Mark Beeson is a Hunter

Yes, he loves to hunt and that is one of just many reasons I really appreciate Mark Beeson. 

He is a great pastor, leader, communicator and has built a great community in Granger, IN called Granger Community Church. We held our first ever Catalyst One Day event there back in November. A home run. The Granger staff is incredible. Seriously. I wanted to hire most of them on the spot. But that wouldn’t be right. 

The staff at Granger reflect their Senior Pastor and Leader. A great leader.

Back to the hunting…. When you meet someone who loves to hunt like you do, there is an immediate bond. An immediate connection. Such with Mark Beeson. Because we both know what it is like to see the sunrise out in a duck blind or a deer stand and appreciate God’s goodness and greatness and His wonderful creation. And he is a hunter. He loves the outdoors. He cherishes times with his family out in the woods and in nature. 

He is a hunter. One of the many reasons I appreciate Mark Beeson.

Brad Ruggles

Blogger, designer and friend of Catalyst Brad Ruggles stopped by recently to say hi and offer up some goodies. Thanks Brad for dropping by the office and for the gift of a great snack. Our team loves to eat!

Character: In Vogue, Strike a Pose, Heisman Style

Sam Bradford, the quarterback for the University of Oklahoma, won the Heisman Trophy Award Saturday night in New York City. Colt McCoy and Tim Tebow were a close second and third, respectively. 

These three quarterbacks are incredibly talented, lead their teams with great emotion and precision, and have the world at their fingertips. They are all three great leaders and amazingly competent at the quarterback position. But also, they are all three incredibly humble, and the first word that typically describes them according to their coaches and those around them is CHARACTER. Seems character is back in style. Never necessarily went out, but it is definitely back in. 

Character wins again.

Sunday afternoon in the ATL

Falcons are good again. Victory in overtime.

I am Second

Check it out here. Great interviews with some leading voices in culture, entertainment and sports. Very well done.

Here is Josh Hamilton, the home running phenom from the Texas Rangers. 

Leader(less) Leaders

Are you one of these? Unfortunately, this is more common than you would think. They’re all around us- mid managers, entrepreneurs, start-up founders, senior executives- up and coming leaders, seasoned leaders, young and old. It doesn’t matter where- you’ll find Leaders who have no leader to follow.

Maybe you’ve find yourself in an organization where your boss or board or elders or manager is non-existent. Not willing to make decisions and not willing to effectively lead you. What to do? Well, a couple of thoughts. First- LEAD up. Find ways to influence not just your peers and those who work for you, but also influence this person above you. Positionally they are your superior, but that doesn’t mean you can’t lead them. Second, don’t wait on someone else to create vision, direction and strategy for the team or organization. Create your own and move forward. This is paramount. It doesn’t lessen your loyalty or commitment to your boss, it only enhances it. Remember, without vision, your people and your team will struggle (perish).

Christmas party

A few shots from the catalyst Christmas party