Month: December 2016

Problem-Solving 101: Solve the Problem before the Problem

Posted on December 8, 2016 by - Articles, Decision-Making, Leading Organizations, Resilience

Do you know the number-one mistake most people make when encountering a problem?

They don’t solve the problem before the problem.

Now, you may be asking yourself, What’s John talking about? How can there be a problem before my problem? My friend, I assure you that there is, and I’m going to tell you what it is and how to solve it.

The problem you must solve before your problem is one of attitude. Whenever you encounter a challenging situation, you have a choice: What attitude will you have about it?

You see, most of us naturally see a problem as something negative: an obstacle, a pain in the neck or even a disaster. I mean, let’s be honest – most people don’t look at a problem and say, “Oh boy!” Most of us look at a problem and say, “Oh no!”

And that’s the problem.

Your Problem is Not Your Problem

A negative attitude toward a problem only makes it worse. That’s because negative thinking is an amplifier: It takes small issues and increases their emotional weight. It can “make a mountain out of a molehill,” so to speak. And when small problems get amplified, we can tend to become overwhelmed or even paralyzed. We don’t know what to do, where to turn, whom to call on. This can create a downward spiral, in which our attitudes and our problems both get worse and worse.

The only way to break that cycle is to choose a positive attitude at the onset of the problem.

Choosing to see a problem in a positive light – as a possibility or even as an opportunity – helps you in several important ways:

A Positive Attitude Tempers Your Emotional Response

Emotions have tremendous power. But casting a problem in a positive light at its outset can weaken a negative emotional response. By not seeing a problem as a disaster, you are more likely to stay calm. Instead of watching your fears run away with you, you can master your fears. The ability to keep a calm head in the face of a problem is the first step toward a good solution.

A Positive Attitude Fosters Creativity

How you define a problem makes a huge difference in your ability to solve it. That’s because seeing a problem as an opportunity does more than calm your emotions; it opens your eyes to options. And clarity about your options results in greater creativity. After all, when we see a problem as just another fork in the road, we can see more clearly all of the possible routes that might lead to a solution. Creativity makes you a better problem-solver, and a positive attitude increases creativity.

A Positive Attitude Empowers You To Take Action

Think of a positive attitude as a momentum-builder. Positivity about the problem combats paralysis and gets you moving past fear. Creatively exploring options keeps you energized and making progress. And with all of that forward momentum, the only thing left is to begin trying out solutions. By removing obstacles like fear or tunnel vision, a positive attitude clears the way for you to make decisions and act to solve the problem.

A member of my team recently shared a story of how his daughter solved the problem before her problem. One afternoon, the young girl left her lunch box at school. So her parents told her that the next day she would have to eat the school food for lunch. The next morning, all the way to the bus stop, the little girl complained about how terrible the school food was, and how she was going to starve, and how unfair it all was.

Finally, her father said, “You’re making this worse than it is. All of the school’s food can’t be horrible – you need to change your attitude and look for something you like, or else lunch will be a disaster.”

The girl glumly nodded her head and said she’d try. That afternoon when she got off the bus, she was beaming. Surprised by his daughter’s positive outlook, her father asked her, “So, how did lunch go?”

“It was great!” the little girl replied. “They had chicken and waffles, and they were so yummy!”

“But I thought you said all the school food was awful,” her father said.

“Well, it was awful – but I chose to have a good attitude about it, and it got better!”

Because she chose a good attitude about her problem, that little girl was able to find a solution. You can do the same. Instead of saying “Oh no – a problem!”, you have the option of saying, “Oh boy – an opportunity!” When you do that, you can feel better about the situation, see more possible solutions, and choose and act on the best one.

When you solve the problem before the problem, you will be able to solve the actual problem in the best way possible. 

Because of the GLS | Woman Experiences Eternal Impact

Posted on December 7, 2016 by - Because of the GLS, North America, Relationship with God, Stories

kds-and-me

Karen (left) and Gina (right)

When Gina Colaneri was invited by her boss to attend the GLS for the first time, she didn’t anticipate the eternal impact it would have on her life.

Because of the GLS, Gina continues to pay it forward, not only through the influence of her leadership, but also by sharing her resources to spread the ripple effect of the GLS across the world. This is Gina’s story:

Karen is a leader. An inspiration. She lights up a room with her infectious, genuine smile. She values honesty, integrity, humility and authenticity.

In August of 2015, Karen invited me to attend The Global Leadership Summit for the first time.

I was not prepared for the incredible impact the Summit would have on my life. 

I was raised Catholic and by the time I was 16, I had abandoned my religion. I never gave up on God though. He was the first person I prayed to when there was a disaster or challenge in my life.

But I never talked to Jesus even though He was always there waiting for me. 

I remember telling Karen I was going to burst into flames when I walked into her church. We laughed and she assured me I wouldn’t.

During that time, I was going through a very humbling and difficult experience at work. I almost lost my career because of it.

I didn’t realize until I attended the GLS how desperate I was for Jesus to be the focal point of my life and how much I needed Him.

I was moved by the speakers and stories I heard. I felt revitalized and grateful.

I knew no matter what happened at work, everything would be okay because Jesus had never left my side.

The GLS helped me get my faith back! 

I went to the GLS this year too, and it was even better than last year! You can bet I will be there next year as well.

The advice and tools the presenters and the books have given me have had an amazing and positive impact on the way I lead and interact with others. I am trying my best to spread the ripple effect by loaning out the books I bought at the GLS to leaders I know and sharing what I learned with my colleagues.

I am and always will be a huge Summit fan and financial supporter!

To learn about you too can give to the WCA, and expand the reach of the GLS,
go to www.willowcreek.com/give

Called Forward

Posted on December 6, 2016 by - Articles, Calling, Influence, Leading Yourself

Expanding your calling means breaking through barriers to embrace your Grander Vision. GLS faculty alumni, Christine Caine, has modeled a life of courageously pursuing the expansive calling she sensed from God. In this insightful post, she identifies five key questions to help you determine if you being are “called forward.”

The Australian Coat of Arms depicts a very insightful image—and one that I hold dear since I was born and raised in Australia. There are two animals portrayed holding up a shield—the Red Kangaroo and the Emu. They were chosen not only because they are indigenous to Australia, but also because they were created to move forward.

The Emu, a large non-flying bird slightly smaller than its cousin the Ostrich, is known for its speed, covering as much as nine feet in a single step when running full throttle. It is the only bird with calf muscles—much like a human—nonetheless, it can’t walk backward. It can only move forward.

The Red Kangaroo—like all kangaroos—moves with a hopping motion called saltation, which literally means “to leap.” They push off with both of their large feet simultaneously and use their tails for balance. The combination of their muscular legs, big feet and tails help the kangaroos move forward effectively. But again, they can only move forward—not backward.

I believe God designed you—another marvel of creation—to move the same way. Forward-bound, never stepping back, not even looking back.

 Throughout the Bible, God consistently leads His people in one direction: “Press on…look ahead…forget what lies behind…REACH FORWARD to what lies ahead” (Philippians 3:12-14).

If you’ve been considering and praying about a change—whether it’s a promotion, moving to a new city, or going for more education—it will begin with your decision to take a step forward.

To help you in your decision-making, take a personal inventory and contemplate these questions:

  1. Have you been where you are long enough? Whether it’s some place physical—like your present position—or someplace mental—like your attitudes or habits—if you’ve made a permanent place out of something that was supposed to be a pit stop, or somewhere you were supposed to grow through, then you’ve been there long enough. Procrastinating is never going to move you.
  2. Is it time to break out of where you are and into where you are going? To break is to shatter, smash, snap, crack or fracture. It’s to interrupt, disturb or break your routine. When you break something, it often hurts physically or emotionally. It might not be comfortable, but it’s often necessary to leave a place that’s constricted, confined and limiting. It’s often necessary to grow to the next level. Remember: It’s just as easy to miss a moment as it is to seize a moment.
  3. Is it time to advance? To advance is to move forward in a purposeful way, to press on, to progress. Oftentimes, it takes courage to let go of where you are and what you have to lay hold of the future. You will have to be more faith-FULL than fear-FULL. If God is saying go, your willingness and determination will be necessary to go and receive what he has for you.
  4. Is it time to forget the past—if that’s what’s holding you back—and risk failure or hurt again? God will always have another chance ready for you to take. But you will have to let go of any of the past that’s holding you back emotionally. You will have to build strong emotional intelligence and capacity to move forward and successfully lead others and build healthy relationships. You can do this!
  5. Does it seem impossible? Maybe…but so what? Impossible is what God does. And nothing he asks us to do can ever be done in our natural strength anyway. If you can manage it on your own, you don’t need God.

It’s time to increase your capacity. The world is waiting—and you are the answer.

If God is saying, “Go,” then don’t say, No.” Whether you are a CEO of a national company, a supervisor in retail, a stay-at-home mom managing a home-based business, or a post-career leader in your community, God has things for you to do every day you are on this Earth. There are assignments for you to responsibly manage—and now is the time to live propelled into your future. Answer these questions and discover your leadership capacity—then embrace all that God has for you to do, individually and collectively. Identify how you are equipped, and then be confident in how he’s gifted you and prepared you. He’s calling you forward, the only direction the Emu, the Red Kangaroo and you were ever created to go.

Creating the Guatemala We Want Through the GLS

Posted on December 5, 2016 by - Because of the GLS, Central America, Latin America, Stories

int-1826Carol Pinto and her husband, Luis, spearhead The Global Leadership Summit movement in Guatemala.

When she first started attending the GLS, and experienced it herself, she realized it could have countrywide impact.

The GLS not only improved her leadership, but encouraged her during a difficult time when she wanted to quit ministry, and brought her closer in relationship to God. “Words you hear at the Summit like ‘be strong and courageous’ are like water in the desert,” Carol shares. “My relationship with God is stronger, and I now see people differently. Because of the GLS, I also lead differently.

“Every time I come to the Summit, I say, ‘Okay Lord, speak to me.’ I open my ears and my mind and He always speaks to me in the season I’m in.”

What if more people experienced God’s voice encouraging them or challenging them in their leadership? Could these leaders change a country?

Carol has a dream, and she sees the GLS as a tool to bring this dream to reality.

“There are a lot of bad things happening in my country right now,” Carol shares. “There’s a lot of poverty, corruption and violence. But I have a dream. Maybe it’s just in our minds right now, but there is a Guatemala we want. And I know if we follow Jesus and His example, we can change our environment one person at a time, one action at a time. We can change our Guatemala.”

The vehicle for this kind of countrywide change? Leadership development.

“We have to improve leadership, because maybe we are doing it the wrong way or an old way,” Carol explains. “We are surrounded by a lot of bad news and bad ways to do things, but we can do differently.

“Every time we get the opportunity to grow and learn from others, we should do it. When we attend the Summit, we learn a better way. The world is changing so fast, that when we hear about the experiences of other leaders, our minds are open, and we can dream of a new way of doing things and gain a different perspective. We put action into our country, our communities and our families, and it helps a lot.”

Ultimately, Carol desires to see the Kingdom of God established in Guatemala. “I know it might be ambitious, but I also know that nothing is impossible with God. If we put our gifts and the work we do into God’s hands, He can multiply the impact of our work. We can dream bigger dreams.”

Thank you for helping leaders like Carol dream bigger dreams for her country.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=41J0BGXqg9w

“I want to thank you for all you have done; all you have given,” Carol shares. “If you can see the face of a pastor who leads a church in a poor community, and see their faces through every challenge, and then see them come to a Summit and be in touch with other leaders who are struggling with the same problems and be encouraged to do a better job, you would want to continue giving generously. So thank you for all you have given. You are blessing my country and all the pastors and leaders because you have given something.”

 To support leaders like Carol in Guatemala, consider a gift to the Global Leadership Development Fund.
Learn more at www.willowcreek.com/give