Followers vs. Fans

Great blog by Brad Lomeninck


Follower vs. Fan.Is there a difference?
1. Followers are committed. Fans can be fickle.
2. Followers trust their leader. Fans trust in their leader only when it benefits them.
3. Followers want a vision. Fans want a show.
4. Followers ask “what have i done for you?” lately. Fans ask “what have you done for me lately?”
5. Followers are in for the long term. Fans are in for the short term.
6. Followers have an intrinsic connection; it’s not about wearing a t-shirt. Fans have an extrinsic connection; it’s ALL about wearing a t-shirt.

Facebook Changed

I see Facebook changed again. People are very upset again. Some are threatening to leave and go to Google+. I guess that's not change. Leaving one social network and going to a completely different one. I've been thinking today about how this really seems to go with what happens in the church. Many people don't like change there either. But as I think about discipleship, isn't at the root of the discipleship process change? We love to sing Amazing Grace - I once was blind but now I see, I once was lost but now I'm found. That's all about change. We are invited by Jesus to leave our old life and follow Him. That's change. I love change. I also know I need to be changed - transformed. I think you like change too, you change your underwear everyday! Changes do make us uncomfortable, but without change, well, I'm thankful I'm not like I used to be. Give the changes to Facebook a chance, I bet you will catch on pretty quick to what is different. In six months when it changes again you will be amazed at how you want it to go back to the "old" way - yeah, the change we are in right now.

5 Levels of Leadership

I can't wait until John Maxwell's next book, The 5 Levels of Leadership, is released. Here's John's latest blog about this book:

The 5 Levels of Leadership is almost here, and I’m excited. This is my best material, and it’s been tested and proven for over 30 years. I know the 5 Levels work.

Here on the blog, I’ve been going over the levels, and this week it’s time for Level 3: Production.

But before I get into the definition and value of production in a leader’s life, I want to clarify how the levels work. Remember the graphic? The 5 Levels are like a building – all the higher levels rest on the lower ones. Every leader must pass through every level to get to the next one. Level 2 builds on Level 1. You can’t be a Level 3 leader until you’ve mastered Level 2: Permission. But once you’ve built a relationship with your people, you’re ready to focus on producing results.

The Production level is where leadership really takes off and goes to another level. Production qualifies and separates true leaders from people who merely occupy leadership positions. Good leaders always make things happen. They get results. They can make a significant impact on an organization. Not only are they productive individually, but they also are able to help the team produce. This ability gives Level 3 leaders confidence, credibility, and increased influence.

No one can fake Level 3. Either you’re producing for the organization and adding to its bottom line (whatever that may be), or you’re not. Thomas Watson, the founder of IBM, noted, “The outstanding leaders of every age are those who set up their own quotas and constantly exceed them.” That is a good description of Level 3 leaders. They are self-motivated and productive. As a result, they create momentum and develop an environment of success, which makes the team better and stronger.

Another benefit of leadership on Level 3 is that it attracts other highly productive people. Producers are attractive to other producers. They respect one another. They enjoy collaborating. They get things done together. That ultimately creates growth for the organization.

Leaders can get to Level 1 for an almost endless number of reasons: They show promise. They have connections. They play politics. They have seniority. The organization is desperate. You name it, and someone has probably become a leader because of it. Leaders who are naturally good with people or who take pains to learn people skills can move up to Level 2. But some people never move up from Level 2 Permission to Level 3 Production. Why? They can’t seem to produce results. When that is the case, it’s usually because they lack the self-discipline, work ethic, organization, or skills to be productive. However, if you desire to go to higher levels of leadership, you simply have to produce. There is no other way around it.

I Believe in You

It all started with a Father who believed in His Son.

Mark 1:9-11, “At that time Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. As Jesus was coming up out of the water, he saw heaven being torn open and the Spirit descending on him like a dove. And a voice came from heaven: ‘You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased.’”

Jesus began His public ministry with affirmation. Following God's public affirmation of Jesus came temptation. I believe this continues to be true for you and me. As we hear God's voice and we respond in obedience, Satan is going to try to take us off track.

After Jesus remained true to God in the face of temptation He then begins to invite others to join Him in fulfilling God's mission for His life. When we come through on the other side of temptation we have the invitation to join God where He is already at work around us.

The great thing is we get to do this with each other. I believe we are all called to be a spiritual mother or a spiritual father to someone else and I believe we all need a spiritual mother or a spiritual father in our lives. This is the model that Jesus used with the disciples and that Paul used in the early church. It's biblical. It works. We should do it too.

Leadership Is Dead

I recently finished reading Leadership Is Dead: How Influence is Reviving It by Jeremie Kubicek. I was originally introduced to Jeremie at the Chick-fil-a Leadercast in May. He is the founder and CEO of GiANT Impact.

I have to admit I wanted to read the book based on the title. It intrigued me to see what a CEO of a Christian based organization would write about leadership.

He gives an action plan for making leadership come alive in you:

1. Give trust to become trustworthy.



2. Become credible, not just smart.



3. Be intentional in your influence.



4. Break through your walls of self-preservation.



5. Pursue relationship before opportunity.



6. Give yourself away.



7. Become significant in your impact.

I loved Jeremie's transparency in his stories and how he wove his action plan into his life's experiences. Good stuff!

End Malaria Day

Today from Seth Godin...

In fact, it costs double the standard amount.

Over the last few months, alert readers of the Domino Project blog have gotten a ton of free ebooks, each a bestseller, each worth reading and sharing.

You don’t owe us anything for that. The exchange was obvious–your attention and goodwill and willingness to share made it worth the author and the sponsor giving a free ebook to you.

No, you don’t owe us anything.

But you do owe the kids something. The kids around the world who die every single day from malaria. For no good reason other than a lack of a malaria net.

Today, 61 amazing authors (and me) are publishing an important new book, a book about great work and finding insight and making a difference. It’s a bargain at $20 for the Kindle edition and $25 for the paperback (international pricing and availability varies, as always).

But of course, there are plenty of great books to choose from. You probably own a few books you haven’t read yet. The fact that this is a great book is not why you should buy a copy right now.

You should buy a copy because today is End Malaria Day, and because we’re donating $20 from the sale of every copy in any format to Malaria No More. In fact, we never even see the money. The writers, the designers, the promoters and the Domino Project all worked for free for months to bring this book to you, so you could step up and save someone’s life.

Will you do that?

The little voice says: But what if they don’t? What if your readers become skeptical, I say to myself. What if they hesitate or don’t come through? Then I relax and realize that this just isn’t going to happen. You care too much. Thank you for that.

[One other thing you could do: spread the word. If you forward this note to just 25 people (and tweet it), it'll be worth more than you can imagine. Thank you.]