kenmurphy.org

Learning From the Future

After my Dad's death, I found this (handwritten) note in one of his personal files. He had begun to collect a few thoughts and put them into words to share with me and my brothers. With the start of a new year and a new decade, I thought I would share his Fatherly wisdom with you. Dad would have started out his conversation addressing me as "Son," a title I am honored to have carried. I hope Dad's words encourage and challenge you as you consider your life and the vision God has for you.

"(Son,) Live your life with the end in mind. How do you see yourself finishing in this life is a matter to be highly considered and visualized. What do I want to be remembered for? What do I want my family to remember me for? Let the future teach you about how you live this present life. Allow that vision of where you want to be and how you want to be remembered to guide your actions and attitudes today."

[C.H. Murphy, Jr., December 4, 1936 - January 16, 2010]

 

Global Leadership Summit 2010: Private Viewing at Stonecreek Church, August 5-6

Stonecreek Church has been given the opportunity to be one of a few select locations to host a private viewing of The 2010 Global Leadership Summit, brought live via satellite to Stonecreek Church from Willow Creek Community Church in South Barrington, Illinois.

The individual ticket price for the South Barrington on-site experience is $345, and $265 for official satellite site locations. Through this rare opportunity, we are able to offer the same leadership conference to you for only $99! You will not find this opportunity marketed or promoted outside of Stonecreek Church.

Don't miss this opportunity! Share this opportunity with your friends and associates and register for this exclusive private-viewing experience today. Learn more about the speaker line-up, event schedule and how to register for this two-day global leadership event at stonecreekchurch.org.

[Note: Should you find stonecreekchurch.org temporarily offline for site improvements, check back often to register. Offline improvements will not last longer than 24-hours.]

Creativity Tops Most Important Leadership Quality in CEOs

According to a recent global study by IBM, creativity tops the "most important quality" list for a CEO. You can read the Fast Company article, here.

Happy 10th Anniversary, Stonecreek!

February 6, 2000. We had just come out of "Ice Storm 2000" and survived the feared 1999-2000 rollover (I think I still have jugs of water and an oil lantern in my basement, you know, just in case). With anticipation, 31 adults and 38 children unloaded four trailers full of staging equipment, media and chairs with hopes that people would show up for Stonecreek Church's first worship service: 10:30 a.m. at the rented Alpharetta Community Center. The day's message was "Stressbusters: How to Handle Stress at Home," an appropriate message for those of us who had transplanted our lives in an unfamiliar city with only the future before us. To our surprise, 524 people gathered that day (88 preschoolers, 46 children and 390 adults and students), and the Lord began building Stonecreek Church.

To me, those early pioneering days involved starting, building and organizing a local church ministry. Over the years, through successes, failures and personal growth, God has taught me the importance of being the Church and the importance of life on life spiritual leadership. It was Jesus who said, "I will build my Church, and the gates of Hades will not overpower it." I am thankful for God's grace in those moments my drive attempted to steal possession of His authority and build something that was all about me. Lesson learned. When Jesus said that He would build His Church, I best be stayin' outta-tha-way.

Today, Stonecreek Church has welcomed hundreds of individuals into the Kingdom of God and has been a light to show others a path of freedom that is the fullness of the Gospel message. We are becoming our mission... pursuing life in Jesus as our greatest passion.

Thank you, Jesus, for your Isaiah 61 ministry. Thank you for coming to bind up my broken heart, for proclaiming freedom to this captive for declaring the Lord's favor and giving me a new identity in You. Thank you for your unending love and unfathomable grace and making me a planting of the Lord. To You, Jesus be honor and glory forever.

Happy Anniversary, Stonecreek! The day calls us to fix our eyes on Jesus and pursue life.

Matthew 16:17-19 | Isaiah 61 | Hebrews 12:1-3

The Pain of Untruth

In chapter six of his book, It's Not About the Coffee: Leadership Principles From a Life at Starbucks, Howard Behar uses this phrase:

Only the Truth Sounds Like the Truth.

He also says, "The fear of the truth can lead to the pain of untruth because the truth always comes out." Or, as my dad used to always say, "The truth always comes full circle." A good reminder to always tell the truth, even when it is hard.

But there is pain in untruth. This goes beyond truth-telling, to truth-living. When we live from our truest selves and are free from posturing and posing, our lives are congruent. When we don't, there is inner conflict. There is pain. The pain of untruth. So, to Behar's words, I would add this perspective as it relates to being true to ourselves and to all that God desires:

Only the Truth Lives Like the Truth.

Behold, You desire truth in the inner being; make me therefore to know wisdom in my inmost heart. Psalm 51:6 (Amplified Bible)

Goals Provide Vision

Each month I have the privilege of meeting with a group entrepreneurial CEOs and business owners who meet for the purpose of seeking wise counsel and integrating best practices for their personal lives and companies. Recently we've been challenged to articulate personal and professional goals, and commit them to paper. I've resisted completing this exercise, and, quite frankly, keep finding excuses to put it off.

In his book, It's Not About the Coffee, Howard Behar, former President, Starbucks International, gave me some insight to why I keep procrastinating this task of articulating my goals. He writes,

"Many, many people are afraid to follow their dreams. They are afraid of goals or at least resist them. They think goals take the fluidity and spontaneity out of life. And they worry about how they'll feel if they don't reach them."

He nailed me dead on. (Failure is a perfectionist's worst nightmare.) Then he gave me hope:

"But we need to remember that goals are not a blueprint; they simply provide a vision."

That little phrase unlocked the barrier holding me back from articulating my goals. Goals provide vision. He adds,

"Goals are emotional. If a goal is not working for you, you're not connected to it. Raise it, make it meaningful, make it touch something in you that you want. Or take it off your list. ... Think about goals that seem like dreams, goals that have so much emotion attached to them that you can almost taste them."

Goals are emotional because our goals should also reflect the heart of God. What is His vision for your life? What are His purposes expressed through you for His glory? What goal, if fully realized, would touch something so deeply within you that you know you would be fully alive? Here is the starting point for setting goals that matter, for life.

Where there is no vision [no redemptive revelation of God], the people perish; but he who keeps the law [of God, which includes that of man]--blessed (happy, fortunate, and enviable) is he. Proverbs 29:18 (Amplified Bible)

...I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full. John 10:10 (NIV)

Creativity Erosion

Below are a couple of quotes from an HBR interview that challenged me. Here are my take-aways: Attempt something new. Try something different. Take a risk. At least order something different for lunch today! Keep life fresh. Keep your work interesting. Stretch. Grow. Get uncomfortable. Accomplish failure. Discover your optimal creativity.

"If you do only what you know and do it very, very well, chances are that you won't fail. You'll just stagnate, and your work will get less and less interesting, and that's failure by erosion. True failure is a mark of accomplishment in the sense that something new and different was tried."

"I'm not interested in repeating my experience, successful or otherwise. You can't allow yourself to get comfortable with what you're comfortable with, because then that's all you'll want to do."

Quotes from Choreographer Twyla Tharp, interviewed by HBR senior editor, Diane Coutu. To read the article, "Creativity Step by Step," visit Harvard Business Review, April 2008 issue.

(Southern) Leadership Thought

One of my teammates, Cindy Graves (finance office), shared this illustration with me today. I liked it so much, that I am adding it to my "leadership thoughts" posts. Cindy is from Alabama, and her southern drawl made this illustration priceless when she shared it with me. Thanks, Cindy, for the laugh and for the insight! I'm enjoying some coffee as I type this entry...

Consider the egg, the carrot, and the coffee. All three are introduced to boiling water, but their reactions are extremely different. The egg becomes hard. The carrot goes soft. But the coffee, grows strong. Don't be an egghead (hard-hearted) or a carrot-top (soft-spined) when facing boiling water. Join God for a cup of coffee. He likes coffee.

Consider it a sheer gift, friends, when tests and challenges come at you from all sides. You know that under pressure, your faith-life is forced into the open and shows its true colors. So don't try to get out of anything prematurely. Let it do its work so you become mature and well-developed, not deficient in any way. James 1:2-4 (The Message)

Haven't I commanded you? Strength! Courage! Don't be timid; don't get discouraged. God, your God, is with you every step you take. Joshua 1:9 (The Message)

Top 30 Leadership Gurus

Check out this list of the top 30 Leadership Gurus.

The criteria for judging the "Top 30" focused on: Originality of ideas, practicality of ideas, presentation style, international outlook, impact of ideas, quality of publications and writings, dispersion of publications and writings, public opinion, guru factor. The list excluded political, military and business leaders and focused on those practitioners who develop and instill leadership in others. Those in the Top 30 Gurus are the World’s Top 30 most influential Leadership Professionals. All not only apply their own leadership principals to achieve superior results in their organizations, but develop and influence leaders and leadership throughout the globe.

Complete Breath of Fresh Air

I would love to know what gave this cell phone salesman the confidence to finally take the risk to go public with his lifelong dream. Be prepared to be amazed as Paul takes his first step towards "spend(ing) my life doing what I always felt I was born to do."

What dream has God set in your heart? What makes you come alive and strengthens you? Be inspired to take your first step ...