Dale McGavran

Highly Illogical, Captain

Logic…it can be a person’s friend, or enemy. You can add two plus two, and get the sum of four. Logical. Or you can get up at 3 AM and fight the Black Friday crowds. Illogical. Probably the individual best known for discussing logical and illogical things was Spock. I can remember him on more than one occasion telling Kirk, “Captain, that’s highly illogical.” His reasoning? He replied that he was a man of science, as if that was supposed to answer every question we, the viewers, had. But you don’t have to be a scientist to see things as illogical. Watch the evening news. Read the latest headlines. It stands to reason that you have said (or thought) those same words at one time or another about something that, well…seems illogical.

History is full of events and people that defy logic. Take the Wright brothers. It completely defies logic that they would be the first to conquer sustained, controlled, heavier-than-air flight. They were just bicycle repairmen. Their competitors, Samuel Langley, Octave Chanute, Glenn Curtiss, and others, had the money, the education, and the “corporate” teams to help. The Wright brothers had none of this. It is illogical that these two brothers could take some spruce, cotton, and 15-gauge bicycle spoke wire and create a contraption that would eventually be famously known as the Wright Flyer. However, on December 17, 1903, the illogical became real…if only for a few moments. That first flight lasted only 12 seconds, going 120 feet, with the speed topping out at a whopping 6.8 miles per hour. For perspective, the fastest measured speed of Olympic Gold Medalist Usain Bolt is over 27 miles per hour…and the fastest recorded speed of an aircraft (SR-71) is roughly 2,200 miles per hour! If we could travel back to 1903 and tell Orville and Wilbur that in 73 years, man would run four times faster than their flyer, and an aircraft would fly 2,200 miles per hour, they would probably find us, to quote Spock, “highly illogical”.

The story of God is one that defies logic. Here are but a few examples:

God says to man: “March around this city one time each day for 6 days. Don’t make any sound with your voices. On that seventh morning, wake up march around the city seven times – on the seventh time scream at the top of your lungs, and the city will be yours”.

God’s power is on display.

How about this one:

Boy goes out to meet brothers. Boy sees bully. Boy stands up to bully. Boy takes the simplest of weapons. Boy chooses five stones. Boy launches stone into bully’s head, killing said bully. God uses said boy for the rest of his life, in spite of cheating and second degree homicide.

God’s redemption is on display.

Or we have this one:

Young man prays. King makes decree. No one will pray to anyone except the king. Young man still prays to God. Young man taken and thrown into pit with lions. God muzzles lions. Young man pulled out of pit. Deceivers thrown in – off come the muzzles. Not a pretty sight.

God’s protection is on display.

And finally:

God tells old man to build something that has never been built before. He calls it an ark. What’s an ark? It’s this huge structure that is going to float on the flood waters. What is flood water? You’ll see God says, just do as I say. The old man does what God instructs him to do, and then God does what he said he would do. The flood comes. The boat floats. The old man is saved.

God’s faithfulness is one display.

Throughout the story of us, we, like Joshua, David, Daniel and Noah, find ourselves at intersections of God’s power, redemption, protection and faithfulness. We clearly miss many of these moments, so God beautifully allows one other trait to shine through – His patience. He reminds us that if and when we put on our faith-lensed glasses, we see all that He is doing around us, through us, and in us.

Spock would most definitely call this illogical. But you know what? I will embrace the illogical power, redemption, protection, faithfulness, and patience of God every day. To not do so, would really be…highly illogical, Captain.

Leadership…Cape not Required.

Perhaps at one time or another you have seen the cover of Action Comics #1. Though it’s ok if you haven’t. You might not be a comic book fan. But, if you were a fan and you could have only one comic, Action Comics #1 would probably be it (because an original copy sold for more than $3 million). On the cover, Superman is lifting a green car and smashing it against some rocks. Why? Maybe it was a runaway car and he was rescuing the guy crouching in fear behind it. Maybe it was used by bank robbers and Superman was stopping them cold in their tracks. Or maybe he harbored bad feelings for that make and model. Actually, if you owned the comic and opened the pages you would discover that in this scene, Superman is rescuing Lois Lane from a kidnapper who happened to be driving the green car. In this comic and in subsequent issues, Superman always saw something that had to be done (runaway car, bank robbers, people in distress), and he leapt into the fray. In other words he took action.

George Clymer took action too. I know what you are thinking…“oh, sure, ol’ George Clymer. He sure was a man of action.” Or maybe you are thinking, “Who in the world is George Clymer?” If you find yourself in this latter group, let me offer you a small glimpse into the life of this relatively unknown guy. George Clymer was born on March 16, 1739. When he was 36 years old, he was appointed as the Continental treasurer, responsible for tracking the funds for the American Revolution. But he was not just any old treasurer. He led the efforts on getting corn, flour, gunpowder, and other essential items into the hands of the Continental Army. But he didn’t stop there. He helped fund the war effort by exchanging his own gold and silver for Continental paper currency. This was an enormous gamble, for if the war for independence failed, Clymer would have lost it all. Of course we know how hard it was for George Washington’s army to get anything they needed, which makes Clymer’s story even more compelling.

George Clymer was not without his personal tragedies though. The story goes that when the British Army defeated the Continentals at a battle near Chadds Ford, Pennsylvania, the British then went out of their way to ransack Clymer’s home in Chester County. As his wife and children hid in the woods and watched, the British Army destroyed all of his belongings before moving on. When the British invaded Philadelphia they targeted what they believed was another of Clymer’s homes. As they were tearing the house down, they found out that the home was actually owned by someone else. Clearly, the British hated this guy.

It was Benjamin Franklin who purportedly said as he was signing the Declaration of Independence, that they (the signers) “…must, indeed all hang together, or most assuredly we shall all hang separately.” Well, George Clymer would have been one of those hanging next to Franklin. Clymer was a delegate from Pennsylvania who penned his signature to the document that would forever seal the fate of the colonies. Clymer also signed another of our nation’s most important documents – the Constitution. In fact, George Clymer was only one of six individuals to sign both the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution of the United States. He saw what was going on around him, perhaps runaway horse carriages, robbers, and people in distress. He certainly saw injustice at the hands of the British. He witnessed this and leapt into the fray. In other words, like Superman, he took action.

But that is where the comparison ends. As much as we might not want to believe it, Superman is not real. He faces imaginary villains, has imaginary powers, and the story almost always has a happy ending (kind of like every Hallmark Christmas movie ever made). George Clymer did not have that same kind of guarantee. Things could have turned south for him really quick. Fortunately, they did not. Clymer and the others took action and led the efforts of the colonies to unite against the British, risking everything in the process. That is what leaders do. They see something that needs to be done, and they do it. They see an injustice in the world, and they tackle it. They see those in need, and they help. They see a fledgling nation struggling to gain its footing, and they act on the desire to have a better outcome.

Nehemiah, too, was a man of action. With his city laying in ruins, Nehemiah asked the king for an extended leave of absence from his job as the cupbearer. This wasn’t going to be one of those “take some time over the weekend and report back to me Monday morning” gigs. HIs city was basically rubble. This was one of those projects that was going to take time to put back together. And Nehemiah was not one of those who could sit on the sidelines while the work was done. He saw people in distress, and he needed to help. He put on his architect’s hat and examined the destruction, envisioning a better tomorrow. He put on his city planner’s hat and organized the people into teams. He put on his soldier’s hat and prepared to lead the Israelites in defending the walls against its enemies. He put on his coach’s hat and encouraged his countrymen in recognizing their strengths and talents. In other words, he took action.

You don’t have to lift a car over your head, sign your life away, or put a city back together again to be a leader. Having all of that on your resume would be pretty sweet though. To be a leader, what you do need to do is equally important. When you see an injustice in the world, tackle it. When you see those in need, help them. When you see individuals in distress, that is your cue…take action.

Are You a Timex?

Imagine a series of events that starts with your alarm not waking you up. While you rush around trying to get ready for work, the kids miss the bus. So, you have to take them to school, which only makes you later for work. The next day, on the drive to your job, the car breaks down. After calling three towing companies, one finally agrees to come and get you. “Joe” informs you that it is going to cost $1,000 to fix your car, never mind it is a $1,000 you don’t have. The next day does not bring any relief. The doctor’s report comes back with less than positive news. To top it all off, over the weekend your spouse decides to he is ready to change you in for a “younger” model.

What would it take to get you to climb out of that bed the next morning? You just want to close your eyes and make it all go away. You are not sure you can go on. I mean, after all, your world sort of just fell apart. But here is the thing…trust me, you can make it. You are more than a conqueror.

People experience life shattering events of all flavors. Military spouses get a visit from a casualty notification team. Phone calls occur informing of a death in the family. Doctor reports have the c-word in the diagnosis that no one ever wants to receive. Supervisors call in employees and tell them that their position was “done away with” because of company downsizing. And worlds continue to fall apart. But, trust me, you can make it. You are more than a conqueror.

You are more than a conqueror. I could just stop there with those six words. But I want to tell you a story. It is the story of a conqueror. His name was Robert Preston Taylor. He was a chaplain stationed with the Army in the Philippines when Japanese forces overtook the island. Taylor was one of thousands captured and later forced into the infamous Bataan Death March. He survived for more than three years in the Cabanatuan POW camp, including several weeks in solitary confinement and the “heat box”, which he shared with flies, maggots and mosquitoes, all for smuggling food and medicine to prisoners in need.

In October 1944, Taylor and the other prisoners were loaded onto “Hell Ships” and sent to the Japanese main land. American bombers patrolling in the area spotted the ships and began attacking them. Taylor was injured twice during these bombing attacks. The Japanese soon abandoned the ships and left the prisoners to die in the holds. However, a bomb ripped a hole in the deck of the ship Taylor was on, so he and the others were able to climb through and jump into the water. Fortunately, the dive-bombers realized the men were fellow Americans so they called off the attack. Chaplain Taylor survived only to be put onto another prison ship and sent to yet another POW camp.

On September 11, 1945, Chaplain Taylor’s nightmare finally came to an end. The Allies liberated the POW camp, so Taylor was headed home. He arrived in San Fransisco on November 1st and was reunited with his wife Ione. He ran up and embraced her. But something was wrong. She did not return the affection. She explained that she had heard that he was killed, and in the months since, had met another man and remarried.

Can you imagine surviving 42 months of captivity in several POW camps, watching many of your friends die in front of you? Can you imagine being crammed into a metal box for weeks, where it felt like the sun was 10 feet away? Can you imagine being wounded by your own forces because they mistook you for the enemy? Can you imagine sailing on that ship for San Fransisco, each moment caught up in only one thought – seeing your wife for the first time in four years? Can you imagine your spouse explaining that she had remarried because she thought you were dead, and now there would be no future together?

I tell this story because the world needs Robert Preston Taylors. Too many people face daunting challenges and feel as though they cannot take another step forward. Those suffering today need to know and understand that others have survived equally devastating news and have found a way to bounce back. Today, we call that resilience. A friend of mine compared the idea of resiliency to the old Timex watch commercial (you know the one where the tag line is “It takes a licking and keeps on ticking”). What we call it is the least important aspect of all this. I doubt the word resilience ever graced Chaplain Taylor’s lips, but he knew he could “take a licking and keep on ticking,” because of his faith.

The apostle Paul understood this as well. In his second letter to the Corinthian church, Paul wrote:

“In labors more abundant, in stripes above measure, in prisons more frequently, in deaths often… Three times I was beaten with rods; once I was stoned; three times I was shipwrecked; a night and a day I have been in the deep; in journeys often, in perils of waters, in perils of robbers, in perils of my own countrymen…in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea…in weariness and toil, in sleeplessness often, in hunger and thirst….” (2 Corinthians 11:23-27)

Sounds eerily familiar with Taylor’s own experience…beatings, prison, sleeplessness, hunger, thirst, cold, in perils of water, and even perils of one’s own countrymen (remember the bombings at the hands of his fellow Americans). In spite of all this, Chaplain Taylor understood, like Paul, that while suffering at the hands of this world, we can bounce back, but more importantly, we can be “more than conquerors through Him who loved us”.

**As a footnote to this story, Chaplain Taylor remained in the service, transferring to the Air Force and eventually becoming the third Air Force Chief of Chaplains. You can read his story in the book, “Days of Anguish, Days of Hope” written by Billy Keith.

The Day Mr. Lincoln Was Wrong

“Four score and seven years ago….” So starts one of the most recognizable speeches in American history. On the 19th of November 1863, 154 years ago today, Abraham Lincoln stood on a make-shift platform in Gettysburg’s Evergreen Cemetery, and spoke for a few moments.

David Wills, a resident of Gettysburg, would invite the President to, in a sense, sanctify the hallowed grounds, after the main speaker, Edward Everett, finished his oration. How does one ask the President of the United States to hop on a train, spend the night in town, wake up the next morning and sit through a 3-hour program, only then to take the stage for a couple of minutes? Yet, this was exactly what Lincoln did. To be clear, Wills intended for Lincoln’s speech to be brief for in his invitation to the President, Wills asked him to provide “a few appropriate remarks.” This was never going to be a State of the Union – length speech.

Well, the band played, the reverend prayed, and Mr. Everett, the main speaker of the day, talked for more than two hours. In writing this blog, I found his speech online, and read much of it (not quite the entire 13,607 words). It is quite good, but it did take me a few separate times to get through the reading. I can only hope that those in the crowd had a longer attention span than I do. Sadly, without reading the text of the speech, hardly anyone today would remember a single word of what he said.

Contrast that with what the President said. He stuck with what David Wills had asked of him, a few remarks. His “address” of just 272 words and 10 sentences took only about two minutes. However, unlike Everett’s speech, it lives on in the memory of, not only historians, but everyday citizens around the world. And herein lies the irony of it all; among Lincoln’s carefully selected words, he said, “The world will little note, nor long remember what we say here….” Well, Mr. President, you missed the mark on that one by a mile. The world does note and does remember what you said in those two minutes.

Also in his few appropriate remarks, Lincoln pointed out, that while he and others were there to dedicate this piece of sacred soil, in reality there was nothing they could do that was not already done. Let me highlight just two of the ten sentences he spoke that day; “But, in a larger sense, we cannot dedicate – we cannot consecrate – we cannot hallow – this ground. The brave men, living and dead, who struggled here, have consecrated it, far above our poor power to add or detract.” The devotion, the consecration, the sanctification, and finally, the dedication, had been done four and a half months earlier. Brave men had done what no one else, not even President Lincoln, could do.

Now bravery is one of those words that is talked about very little outside of certain circles. Way too many medals given posthumously have the word bravery in the citation. America has come to expect those in service to the nation to exude bravery. Police officers, firemen, and the military are all presumed to have bravery in their DNA. But what about those not in these occupations? Leaders today in all walks of life, in all career choices, no matter where they fall on the pay scale, have opportunities to show bravery every day. You see, bravery is not just running into a burning building, an active crime scene, or onto a battlefield. It is also standing up for what’s right. It is standing up for the little guy, the underdog. It is standing up for a purpose when no one else does. And the great thing about it is you can do it as an administrative assistant, as a server in a restaurant, as a stay-at-home mom or dad, as an auto mechanic, or any of the other thousands and thousands of careers that people get paid (or not paid) for.

The Bible gives account of more than one example of bravery displayed by those in less than warrior-like jobs. Consider Rahab. Though she was a prostitute (not a career choice I would recommend), she put everything on the line, literally and figuratively, as she lowered the spies down a rope. Consider David. Yeah, he became king if you’re impressed by that kind of thing. But before all that, he was a boy shepherd going against the Philistine giant. Consider Nehemiah. He was a but a cupbearer to the king. However, he led the reconstruction of Jerusalem in spite of numerous enemies who wanted nothing more than to stop the effort. If God can use a prostitute, a cup bearer, and a shepherd to promote bravery, how can He not use you in your chosen occupation. Be brave. The world will take note and will long remember you for it.

The One Thing

As a 30-year Air Force veteran, I have seen my share of inspiring leaders. They all have one thing in common – their foundation started with what I have been saying for years is the most critical characteristic of an effective leader. Humility. I will get to the reason why I believe this to be true in a moment, but first we need to be on the same page of what humility really looks like. The dictionary defines humility as having a modest opinion or estimate of one’s own importance. Sadly, too many equate humility with being a human carpet and giving everyone the right to abuse and trample all over them. Nothing could be further from the truth. The right practitioner of humility knows of their own value (being careful to not over inflate it), is aware of their intellectual and experiential limits, and understands that it takes others to accomplish any worthwhile objective. In other words, the humble person knows that they don’t know everything. I cannot think of a better example of this principle in action than the 1860 presidential election.

If you were alive in 1860, you would not have had a shortage of presidential hopefuls to vote for. If you were a democrat, for example, you had the choice between Stephen A. Douglas and John C. Breckinridge (who ran under the Southern Democrat party). Then there was John Bell, a candidate under the newly created Constitutional Union party. Finally, there were the Republican nominees; William H. Seward, Salmon P. Chase, Edward Bates, Simon Cameron, and Abraham Lincoln.

When one lists the experience these “professional” politicians had, the final outcome of the election becomes even more remarkable. As Doris Kearns Goodwin writes in “Team of Rivals” –

“William Henry Seward had been a celebrated senator from New York for more than a decade and governor of his state for two terms before he went to Washington. Ohio’s Salmon P. Chase, too, had been both senator and governor, and had played a central role in the formation of the Republican party. Edward Bates was a widely respected elder statesman, a delegate to the convention that had framed the Missouri Constitution, and a former congressman whose opinions on national matters were still widely sought.”

In contrast to the men of experience, Lincoln could only boast of a single two-year term in Congress that ended in 1849, and two failed Senate races. The New York Herald described Lincoln as a “third-rate Western lawyer”, and a “fourth-rate lecturer.” Not exactly the words you want to read about yourself in one of the leading newspapers of the day. In fact, you wold be hard pressed to find more deflating terms than these.

Well, the 1860 election did not go as planned. The Republican nod did not go to Seward, or Chase, or any of the other politicians with the boat-load of experience. Instead, the Republican nod, and eventually the Presidential election, went to that “less than desirable” lawyer and lecturer, Abraham Lincoln.

Now, what Lincoln did next was radical. Instead of dismissing Seward, Chase, and the others for fear of what they might do, he appointed them all to his cabinet. He understood that these were men of great talent and experience. Even though others thought he had lost his mind, Lincoln knew he was going to need their intellect for the days ahead. He wrote, “I had looked the party over and concluded that these were the very strongest men. Then I had no right to deprive the country of their service.”

The writer in Proverbs 15:33 shares with us these words: “The fear of the Lord is the instruction of wisdom, and before honor is humility.” Perhaps Lincoln understood this. He certainly realized that in an unknowable future, he would be required to put aside feelings of self-importance and work with others to accomplish the critical work that would soon unfold as the nation tore itself apart.

As I said 534 words ago, humility is the recognition that you are not all that (not even with a bag of chips). It is the knowledge that to accomplish great things, it requires great teams. It is the understanding that each one of us needs others to define and refine our strengths and to decrease the effects of our weaknesses. It was for these reasons that Lincoln felt he had to do what he did. And it is for these reasons, effective leaders, from the CEO to the guys at the bottom, drive their organizations onward. And it is for these reasons that humility must be a major ingredient in your recipe for success today and every day.

Liberty > tyranny

“No man thinks more highly than I do of the patriotism, as well as abilities, of the very worthy gentlemen who have just addressed the House.” Few recognize these words as the lightning rod to the beginning of a critical vote in the Virginia Convention. However, most Americans will instantly recognize the last seven words of the speech that galvanized the hearts and minds of a majority of the delegates. “…Give me liberty, or give me death.” How these words still resonate more than 240 years after they were first uttered by the patriot Patrick Henry. Meant to fire up the Virginia delegates, the lengthy speech ending in this famous phrase, did just that – barely. It was a vote so close that PNN (Patriot News Network, of course) would have shifted their 24-hour news focus to covering every angle, from possible voter fraud to hanging chads to never-ending recounts. In the end, 65 of the 125 Virginia delegates voted in favor of independence. And so the march to liberty had begun.

Now, if we were able to view history as a collage (a la “The Big Bang Theory” opening song sequence) going forward from the moment of Henry’s soul-stirring pronouncement, we would witness countless instances of individuals with the words liberty and death on their lips. We see the Soldier in the trenches near the Somme, the Marine storming the shore at Kwajalein, the Sailor engaging enemy forces at Pearl Harbor, the Airman in the skies over Vietnam, and the Coast Guardian protecting our nation’s waters against those who would do us harm.

You see, every year thousands of men and women raise their right hand and “swear to support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic….” It is on Veterans Day that Americans come together in unity to remember and thank those who have worn the nation’s uniform in service, for Americans have long understood that liberty comes with a price. Patrick Henry, too, understood the cost of such an ideal. In the same speech to the Virginia delegates, he said these words;

“They tell us, sir, that we are weak, unable to cope with such an adversary…. Shall we gather strength by irresolution and inaction? …Shall we acquire the means of effectual resistance by lying supinely on our backs and hugging the delusive phantom of hope, until our enemies shall have bound us hand and foot? …Three millions of people, armed in the holy cause of liberty, and in such a country as that which we possess, are invincible by any force which our enemy can send against us.”

Those are the words of a man who believed that liberty was so incredibly valuable, that if denied the right to its access, he would, as he said, rather be dead. In the grand scheme, there are few things equal to the value of liberty. At least Patrick Henry thought so…and about 1% of the population at any one time thinks so too. You see, that is the percentage of Americans today that serve in uniform. Not a lot, but enough. Just like in Henry’s day, today’s American military is invincible against any force that that enemy can send against it.

Like Patrick Henry and 64 of the other Virginia delegates, Americans have historically placed such high regard for liberty that they go to places far away to fight tyranny and those forces which would steal liberty from the innocent. Whether one agrees with this principle or not, Americans have fought the enemies of liberty around the world; from Nazi Germany to Communist North Korea to right here at home against those who would enslave others because of skin color. The surprise is not that there are those who seek to rule over others by abusive power, but that there are those who would answer liberty’s call even when the possible outcome is death.

Let me close with these final thoughts. Liberty is an incomparable thing. A couple of thousands of years ago, the apostle Paul reminded us that even though levels of liberty are found in various aspects of life, true liberty is found only in the presence of the Lord. In 2 Corinthians 3:17 he writes, “Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.” Like Paul, Patrick Henry understood that God was the real key for liberty to be realized. Listen one more time to words from his “Give me liberty” speech; “Besides, sir, we shall not fight our battles alone. There is a just God who presides over the destinies of nations….”

Today, on Veteran’s Day, we celebrate those who serve and who have served in that invincible force we call the United States military. All for the cause of liberty.

Hope is a Weapon

I recently toured Ellis Island in New York City. It was fascinating to walk through the building where millions of people started a new life draped in one word – hope. Many had nothing but the clothes on their back and perhaps a trunk filled with their most prized possessions. Most left families behind in Europe, all in the hope (there’s that word again) that a new home would bring new possibilities. Men, women, and children lined up to be examined by doctors and labeled acceptable or not acceptable for entrance into the United States. Whatever their standing in life; whatever existence they were about to pursue; whatever dream or aspiration was on their heart – they all had one thing in common: hope.

This small word packs such a powerful punch. No one ever walks through life successfully without it. Hope is present in conversations parents have with their children. It is right there when a doctor is describing the next step in treatment for his patient. It permeates commencement speeches at high schools and colleges around the world each graduation season. It is everywhere…yes, even in the movies. “Dunkirk” came out several months ago. In one of the trailers for the movie, the voice-over guy makes the announcement, “hope is a weapon.” Yes it is, voice-over guy. You see, hope is not just an idea that floats around in the imagination. It is real. It is substance. And yes, it is a weapon.

On Christmas night in 1776, hope was in the forefront. General George Washington, along with about 2,500 men crossed the Delaware River for a surprise attack on enemy forces in encamped in Trenton, New Jersey. The attack was a success. The timing could not have been better. Men were walking away in droves because of the lack of food, supplies, coats, shoes, and pay. The revolution stood at the brink of collapse. If something wasn’t done soon, the Continental Army would not be an army at all. But Washington was not about to give up. He called for a plan that would turn the tide and give a much-needed boost to the men. It was crazy, really. He would take his small army of 2,500 men (less than half of his planned strength of 5,500), cross the river at night in freezing cold, march several miles into Trenton, and surprise the sleeping Hessians. Of course, the plan did not unfold as Washington had envisioned. Plans rarely do, even the best. The Continental Army arrived hours later than intended. They had much fewer numbers than called for. It was a recipe for disaster. But Washington, being the great leader he was, had an ace up his sleeve – – hope. And it was a good thing he did. The victory brought a renewed fighting spirit to the men. The Continental Army would live to fight another day.

Some might argue whether hope is really a weapon. Sure, I know it is not a tangible thing that one can actually physically touch, like a sword or a musket. But I would argue that on that particular Christmas night in 1776, hope was more powerful than any gun a soldier carried. It was more piercing than any saber an officer wore at his side.

Ask any leader today, and they will tell you the same thing. Hope is critical. If one wants to thrive in any environment, hope must be present. Remember the words of the prophet Isaiah; “…but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.” (Isaiah 40:31) Who would not want to soar like an eagle or run and not grow tired and weary?

If you are in a place of uncertainty today, put yourself in the shoes of the young mother or father standing in the registry room in the Ellis Island Immigration Center. Rediscover hope. Hope for a new beginning. Hope for a new dream. Renew your hope today and you will see that Isaiah’s words are true; and you will see…hope is a weapon.

Bad Company (no, not the band)

When George Washington was a young boy, he copied down what was known in his time as “Rules of Civility and Decent Behavior in Company and Conversation.” During a visit to his estate at Mount Vernon a couple of years ago, I picked up a copy of these rules. Some are quite obvious. Others are more obscure, seemingly irrelevant for today. One has to get past the style that the rules are written in. However, once you do, it clearly is a brilliant guide for how to treat family, friends, acquaintances, and strangers.

Rule number 56 is one that is particularly interesting. Here is what it says: “Associate yourself with Men of good Quality if you Esteem your own Reputation; for ’tis better to be alone than in bad Company.” Now, there is a lot of great wisdom in that sentence. Many parents have warned their children to be careful who they spend time with, or as this rule says, associate with. No parent wants to witness his or her son or daughter be led down a dark path by someone who is supposed to be a friend. No one desires to see their friend plummet down the wrong course in life because of bad company. This only seems natural. Now, we should not ignore those going down a road of destruction. We should help those we can, including those walking that dark path, but that is a conversation for another day.

Now, history is full of individuals who had great potential, but because of who they associated with, they are looked upon with a less than stellar reputation. One such example is Warren G. Harding. He had such great potential. Just read the first sentence from his presidential inaugural address: “My Countrymen, When one surveys the world about him after the great storm, noting the marks of destruction and yet rejoicing in the ruggedness of the things which withstood it, if he is an American he breathes the clarified atmosphere with a strange mingling of regret and new hope.” The end of the Civil War was just a generation past and the First World War had come to an end less than two years prior. So it is not difficult to imagine Harding uttering the words of regret and hope in the same breath. Sadly, he died before he could finish his term as President of the United States. Sadder still is the reputation that followed his death.

Mention the name Warren G. Harding today, and most just scratch their head. There is no shortage of Americans who know nothing of the man. Those that might remember his name most likely remember it only because of the scandal surrounding a plot of land in Wyoming, known as Teapot Dome. In this situation, Harding had authorized the transfer of control of the land to the Department of the Interior, under the direction of Albert Fall. Fall then leased the land to oil company friends without any bidding competition, receiving money under the table for his assistance in making this happen. The scandal is much more complex, but this was the gist of the issue. In the end, Harding’s reputation had again taken a hit even though Albert Fall was the cause. This scandal and others occurred in part, because of Harding’s involvement with the wrong crowd, or in the words of the rules of civility, “bad Company”.

One can only hope that had he chosen different friends and associates, Harding’s story would be told differently today. Leaders know that they have to influence the environment. Leadership involves taking individuals from multiple backgrounds and forming them into a cohesive team with a good reputation, and succeeding in the mission ahead. Great leaders also know that they may have to rescue someone from going down the wrong path. But the leader must never become the cause of destruction nor wallow in destructive habits. Solomon, in chapter one of the book of Proverbs, grabs his bullhorn and warns readers what will happen if they become cohorts, like Harding, with the wrong crowd. His writes: “My son, if sinful men entice you, do not give in to them.” (verse 10); “my son, do not go along with them, do not set foot on their paths.” (verse 15); “Such are the paths of all who go after ill-gotten gain; it takes away the life of those who get it.” (verse 19)

Forrest and Dwight: Why do others follow?

Forrest Gump is one of my favorite movies. In it, Forrest’s mother dies and so he decides to go running. What follows is a lengthy clip of him running from coast to coast numerous times. After a period of time, people start to take notice of this strange Alabamian running around the country. What follows are several scenes where others begin to run with him, one individual even saying that he would follow Mr. Gump anywhere. Dozens more join Forrest, who by now is sporting a beard. The sequence culminates with Forrest, looking like something out of “The Revenant”, stopping on a lonely road in Utah. Someone in the crowd of runners calls for silence because Forrest is about to lay down some earth-shattering thought, some deep philosophical statement. Instead, the crowd hears that the one they have been following for days, months, and years, is tired and is going to go home now. I love what one of them says; “Great, now what are we supposed to do?” What indeed. The bottom just dropped out their world. But Forrest had every right to want to go home. He had run for three years, two months, fourteen days, and sixteen hours. I run and I am ready to quit after about an hour. I cannot imagine running for 28,072 hours. Of course, he slept, ate, and …went (code word for going to the bathroom), as he tells the elderly woman on the bench. But still, that was a long time.

No one, not even Forrest, could explain why runners (who apparently had nothing better to do than run around the country with a complete stranger) were drawn to him. But they were. Attraction is a curious thing. Men and women are attracted to each other; newly washed cars attract rain storms; moths are attracted to light; my clothes attract the dog’s hair. Some things can be rationalized, others cannot.

Leaders attract too. For some unknown reason, individuals see great leadership and want to be near the action. There is probably some scientific theory that seeks to explain it. But in the end, it is likely a combination of things…kind of like a recipe. Heap in the inspiration; pour in honesty; measure in humility; add transparency and integrity; stir in commitment, hope, accountability, and compassion. Then, and only then, do you begin to formulate what it is that makes up a leader.

General Eisenhower reflected these same kind of traits. Now, he was not perfect – no one is, except Jesus. But, one of my favorite leadership stories has General Eisenhower sitting down to write a letter detailing the beginning of Operation Overlord – the D-Day invasion. In the letter he outlines his confidence in success because of the past work of the men on the ground, the Airmen overhead, and those on the home front building the tanks, ships and aircraft. In other words, success occurred not because of his wisdom, strategy, or the stars on his shoulder. General Eisenhower also penned a second, briefer message in case the operation proved a failure. In this message, Eisenhower took a few sentences to explain that the invasion failed, not because of the troops, the Navy, nor the Airmen, because they did all they could do. The blame was all on him. In other words, the mission failed because he did not lead well enough. Now that is integrity. That is the kind of thing that attracts individuals and causes them to want to follow another.

Great leaders know the importance of integrity. They know that without it, they are on a lonely journey. In the tenth chapter of the book of Proverbs, verse nine states, “Whoever walks in integrity walks securely, but whoever takes crooked paths will be found out.” It is natural to want to feel secure in your mission, your work, your everything. Proverbs reminds us that security is unquestionably linked to integrity.

We never really find out why all of those people started to run with Forrest. I guess the director did not feel it was important to the storyline. It was, after all, a fictional movie. One thing that is not fiction though is the relationship between great leadership and integrity. They go hand-in-hand. If you become a leader with integrity you will find security. If you become a leader with integrity, you will find others following you anywhere, coast to coast or maybe even on a road in Utah.

Courageous Leadership

Courage is a theme found in the lives of all great leaders. Courage to do the right thing even when no one else seems to care. Courage to risk everything. Courage to face danger against insurmountable odds. Courage to face one’s failures. Courage to know that it takes a team to get anything done. All great leaders search for, discover, and put into action, courage. All of them. Captain Joseph McConnell was one of these courageous leaders.

When I was in the 4th and 5th grade, I read a book titled “Sabre Jet Ace”. Maybe I should quantify that statement, because I did not just read the book once. I read it multiple times…at least a dozen. If possible, it would have become a part of my DNA. To say I loved this book is probably an understatement. It was loosely based on the life of Joseph McConnell. Early on, McConnell desired to be a fighter pilot. But after entering the Army Air Forces, he was assigned to navigator responsibilities. Of course, it was not what he wanted. However, he flew numerous missions during World War II as a B-24 navigator. Some might have given up their dream after this, but not McConnell. His chances for piloting a fighter aircraft were not over. He had the courage to press on, to chase his dream. So, following the end of the war, he entered flight training and eventually became a pilot.

Soon after earning his pilot wings, the United States found itself back at war, this time on the Korean peninsula. Captain McConnell wanted to get to Korea to fight, and in September 1952, that dream too, was realized. McConnell did not shoot his first enemy jet down until the following January, but he wasted no time in getting multiple kills. In the next four months he would become the United States’ first triple ace, shooting down a total of 16 enemy aircraft. Joseph McConnell was a man of great courage. Every time he strapped himself into the cockpit of his F-86, he had to have known it might be his last. What drives someone to do that? Courage, and this guy had plenty of it.

After returning from Korea, Captain McConnell became a test pilot. Courage was again on full display as he took to the air, testing a new version of the F-86. Sadly, on 25 August 1954, Joseph McConnell died while test flying an F-86H. On that day, America lost not only a pilot with great skills, but a leader with great courage.

Whenever I think of courageous leadership, I am reminded of God’s words to Joshua. “Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.” (Joshua 1:9) Joshua took those words with him across the Jordan and into the Promised Land. Did he have the courage to do the right thing when no one else seemed to care? Of course. Remember, he and Caleb were the only two who believed God’s promise entering the new land. Did he have the courage to risk everything? Oh yeah. Did he display the courage necessary to face danger, insurmountable odds, and personal failure? You better believe it. Does Ai ring a bell? How about his being deceived by the Gibeonites? Both moments of potential catastrophic failure. But recovery was an option, and Joshua clung to it. Finally, Joshua was courageous because he realized that action taken only by him would not amount to much. Any courageous leader knows it takes a group, a neighborhood, a team, to be great.

How about you? What can you do to become a courageous leader? The world is waiting. We need you.