There is an ancient story that I believe gives us tremendous insight into business leadership.

It’s about a farmer scattering his seed.

(Tis an old, old story, so we have to think way back to a time before the industrial revolution. There are no tractors involved.)

It was driven into my head during my stint in Children’s Ministry (in a good way 😉).

“Make the wise choice!”

Intellectually, we understand.

If our emotional intelligence is developed at all, we (hopefully) appreciate the fact that well-meaning sojourners may have different belief systems that support choices that are not aligned with one another’s.

Got it.

Beware.

Originally two words: ‘be ware’ – be wary; be cautious.

‘Ware’ comes from an Old English word meaning ‘prudent’ or ‘aware.’

Beware. Be prudent. Be aware…

In my humble opinion, to be aware – or ‘awareness’ – is a superpower consistently found in the lives of great leaders.

It is what separates them from the pack of the gifted.

One can be extremely talented. Intelligent beyond measure. Confident. In a position of influence.

But if there is not an awareness about them – on multiple levels – they cannot lead well.

As purpose driven leaders, you and I likely understand ‘stewardship’ – a critical concept we seek to master in our efforts to navigate with wisdom in a finite world.

Good stewardship refers to the responsible management and well-discerned dispersal of resources that are limited and often unique to an individual.

Three come to mind rather quickly: Time, Talent, and Treasure. But there are three lesser-known resources I would like The H3 Leader (that’s you and me!) to consider…

Whether it’s a project, a road trip, a difficult conversation, or a catastrophic emergency, this is a question we face every single day and often need to resolve quickly. 

As leaders, we frequently address the question subconsciously. Our routines, patterns of behavior, and experience kick in. 

Before we realize what’s happening, we are four or five steps into the process and probably don’t even appreciate that we have not addressed this most basic of questions directly.

In keeping with the spirit of MMS, I want to lean into the character-building nature of making a personal commitment public.

Making a purely public commitment is one thing. Yeah, it’s out there, and people may throw a little shade if you don’t hit the mark.

But that’s not uncommon these days. Public commitments are like organizational goals. If you hit them, great! If you don’t, that stinks. We move on.

Personal commitments made public are another animal…

Although not the pure psychological definition, ‘cognitive dissonance’ often refers to the ability to hold two seemingly contradictory beliefs in tension with one another.

Cognitive dissonance, IMHO, lies in the advanced stages of executive thinking.

No different than any other professional skill, executive thinking is something that can be learned, improved, and perfected.

Just one more thing…

That’s all everybody wants.

One more dollar for their pet project to be completed.

One more opportunity for you to consider.

One more mentoring conversation to move their ball forward.

One more priority email response before the end of the week.

One more moment of your precious time.

Just ONE more thing…

“…malice needs nothing to live on. It can feed on itself.” – A.W. Tozer

Yes, it’s a dark image. I even toned it down a bit!

But…maybe we need to be reminded of just how ugly the spirit of malice can be once in a while.

In doing so, we put ourselves in a better position to take it seriously and face it head-on.

You and I need our calendars to help keep it all straight.

But as the proverbial saying goes – Calendars are great servants; terrible masters…

Do you control your calendar? Or...does your calendar control you?

It's a mixed bag, isn't it?

Many of us NEED our calendars to help streamline and organize our efforts.

They keep us in line and on time. That's a good thing, no?

You and I need our calendars to help keep it all straight.

But as the proverbial saying goes – Calendars are great servants; terrible masters…