Today's Disciple

The purpose of the railroad spike is simple – it is driven into the ground to keep the rails firmly in place preventing the rails from moving and the train from derailing.   Here are the points that Dan Cathy made about the railroad spike:

• I heard this at the SBC Convention in the late 70’s.  “The main thing is to keep the main thing the main thing.”
• Our role as a leader is to keep the main thing the main thing, and our main thing is His (Jesus Christ) main thing.
• We have to make sure we stay on track – there has to be clarity of purpose and clarity of focus.
• We must continue to find new words and fresh ways to think about our main thing.
• I (Dan Cathy) am always looking for new adjectives, new words to express and communicate new ideas and concepts.

It is not unusual for me to come across a pastor who has no idea what their main thing is; it seems most are chasing after the “elusive butterfly”!  There is a phrase in the 1966 Bob Lind hit that speaks powerfully of what I see and hear from a lot of church leaders, “It’s only me pursuing somethin’ I’m not sure of!”

It is no wonder our churches are off track because they are derailed.  There is no longer a main thing, there is no longer focus, there is no longer clarity, there is no longer purpose, and there is no longer one mind! 

Pastor, allow me to help here.  If you need help in knowing what the main thing is, it is this . . .

“And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.” (Mark 12:30, ESV)

And it is this . . .

“And Jesus came and said to them, ’All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.’” (Matthew 28:18-20, ESV)

If the above is the main thing (the track in which you run), then what is the spike that keeps the track in place?  It’s the Gospel, of course!  Until next week – blessings!

I couldn’t help myself; I figured if America’s Funniest Videos can get away with it, certainly I can resort to either an animal or child to draw in the millions that read my Friday blog! 

“It’s no secret that we dogs just love this stuff. I can’t explain it, but once I catch a whiff of that lip-smacking snack, all I can think of is devouring a whole jar of it right then and there! So you must be wonderin’ if all that peanut-buttery deliciousness is healthy for your pooch.”  To get the answer to this question and some great pooch peanut butter recipes go to “It’s a Dog’s Life” website. 

No, this is not a baby picture of Dan Cathy with his peanut butter but after hearing him and his love for peanut butter (a certain brand I will not reveal), I bet if he could get away with sticking his head in a jar or smearing himself with it, he would!

There he stood in front of our group holding a brand new jar of peanut butter.  How did I know it was new? He screwed off the plastic lid, pulled off the freshness seal, closed his eyes and snorted; uh . . . I mean inhaled long and slow so he could capture the odoriferous scent of fresh roasted peanuts wafting out of the jar!  It was as if we were watching an addict getting his fix for the day. 

We waited with mouths watering for the leadership wisdom to emerge and then he said, “If you put peanut butter in the microwave, you can pour it into an ice cream mixer and it is fabulous!”  He then said holding up the jar of peanut butter, “I always buy the small size.  If you order the small size, you get to tear the freshness seal more often.  You peel it back and it smells like a peanut factory; this is the only time you get this smell!” 

I thought, “Where in the world is Dan going with this?”  And then he said, “I want to stay fresh in my thinking.”  Dan Cathy proceeded to tell us of his opportunity to meet and talk with Dan Nordstrom (5^th generation and chief executive of Nordstrom.com) about how Nordstrom almost went under and how they lost a lot of their business to Land’s End.  Personally, I did not know the story and I did a little research for you to learn about this amazing story of the 100 Years of Nordstrom.  There is also a book on this transformation called, “The Nordstrom Way: The Inside Story of America’s #1 Customer Service Company.”

Then Dan Nordstrom gave Dan Cathy this leadership advice, “Never lose your sense of relevancy with your customer.”  Thus, this one core value and essential DNA element of Nordstrom missing almost became their demise.  It wasn’t until 2001 Nordstrom began to “focus on returning to the core of the business.”  And what was the core of their business?  It was being close to the customer and focusing on them! 

Pastor, this leads me to ask of you several questions:

• What is the focus of the church you have been called to serve?
• Is it past time to get back to the core of The Great Commission?
• How are you staying relevant?  What are you reading?  Who are you listening to?
• What relationships have you established with unbelievers or the “never-churched” to learn more about today’s culture?
• Who are you discipling?

Your leadership is dependent upon the sweet aroma you emit!  Your leadership, focus, and future should never be stale but as fresh as a first-time opened jar of peanut butter! Where is digital scent technology when you need it? 

In the words of Dan Cathy, “stay fresh”!  Next week we will look at the thumb drive – until then, blessings!

This leadership principle is simple yet profound. It is a principle that only one person has achieved to perfection.  Dan Cathy laid the shoe brush on the table and told the following story:

Dr. John Avant, pastor of First West Monroe, LA was asked the following leadership question by Mr. Cathy, “What is the most difficult challenge our leaders face all the time?”  John answered with the following story:

John was preaching a revival in TX.  He witnessed a young man who had a little box that got on his knees and began to polish the shoes of an older African-American man.  John being curious asked the young Caucasian man about his story.  The young man told him he realized he had to ask forgiveness for his prejudice and God impressed him to shine the shoes of this and other African-American men.

This one example of true humility, brokenness, and servant leadership inspired Dan Cathy to purchase 1,700 shoe brushes to give to the employees of Chick-fil-A.  He then challenged them to go polish the shoes of others!

When I heard this story I immediately thought, “This is how Jesus would illustrate servant leadership to his disciples today.”  You see, Jesus washing the feet of his disciples was not about feet sanitation.  It was not about carrying out the custom of the day where the house servant washed the dusty feet of those coming into the home.

You ask, “What was this whole foot washing thing about then?”  Jesus tells us outright what this means in John 13:13-17, “You call me ‘Teacher’ and ‘LORD,’ and rightly so, for that is what I am. Now that I, your LORD and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another’s feet. I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you. I tell you the truth, no servant is greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them.” (NIV)

Still don’t get it?  Read what Paul says in Philippians 2:5-8, Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death– even death on a cross! (NIV)

There you go – leadership wrapped up in a nice little package.  The Holman Christian Standard does it in eight words.  I also like very much the way Eugene Peterson has paraphrased verse 5 in The Message.

Still don’t get it?  Well pastor, I “triple-dog dare” you to get polish, a shoe brush and starting polishing the shoes of total strangers until you do get it!

If you have not read John Avant’s newest book, I recommend it to you, If God Were Real: A Journey into Faith That Matters.

Next week we are going to look at Dan Cathy’s peanut butter – until then, blessings!

Two weeks ago sitting in the Corporate Offices of Chick-fil-A in Atlanta, GA with the Southern Baptist Leadership Network Group, I was mesmerized by Dan Cathy, President and COO of Chick-fil-A as he pulled out items from an old leather bag he called “his leadership tool box.”  He laid a number of ordinary items and one extraordinary item on the table and said to us, “pick one.”  One leader immediately called out the extraordinary item: an Olympic runner’s baton.  What you see in the picture was what was lying on the table. 

Dan picked up the item and told the story of how he acquired the baton from a friend who was training the Olympic runners in Colorado.   He then went on to share with us his leadership insights using the baton as his metaphor.

• John Maxwell – “success is all about succession” 
• This has to be on the front of our agenda.  Our dreams will be short-lived.  Who are we going to hand this baton off to?
• Dan to the Olympic coach: “Tell me about the exchange.”
  • It’s all about the exchange not necessarily the fastest runner
  • It’s the team that gets the baton around the track first
  • The exchange when it is done right, it is a non-event
  • We have to think of succession as a non-event
• It’s all about continuity
• Cultural expectance of change
• It helps a lot that the person taking the baton actually takes the baton
• The sound of death is the dropping of the baton!
• An example of a great handoff is Jerry Falwell: one son leading the school and one son leading the church

I could spend a long time just on this subject alone.  It is a very common leadership mistake I see – leaders who hang onto the baton too long and never hand it off.  I believe the Builder and Boomer Generations are especially guilty of this egregious error.  We hold on as long as we can because it is more about us and our kingdom.  We then become ineffective leaders resulting in narrow-minded, tunnel-vision, and irrelevant decisions.  Why? We have refused to develop younger leaders, we have refused to empower younger leaders, and we have refused to listen to younger leaders.  Heaven forbid if younger leaders make a mistake or take a risk! 

I am 57 years old and I am taking this message to leaders who are Builders, Boomers, and older Busters:  “Let go, train/mentor/disciple younger leaders, and let God!”   At 57 years old, I am asking God these questions: “When am I to let go as a leader? How can I leave my place of service in a much better position to be of significance for the Kingdom of God and a place where a young leader can lead well?  Where do You want me to go and what do You want me to do differently that I may bring You glory?  How do You want me to finish well?”

Now . . . take 1 minute and 28 seconds to view this AP report on the 2008 Olympic US Track and Field Team.  Once you have finished, how would you answer the questions?

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Questions

1. What is the key to passing the baton?
2. What is the responsibility of the outgoing runner?
3. What is the responsibility of the incoming runner?
4. How does this translate into your leadership?
5. Whose hand do you need “to grab”?

Bob Buford has helped me greatly in this area with his books, “muse-letter”, and website.  Also, I recommend reading John Piper’s book, Don’t Waste Your Life.

Next week we are going to look at Dan Cathy’s shoe brush – until then, blessings!

It’s a brand we all immediately recognize.  It’s the sign I scour the horizon for when traveling.  And when I hear the name, my mouth starts to water like Pavlov’s dog!  Little did I know I would get to personally meet one of the “big chicks” myself!

Last week the Southern Baptist Leadership Network met in Atlanta, GA at the Corporate Offices of Chick-fil-A.  During our two days at the corporate offices, we had the opportunity to meet and dialogue with Dan Cathy, the President and Chief Operating Officer of Chick-fil-A.  Here’s what I learned about Dan Cathy in the 3,600 seconds our group spent with him.

Dan was very engaging from the moment he entered the room and actually caught me off guard.  And why not, in one hand he was carrying a purplish-pink frozen smoothie from McDonald’s he was sipping on and in the other hand he was carrying another deep purplish-pink frozen smoothie in a cup bearing the Chick-fil-A logo.  He looked at us with a twinkle in his eye and a smirk on his face and said, “Research”! 

From that moment, he had captured my attention and I edged closer to the end of my seat wanting to absorb every nugget of wisdom he would pass my way!  I discovered Mr. Cathy is a Godly man that exemplifies Christ-like values. He truly values the Chick-fil-A family and their customers.  Read the following except from his blog he wrote in June:  

            Those employees aren’t numbers. They’re not just data. They’re moms and dads. They’re college students with dreams. They’re high school kids learning the value of hard work. They’re people just like me with hopes and fears and goals and friends and family – - Same with the customers.

            The customers are never numbers. They are dads taking their daughters out to dinner on date night at Chick-fil-A. They are moms who need a playground and a healthy meal for kids on the go. They are friends who camp out with me overnight for the grand opening of a new Chick-fil-A.

Dan was there to talk leadership with us and he did it in a most interesting way.  Along with his smoothies, he was also carrying a small leather bag, you know – the kind that “Doc Adams” would carry with him to attend to one of his patients.  He put the bag on the table and began to pull out of the bag item after item.  He called this bag his “leadership toolbox”. 

Over the next few weeks I am going to be sharing with you items from his “leadership toolbox” along with his comments around leadership. So . . . stay tuned for next week’s episode to see the first item from Dan Cathy’s Leadership Toolbox.  Until then – blessings!