The Burger King Looks like Mel Gibson

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Can Social Technology change lives?

I have one question for you today. It’s simple.

Can social technologies change lives for the better? If so, how?

Top of Mind

Two filmmakers from Germany used a projector and a video camera to bring the topic of homelessness, a problem often ignored, to the top of people’s minds.

Often people don’t grasp how important an issue or an idea might be the first, second or even the 3rd time you tell them. Sometimes all we need to do is find creative ways to tell stories that can provoke change.

Create An Experience

I love that Southwest is passionate about creating an experience for there customers. Here’s the beauty in their approach, it’s all organic. They allow their employees to contribute to what is normally a pretty mundane process and create an experience by using whatever talent they may have. Jokes, Humor, Looks, Song and yes rapping are all fair game at Southwest.

How are you creating an experience?

I am allergic to doing the same things as last year

I’m allergic to wanting to do “the same things as last year” even if they were a hit.  Beware there is a little extra fire behind my fingers tonight.  When it comes to creative ideas that have been successful, I think it’s easy to be tempted to find a way to bottle it up, repackage and re-purpose it hoping for the same outcome every time.  It doesn’t happen.  The magic eventually evaporates.  Plus, nobody likes to be served something that has already been chewed.

2 quotes for you to comment on and then I am off to bed:

“You can’t use up creativity, the more you use the more you have. Sadly, too often creativity is smothered rather than nurtured. There has to be a climate in which new ways of thinking, perceiving, questioning are encouraged.”  Maya Angelou

“Even the most creative people are tempted to stop being innovative when their ideas become
successful. They subconsciously create a rule that says, “This idea worked, so don’t do it
differently.” They “rubber-stamp” instead of “re-create.” I’ll say this as clearly as I can: If you
are executing the same creative ideas you did last year because they worked, you are already on
the decline.” Ben Arment

Let’s re create!

Interview with Louie Giglio

I was able to catch up with Louie Giglio on Saturday and chat about his new church plant Passion City Church, balancing life and ministry and innovation in the church. Louie is a best selling author, speaker, innovative thinker, pastor and entrepreneur. He founded Sixstep Records, home of David Crowder, Chris Tomlin, Charlie Hall and more. He’s a machine. With so much on his plate I was eager to dig into what makes him tick and find out what led him to start a church.

This guy is as incredible off stage as he is on stage and quite frankly, during the interview, I found myself lost in conversation oblivious to the cameras and lights. Louie has a passion for God and for making life count and no where is that more evident than when he is talking about, well, everything. It exudes out of every pore and into every response to every question asked. Very cool. Louie if you read this thanks again man!

The interview with Louie will air on a web tv show called “The Queue” next month. That’s all I can tell you right now but promise more info is on the way. Here are some production photos.

Management vs Leadership

I’m in a busy season.  My wife would tell you that I’m always “busy” but this season is definitely busier than most.  It’s the kind of season where there is no fluff in the day and every hour is accounted for.  The last couple of weeks I have twittered less and blogged a whole lot less than I’ve wanted to (sorry about that).  Here’s the dealio, I am learning how to build margins into my schedule and learning the difference between management and leadership.  I think I have a natural tendency toward one of those attributes the other is coming along with alot of study and learning.

I like what Marcus Buckingham has to say about the difference between Management and Leadership.  He says that Management is about people whereas Leadership is about vision.  In management, you are focusing on how to get things done through people and teams.  Leadership is about focusing on where to go.  Two separate and completely different skills and abilities.  I’m seeing that great leaders don’t always make great managers and vice versa.  For me, management is not as easy as vision and leadership.  I am having to work hard to improve but I’m up for the challenge.

Anyone feel like management is there strength?  Let’s talk. 

“Management is doing things right; leadership is doing the right things.” Peter Drucker

“Effective leadership is putting first things first. Effective management is discipline, carrying it out. Stephen Covey