Influence requires investment. If you had to define leadership in one word, what better could you find than influence?Leaders effect change because leaders influence. Leaders achieve goals because leaders influence. Leaders are only leaders to the extent they influence. I remember bits of a sermon an evangelist passing through our little west Texas town preached…
Category: Blog
The Dance of the Insane – or – The Direction of the Informed?
And those who were seen dancing were thought to be insane by those who could not hear the music. ~Friedrich Nietzsche I was in the house alone, except for my English Setters, Huck and Finn. I was lustily singing a Willie Nelson song to the plaintiff guitar strumming in my head. The dogs couldn’t hear…
A Birthday New Year’s Resolution -or- 101 reasons to celebrate
What a week it’s been! I have 101 reasons to celebrate life right now. Last Friday, my baby girl got married to the love of her life and started that incredible journey called marriage. It was a beautiful wedding, well attended, and pulled off without a hitch. I had the privilege of preaching the charge…
The Journey Man: Celebrating seven years and change of not much
Today is nothing special…and that is a perfect reason to write this little bit of self-indulgence. I decided this morning over coffee to take a look back at my blogging journey. I discovered that I have been writing about sports, religion, family, faith, politics, and assorted othersubjects for more thanseven years. My very first blog…
Muhammad Ali – The Greatest that ever lived has died. Or…has he?
I did not like anything Muhammad Alistood for in life. I will not pretend I did now that he is dead. I detested his arrogance and cowardice (when it comes to military service for his country). He was anti-America, anti-Christ…and, oh, so entertaining. He “danced like a butterfly and stung like a bee.” He fought…
A Thanksgiving Prayer you are better off not praying
All across America, families who still pause to give thanks at Thanksgiving are gearing up for the big day of feast, family, and faith. Heads of families or those whom suspect they may be called on to offer grace may have already begun boning up on their prayer life. Some like it more rehearsed. No…
I, Tom Sawyer: The True Adventures of an American Youth | Part One: Billy Jack, Buford Pusser, and me
I grew up with a Bible in one hand and a copy of Mark Twain’sThe Adventures of Tom Sawyer in the other. If I had a third hand it would have held a football. A fourth would have had a baseball glove on it. A fifth and sixth would have clamped the handlebar grips of…
Everything all the time
I was spending some of Saturday’srainy morning sorting through Amazon Prime, downloading “free” music when I came across an album title that resonated with me. It is a Band of Horses album. It’s the title? “Everything all the time.” And it got me thinking. We have created a world for ourselves and our progeny where…
Passersby: remembering not to forget those you met along the way
Arriving at the office before 8AM, I am among the first in the BB&T building. The parking lot is empty, except for three or four vehicles strategically parked in the scant shady spots. The early bird gets the shade… and the windshield presents from careless birds. I’m alone on the elevator for the short ride…
Learning Management Skills from Mary Poppins
Everything I needed to know about management I learned from Mary Poppins. It was the mid-’80s. My two oldest daughters were little girls and Disney Channel was thenew playeron cable television. Consequently, there was lots of Winnie the Pooh, Robin Hood, Summer Magic…and Mary Poppins being played in our house. My wife and I watched…