulting. While “leadership” is in vogue for many good reasons, I remind organizational leaders that great leaders understand that they need managers to be productive and achieve results.   Management is ‘intentional’ about planning, directing, controlling and organizing the company.  

‘Intentionally intentional’ is a skill that once mastered, begins to be useful in so many ways.   Meetings that are meaningful are intentional.  No one wants to attend meetings that have no agenda, no goal, no intentionality.   Organizations that are intentional about everything from monthly sales to product launches to service and process improvements will not only rise quickly to the top of the class but also easily be able to measure the relative success of their efforts.

Here are some suggestions for all leaders:

• Be more intentional—identify objectives and direction and specify intended results
• Demonstrate intentionality by staying focused on desired results and being accountable for the results. 
• Become more intentional in your personal growth.
• Inspire others to become more intentional. 

‘Intentionally intentional’ is a catchy little phrase that can go a long way into turning regular activities and daily routines into purposeful actions that deliver intended results.

Wrestling with God

Today I was reading the story of Jacob meeting his brother Esau many years after Jacob had tricked his father into giving him his older brother's blessing.  Jacob feared that Esau might want to kill him.  The Bible says he was in ‘great fear and distress’ (Genesis 32:7).

Jacob separated his family and all of his goods into two groups reasoning that if Esau attacked one, perhaps the other could be spared.  After he then prayed he had a very strange encounter that is later described as Jacob ‘wrestling with God’.

There are at least two takeaways from this unique story in Genesis.  First is the idea of wrestling with God.   When I was in college, my friends and I rented a home off campus and one of our favorite pastimes was wrestling.  Fortunately, we had very old furniture and not much in our living room as it served as our arena.   I can tell you that while I was likely in the best physical shape of my life, there was nothing more exhausting and physically draining than wrestling.    Also, like Jacob, almost all of our wrestling matches ended in a draw.  

The second takeaway the name change of Jacob.  Jacob asked the angel for a blessing and he received not only a blessing but a name change

“Your name will no longer be Jacob,” he said. “It will be Israel because you have struggled with God and with men and have prevailed.” (Gen 32:28)

It is at this time that Jacob finally recognized that he was dealing with an angel or someone near-deity.  Many theologians identify this as a theophany, an appearance of God. 

Where’s the blessing?  It’s in the name itself.  Jacob we are told had a name that meant deceiver or supplanter.  God changed Jacob’s name to Israel when the angel said, “You have struggled with God and with men and have overcome.” 

Not only was Jacob’s name changed but the entire nation, all of his offspring for all future generations to this present time would be known as Israel.  Often, the blessing is in the name.   God’s people were to be known to have struggled with God and with men and have overcome.

As believers, we also learn from this remarkable event that our lives are also meant to be a struggle.  In this struggle, God is always present.  If we choose, we can struggle or wrestle with God but it is best that we submit to His will.  To end this unique story about Jacob we can be reminded that God will give each of us that is victorious a white stone with a new name (Rev 2:17).  Perhaps like Jacob, that new name will reveal how God sees us rather than how we now may be known presently.

Capacity, Character and Competence.

There is a leadership revolution that has grown quickly the past twenty years.  From books, classes and seminars to college programs including doctoral programs in leadership, the art if not science of leadership has become big business.

According to the American Society of Training and Development, U.S. businesses spend more than $170 Billion dollars on leadership-based curriculum.   The top leadership gurus in the world are best selling authors and speakers and have undoubtedly helped millions of individuals and businesses.

The definitions of leadership vary from the simple “leadership is influence” to incorporating vision, creativity, tone setting, inspiration and tenacity.

While many may argue that leadership is not about traits, most will acknowledge that there are certain qualities that are common among great leaders.   I would argue that these qualities often can be summarized by what are often called the 3 c’s : Capacity, Character and Competence.

Unlike leadership activities, these 3c’s are axioms or truths that are necessary traits for leaders in order to have long term success in an organization.

Capacity is the combination of skill-set and volume.  In brief it is the necessary amount or resources available  for the production of desired output.   In humans, capacity can be amazingly elastic for short periods of time.  Great leaders are high capacity  managers of the resources at their disposal.

Character is too often defined by constantly evolving cultural qualities.   This is unfortunate as character is actually internal traits that align with moral truths.  Honesty, integrity, empathy, courage and faithfulness are among the virtues that are typically spiritually defined, taught and infused in character. 

Competence is the one quality that is actually very subjective as a leader can be very competent in one area and completely lacking or incompetent in another area.  It is said that competence alone cannot make a leader but it can certainly undo one. 

Hurry Not

We are just too busy!  My job back in the 1990’s took me to New York and Wall Street on a regular, almost weekly basis. The New York and Wall Street busyness was clearly evident and noticeable as it was a dramatic contrast from the daily lifestyle of those of us that lived in the Midwest.

Today, that New York busyness has invaded the North, South, East and West.  It is normative in our workplace, our schools, our churches and our families.  Everyone I meet is busy.  Our computers, smart phones, the Internet and endless cable TV programs have created an environment where we believe we need to be busy every waking hour of the day.  

Back before all this technology, I have to admit that I was rarely able to keep my workday to just eight hours. It wasn’t unusual for me to put in ten hours in the office, as there were opportunities for those of us that were committed to putting in some casual overtime.  A conscientious and hardworking employee often became a conscientious and hardworking manager and I rose to the occasion.

With our smart phones and computers we now work many more hours as our work will follow us home.   Most of the people that I know spend not only a few hours on their computers at home on work related tasks but their smart phone will capture their attention long into the evening.  People now get up and immediately look at their iPhone or Droid as emails are expected to be replied to within a day and often a business culture requires texts to be replied to within hours.

For those that are not preoccupied with their careers and employers' demands, there have been plenty of other things that keep us busy.   From playing League of Legends on the computer to FarmVille on Facebook, we are busy and even hurried through our day.

Being hurried through the day is in deep contrast to the example of Jesus who never seemed to be in a hurry.  Jesus not only refused to be hurried, but prayer and solitude was a regular part of his daily routine.  Jesus told his disciples, ‘Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest.’  So they went away by themselves in a boat to a solitary place” (Mark 6:31-32).  This practice of solitude was a practice of many in the early church.  Not only did monks and hermits practice solitude, but the Rules of St. Benedict of prayer, work, study, hospitality and renewal were embraced by both clergy and the common people.

By definition, to hurry is to act with haste, to perform in an unusually accelerated manner.  One of the ways to understand what hurry does in our lives is that it makes us scattered, un-deliberate, and seemingly haphazard. 

Its time to slow down.  I would actually recommend that we slow down and eliminated some worthless activities, and that we embrace the ancient, but important, discipline of contemplation and solitude.

A great way to start is to find thirty minutes to sixty minutes each day to be quiet.  Let's quiet our smart phone, our TV and computer and discover what it is like to be silent. Being silent and practicing the ever presence of God is a amazing way to begin to hear that inner voice.  Being quiet and silent is also a way to reflect on what God is accomplishing or wants to accomplish in our lives.  Being silent can be actually more productive in the long run as it builds self and helps us prioritize. During our quiet time, let's thank God and listen so that we may hear the answers to the many questions and prayers we have been asking.

Five New Year's Resolutions for Leaders

1. Remember that people, not product or service is what matters. I’ve seen too many mission statements in large and small companies that talk about the importance of their customers and employees.  Posting it on the wall is a good idea; embracing it as a value is even better.

2. Find something to stop doing before you add any more tasks.  This is just as important in your private life as it is in your public life.   There are limits, don’t exceed them.

3. Continually add value to your customers and they will keep coming back. Most of us intuitively know that the cost of acquiring new customers is much greater than the cost of retaining them.  Add value and the ‘be-backs’ will be back!

4. Work on your communication skills.  Continuous improvement is the key to leaning how to communicate.  That includes not only the way we speak and share information but also the tools we use.   Keep email short, learn how to use social media properly, listen more and speak less.

5. Be thankful.  While there is typically something we can complain about, our problems are minuscule compared to the blessings that we have received.  Your family, friends, neighbors and co-workers will all respond positively to a thankful attitude.  It’s good for your health too!

These are just five resolutions and they may not be the right five for you, but they have worked for me.  I find that I need to continually renew the resolutions from the past years, as some are just too important to forget.   

If you need to lose weight, stop drinking, spend more time with your family, read the Bible more often or get out of debt, feel free to create that list as well. Then, make sure you don’t need to renew those resolutions in 2016.