I had the opportunity to attend the Chik-fil-a Leadercast on Friday with my good friend Todd. There was a great line up of speakers and a lot of great information shared during this event. Below is the first in a three part series of notes that were taken during Jim Collins’ presentation. Most of what I will share is a paraphrase of his original words.
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Greatness is not a matter of circumstance. It is a matter of conscious choice.
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We are not imprisoned by our mistakes. Even the very best have made a lot of mistakes.
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It is possible to recover from a great fall.
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You have to have a reason to fight, a reason to struggle, a reason to do more than just make money.
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You must have core values that are not up for negotiation.
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If we lose our values we lose our soul. If we lose our soul we lose it all.
Here are my thoughts on Jim’s statements:
Greatness is not a matter of circumstance. How many times have you looked at someone that was successful and just assumed that they were at the right place at the right time. Well sometimes this is true, but even then it is because they positioned themselves there. We can choose each day to be a victim to our circumstances or make choices that take us to where we want to be.
Even the very best have made a lot of mistakes. We have a tendency to only see successful people in terms of what they have done right. We tend to overlook what they have done wrong. The billionaire Donald Trump has had to deal with bankruptcy issues.
It is possible to recover from a great fall. Several years ago Delta Airlines was on the verge of closing its doors but decided to fight back. They recommitted themselves to taking care of their employees and made some tough choices and started their climb. They even fought off an attempt by U.S. Airways to take over the company during the time they were trying to turn the company around. The same is possible for you. It doesn’t matter how far you have fallen today, you can always begin making different choices to change your course. If you are at the bottom, then the only place to go is up.
You have to have a reason to fight, to struggle, to do more than make money. If your efforts do not produce a sense of fulfillment then you will not endure no matter how much money you make.
You must have core values – if you lose them you lose your soul. Your values are you compass. Without them you will never know where to go or how to get there. And if they are subject to change you will only find yourself sailing in circles. These values have nothing to do with price points and percentages. They are the character the drives your decisions.
What do you think about this list? What would you add or take away?
Here are parts two and three:
Jim Collins Shares At The Chik-Fil-A Leadercast 10 Things Company Leaders Should Do
Jim Collins Shares Five Stages Of A Failing Company At The Chik-Fil-A Leadercast
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“Core values that are not up for negotiation” Is obviously one that has made Chik-fil-a stand out. Jesus wanted us to be much more concerned about our character than our careers. “You know that those who are considered rulers over the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them. Yet it shall not be so among you; but whoever desires to become great among you shall be your servant. And whoever of you desires to be first shall be slave of all. For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.” (Mark 10:42-45).
I talk about servanthood in my post today:
http://junctionforjesus.blogspot.com/2010/05/what-do-you-want-to-be-when-you-grow-up.html
Richard… Core values is something even the church has a hard time with. There are shifts taking place all through Christian denominations because the tide of public opinion or being politically correct has become more important than being Holy.
I liked you post from today. Having character that models Christ should be the yearning of each of our hearts.
I really like this…esp 4 and 5
vales are key to help in decisions also having a cause higher than self!
I have to say that people will often times disappoint me the same as I am sure I do to many others. If I were not living out what I consider to be a higher calling on my life I would have given up a long time ago. I just have to remember that serving others and God is not about my happiness.
And as you say, this helps me keep my values at the center of my decision making.
Hi Larry,
It seems you had a little “oops” in your post. Point 3 in the initial list changed from “possible” to “impossible” in the fleshing out of the details.
Anyway, no harm done. We know what you meant.
I like point 4. Here in South Africa it seems like many Christians just don’t have that reason to fight anymore. They seem very defeatist. I am a leader in a Christian Action group called Biblical Christian Network (BCN). We stand up mostly in the area of abortion, and it amazes me how people just have given up in that fight. When elections come around every 5 years, people hardly ever vote according to their consciences but rather what they could get out of it. I think this leads to number 5, core values. The church in many areas have lost their core values. They speak from the pulpit (every now and again), but they tend not to walk it out in the world where the change is needed.
Blessings!
Thanks for pointing that out. I have gone back and fixed the contradiction in the statement and my thoughts.
It is hard when God’s people are apathetic. We carry the greatest message on the face of the planet and we should be excited to share it and defend it. It sounds like you are doing good work. I will be praying for perseverance for you and your group.
Thanks for stealin’ my thunder Richard. I found #5 to be the most poignant point on the list. In today’s age of political correctness, I have found myself seeming to try to “fit” some of my values in between other people’s values that I don’t agree with.
I have to remember that standing up for what you believe will be remembered long after you just agree with someone for the sake of agreeing.
Kevin that is a great point. We will not always be popular for doing what we think is right, but it will be something people remember no matter what side of the issue folks are on. And we can be sure that God will honor us in the process.
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