Catalyst 2013: Jon Acuff

Jon is a very humorous engaging communicator who has a lot of positive things to say.  He joined the Dave Ramsey team a while back and now is a New York Times Best Selling author.  Here are some notes from his talk:

What do you do when you run out of excuses to NOT chase your dream? ... Most of the time we stop and ask...how did i get here?

Life is no longer defined by when you were born, but when you decide to live.  This has changed for 3 reason...1) Retirement is dead.  2) Anyone can play the game (age is no longer an issue) 3) Hope is Boss.

Tradition thought that challenged this required generations to act a certain way, but with the growing gap and leadership vacuum impending, Jon suggests that anyone can play.

Life is NOT about being ready.  The only line in your life you can control is the starting line.

"You don't have to be ready, because God is always ready."

God doesn't need your platform and he is not handcuffed by your failures.  He is GOD!

Jon's latest book 'Start' hit the best sellers list while we were at Catalyst.  You can buy his book here:
Start by Jon Acuff.

Catalyst 2013: Andy Stanley

Catalyst 2013 Andy Stanley gave a great talk on leadership and focus.  Below are some notes.


Information and insight alone do NOT make a leader.

We rarely learn in life on wrinkle free days.  Our leadership development is determined by how we respond to:
     1) Unexpected Opportunity
     2) Unavoidable Adversity
     3) Unquestionable Calling

How we are CURRENTLY responding is how we are developing CURRENTLY.

"God has a plan for your life, you don't want to miss it. "  This is the though that guided Andy's life for many years as he grew up in a household of a celebrity pastor.

"Most importnat contribution to the Kingdom of God might not be something you do, but someone you raise."

Obey God and trust him with the consequences.

Action doesn't merely speak louder than words, they can speak into the next generation.

"Its Better to make a difference, than make a point"

Leaders are made one response at a time.  Each response is an opportunity to shape and mold into what God has next in ones life.  You have no idea what hangs in the balance of your response.

Sewell Leadership Event 2013 (a few notes)

Below are a few notes from the Sewell Leadership Event.

"The moment we stop learning we become experts in what we could be and ignorant in what we could become." Collin Sewell

John Maxwell's Laws of Growth:

*To make any team better, you must get better yourself.

*Your capacity to grow is your capacity to lead.

1)  Law of Intentionality

-Require a personal growth plan
-You might need to purchase a personal growth plan!

"I wouldn't invest in anyone who wouldn't invest in themselves."

2) Law of Awareness

-You must know yourself to grow yourself
-My greatest leadership challenge is me

Awareness Questions to ask yourself:

1) Do you like what your doing now?
2) What would you like to do?
3) Can you do what you would like to do?
4) Do you know people who do what you'd like to do?
5) Will you pay the price to do what you want to do?
6)When can you start doing what you would like to do?

The greatest detriment to success for people is that they never START!

3) Law of the Mirror

-You must see value in yourself
-Self-Image is the lid for many people
-If you see yourself as below average, you will invest below average.  The size of your self image is equivalent to the size of your investment.

How would you build your self image?
1) Guard your self talk - don't talk down to yourself
2) Serve other people
3) Do the right thing, even when its the hard thing
4) Everyday, DO something to win

4) Law of Reflection

-learn to pause and allow growth to catch up
-experience is not the best teacher, evaluated experience is
-"You get to keep losing in life until you start learning from life"

5) Law of Consistency
-must know your 'why'
-requires passion and purpose

This law also requires the 'Rule of 5'

*If you have a goal, you must find 5 things you need to achieve everyday to achieve that goal.

For Maxwell, his rule of 5 things to do everyday include: read, think, file, ask questions, write

Leadership Lunch w/ Collin Sewell

In a previous post, I gave clear outlining of the value of Collin and the accomplishments he has to his name, so in this point, I will simply recount in brief our conversation.  In a previous meeting Collin gave me some books to read and below are some notes that I took based upon our discussion.

The Greatest Salesman in the World

Executive Summary of Principles:

Chapter 8 – Today I begin a New Life.

Chapter 9 – I will greet this day with love in my heart.

Chapter 10 – I will persist until I succeed.

Chapter 11 – I am nature’s greatest miracle.

Chapter 12 – I will live this day as if it’s my last.

Chapter 13 – I will be master of my emotions.

Chapter 14 – I will laugh at the world.

Chapter 15 – I will multiply my value a hundred fold today.

Chapter 16 – I will act NOW.

The Blessed Life

Executive Summary of Principles:

1) There is very little that God asks me to do that is measureable in its opportunity to accomplish.

2) You can’t out give God.

3) The Bible talks about money over faith or prayer by 4 times, nearly ½ of all parables reference money.

4) Money is a TEST from God.

5) God redeems our gifts too Him.

6) Tithing is LIFE not LAW.

7) Something must be blessed before it can be multiplied.  This is key to our personal finances.

8) Only what is given away can multiply.

9) We should give more than the tithe because the tithe is already His.

10) Money is not the answer to problems, God is.

11) Being a giver will result in blessing.  Don’t ever allow the enemy to make you ashamed of God’s blessings

-- There is no shame in how God has blessed us.

12) Gratitude doesn’t care what people think; it only cares what God thinks.

13) The heart issue with giving is not WHAT you give but WHY you give.

14) God is not responsible for bills he did not initiate.

15) God is looking for people to funnel his resources through.

16) Reward must not be the primary reason for giving.

17) Instant Obedience.

Collin had a few general thoughts to add to the conversation that I was able to make note of:

-- When your the biggest and best in town, it is important to do a gut check on your pride

-- Secure leadership is a requirement for growing organizations.  You must find a person who will speak into your life unconditionally.

-- We must be careful not to use generosity to receive instead of giving.

-- Being 'cheap' is as much of a slave as being 'lavish'

Global Leadership Summit 2012 (John Ortberg)

John Ortberg is the pastor of Menlo Park Presbyterian Church and author of several books.  His most recent and the one his talk was based on at the Global Leadership Summit is Who Is This Man?  Here is a brief summary of his talk at the Leadership Summit.

"Jesus was the most unlikely candidate to change the world"

"Jesus gave the world its most influential movement"

"Jesus changed how we think about history"

"Jesus shaped how we express compassion"

"The Jesus movement shaped education"

"Jesus revolutionized technology and science"

"Jesus revolutionized art"

"Jesus changed political theory"

"Jesus changed how we think about human rights and dignity"

"Jesus uniquely taught love of ones enemies"

"Who was this man?  The King of Kinds, Lord of Lords and the Greatest Teacher to ever life."

--Among all of these topics, John presented mountains of evidence which is included in his book.

Global Leadership Summit 2012 (William Ury)

William the author of the well acclaimed book Getting Past No, a book on negotiation.  Here are a summary of his thoughts at the Global Leadership Summit.

"When angry, you will make the best speech you will ever regret"

"The greatest power we have in negotiation is the power not to react"

"To negotiate:  focus on the interest, not the position; ask the question 'why'; and reinforce the power of objective opinion"

Abraham Lincoln, when asked how to destroy his enemies:  "Do I not destroy my enemy when I make them into my friend?"

Global Leadership Summit 2012 (Patrick Lencioni)

Patrick Lencioni is the founder and president of The Table Group as well as a best selling author and highly valued consultant.  Here are this thoughts from the Global Leadership Summit.

"People need to be reminded more than instructed"

"Organizational health is the greatest competitive advantage"

"There are 4 disciplines to make an organization healthy:

1) Build and maintain a cohesive leadership team
2) Create Clarity
3) Over Communicate Clarity
4) Reinforce Clarity"

"The vision of your firm must be something your willing to be punished for.  Working at a church should never be about the job, it should be something your willing to be punished for the opportunity to do"

"If your people aren't doing an impression of you when your not around, your not over communicating!"