humility – 300 words a day

Humility hurts

Over and over, I’ve made mistakes that have landed me in a place of having to admit that I am wrong. And it hurts to be seen as weak or inadequate. Our culture fights against being seen as less than a super-strong person with nearly every voice we hear. Another way we have to butt […]

by Jon Swanson

A way to request a mentor.

Sometimes we need coaching but we don’t know how to ask. Feel free to use this as a template. Dear ___ I need a mentor. I pick you. I’m pretty sure that thought scares you. You’re sure that you don’t know anything well enough to share. You spend so much time feeling like you aren’t […]

by Jon Swanson

Concrete.

Phil Cooke talked the other day about the need for leaders to be concrete. In short, start in the world of abstraction, but to reach your team, move quickly into the real world. Give them examples, illustrations, and real-life explanations that will help them understand your concept. After I read that, I spent the day […]

by Jon Swanson

confident humility

I’ve been trying to decide how to write about Jesus washing the disciples’ feet. Yesterday, I hinted at a feeling of entitlement among the disciples, just a moment of it. I think it was too much of a hint. So I’ll be less subtle. Confidence let Jesus be humble. Deservingness causes humbleness to be needed. […]

by Jon Swanson

Making change

(I’m following up on yesterday’s post about planning how to grow.) If you want to have less self-centered pride in five years than you do now, here’s one thing to say: If I am sitting in a meeting, and I feel a need to speak up, then I will count to five and say, “Am […]