Tag Archives: ryan russell

solid starts

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I am in Las Vegas this week launching some new efforts for StripChurch. We have 2 new interns on board PLUS a brand new coordinator for the local ministry efforts. Here is a quick link related to our work in the strip clubs. Here is a quick link related to our first Las Vegas strip outreach. What is very fascinating to me is how easy it has been to go into new areas with the Gospel. People who are hurting the most and who are in the darkest areas are actually the most receptive. Interesting isn’t it… people don’t want Jesus until people really need Jesus. Pray for our team of gals… they are out at a brothel today & tomorrow.

get going!

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I find that waiting is usually the death of very good ideas and intentions. Pausing for “more research” or better “planning” is often more of an excuse to not get out there and get going than it is a legitimate reason keeping you from success. The first time you do something will NOT be your best experience… but it also won’t be your last try  OR your one and only shot at it.

IF you have a dream to open ‘the most amazing restaurant ever’ on your very first try, but you keep waiting until EVERYTHING is just right, perfectly planned and ‘ready’ to be executed I will bet big bucks that it will NEVER happen. I will place my bets on the guy with big dreams but who gets started with something small and learns as he goes.

So, what excuses do you keep using to legitimize you anxiety and fear of failure?

Get moving on your dreams and plans today. Take obstacles as they come. Start small if necessary.

learn for change

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Most leadership BOOKS (not reading) seem like a huge waste of time. The best ideas can usually be summed up in 150 pages less than the publisher and author actually used. Here are a few books that are worth their price tag that have had a profound impact on my leadership and lifestyle:

Look alive 35!

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“Look alive 35!”

That was a lot to process as the lady ran past me on mile 5 of the triathlon. First, I just got passed by a lady… again (which I am getting very accustomed to as there are many amazing female athletes that are putting me in my place). Second, her pace was amazing and it alone inspired me to push beyond what I thought I had left in reserve. Third, she just read my age and produced a quippy little rhyme under the pressure of time, fatigue and mental strain… I can’t rhyme on a very good day with all conditions being ideal.

More than anything though, her attitude inspired me. It cost her absolutely NOTHING to be the most standout athlete that I encountered over the course of almost 3 hours of competition. I wish I had the wherewithal to keep up with her through the finish and get her name OR even be able to just recognize her again if I saw her. Her simple words, tone and approach brought out of me something more than what I was giving before she came along. In fact, it was so inspiring that it didn’t even bother me that she just passed me and was definitely going to finish in front of me. I kicked it up to the finish line. How could I not?

Every day it costs me absolutely $0 to put forth a great attitude and exceptional energy. The only thing I need fight are my lazy tendencies to act & respond as I desire or as I feel. As a leader and as a person I want to be the caliber of individual that brings out the best in others at all moments. So… here’s to looking alive and bringing an attitude to the table that inspires, encourages, motivates and lifts up. Here’s to being the most uplifting and memorable person in the meeting, difficult situation and at the dinner table.

Yes, Sir.

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“Yes, Sir.”

For the sake of personal growth, go on and say it out loud.

Does it feel awkward? 

Often these are the two hardest words for us to say as young leaders and old alike.

We have devolved leadership to an ‘art’ only on many . Something to aspire to but not something to follow respectfully. I fear that all leaders are required to have conversation now at every turn with every level of employee on just about every subject and decision. In fact, going one step further, most young people don’t want to consider themselves employees at all but rather see themselves as co-equal partners whose insights, thoughts and ‘fresh’ perspectives ought to be weighed and balanced equally with those who have sacrificed much, accomplished far more and learned many more lessons in through the fires of experience. Here is a tried method worth the practice:

“Earn the right to be heard”.

Hold on to your visions. Dream about your future. Work to create the culture you desire to have provided for you by first living it out in arenas that are within your leadership. Prove your concepts out through production and accomplishment. Be a follower that is invested so much, accomplished so much and is so respected by others in your environment that when you are given opportunities to speak, you will be heard. Above all else, get your job and responsibilities done………. really, really well.

Own It

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Ever made a mistake? Of course you have.

What follows a mistake is a critical juncture.
You can own it, ignore it or blame it.
If you own it, a couple of things will happen.
1. the people counting on you will respect you more acknowledging it.
2. you can almost always be a part of the solution to follow up on the mistake
3. confidence will be higher in you after the fall then the subsequent rise.
if you ignore it, it will haunt you.
if you blame it, others will certainly lose respect for you 
—- the truth has a predictable way of coming to the light.

resume tales

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The tale of 2 resumes & their associated references:

I was hiring for an open position. 2 candidates came as technically qualified per their resumes for the job. 
Candidate #1 - Sent 3 references, with multiple points of contact along with the resume. 

Candidate #2 - Sent no references, but since I had time & a little interest, I requested the information from the C2, to which I received back what I needed – names, #’s, context for employment (in a timely fashion).

Called on C2 references first. First call amounted to leaving a voicemail. Called the second reference, again left a voicemail. Called third reference on the list, no voicemail even available. Put resume down and moved on with biz and life. After 3-5 days, I email C2, detailed my attempts to contact references and recommended C2 have them call me, which I even facilitated with my personal cell #. I never heard from ANY of the references for C2. 

Started calling on C1 references. Dialed first call… it got picked up immediately. Stated my reason for calling and the reference wanted to call me immediately back from a line where she could hear better. The phone conversation that followed literally floored me. Suffice it to say I have NEVER heard a more positive reference about an interview candidate. The reference used was positive, energetic, effusive with praise AND C1 was still working at her place of employment doing stand out work. The reference did NOT want to lose her current employee BUT she desired for the employee to keep moving on towards their dreams & career aspirations. REMARKABLE! To make sure it wasn’t a fluke, I called reference #2 on the list. Dialed, Answered…. same EXACT experience in the second conversation but different employer, different company, different type of job. C2 no longer worked their but the reference wished they did. This reference was only the second best reference I have ever heard because I just got off the phone with the best reference I had ever heard. 

Impact References: (Yes, we do check, as should ALL people worth working for.) 
  • Don’t make me ask for the references (translation to me = they don’t know you are using them AND/OR your current employer doesn’t know you are looking to move on)
    • + Make sure that are easy to get a hold of!
  • Choose people who are:
    • interested and ready to give a reference about you
    • desire for you to still work there even if you are moving on
    • positive about YOU!
    • can detail your strengths
    • endorse your work ethic
    • identified that you worked hard to learn your job
    • honest about your areas for needed growth
C2, whose references came through, finally decided to send me an email follow-up which I have included here, in its’ entirety, for your enjoyment:
     “I don’t think it’s very professional to contact my references, then never contact me about the      position. Or even follow up with an email informing me on any decision you had made.” – C2

Are you wondering why C2 is unemployed?

planning for baboons

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Have you ever been miffed at ‘passionate’ people who have found a way to throw you off course with their emergency projects? Project that have to be done right now as a result of their lack of prep and fore-thought? If so, then have you also experienced the excruciating pain of trying to explain what the concept of  -P-L-A-N-N-I-N-G-  is? (You know you have if you just read that word really slow and loud in your head and chuckled to yourself that you actually have said it that way, out loud, to an individual who you thought was a complete baboon for not planning ahead on some really important project that they were now squeezing into every second of everyone else’s lives.) So, here is a way to help them slowly get on track with the concepts of planning and project management WITHOUT going through the pain of trying to explain it to them. Also, I hope this will save you some painful conversations with your bosses when they are looking at you as though you are the whiney and unwilling person in the scenario…

Old Scenario:
Baboon - ”Man, I have a widget that just can’t wait to get to market and really needs your special widget making abilities.” 
Planner - (Knowing that he means RIGHT NOW you respond in frustration) “Dude, I wish I could help but I can’t do that right now, but let’s get it on the schedule.”
B - “Ah man, I would love to be able to wait, but this just came up and it is really important. Let’s squeeze it in, knock it out this time and work the scheduling stuff in on the next project.”
P – (Translation = B just crapped on your week and family life, you now move either into non-confrontation avoidance until your boss gets involved and makes you wreck your schedule this week or you move into direct confrontation with the baboon about poor planning.)

NEW scenario:
Baboon - “Man, I have a widget that just can’t wait to get to market and really needs your special widget making abilities.”
Planner - “Exciting! I am going to shoot you, today, some open times for us to get that going.”

Now, you may not be really excited, but he doesn’t need to know that. Also, you are now going to put him on a planning schedule that works within your timeframe and other priorities. WHEN you shoot him those times, he will certainly not see how this is going to get done on his newly found urgent schedule. SO, be prepared to show him and your boss what must be dropped in order to make this new priority project take center stage. Be sure to use a great attitude, cause a poor one isn’t going to help the situation. Your chief goals are to demonstrate the positive nature of planning, project management, life balance and effective leadership. Being PISSED isn’t going to accomplish any of these things.

Let the training of Baboons begin!

start competing

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Most days I posses an irrepressible competitive nature. So much so, that for the better part of a decade I ceased to compete in athletic endeavors, finding meaningless victories shallow compared with the carnage I left in my wake getting there. Along the way in life, I have found some great outlets for my driving nature, not the least of which have been efforts to improve the lives of others around me. To this very day, I struggle to understand the nature of those who just ‘show up’ for athletic activities, work or life rather than giving it their all. Through the wonderful temperance of my wife and the counsel of trusted friends, I have come to appreciate that I need to slow down, savor life and relax at key times. But I still maintain that in many environments there is a profound need to compete rather than just participate. To aim to finish in the top tier, not just finish. To do things very well, not being satisfied with just doing them.

Think about this for a moment. Why would anyone want to marry you if you stated at the alter, 

“I [fill in your sorry name] pledge to show up most days, but by-in-large I am not really going to give this relationship more than the minimal effort. If it becomes to much of a drain, I am going to hop out the first chance I get. Don’t expect too much and you won’t be disappointed. I won’t be the best mate out there, but hey, at least I am here and around.”

Sounds really lame… So why doesn’t it sound lame to some of you when this is how you literally are treating your family, your jobs, your dreams, and your giving to the non-profit whose mission you say you believe in? Hmm… I am not sure why it doesn’t register for you but I can tell you this much, you aren’t leading if you’re not competing. To compete, your DO NOT have to “win” at everything and prove to everyone that you are better.

By competing, what I mean for you to understand is, you need to be  leading, living, loving like these things REALLY matter to you. STOP just participating.