Got a visit at the office today from the Chick-fil-A cows. And also from several staff as we celebrated a new partnership with Chick-fil-A. This is going to be a great relationship as we bring leadership development to folks all over the country.
Been on a little blogging hiatus for the last 5 days while doing some skiing in Colorado at Vail and Keystone. Thought I would provide a little video evidence to prove I was actually there…. and actually know how to ski the steep mogul black diamond runs. Had a great time carving it up. Mountains and snow over the beach and sand anyday!!!
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I am a big fan of Dave Gibbons. I don’t know Dave well, but am really excited about him speaking during the Origins Day at Catalyst West, and also speaking during Labs at Catalyst in October in Atlanta. He is doing some great things, is a great leader, and has incredible respect among his peers. He has some really fresh insight on leadership and culture.
His recent release Monkey and the Fish is the buzz right now among church leaders. And rightly so. I highly recommend you pick up a copy of this book.
Dave was gracious enough recently to answer a couple of questions I sent over to him regarding the book. Today he is virtually “touring” the blogosphere by answering questions from 13 other bloggers. You can see the entire list of bloggers tied to the tour.
BL: “Is there a difference between a third culture church and a third culture Christian? Should there be?”
DG: “There isn’t a difference when it comes to the basic mindset, ethos, knowledge and skills. However, when it comes to the sacrificial extent of our (those who follow Jesus) extravagant love, faith and hope there should be a difference especially as it relates to how we engage the poor, the marginalized and the oppressed. Those who know Christ, take third culture to the next level. They take it from adaptation to Painful adaptation with a willingness to die and choose obedience over passion.
BL: “It seems that this principle of third culture leadership can also apply into the business world. Can you give an example or two of businesses or business leaders that are putting these principles into practice?”
DG: “Definitely. We just launched a consultancy with several global leaders who have worked or are working with groups like Deloitte, Mckinsey, Bain and Accenture. They said that global companies are actually looking for third culture leaders. The East is trying to find leaders in the West who can run companies in North America. The West is trying to find third culture leaders for their companies in the East. Companies or Business leaders who are putting these principles into practice are Tesco/Lotus; TacoBell/KFC/YUM; Toyota; President Obama; Sam Oh, executive with Tesco; Atul Tandon, former Executive wth Citibank Global and currently Exec. VP of World Vision; Paul Kim, One of the best commodity traders in the world; and Mike Wang, CEO of Venquest. The most successful future global and local leaders will have these third culture adaptive skills.”
Had dinner last night with Peb Jackson. Peb has been a friend for the last 10 years, and has had a major impact on me during that time. He is a networker of networkers, but has an amazing mix of the Likability Factor, WOO (Winnings Other Over), and connector.
Thought I would provide a “top reasons Peb Jackson is the greatest connector I know.”
1. Willing to help build a bridge- back when I was involved with Life@Work Magazine in the late 90′s, Peb opened up his rolodex and generously connected me to hundreds of his friends around the country, all influentials in their fields and VERY willing to meet a young mid 20′s nobody like myself solely based on Peb’s endorsement.
2. Incredible influence and credibility- when Peb connects you, it is strategic, and well received. He has a platform of respect and admiration that few ever attain. And this respect and admiration is with the TOP influencers in every cultural category- business, entertainment, politics, education, family, church, etc.
3. Listens firsts, and asks questions relentlessly- the greatest asset for being a great connector with and of people is the ability to listen, learn, and ask. Peb asks questions as good as anyone I know. He is a constant learner. Always reading new books, magazines, and periodicals. When he asks questions, you can tell he is genuinely interested.
4. Knows when to push for action- Peb has raised hundreds of millions of dollars for a variety of organizations, including Young Life, Focus on the Family, and a number of other organizations. He has helped business deals happen, connected major players in the political arena, been in the middle of international relief, and always made sure people were well AWARE of the agenda and the ask if he was about to make one. Basically being upfront with people and not trying to incorrectly leverage relationships for gain. Strategic friendships that are always seen with the best for that person.
5. Connects on your turf and with your agenda and interests, not necessarily his. He has an amazing ability to connect with people based on their agenda, their interests, and their hobbies.
6. Hunts, fishes, golfs, and everything in between- He is an avid climber. An avid mountain and rode biker. A marksman hunter, golfer, outdoor enthusiast, and adventurer in general. Pretty much any hobby that someone has Peb is able to join them in the pursuit of that hobby. I literally have never known anyone who could maintain this level of connection with people around their hobbies.
The great thing is, we can all learn from each of these items, in terms of connecting with our customers, vendors, partners, team members and network of friends. Thanks Peb for being a great mentor and friend!
One shot from Denver, the other shot from Atlanta. Guess which is which?
Last week we incorporated three official “themed” days at the Catalyst office to mix it up a bit and turn up the energy. The first day was team outfit day, the second day was competition day, and the third day was potluck day. Fun stuff. Here are a few videos from Team Outfit Day and Competition Day. Always trying to stir things up a bit to keep everyone sharp!
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