Wisdom for Leaders from MLB Players

As I'm sure you know by now, two of my great loves are Leadership and Baseball. This week's article pairs the two beautifully. It is written by Kyle Jackson, our Associate Pastor at Next Level Church. 

Wisdom for Leaders from MLB Players

@KyleJackson1

    I have 2 friends that I played college baseball with that are making their way through Minor League baseball on the way to the Bigs. I had the opportunity to talk with both of them on the phone recently as they were finishing up Spring Training in AZ. and was blown away by some of the answers they gave me to some questions I was strategically asking about baseball but listening to their answers with a Ministry mindset.

     Lance Zawadski (Triple-A for the St. Louis Cardinals) played several games for the Padres a year or two ago before being traded to the Royals, Braves and now Cardinals. He is a switch hitting SS/2B that is a phenomenal defensive player and hits for power from both sides of the plate. (Lance's Bio)

     Brad Coon (Double-A for the Tampa Bay Rays) just finished his 7th year of Minor League ball. He was with the Angels, Nationals, Dodgers and Rays. He is a speedy left-handed center fielder that hits lead-off and steals 30-40 bases a year. (Brad's Bio)

Questions I asked Lance and Brad:

1. What is the biggest difference between Minor League Baseball and Major League Baseball?

Amazingly they gave the exact same answer: 

Lance Zawadski

“The biggest difference is in Minor League Baseball you can get away with certain weaknesses, but in the Majors, every weakness you have will be EXPLOITED and it will be exploited quick. In Minor League baseball only a few teams know your weakness, in the Majors EVERYONE knows your weaknesses!”

     As a leader in ministry, the larger your ministry gets the more your weaknesses are going to be EXPLOITED! You can get away with some things in the Minors that only a few people know about, but in the Majors your weakness WILL be known and they WILL be exploited quickly!

2. What is the difference in preparing for a Double-A game and a Major League Game?

Again, they gave the same answer:  

“You can show up at the park 3 hours before a minor league game and stretch, Take BP, throw and be successful. In the Majors you have to prepare daily! You have to do your research on everything and chances are you still want have a “great” game! You have to be so mentally tough or you will get run over!”

     As a leader in ministry, the more influence you have the more ready you have to be to answer questions, take the heat, be challenged by others and more. You can’t just show up at the park and half way prepare, you have to be prepared daily.

3. What has been the toughest challenge for you after moving up to the Big Leagues?

Lance: ”Learning the day-to-day routine of being a Major League player. It’s so different being in the spotlight. Everything you do or say people are ready to pounce on you! You have to be mentally tough.”

Brad: “Thinking I have to change who I am as a player after one bad at bat or one bad game. I think I have to change everything about my stance and swing after one bad day. I am a singles hitter, that steals bases and plays good defense. That’s what got me here. I don’t have to be something I’m not!”

     WOW…Let both of those answers sink in a little! In the ministry sometimes you feel like people are just waiting for you to do or say the “wrong” thing. Everyone has their opinion of what you should do or who you should be. Be who you are and do what got you to the place you are in. Don’t be afraid to change, but always revert back to who you are at a heart level. Know who you are and what you do well and stick with it!

4. What is the biggest misconception about Major League players?

Lance: ”People think that just because we are Big League players we slack off. The biggest surprise to me was watching from the dugout some of the best players in the game consistently running on and off the field hard and running out ground balls hard. People see what they want on TV and assume what they want from a distance. It is not always true.”

Brad Coon

Brad: ”That we are all the same! Cocky, Above the law, non-appreciative guys. So untrue. There are unhappy people everywhere in life no matter what you do! That does not mean everyone you work with or everyone in your profession is the same. People believe what they want and make their own opinions about you without even knowing you.”

     The more influence you gain, the more scrutiny you will take! People will  make their own opinions about you when they have never met you. They will watch from a distance and try to tear you down.

As Leaders, What Can We Do: 

•  Get accountable about your weaknesses so they will not get Exploited. 
•  Prepare Daily. 
•  Know who you are at a heart level. 
•  Don’t worry about the misconceptions about who you are.

#AddingValue

@MatthewKeller

The London Olympics Got It Right! (A Leadership Principle)

One of the things I have been most impressed about (and there have been many) watching the London 2012 Summer Olympics is the overt thread of belief and optimism about the next generation.

During the Opening Ceremonies, when it came to the infamous torch lighting pomp and circumstance, often awarded to past greats and legends, they took a more holistic approach. I loved how David Beckham was visible but not even in the building, then the legendary runner carried the torch in to the stadium, through 500 construction workers (Average Joe's and Jane's) who built the facility.

Once the torch entered the stadium it was passed to 7 members of the Next Generation who each took a turn as they circled the stadium. Once they made it around, they stopped and handed the torch to 7 past legends (sponsors) in their particular sport. What a great way to honor those who have gone before them and paved the way for them.

Then... in an unexpected twist, the sponsors handed the light back to the young athletes as if to say, "The future is not ours to carry... its your turn now!" At this, the future athletes then ran past the 10,000 current olympians and made their way to the center where they, together, lit the torch. Which was made up of the 204 individual nation's copper bowls.

As I sat on my couch watching the cauldron illuminate, I couldn't help but say out loud: "They got it right!!! They trusted the next generation with the most important part!!!"

What We Can Learn:

The symbolism built into the Opening Ceremonies that night contains a powerful message for everyone of us who are leaders in anyway today. Here are a few key applications that jump out at me...

1. It is necessary and right to honor those who go before us.

     I am a HUGE proponent of giving honor to whom honor is due. There is a generation who paid a great price for the life and opportunities we have. We must never forget to honor them every chance we get. We stand on their shoulders. We reap where they sowed. We have success where they had struggle. Thank you older generations for the price you paid for us. We are better because of you.

2. It is right to honor those who sacrifice and serve behind the scenes.

     I love that the construction workers were invited in to the celebration. So often, those who sweat and bleed and sacrifice behind the scenes never get invited in when the vision is complete and the celebration happens. What can we do to honor those who serve our vision faithfully behind the scenes?

3. It is right to trust the young generation with the Important Stuff, not just the trivial stuff.

     When it came down to the actual lighting of the torch with 1 Billion (that's 1,000,000,000) people (1 out of every 7 people alive on planet earth today) watching, they didn't relent with their belief in the next generation.
     Too often, we in leadership circles, have been guilty of saying we believe in the young generation, saying we trust them, saying we want to empower them, but then when it comes to the big moments, we hold on to the ball.
     If 7 young people can successfully light the Olympic flame in front of 1 Billion people, it probably is conceivable to think the young leaders in our organizations can carry more than we think they can.

PERSONAL STORY ::
     Once upon a time, I was a young leader, bursting with vision and potential and leadership. What I wanted more than anything was for someone in the older generation to give me a shot. When that shot didn't come, I graciously took my talent, energy, ideas and potential and went somewhere else.
    Today, I am so grateful to lead an organization built on empowering young leaders. There is no greater joy for me today then to create opportunities that develop and stretch young leaders and make them better and stronger. I am committing the rest of my leadership life to empowering young leaders and giving ministry away!
     At Next Level Church, we're not waiting for them to be perfect. We're trusting them now. What we're discovering is, when given true belief and opportunity, they rise to the occasion. And even when they fall short of the mark, they're amazingly thankful and teachable because of the chance we were willing to take.
     In conclusion, I can't think of a downside to empowering the young generation. Thank you London 2012 for getting it right and leading the world into a new day! May we leaders follow behind you.

#AddingValue

@MatthewKeller

3 Apps I use Nearly Everyday

In a world of hundreds of thousands of Apps, sometimes my iPhone can feel a little overwhelming. So over the past few weeks, I've tried to pay attention to the Apps I really use, and the ones that are more occasional in my world.

Here are 3 that I find myself living in, several times a day:

1. Twitter App.
     In my opinion, the twitter app is the easiest, most user-friendly way for me to "Read the Newspaper" of my life. Twitter for me is like reading the newspaper and all my friends and heroes are in the headlines. Complete with Pictures, editorials and comments.

     Additionally, and honestly, quite surprisingly, when I want to find out some piece of breaking news that I've heard about, I don't go to google, or my internet browser, I actually go to the search feature in the Twitter App. Amazing! I think I like the "bite sized" version of things that Twitter forces you to have.

     To hear more on my philosophy of who I follow, don't follow and why, go here.

2. Hootsuite.
     I LOVE Hootsuite for one primary thing: I can time release tweets!!! This is the single greatest feature ever, because inspiration doesn't always strike at equally spaced times. And I never want to overwhelm followers with 4 or 5 tweets in a row. I know personally, I always skip over those in my news feed.

     So the best thing is to input them and time release them for later in the day or even on other days. Seriously, I probably have close to 200 tweets scheduled to release right now. Thank you Hootsuite. Life changing for those of us with a message to share and inspiration to give.

3. Evernote.
     The final App that I'm just living in right now is Evernote. I think their mission is to be like a One-stop-shop for Data Collection. I love Evernote for a number of reasons.
             1. It's free. Come on free app lovers!!!
             2. It can record audio and saves it in mp3 form.
             3. Its SUPER EASY to email audio and other files to others.
             4. It sinks with my iPhone, iPad and computer. Like seriously, when I'm done recording something, within a few seconds it shows up on my phone. Unreal.
             5. You can share folders, etc.

      Honestly, I haven't even begun to fully utilize Evernote like it has the ability to be utilized. Michael Hyatt did a whole article on it, you can see it here.

? What Apps are changing your world right now?

I would love to hear your thoughts...

#AddingValue

@MatthewKeller

  

Tribes & Adding Value are the Future of Marketing! (Video)

I've been doing a lot of speaking & teaching on the idea of "Building Buzz" recently & many have been asking where they can learn more, get more & interact with these ideas more. So here you go...

This 7 minute clip of Seth Godin is full of pure gold in terms of Tribal thinking, etc.

If you've not read his book Tribes, get it here.

#AddingValue...

@MatthewKeller

The Up the Middle Church, my 1st Book :: Available Here

If you're a pastor, leader, church planter or young leader, I would love to spend some time with you, & one of the ways we can do that is through my 1st book that I released 3 years ago called the Up the Middle Church.

It's a collection of stories, principles & real-time leadership learnings that we learned through our journey of planting Next Level Church in 2002 in Southwest Florida.

I would be honored to tell my story to you and/or the leaders around you...

It's available here:

The Up the Middle Church

#ADDINGvalue...

@MatthewKeller

Dan Cathy interviewing Seth Godin! (Two of my Heroes in One Place!)

Dan Cathy, CEO of Chik-fil-A is definitely a Business Leader I admire & seek to learn from. (I actually have the privilege of sitting in a 60 minute Q and A a few years back... amazing!)

In this 4 minute clip, he is interviewing Seth Godin, who is a personal hero in the realm of marketing for me!

Enjoy...

Adding Value...

@MatthewKeller

Audio from my session at ChurchPlanters.com on Building Buzz

Many of you have been asking where you can find the audio from my Building Buzz session from the ChurchPlanters.com conference last week.

The best place to find it is by downloading their app which is free in the iTunes store. Just search "Church planter." All the sessions are available on there.

Also, I have made it available for you to download here:

Just trying to "Add Value!" Feel free to pass it along to anyone you think could benefit.

http://www.mediafire.com/?9e67hcy1cf3bh6u



@MatthewKeller

The Power of Saying "NO" - A New Leadership Article by @MatthewKeller

     I was recently reminded of the power of saying "NO" in a book I'm reading called, Rework. In it, the authors, Jason Fried and David Heinemeier Hansson make the statement:

               "It's easy to say yes. Yes to another feature, yes to an overly optimistic deadline,
               yes to a mediocre design. Soon the stack of things you've said yes to grows so 
               tall you can't even see the things you should really be doing."

     When I read this, I couldn't help but think of so many leaders of church plants and churches. In our desire to build a great church and win people to our cause, too often we find ourselves saying "YES" to things we really should be saying "NO" too.

1.  Saying NO is never easy.

     I'm not going to deceive you into thinking that telling people no is fun or easy or a flippant thing in any way. Just the opposite, it's actually really hard! Especially when your church or organization is small! The last thing in the world you want is for someone to leave because you wouldn't care for their legitimately "good" idea.
   
     However, if we don't protect and fight for the purity of the culture we're trying to create in our churches, we'll end up watering down who we are to such a degree that in the end it does more harm than good.

2.  Saying NO won't make people happy.

     Inevitably, when we say no to someone's "good" idea, someone's feelings will get hurt. People won't always understand why we're making the decision we're making and some will leave mad. This is just a function of the leadership journey. As a leader, making the right decision for your organization is what you get paid to do, and it times it will come with a price.

    However, I have found that most people are pretty understanding when they know the why behind our decision. Not always, but a lot of the time. When we share our logic and heart, people can accept that and move on. It has been my experience that people don't want to be right as much as they simply want to be heard. As leaders, it's our job to listen sincerely, explain our perspective and then make the wise decision for the organization that we ultimately lead.

3.  Saying NO protects you, your family and your organization.

     As our organization has grown, my responsibility to say NO has increased significantly. Because let's face it, in a bigger organization, there's money, facilities and the perception that we could accommodate more "good" things.

     But I have had to learn the art of saying NO in order to protect my family, my schedule, my time, and my energy. Yes I'm a leader, but I'm also still a human being. And I must be wise enough to understand that I'm the only guy who can care for my wife (well, there are others, but we'd all agree, we don't want that!!!) I'm the only guy who can be dad to my 2 boys, and I'm the only guy who can show up every weekend and share life-giving, vision oriented, engaging messages that allow the Holy Spirit to change lives. 

     If I'm not prioritizing those things, then I'm not doing my job. That IS my #1 Priority.

4.  Saying NO allows you to stay focused on what you do best.

     At the end of the day, when you say NO to something "good" you position your organization, your staff and your teams to focus on the best.

     There's something freeing about the word NO. Unfortunately, far too many leaders use it far too infrequently.


Application:  

     If you HAD to identify 3 things that you MUST say no to, what would they be? In the next 24 hours,  do the hard but right thing and say NO to them. In the end, you know you'll feel better about it!

Just a thought,

Matt Keller

Do you buy the book? A 90 second leadership challenge for the rest of us...

I've had an interesting observation recently at events where I've been speaking...

Surprisingly few people buy the books.

First, a couple confessions:

1.  I'm an avid reader. I read 4 to 6 books at a time, in different categories, and with different reasons in mind. Therefore, I'm always on the lookout for new content that I can get my hands on. I subscribe to the idea that, "The more you put in, the more sticks and the more you have to give later." I'm a teacher. It's just who I am.

2.  I'm an author. I am willing at this point, to concede the fact that at several of these events recently I've had one of the books that's available for sale.

Now back to the question:

Why are so many people moved in a teaching session, and yet so few want to add to their learning beyond the event?

A Few Possible Answers:

1.  They think they've already learned all the author has to share.

2.  They aren't willing to commit to extending their learning.

3.  They weren't really that impacted by what was taught in to begin with.

4.  They have the wrong perspective. 

One of my leadership Buzzwords is Teachability. It's something that I've made a life's purpose; To be teachable. It's something I think there's just too little of in leadership circles.

I am convinced that so often, we attend a conference, leadership event, a class, or even just a church service and something inside us wells up right at the moment where we're challenged to change. However, instead of leaning in to change, we actually lean out just far enough for us to miss the opportunity to become something greater in our life or leadership.

So what about you? When was the last time you "bought the book" or "took the step" or "made the change?" Are you willing to lean in or are you more likely to lean out?

Just a thought...

Matt Keller

Follow the Leader:: A Life Lesson...

     In Leadership, people follow the leader far more than they follow a vision statement, strategy, or bottom line.

     When it comes to leading our organizations, are vision statements, flow charts, spreadsheets and strategies important? Yes, but at the end of the day, what too few executives fail to remember is that...

People Follow People!!!

     Which challenges every one of us who are in a leadership position with 3 questions:

1.  Am I a Leader people can Trust?

     Let's be honest for a second...

           Can your team trust you? Does your team really believe that you have their best interest and the best interest of the organization in mind when you're making leadership decisions? Or do they know that we're secretly in it for our own gain?

            People follow people they can trust. After all, if they take a paycheck from you, then on some level they're trusting the well-being of their family to you. Leadership is a trust. And people follow people they can trust.

2.  Am I a Leader people can Know?

     In our day and age, it's not enough for people to just follow a vision statement or a set of company core values, people want to know the leader they're willingly following. And here in lies the risk.

We must risk being vulnerable. 

     As leaders, we must risk opening up and letting people in. The people we lead want to know us. How we think, what we're feeling, how we process information and how we make decisions. The more our people can know us, the more likely they will be to follow our leadership.

3.  Am I a Leader people can Emulate?

     At the end of the day, people want to follow someone that they want to be like. Of course every person wants to be unique in their personality, their style, etc. But...

When it comes to who we are on the inside, everyone of us are looking for people to emulate. 

     And let's be honest, none of us will follow long-term, someone that we don't want to be like on the inside.
     When we get to know someone more deeply and don't like what we see, over time, we'll begin to pull away from that person. So the challenge for us as leaders is this: Am I living my life and leading in such a way that people will want to emulate what they see? At the end of the day, people follow leaders they can emulate.

     As leaders, we don't have to know everything, but we must know ourselves, because people will follow us far more than they follow our vision statement, strategy, or bottom line.

 Application Question: How am I doing at leading myself well?

Ready or Not, Here it Comes!!! - Part 2 (Repost)

On Monday, we began talking about the burden of "Every 7 days, ready or not" in the ministry...

Here's part 2...

Taming the Monster of Sunday - Part 2

(Help for Pastors under Pressure)

4.  Learn to write to 80%. When I say that I'm 4 to 6 weeks ahead in message prep, this is what I mean. I have a goal to have the main points, verses and illustrations laid out (or 80% of the message) weeks in advance. This gives me peace of mind knowing that on any given week, I'm simply microwaving the message up to 95% on Monday morning, rather than trying to start from scratch every week.

5.  I write on Mondays. The common theme for most pastors is to want to jump in front of a bus on Mondays, but I have found that if I can get in the zone and think of it as a continuation of the day before, I'm actually capable of some pretty amazing creativity. The benefit of locking in my message on Monday is:

• I feel extremely productive. Doing what I do best on Mondays, rather than all the to-do list stuff, makes me feeling like a million bucks and sets me up for a more productive week.
• I don't feel as swamped later under all the details of church. Church work can drain you. And carrying the pressure of Sunday's message on your shoulders while I'm dealing with detail stuff during the week can be overwhelming. Details put me on edge, which is not good for my team.
• I have a clear mind to lead and make decisions. When the pressure of Sunday is off, the more confident I feel in my decision making. The bigger our church gets, the more pressure I feel on a decision making level. Having a handle on Sunday early in the week, helps me feel more empowered to make decisions that need to be made during the week.

6.  Learn to see "Sparks" everywhere. For any communicator, the distance from zero to a creative spark is infinity, but once you have the spark, the rest of the content for a message can flow pretty quickly. If you have to communicate on a weekly basis, you'll have to develop the art of seeing sparks for messages everywhere. I see sparks everywhere, so much so, that there are lots of messages that I never have opportunity to develop or preach anywhere. But just developing the discipline of seeing the sparks helps me as a communicator.

The second key to seeing the sparks is having a place to put them once you see them. That's where the Wall of Sundays comes in for me. Whether I use them or not, at least I know I have somewhere to put them.

Part 3 comes on Friday...

Ready or Not, Here it Comes!!! - Slaying the Monster of Sunday (Repost)

This week I am reposting an article I wrote for pastors & leaders who feel like they can't get ahead on their Sunday Message content. There's hope for you...

I hope this helps,

Matt Keller

Taming the Monster of Sunday

(Help for Pastors under Pressure)

One of the most taxing things about being a lead pastor is the drain of having to come up with completely new, creative, thought-provoking, challenging, engaging, funny, life-changing content every 7 days. I like to call it the Monster of Sunday. It's always licking at your heels and if we, as the primary communicators of our church, can't figure out a way to tame that monster, it will eventually become our undoing & hold us back from reaching the full potential of our calling.

Over the past eight years, I’ve learned a ton about my rhythm as a communicator. Hopefully these tips will help you as well…

1. Learn your Personal Rhythm. My personal rhythm is 6 weeks. After that, I need a change. If I speak more than 6 weeks in a row at Next Level Church, my creativity, drive and passion begin to sag. I know I’m not giving our people my best. Consequently, as a rule, I will not speak more than 6 Sundays in a row.

2.  Get out of your own reality. In order for me to remain creative, I need a change of perspective. Therefore, I build into my yearly schedule the opportunity to travel and speak in other churches a few times a year. Being away from home, helps me keep the greater vision of THE Local church in my mind. I can get tunnel vision otherwise.

I highly recommend for pastors to “sow into another man’s field.” For me this looks like developing relationships with pastors who are "a couple of steps behind us” and offering to pay my own way to come and invest in their church for a weekend.

When I travel and work with other churches, I learn from them as well. I get fresh ideas and perspective when I get out of my own pulpit.

3. Get 4 to 6 weeks ahead in message preparation. One of the ways I avoid the Monster of Sunday is by staying 4 to 6 weeks ahead in my message preparation. We short-change our content and our people when we write messages the week of. There are just some creative ideas that need time to marinate. And writing a message on Saturday afternoon, isn't sufficient time enough for that to happen adequately.



We'll continue with Part 2 on Wednesday...

Managing the Tension - Part 3

I want to give us 2 final thoughts on how we manage the tension of leadership between our current reality and the dream in our heart for the future.

Here's the last 2:

4.  Don't take yourself Too Seriously.

     When our church was just a few months old we received some great advice from a prominent pastor. He told us, "Don't take yourself too seriously, because no one else is." In 9 years, I've never forgotten that. When you're neck deep in the tension between now and the future, it's easy to take the whole thing too seriously. To become overwhelmed and allow your blood pressure to be too high and want to do harm to yourself and others with sharp objects.

     If we're not careful, managing the tension of our leadership reality can cause us to lose our joy. Fight against that. Give yourself permission to fish more, or golf more, or take a nap during the weekday every now and then. Listen, this whole leadership deal is about the long-haul, not a short-sighted adrenaline rush. Relax, enjoy the ride. After all, you're giving your life for it. Why not enjoy it?

5.  Embrace your journey as your journey.

     Our church growth story was not one of overnight success or quick growth... ever. Instead, for 9+ years, we've been the up the middle, one yard at a time, journey. If I'm being honest with you, I have to admit that for a lot of years, I resented our journey. I wanted to be bigger faster. I wanted to be further along than we were.

     But a few years ago, everything changed. Right about the time I started coaching other pastors and leaders, I began to realize that the wisdom and lessons I was able to teach were coming from all of the experiences I was  resenting. Suddenly it was as if the whole thing turned. What I came to realize was that God had used my journey to position me for a unique platform of influence I could have had no other way. If I had not walked the journey I did, I could not teach the things I now teach.

     Your journey is your journey. The longer you spend resenting it or denying it or trying to change it, the more time you're wasting learning from it and embracing it. The tension of leadership is not going away, why not lean into it instead of fighting against it. In the end, it makes leading a lot more satisifying.

Matt Keller

Managing the Tension - Part 2

Yesterday we began talking about how we manage the tension of leadership between living fully present in the now of our reality and keeping our heart and mind focused on the dream in the future.

Here's a 3rd way I've found to help to manage the tension:

3.  Prioritize Margin and Rest.

     For most of us driver personalities, the temptation in a ministry setting is to think that we can't ever rest or stop pushing because of the constancy of the tension we feel. However, often times church growth and breakthrough are fundamentally tied to us backing out of the throttle, embracing some time off and trusting that God is truly God and in control of our church.

     I have learned a lot about Sabbath in the last year. I have always embraced the idea that the Sabbath is a command. Like, I get it, God's Big Ten, same list as adultery, etc. I get it. But a year ago, I read in Exodus 16 where God rebuked the Israelites for not recognizing the gift they had been given in the Sabbath.

     After 400+ years of working as slaves and never taking a day off, God builds into their new reality a culture of rest. He calls it a gift and gets pretty ticked when they don't see it that way. It's like a friend paying for an expensive golf membership at a private club for you and after a year, asking us how we liked it. To which we respond, "Oh yeah, sorry, I never got around to playing because I had too much to do..." Imagine how hurt your friend would be? Crushed even. Why? Because we hadn't taken advantage of the gift because we were too busy.

We'll talk through 2 more ways to manage the tension of leadership tomorrow.

Managing the Tension - Part 1

Andy Stanley says one of the greatest challenges of leadership is, "Managing the Tension." For those of us in leadership positions we understand that tension between what is and what we dream of in the future. After 9 years of pastoring and leading, I can definitely say that this is a tension that must be managed and not a problem that can be solved.

For the next few days, I want to talk about several things I've learned in terms of managing this tension of leadership.

1.  It helps to take a long-view of your ministry.

     Perhaps it's just me, but I really love to talk about the faithfulness of God over the past 9 years. Sarah and I frequently find ourselves reminiscing, not in a sadistic sort of "our best days are behind us" kind of way, but in a, "Wow, look how far we've come" kind of way. We do this in every area of our lives. We reflect on the age of our kids at certain moments in the past, where our church was at the time, etc. Looking at the long-view of our life and ministry helps me to live in the tension now because I'm reminded of the faithfulness of God then.

2.  Remember that Rome wasn't built in a day.

     If taking a long-view is about reflecting on the past, then this one is all about looking to the future from the present. In ministry, you have to be committed to the life of the process. In other words, perfection and arriving are illusions. You never arrive and your church is never gonna be perfect. But each day you can make progress. Each day you can do something to move the needle a little closer to the direction you want the thing to go. It just takes time. Remembering that Rome wasn't built in a day gives you permission to know that what you do today matters in light of someday.

Tomorrow we'll tackle a couple more ways to manage the tension of leadership.

We all make choices in life and I believe choosing to be teachable is one of the greatest ones we'll ever make...

Teachability Thought #5:

Teachability is a Choice.

At the end of the day, you and I have a choice to make. To choose to be teachable, or not. I guess you don't have to choose teachability. I mean, you are perfectly empowered to live safely and comfortably behind the wall of what you already know. It's totally a choice you're entitled to make. But it's not your only choice. See, the other choice you're empowered to make is to choose to be teachable. Either way, the choice you make comes with a price.

Choosing to live behind the wall of what you already know is safe. It's predictable. It's secure, after all, you already know everything there is to know and that most certainly leads to a whole lot of confidence and self-assurance.

Choosing to come out from behind that wall and be teachable leads to a whole other reality. It's scary. It's risky. It's unknown. That path is prone to wander off the map of predictable existence to a land of uncertain exposure and possible pain.

Living behind the wall of what you already know has a problem though. See, because the world is always growing and expanding, that means that over time, your fenced in yard will become smaller and smaller. Your world view will become more and more narrow and your defensiveness and pessimism will eventually become a crushing weight on you and everyone you're in relationship with. Because after all, who can stand to live with someone who knows it all? And... (if we're being honest) who would want to?

So I guess that leaves just one choice: To venture beyond your wall and become teachable. To open up the gate to the world of what you don't know and begin to venture out. Feel free to move as slowly as you feel is comfortable, but keep in mind the world outside your wall is growing pretty fast. Life is moving at an exceptional rate, and those you lead and influence are probably already into a full blown run in pursuit of a teachable life. A life that is constantly expanding and growing. A life of teachability that is leading them to become everything their Creator has for them to become.

I hope you'll make the choice to join us on this teachability quest. I hear it's a pretty great adventure, if you're willing to learn something new along the way.

If you want to know how secure you are, simply invite someone to critique the thing that you think you do best...

Teachability Thought #4:

Teachability Requires Security.

Only secure leaders are teachable. Let's face it, allowing the experiences and thoughts of others challenge us at our deepest levels is just down right scary. In order to be teachable, it requires a ridiculous amount of security.

As a teachable leader, I'm learning things about myself that I must face head on and then change for the better. I'm sifting out character flaws and inconsistencies that hold my leadership back. I voluntarily asking for someone to challenge my successful ideas and make them better.

Teachability invites challenge to the status quo and conventional way of thinking and doing things. Only secure leaders can handle that. If you want to know how secure you are, simply invite someone to critique the thing that you think you do best.

Teachability requires security.

? Are you willing to challenge your deepest held beliefs? Are you willing to face your character flaws and inconsistencies?

I truly believe Teachability is the path to greatness. Here's why...

Teachability Thought #3:

Teachability is the path to Greatness.

Experts in any field are extremely teachable. Do you know why? Because they are keenly aware that in any given field there is too much to know simply by trial and error. To be an expert requires a tremendous amount of focus, attention, and energy. You have to not just learn facts and figures and statistics about something, you actually have to develop the skill of being able to work "ON" your field, not just "IN" your field.

Far too few leaders have developed the skill or created the space to actually work "ON" their leadership, and instead have become enslaved to only working "IN" their leadership. Teachable leaders understand that even as an expert in their field, they still have more to learn from others who are more experienced then they are and others who are less experienced then they are.

As a public speaker, I'm constantly watching and learning from other communicators. When they're talking, I'm listening to what they're saying "IN" their message, but I'm also watching the art of how they present "ON" their message. Both ways, I am learning.

Teachable leaders don't limit themselves to only being able to learn from others who are more experienced then they are. Often times, some of the freshest ideas in the world are generated by people who are not experienced enough to know how brilliant their new idea is.

? When was the last time you carved out 3 hours to work "ON" your leadership, not just "IN" it? Who are you willing to learn from? Is it only those who are ahead of you? Or are you open to learning from anyone?

The Posture that positions us for greatness... (a 90 second study to challenge your leadership)

Yesterday we began a 2 week discussion on the idea of Teachability. I believe that teachability is the key to everything good in our lives and leadership.

Teachability Thought #2:

Teachability is the Preferred Way to Learn.

The other way to learn is what my dad used to call, "The School of Hard Knocks." Unfortunately, we all have had a few lessons from that particular school. Life has a way of beating some stuff into us doesn't it? We don't have to sign up for lessons from the school of hard knocks, they just seem to find us, most predominantly when we are least expecting them.

But what if it didn't have to be this way? What if, instead of learning lessons, "the hard way," we could actually, voluntarily learn by taking on a posture of teachability? What if we could go looking for lessons that others have learned, rather than waiting for lessons to find us? What if we could increase our wisdom by learning from others who have experienced things we don't need to experience?

Taking on what I call a, "Posture of Teachability," positions us to learn something from everybody. And when we position ourselves like that, the lessons of other people's lives, good, bad and otherwise, will start pouring in.

? Do you have a posture of teachability? Or are we more prone to wait for life to teach us one way or another?

Teachability is a posture as much as it is anything else.

My Most Current Thoughts on Tokbox Dissolving, Video Coaching, & How We Change the World Together...

I found out late yesterday that Tokbox.com is shutting down as of April 5th, 2011. As many of you know, we have developed an entire Video Coaching Ministry built on the back of Tokbox. And as you can imagine, I have been hearing from a ton of you in the last several hours offering your condolences, wondering what we're going to do now, & saying things like, "Wow, that really sucks to be you!"

So, here are my most current thoughts:

1.  For 3 years, we've been driven by a question:

"What One Idea, if we could figure it out, could completely revolutionize our industry?" 

 I continue to be 100% convinced that Virtual Video Coaching is that "One Idea" that could completely change the lives of thousands of Pastors & Church Planters who effect and lead millions of people.

First, I believe it is completely unrealistic to think that pastors can get the adequate coaching and help they need to lead their churches to the Next Level by having to pay thousands of dollars to fly to Big Conferences that are heavy on Motivation & Inspiration, but don't have the ability, nor are they designed to, adequately walk pastors through a monthly processing of applying the practical information that can change their lives and ministries. Video Coaching does that.

Second, Nor do I believe it's possible for 90% of the churches in America to pay hundreds of dollars each month to participate in an "In-Person" Coaching Community where they are required to fly to a single location, pay for meals, car, hotel, etc. only to be face-to-face with a group of pastors for a few hours and then everyone has to fly home. Only to have to do it all again the next month. I pastor a large church, & I don't have the ability to pay the several thousand dollars it would require to do that. Video Caoching doesn't require a Big Budget!

2.  The following paragraph is what drives everything I do with Next Level Coaching...

85% of churches in America have less than 100 people. 

• What if we could get each of those churches the tools they need to double in the next year? 
• And what if we could do it in a monthly, cost effective, instant, commute-less format like Virtual Video Coaching? 
• (Which judging from our results over the last 3 years, is extremely possible) 

I am firmly convinced we could effect millions of people in small or medium sized churches across the country (& around the world, BTW, we had a pastor from Germany in our last Group who has seen significant growth in the last few months...)

3.  Telecoaching (or Conference Call Coaching) just isn't the same. 

I know a number of my peers are using telecoaching to coach pastors, but I'm just telling you. I've done it and compared to video coaching, there's no comparison. It's the equivalent of listening to the Super Bowl on the radio, or watching it on TV. Hands down, 100 times out of 100, we'd all choose to watch it on TV.

We'd never ask a small group in our church to "phone in" to their group. We'd all admit that real relationships and connection won't happen the same. It's too one-sided on a conference call. Conference Calls have their place, but there's no comparison to face-to-face for real relational coaching.

When we use Video Coaching, we're creating a small group for pastors to built relationships face-to-face and grow together. Video Coaching is the equivalent of a Small Group for Pastors. There's nothing else like it anywhere.

And I am firmly convinced that if we can figure this out, we can change the face of the "Church" across the country!

4.  "Necessity is the Mother of Innovation." 

 With the dissolving of Tokbox.com, I am obviously aware that this effects what we do in a HUGE way! And as far as I've seen up til now, I've not found any other Video Technology like it. (Not that doesn't require the budget of the Federal Government to afford.)

However, I'm committed to finding it or creating it. We live in a world where I can buy a car on ebay from my iPhone, for crying out loud, somebody somewhere has to be able to figure this out!

I am working on getting an appointment to talk to Ian Small, the CEO of Tokbox, Inc. as soon as possible. If you know him, tell him to call me. Seriously.

Also, I'd love to talk to anybody else that knows a Software or App Developer. 


I believe we can change the world if we can figure this out... It won't take much, just a little bit of effort. Imagine what's possible if we can dial this in?!? Imagine the leaders we can train, the pastors we can help, the people we can effect?

If you know someone, or want to be apart of the solution,

• E-mail me at PastorMatt@NextLevelChurch.com
• Call my office at 239-274-3755
• DM me on Twitter at @MatthewKeller
• E-mail me on Facebook Facebook.com/matthewwkeller

5.  For 9+ years now, I've had a phrase that I jokingly say will end up on my tombstone, (if I have one, cremation is big in Florida).

That phrase is:

"We're Church Planters, we don't take no for an answer. We figure it out, that's what we do!"

9 years ago, we moved across the stinkin' country with a baby & $9,000 to start a church, & today there are over 1,000 people who attend weekly. With God, All things are Possible!

Here's another Phrase, in closing, that I love to say...

"Don't tell me it can't be done, tell me how it can be done!" 

So to all of you who are wondering my most current thoughts on, "What we're Going to do..." there you go. Stay tuned, it's going to be an amazing ride.

We're going to figure this out, because there are too many pastors who need what we're trying to create through Virtual Video Coaching.

Thanks for helping me figure this out,

Matt Keller

BTW, if you haven't seen our coaching site, go to http://wwwMyNextLevel.me