True Leaders are inspired and inspiring because of what they believe, not what they do. What they do merely demonstrates what they believe. Martin Lurther King inspired thousands by saying ‘I have a dream’ not ‘I have a plan’.
http://www.ted.com/talks/lang/en/simon_sinek_how_great_leaders_inspire_action.html
Steve Jobs Stanford Commencement Speech (2005)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D1R-jKKp3NA
Tim Cook’s Auburn University Commencement Speech (2010)
QUOTE:
I will prepare, and some day my chance will come. – Abraham Lincolm.
Good, old-fashioned wisdom from legendary basketball coach John Wooden …
http://www.ted.com/talks/john_wooden_on_the_difference_between_winning_and_success.html
The book ‘Global Challenge – Leadership Lessons from the World’s Toughest Yacht Race’ is a good read. The book details the life and leadership lessons gleaned from the 1996 BT Global Challenge yacht race – a 30,000 mile journey round the world ‘the wrong way’.
Here are some quotes from the book:
‘The ratio of “We’s” to “I’s” is the best indicator of the development of a team.’ – Citibank employee (pg 44)
‘Do something. If it doesn’t work do something else. No idea is too crazy.’ – Tom Peters (pg 110)
‘Nothing creates more self-respect among a team than being included in the process of making decisions.’ – Judith Bardwick (pg 116)
‘Talent is cheaper than table salt. What separates the talented individual from the successful one is a lot of hard work.’ – Stephen King (pg 140)
‘Difficult is the excuse history never accepts.’ – Anonymous (pg 145)
‘Winning isn’t a job, it’s a way of life.’ – Mark Lodge (pg 151)
ONE of my favourite sailing books is ‘Born to Win’ by John Bertrand, the true story about how the Australians beat Dennis Conner and company in the America’s Cup in 1983, the first time the United States had lost the coveted trophy in 132 years.
The book describes how skipper John Bertrand and his crew refused to be intimidated by history or the bully-boy tactics of the Americans.
COMMUNICATION
‘Silence means tension, and that’s not good. I must have told the crew a thousand times: “When we come off the starting line, I want this boat as loose as a goose. I want feedback, opinions, everyone tuned in, making observations, helping in every way – everyone totally involved, contributing. Everyone is crucial to this effort.’
I would not allow our boat to go quiet, frightened by our opponents, scared into insignificance.’
(Born to Win 1985 pg 130)
CREW SELECTION
Bertrand’s comments on crew selection are similar, in some ways, to business writer Jim Collins’ view in ‘Good to Great’ that you ‘need to get the right people on the bus, the wrong people off the bus, and the right people in the right seats’.
‘You cannot just recruit 10 gorillas and a helmsman, because you also need brains. Specialist brains, seamanship, and instinct. Ten College-educated gorillas with marine training will not do it, either. Not on my boat, because I need something you cannot buy, cannot learn, and cannot train for. I need men who, in addition to all of the above, have the God-given killer instinct to win, who naturally perceive themselves as winners, who believe unquestioningly in our own invincibility.’ (Born to Win 1985, pg 112)
‘I telephoned the Major (Peter Costello) as soon as I took command and invited him over. We flew to Freemantle, and after he sailed on the boat just one day, I knew that we had to have him. I was not sure in what capacity we would use, but his attitude was so positive and I did not even care if he sold ice-cream on the foredeck, just as long as he was there. When I formally invited him that night to join the crew of Australia II, he never even blinked . He just stuck out his hand without smiling and said, “Thanks John. I won’t let you down.”‘ (Born to Win 1985 pg 114)
TEAMWORK
It is impossible to describe the difference between a contented, close-knit crew and a group of men who are not united by good leadership. It was a lesson I never forgot. And nine years later, I would make 100 percent certain it never happened on Australia II.’ (Born to Win 1985 pg 46)
AMATEUR HOUR
‘The difference between professionals and amateurs is that the professional is dedicated to the total eradication of errors. It has nothing to do with money.’ – Australian football coach Ron Barassi (Born to Win 1985, pg 244)
COOL HEADS:
‘What really counts is the ability to perform beyond normal expectations within a high-pressure environment.’
(Born to Win 1985 pg 136)
‘You cannot go anywhere, if you have not first imagined yourself there. That which you have never even dreamed of is that which you will never attain.’ (Born to Win 1985 pg 144).
RACING
‘Great races are won by great crews and great tactics and great sail selection and endless tuning.’ (Born to Win 1985 pg 205)
‘When the breeze is not strong and shifting, we sail like cats – very stealthy, delicate, and thoughtful, easing our way along with care and cunning. When the wind howls, we sail like tigers – full of aggression, like wild animals.’ (Born to Win 1985, pg 236)
THE FINAL WORD:
America did not lose the America’s Cup, as so many newspapers and magazines and, indeed, book would have us believe. The Australians came and won the America’s Cup. We came and took it away with brilliant crew work, seamanship, preparation, administration, and a very, very fast boat. And we won it because, in the end, we wanted it most. The Americans had a team of champions, but we were a champion team.’ (Born to Win 1985 pg 370).
Picture the scene — this is a true story, by the way — 14 August 1977:
24-year-old Nick Ward is aboard a 30-foot yacht named Grimalkin, which is getting smashed by mountainous waves and storm-force winds in the Irish Sea. The yacht has been dismasted and the cockpit is a mangled mess of tangled ropes. Saltwater is sloshing around the cabin. In utter desperation, Nick grabs theVHF radio and sends out a Mayday message on channel 16.
Hours later, a Royal Navy Sea King helicopter arrives on the scene, hovering above the stricken vessel.
Now, listen to Nick’s first-hand account of the rescue.
‘The navy-grey helicopter circled us. The noise was extraordinary. I could see the pilot clearly, and the winchman standing at the open door. Within moments the crewman – Peter Harrison – was descending on a cable towards the cockpit, but with Grimalkin still rising and falling some 20 or 30 feet it became evident that his descent was going to be hindered. His target, his landing area, was tiny. I panicked again. What if he had to abort his landing? But this young man required no help from me. He was purposeful, strong and deliberate in his movements. His black boots hit the deck with some force. The light reflected off his visor so that I couldn’t see his eyes. This guy with all his gear had a huge physical presence and commanded instant respect. The very opposite of me – filthy, bloodied, smelly and unkempt.
Before I knew it, his strop was looped round me and under my arms. The strop tightened round my chest … as I was lifted off the deck. About 50 feet up, looking straight down, I saw our abandoned boat and how ravaged she was. Her deck was strewn with the wreckage of the felled mast, boom and sails. The open side door of the Sea King helicopter appeared in front of me and I was pulled into safety.’ (Left for Dead 2007 pg 195-198)
Friends, I’m not here to talk about the Fastnet Race, I’m here to talk about the Gospel of Jesus Christ, which is the greatest Search and Rescue Mission of all time.
For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.
These two verses go to the very heart of the Gospel. And to describe the Gospel as ‘Good News’ is something of an understatement.
Biblical Truth No. 1. God loves you. I’m going to say that again. God loves you. The Creator of the vast oceans, the humpbacked whales, the tropical cyclones and the the flying fish, loves you. And he loves you lavishly, graciously, perfectly. How do we know this? Because he demonstrates his love for us through his actions. We often say that ‘talk is cheap.’ What do we mean by this? We mean that words are meaningless unless they are backed up, collaborated and demonstrated through powerful actions. It’s what we call: Walking the talk.
Well, this is how God demonstrates his love for us. God sent his only Son to earth to complete a mercy mission of staggering proportions.
Romans 5: 6-8
You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. 7 Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous person, though for a good person someone might possibly dare to die. 8 But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
Wow.
Biblical Truth No. 2. We are powerless to save ourselves. Ouch. We don’t like to hear that. In this day and age, we often like to project an image of fierce independence and self-reliance. Well, forget it. Without Jesus Christ, we are helpless, hopeless, way out of our depth.
Roman 3: 23: … for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.
When Nick Ward send out that frantic Mayday message on 14 August 1977, he knew that he was powerless to save himself. Despite all his sailing skills and maritime experience, that storm was far too big, and that 30-foot yacht was way too small.
[pause.]
Are you feeling overwhelmed by life? Are you struggling to keep your neck above water? Perhaps financial pressures, or family commitments, are weighing heavily on your heart and mind. Perhaps you’re struggling with illness, depression, addiction or simply a dull emptiness. The writer Henry Thoreau said ‘the mass of men lead lives of quiet desperation.’
If you know you’re out of your depth, now is the time to call out to God. Now is the time to hit the bright red ‘Distress’ button that you’ve been avoiding for far too long because of your stubborn pride.
Sailors only send out a Mayday message if their lives are in ‘grave and imminent grave’. If you don’t believe that Jesus Christ — and Jesus Christ alone — can save you, then that is exactly the situation that you are facing – your life is in grave and imminent danger.
Why don’t you call out to God and tell him exactly where you are. The good news is that he already knows where you are, literally and figuratively. He knows where you are more accurately and intimately and the most advanced GPS system.
The love the book of psalms, it’s full of all the highs and low of human experience, and it contains plenty of frantic Mayday messages.
Psalm 69
Save me, O God,
for the waters have come up to my neck.
2 I sink in the miry depths,
where there is no foothold.
I have come into the deep waters;
the floods engulf me.
Now, for the best news of all.
Biblical truth no. 3. Jesus saves.
Joel 2: 32
Everyone who calls
on the name of the LORD will be saved.
Our God is a God who saves;
from the sovereign LORD comes escape from death.
Psalm 145: 17,18
The LORD is righteous in all his ways
and loving toward all he has made.
The LORD is near to all who call on him,
to all who call on him in truth.
He fulfills the desires of those who fear him;
he hears their cry and saves them.
6 In my distress I called to the LORD;
I cried to my God for help.
16 He reached down from on high and took hold of me;
he drew me out of deep waters.
The very same God who breathed the oceans into existence, can save you. The very same God who designed the world’s first life-raft, who led the Israelites through the Sea of Reeds, the very same God who quietened the wind and flattened the waves, the same God who walked on water and offered his disciples some spectacularly successful fishing tips — this very same God loves you and longs to save you.
Perhaps, like Peter and Andrew, you need to leave your fishing nets on the shore and follow Jesus. Perhaps, like Peter, Christ is calling you out of your comfort zone, perhaps he’s asking you to get off the couch, perhaps he’s asking you to step out the boat.
If you’ve heard God’s voice, now is the time to respond. Now is the time to ask God to lift you out of deep waters and place your feet on solid ground.
Psalm 40:2
He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire; he set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand.
The helicopter is hovering and the clock is ticking. Indecisiveness is not an option.
Hebrews 3: 7
Today, if you hear his voice,
do not harden your hearts
as you did in the rebellion.”[a
2 Corinthians 6:1,2
In the time of my favour I heard you,
and in the day of salvation I helped you.”[a]
I tell you, now is the time of God’s favor, now is the day of salvation.
Joshua 24: 14
Choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve… But as for me and my household, we will serve the LORD.”
Perhaps you have already accepted Jesus as your Saviour, and you know that Jesus saves. But perhaps your heart has gone cold, perhaps you’ve forgotten how hopelessly desperate you were without Jesus Christ.
Perhaps you need to remember all that God has done for you. Perhaps you need to recount his acts of love, mercy and grace, perhaps you need to hear more closely to His voice. Perhaps you need to eat the bread and drink the wine, and to reflect on the depth of God’s sacrifice and love.
Romans 1: 16
I am no ashamed of the gospel because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes, first for the Jew, then for the Gentile.
Phil 1:27
Whatever happens, conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ.
IT’S THAT time of the year when Japan’s whaling fleet and Sea Shepherd sail to the bottom of the world to resume battle in the Southern Ocean Whale Sanctuary. Many countries and pressure groups argue that Japan uses a loop-hole in The International Convention for the Regulation of Whaling (read Article 8 – see link below) to claim that their annual whale hunt is nobly undertaken in the name of scientific research. Really?
Although the militant Sea Shepherd activists and the more ‘moderate’ Greenpeace supporters disagree on how to tackle whaling in the 21st century, both groups agree Japan is using Article 8 to undertake commercial whaling in the guise of research whaling.
Speaking of Sea Shepherd, I see that former-007 Sean Connery is the latest celebrity to add his voice to the anti-whaling camp. Bravo. Of course, this is the same Mr Connery who used his powerful, global voice to help billionaire bully Donald Trump bulldoze environmentally-sensitive coastal dunes in Scotland in order to create ‘the greatest golf course in the world.’ Now that’s what I call a double agent.
>> DIG DEEPER:
As a teenager, I remember making the annual family pilgrimage to the South Coast for Christmas. Like thousands of other Vaalies, the key holiday objective was always to bear as close a resemblance as possible to the local surfers and lifeguards. These incredibly cool creatures mooched about in Billabong baggies, sporting dark tans and sun-bleached hair, and were inevitably surrounded by sun-kissed girls in bikinis. However, merciless school haircut inspections, zero surfing skills and limited pocket money always killed the dream. Now, finally, I have the hair! But tragically I’m now too old to fit in with the young Thunder Cats at Southbroom.
Lynx deodorant adverts, online and onscreen, continually use the objectification and sexualisation of women to try sell their products. Well, it stinks. Welcome to 2011, Unilever, this isn’t the 1950s. Lynx deodorant is also branded as Axe in the US. I’ve decided to boycott this product, and will write to Unilever to explain why.
Why not look at a website like www.ethicalconsumer.org and compile a list of brands which you’ll be taking OFF your Christmas shopping list, not to mention your grocery list. Then get really radical by trying to get your list published in the letters column of your local newspaper.
The recession is hurting many people at the moment. But it’s also hurting High Street retailers and the vast multinational companies behind these brands. There has never been a better time to rachet up the pressure on unethical companies and their unethical brands. Now is the time to spend more ethically, selectively and sparingly. (Saturday was Buy Nothing Day, by the way. If you missed it, don’t worry, you’ve got the whole of December to avoid crass consumerism and invest in family, friends, charities, sport and your health!)
DIG DEEPER:
http://www.ethicalconsumer.org/buyersguides/healthbeauty/deodorant.aspx
Leader-SHIP 