Welcome back. You belong here.

I am often amazed how much I learn about my leaders just by going to their work place, their home, seeing their car (ouch!). Most of the time, we spend time with leaders in a controlled environment, staff meetings, rehearsal room, church. And most of the time it’s an environment we control.

Last week I visited Russell’s job. He is a civil engineer and works on Auto-CAD most of the day. In the arts, he does media work for us as well as arranging details for our parks and off campus events, he plays bass, plays in one of our bands and is a good friend.

Russell dreams about running sound, doing podcasts, doing his job well, being a good dad (he has four children 7 and under). He cries about…actually I’m not sure what he cries about, I need to ask him that next time.

I dream about: An urban church in Long Beach.
I cry about: Selfishness and self-centeredness. My own as well as others.

There are a few questions Leadership Wired recommends we ask when getting to know our people.

1. “What do you dream about?

A person’s dreams are powerful revealers of passion. When a person starts to talk about their dreams it’s as if something bubbles up from within. Their eyes brighten, their face glows, and you can feel the excitement in their words.

2. What do you cry about?

Passion can be uncovered by peering into the hurts deep inside a human soul. The experience of pain or loss can be a formidably motivating force. When listening to a story of grief, you hear a voice thick with emotion, you see watery eyes flooded with feeling, and in that moment you glimpse the intense connections between a person’s deepest pain and their greatest passion.”

Have a great day.

Into the future,

davidT