The Law of Timing…Law #19 Jesus goes to see Lazarus – John 11:1-6 (Easter Week Special Post)

The Law of Timing…Law #19  Jesus goes to see Lazarus – John 11:1-6

I am sure that most of you know the story of Lazarus and the fact that Jesus did in fact (according to belief and scripture) raise Lazarus from the dead. Correctly that would be that Jesus would awaken Lazarus. But what many do not know is that Jesus purposefully waited and did not go running to prevent him from dying. He stayed another 2 days where he was. You see the timing was not right. There was a bigger purpose. There was a bigger plan. Jesus was feeling the pain of not going right away but He knew that the timing had to be right in order to fulfill the Father’s Plan.

Timing is everything. His followers believed that the dead would rise again on the Last Day but now that the crowds had indeed been gathering, Jesus was able to say and I quote “I am the Resurrection and the Life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live.”

Thus under the principles of the Law of Timing, by Jesus waiting for all that was to precede him to happen, the raising of Lazarus would indeed get the attention of everyone in Jerusalem.

So I ask you today, what steps and actions are you putting in place to ensure that the Law of Timing works as it should for you?

Peace. BB

Communication: Everyone does but how effective is it?

Communication: Everyone does but how effective is it to you as the Leader?

The development of excellent communication skills is of the utmost importance to being an effective leader. The ability to share information in such a way that others realize and understand its importance and to do so with enthusiasm is paramount to accomplishing goals. Gilbert Amelio, President of National Semiconductor Corp says it best “If a leader can’t get a message across clearly and motivate others to act on it, then having a message doesn’t even matter.” There have been many great “communicators” throughout history but one who really comes forward, at least in my lifetime, was Ronald Reagan. He has gone down in History as being called the “Great Communicator”.  He had an uncommon ability to connect and communicate and he did this with maximum effectiveness.
Connection and communication are so very important in the Big Picture of Leadership. The ability to state your clear vision, make decisions and be able to effectively delegate cannot be stressed enough. Those you communicate with need to be able to know who you are, what you stand for and what results you are looking to achieve. In fact, clear and concise communication will be a major contributing factor in helping you to be the person that others want to follow. After all, I did start this essay out referring to you as an effective Leader. Even if your goals are not to be a President or other world leader, your ability to communicate can and will have direct effect on your marriage or relationship, job and other relationships. People will not follow you if they don’t know what you want or where you are going!
So let’s give you a few hints on how you can be a more effective communicator.
1. Keep it Simple – Your message is not just about what you say but also about how you say it. I marvel sometimes as to how some people try to overwhelm us with the biggest words that they have learned. I am glad that they know the words but for the rest of us we may still be trying to figure out what they said. So, keep it simple. If you truly want to connect with people, keep it simple.
2. Know your audience. Know who they are. Anticipate what their questions may be. Know what needs to be accomplished and how much time will be allotted.  Communicate as if you are truly a part of the audience.
3. Have Credibility. If you don’t believe in what you are saying, neither will the rest of us! You must speak with conviction and live what you say. If you do this, your ability to lead others will jump to new levels.
4. Ensure you receive a response and action. You are not communicating for the sake of dumping a whole bunch of info on us. You want people to not just hear you but rather feel what you are saying, giving them something to remember and most importantly something for them to do.
You are the Leader. You are there to get others to do and to get things done. You are there to inspire, motivate, guide, direct and most important, to listen. Yes, to listen (to them). No matter how great your vision and your intentions, if you do not learn to communicate and connect, you will find the road long and tough ahead.
My call to action for you this day is to take a step back and note how many times you have communicated of late but most importantly to note how many times you actually connected to those you communicated with.
Contact me today at BermudaBob@me.com and find out how you can be part of either a MasterMind Group or Lunch and Learn on “Everyone Communicates. Few Connect”. You won’t be sorry. Peace. BB

Your Competence will pave the road of your potential ahead of you.

Your Competence will pave the road of your potential ahead of you.
(Passion / Purpose / Consistency)
You were clearly born for a purpose. Now this may seem like a very profound statement and depending upon where you are in your timeline of life,  be questionable. But the answer, the true answer is that you were indeed born for a purpose.
Competence goes beyond words. As John Maxwell has stated “It’s the leader’s ability to say it, plan it, and do it in such a way that others know that you know how and know that they want to follow you”.  While we would clearly like to think that we are going to be good in everything that we set our minds on, it would seem obvious that you are talented and gifted to do specific things well. But that is not to say that you cannot become competent in many things while you work to become that master of what you will excel at.
But let me pause here for a moment for it is necessary to take into account that there lies a degree of passion that must be introduced into your journey on the road to your discovery of what you will excel at. Your passion will determine and control your consistency on this road. Thomas Edison did not fail thousands of times creating his inventions. He excelled in his passion for finding what did not work to determine what would work. The Wright Brothers put their competence behind their passion and successfully flew at Kitty Hawk. It is the recognition by others of your abilities that will clearly allow your competence to speak for itself.
Now this journey to Excellence in Competence requires some steps along the way:
1. Show up everyday – There are no free rides. Responsible people do indeed show up but competent people go that extra step by being ready to play each and every day no matter how they feel and they always get out from under the circumstances.
2. Keep Improving – It is so easy to just “let it ride” once you have achieved a level of competence. But the real leader will continue to learn, grow and improve. There is no resting on your laurels.
3. Follow Thru with Excellence – Performing at a high degree of excellence is ALWAYS a choice. Your Choice! I think back to the movie “Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure” when the classic line was “Be Excellent, Dude”. Leaders always want the ball when the game is on the line. You must work towards that excellence and be ready to take the ball and run with it.
4. Accomplish More than Expected – Always go the extra distance. It is here that you need to work your Passion and Purpose with Consistency.
5. Inspire Others – Whether you like it or not, you need to rub off on others. Inspire and motivate while using your competencies to ensure that excellence will shine forth in not just you but those around you.
Let me close with a couple of statements…
1. Keep your head in the game.  If you have found your Passion and purpose waning…reengage and rededicate yourself. If you have found that you have lost your edge, then identify what is holding you back and challenge yourself to excel.
2. Redefine the standards. Are you shooting too low? Do you find yourself cutting corners? Time to aim higher and demand more from yourself before you can demand more from others.
3. Find 3 ways to improve. Find some ways that you can put into use that will help you improve your skills and competencies and dedicate and find time to do it.
Your comments are always welcome. My call to action for you today is to determine what your purpose and competencies are and where you stand it fulfilling them. What steps will you put into place that will bring you back on track?
Peace. BB