Tim Sanders

I recently connected with Tim Sanders, author, speaker and former Chief Solutions Officer at Yahoo! We talked about the shifts leaders need to make going forward. Here’s our brief interview:

TONY: What’s one thing that leaders and/or organizations (businesses, churches, non-profits, etc.) should consider stopping in 2012?

TIM: Stop talking about how bad the economy is, has been or might be in the future. To quote Napoleon: “the leader’s role is to define reality, then give hope.” You’ve likely done a great job in 2011 defining reality, now let’s get back to dreaming, believing and building.

TONY: What’s one thing that leaders and/or organizations should consider starting in 2012?

TIM: Start measuring your success in terms of your people’s growth. If they are smarter or more effective at the end of the year, that’s a good sign you are a great leader or company. Find metrics that indicate growth on the part of your people, and put that in your success-formula along with money made, saved, etc.

Tim’s most recent book, Today We are Rich, made my top five list of 2011. Here’s my Amazon link if you’d like to pick up a copy to read.

Chris Hodges

What should leaders and/or organizations consider stop and start doing in 2012? Here are some thoughts from Chris Hodges, Senior Pastor of Church of the Highlands.

“Stop participating in the ‘spend more than you earn’ syndrome that our country is in. One report said that the average American spends 136% of their income. I believe that we have been ‘pierced with many griefs’ just like 1 Timothy 6 says because of our appetite for more now. That goes for businesses, churches, families, etc.

“Start preparing for the last days. We’re not supposed to be in just as much trouble as the world (financially, morally, emotionally). God wants us to be the place where people can come to find life. (Micah 4:1 NLT)  In the last days, the mountain of the LORD’s house will be the highest of all— the most important place on earth. It will be raised above the other hills, and people from all over the world will stream there to worship. (Proverbs 21:20) In the house of the wise, there are stores of choice food and oil. (Proverbs 21:20) I think we have to start setting ourselves up to be a place where we are so strong, so hope-filled, so victorious, so blessed, so happy, that we can be a source of hope and help to a hurting world.”

You can follow more of Chris’s thoughts and updates from his ministry on Twitter.

There’s something big happening at ONLY144.com this week. Be sure to check it out. It’s the biggest sale they have ever had since they started: $97 for $1,678 worth of children’s and preteen ministry resources. The sale starts Friday, January 13 at noon, but I have one package I can give away to one of my readers before the sale starts.

HOW TO ENTER:  All you have to do is leave a comment below with the name of your favorite television show from when you were a kid. My favorite show was The Six Million Dollar Man. I’ll pick the winner this Thursday, January 12 at 12:00 pm. (That’s exactly 24 hours before the sale starts.) I’ll post the winner on my blog and send on the ONLY144 package for free! Good luck!

If your church needs children’s and preteen resources, don’t miss this deal. It only lasts 144 hours and it’s a great way to make your ministry budget go much further in 2012. The first 200 people who order will win some cool prizes. Here they are:

• The first person who orders will get a brand new Amazon Kindle.
• The first 10 people who order will win the new PRAISE VBS Curriculum from GOFISH ($199).
• The first 20 people who order will win the book Stretch by Jim Wideman ($15).
• The first 50 people who order will win the MissionSix Superhero CD.
• The first 100 people who order will win the iShine Live DVD.
• The first 200 people who order will win a YANCY CD.

Visit Only144.com for all the details.

UPDATE: We have a winner! Ryan Guard has just won over $1,600 in resources from Only144.com. Congratulations!

I’ve fallen in love with my Kindle Fire. I even appreciate it more now that I’ve found work-arounds for email, calendar and tasks. Here are my five favorite free apps for when I’m not reading books:

1. Netflix
2. Pulse
3. USA Today
4. gReader
5. Spotify (Here’s how I got it.)

Craig Groeschel

What should leaders and/or organizations consider stop and start doing in 2012? Here are some thoughts from Craig Groeschel, Senior Pastor of LifeChurch.tv.

“If leaders could stop doing one thing in the next year, I’d encourage them to stop making excuses. It’s so common to list all of the reasons why our ministry or organization can’t do something. I’ve found that limitations are often the greatest source of innovation. Simply shifting our mindsets from a ‘we can’t because…’ to ‘we can because…’ can make all the difference in the world. The best leaders don’t let limitations limit or confine them. Instead of feeling defeated by obstacles, these leaders are inspired to create new paths.

“If leaders would start doing one thing in the next year, I’d hope to motivate them to think infinitely bigger. It’s so easy to ask, ‘What do we think we can do?’ If we are trying to do what we think we can do, our efforts don’t require any faith. And without faith, it’s impossible to please God. Never insult God with small plans and safe living. Dream big. Then dream even bigger.” –Craig Groeschel

Craig has written several books you may want to check out. Here’s my Amazon link to his most recent one, WEIRD: Because Normal Isn’t Working.

Before Christmas, I announced that I will be launching a new coaching network this spring for 12 church leaders. We’ll be meeting six days over six months beginning in March.

At this point, the first 12 spots are full, so I’m in the process of accepting applications for a second group. It looks like there may be about six openings left. Very likely we’ll have a group for Senior Pastors and a group for Executive Pastors. Have you committed to taking your next step in your leadership in 2012? If so, this may be your opportunity.

As a reminder, here are some things to keep in mind…

• This is not an opportunity for someone who is looking for inspiration. My coaching networks involve work. You can’t just show up. You will have to commit to six months of reading and engaging exercises with the ministry team at your church. This is designed to help you discover new systems and strategies.
• This experience isn’t for people looking for leadership theory. Yes, you’ll learn some leadership skills, but this experience is designed for you to put those skills into action. Every month you will leave with new tools to implement in your ministry environment. I want to help you shift your thinking and shift your behaviors.
• This is not a conference experience. In a conference, you can sit and soak in the teaching without engaging anyone else. In this coaching experience, you will be encouraged and challenged by other leaders who will be counting on you to participate fully.

Continue Reading…

I recently finished reading We Are All Weird by Seth Godin. Here are some of the highlights from my reading:

• “The epic battle of our generation is between the status quo of mass and the never-ceasing tide of weird.”
• “The ability to reach and change those around you has been changed forever by the connections of the Internet and the fact that anyone, anywhere can publish to the world.”
• “When you don’t feel alone, it’s easier to be weird, which sort of flies in the face of our expectation that the weird individual is also a loner.”
• “If you persist in trying to be all things to all people, you will fail. The only alternative, then, is to be something important to a few people.” (Tony’s note: We need focused vision and strategy.)
• “If you cater to the normal, you will disappoint the weird. And as the world gets weirder, that’s a dumb strategy.” Continue Reading…

Scott Belsky

What should leaders and/or organizations consider stop and start doing in 2012? Here are some thoughts from Scott Belsky, the CEO of Behance.

TONY: What’s one thing that leaders and/or organizations (businesses, churches, non-profits, etc.) should consider stopping in 2012?

SCOTT: We need to stop surrendering to “reactionary workflow” – the state of simply reacting to everything that comes into us (twitter, Facebook, linked in, etc…)! Instead, we must be proactive with our energy in what matters most to us! In the digital age, it is all too easy to simply react all day every day and never move the needle in our long-term goals. Remember, success is, quite simply, making an impact in what matters most to you. We need to allocate our energy accordingly.

Continue Reading…

Mark Batterson

A few weeks ago, I contacted several of my friends who are helping to shape the world around us in business, non-profits and ministry. I asked them to give me their thoughts on what leaders and/or organizations should consider stopping and starting in 2012.

Over the next few weeks, I’ll share those insights beginning with these thoughts from Mark Batterson, the Lead Pastor of National Community Church in Washington, DC.

“Curse the barren fig tree!

“One of the most intriguing miracles that Jesus did was cursing a fig tree that wasn’t producing fruit. What if we had the courage to do that organizationally?  Every year we try to identify things within our organization that aren’t producing fruit.  It could be our print pieces—they become white noise.  It could be a particular ministry that is simply treading water. It could be a staff member that isn’t producing like they should.  It could be a policy that is outdated.

Continue Reading…

For a limited time, you can download two of WorshipHouse Media’s #1 selling videos for your church for free.  They normally sell for $30.  Visit WorshipGraphics.com and you can download them instantly.

Video #1: UPSIDE DOWN FAITH

Duration: 1:55

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Video #2: YOU’VE GOT 7 DAYS

Duration: 1:32

The Review: “I’ve seen endless ‘countdown’ videos for worship, but I’ve never seen a video you play at the end of a church service counting down until the next church service. This is the perfect ending to your next service.”

Visit WorshipGraphics.com to download both videos.

This is a sponsored post from WorshipGraphics.com, one of my ministry partners on TonyMorganLive.com.