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Permalink Reply by steve crump on October 25, 2009 at 1:04pm

Adversity is the state in which man mostly easily becomes acquainted with himself.

If you don’t have time to do it right, when will you have time to do it over?

Things turn out best for the people who make the best of the way things turn out.

You can’t let praise or criticism get to you. It’s a weakness to get caught up in either one.

Talent is God-given. Be humble. Fame is man-given. Be grateful. Conceit is self-given. Be careful.


The Parable of Brother Leo 640.1
A legend tells of a French monastery known throughout Europe for the extraordinary leadership of a man known only as Brother Leo. Several monks began a pilgrimage to visit Brother Leo to learn from him. Almost immediately, they began to bicker about who should do various chores.

On the third day they met another monk going to the monastery, and he joined them. This monk never complained or shirked a duty, and whenever the others would fight over a chore, he would gracefully volunteer and do it himself. By the last day, the others were following his example, and from then on they worked together smoothly.

When they reached the monastery and asked to see Brother Leo, the man who greeted them laughed. “But our brother is among you!” And he pointed to the fellow who had joined them.

Today, many people seek leadership positions, not so much for what they can do for others but for what the position can do for them: status, connections, perks, advantages. They do service as an investment, a way to build an impressive resume.

The parable about Brother Leo teaches another model of leadership, where leaders are preoccupied with serving rather than being followed, with giving rather than getting, with doing rather than demanding. Leadership based on example, not command. This is called servant leadership.

Can you imagine how much better things would be if more politicians, educators, and business executives saw themselves as servant leaders?

This is Michael Josephson reminding you that character counts.


Slow Dance 640.3
I once heard the chairman and CEO of a huge public company tell a roomful of ambitious, hardworking, dedicated executives that if he had to do it all over again, he would have spent more time with his family. That’s not news, but to Type-A personalities, it’s easier said than done.

David L. Weatherford’s poem “Slow Dance” sends the message in a particularly compelling way:

Have you ever watched kids on a merry-go-round
Or listened to rain slapping on the ground?
Ever followed a butterfly’s erratic flight
Or gazed at the sun fading into the night?
You better slow down, don’t dance so fast,
Time is short, the music won’t last.

Do you run through each day on the fly?
When you ask, “How are you?” do you hear the reply?
When the day is done, do you lie in your bed
With the next hundred chores running through your head?
You better slow down, don’t dance so fast,
Time is short, the music won’t last.

Ever told your child, “We’ll do it tomorrow,”
And in your haste not seen his sorrow?
Ever lost touch, let a good friendship die,
’Cause you never had time to call and say hi?
You better slow down, don’t dance so fast,
Time is short, the music won’t last.

When you run so fast to get somewhere,
You miss half the fun of getting there.
When you worry and hurry through your day,
It’s like an unopened gift thrown away.
Life is not a race, so take it slower,
Hear the music before your song is over.

The question isn’t whether this makes sense to you. It’s what are you going to do about it, and when are you going to start?

This is Michael Josephson reminding you that character counts.

The Blue Stone and the White Lie 640.5

When my daughter Abrielle was 4, she came running down the hall screaming. “I don’t want to die! I swallowed a stone!” I immediately determined that nothing was obstructing her throat, but she was still in a panic.

“It’s okay, sweetheart,” I tried to soothe her. “You’re not going to die.”

She thought I didn’t understand. “But I swallowed a stone! It was a blue one!” she emphasized, as if I should realize that was a particularly deadly one.

Apparently a babysitter, to discourage her from putting things in her mouth, had told her she could die if she swallowed the wrong things. To Aby, that included some polished stones I’d given her.

I assured her that she was in no danger, that the stone would come out in the morning when she went poo-poo.

She ran to the toilet, hollering, “I want it out now!” She began pushing so hard, it looked like a blood vessel would burst. She was frightened and desperate.

Moments like this test and refine your values. Truth and reason weren’t working. So I lied.

“I know what to do,” I declared. I got a spoonful of maple syrup and brought it back. “Here, swallow this,” I told her. “It will melt the stone.”

“Will it be gone?” she looked up in wonder.

“Absolutely.”

She swallowed it and announced triumphantly, “Daddy melted the stone! I’m not going to die!”

The emergency was over, but I hated lying to her. A few weeks later, I sat down and told her the truth, worried that she would never trust me again. Funny, she trusted me even more.

Truth is important, but trust is the ultimate treasure.

This is Michael Josephson reminding you that character counts.

Permalink Reply by Billy Schmidt on November 1, 2009 at 8:39am

Absolutely Steve. Michael Josephson is great. It is a great source to begin talking about character and leadership. Many of our local public schools participate in his programs. Maybe more FDs should get involved?

Leadership is all about "growing" other leaders. An orchard begins with the first seed. We'll just keep talking and keep growing.