People typically fall into one of two categories: those who enjoy selling and those who hate it.

The people who hate it think sales is pushy, slimy, manipulative, and all about personal gain. However, we make a crucial mistake when we take this view. When we undervalue the importance of selling, positioning, and persuasion, we don’t invest in our ability to do these things well, and we lose the opportunity to change hearts and minds with our ideas.

In my new book The Lens of Leadership, I challenge readers to reevaluate their perspective because the way we view things really does change how we do things. So today, I want to tackle how we view positioning, persuasion, and sales. Especially if you view "sales" in a negative light, I want to shift your perspective today.

If we have ideas that are valuable, worthy, and good, we must understand the principles of positioning to help our ideas, products, or services have success in the marketplace. In other words, “Selling is inherently persuasive, but it’s not inherently wrong” (The Lens of Leadership).

Many people perceive positioning as shading the truth, but leaders learn to see it as a necessary tool to unlock and unleash the potential of the concepts they need to communicate.

We see the power of positioning every day in effective marketing. A friend told me about two books he noticed at a local bookstore. Both books were on the same topic. One was beautifully written with powerful insights, but the publisher didn’t do much to promote the book. That book, packed with great ideas, only sold a few thousand copies. The other book had nothing new to say about this shared topic, but the publisher poured resources into creative marketing strategies to push the book to the public. While it lacked depth, it was positioned well, and the book sold over 100,000 copies. “The difference in the impact wasn’t the quality of the books; it was the quality of how each one was positioned” (The Lens of Leadership).

The same is true about any product, service, political idea, or strategy—the one positioned well will make a greater impact, even if it’s inferior to others. Being the best on its own is unfortunately not enough. It only matters if you’re able to convince other people that your product, service, or idea is the best. Somebody has to do the hard work of positioning. The best writers don’t sell the most books. Remember the Twilight saga?

The most talented artists don’t always sell the most work. A piece of trash that a celebrity calls art would probably sell for more than a gorgeous painting created by an unknown artist. The best singers don’t always draw the biggest crowds. Taylor Swift is a talented artist, but she’s not the best live performer. (I'll be sure to get some hate mail for that one!)

The restaurants with the best food aren’t always the busiest. But the ones with the right aesthetic, brand, and marketing draw in crowds. Don't misunderstand me: Quality is important, especially to retain customers. But without the sizzle, people may never be willing to taste the steak.

The writers, artists, and businesses that find their unique position in the marketplace succeed even beyond the quality of their products or skills. Don’t be afraid to be the salesman if it means introducing the world to a product, service, experience, or idea that could make it a better place. Stop judging the salesman, and start positioning your work.

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For you formed my inward parts;

you knitted me together in my mother's womb.

I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.

Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well.

Psalm 139:13–14

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‍We’re due any day with our first child, so I’m spending some time thinking about Psalm 139. Before this baby is even born, God created him with special gifts and abilities. For a while, he’ll be totally dependent on us, but one day, he’ll grow up and live out God’s unique plan and purpose for his life.

I think all of us believe this for our own children and other kids that we love. We know they’re gifted, and we dream big dreams for their lives. But I often wonder if we’ve forgotten that our own lives have a unique purpose. As we get older, it’s easy to think that our lives, our roles, and our jobs are less significant than they should be. We reason that our job is only to manage a team, to support a customer, to design graphics, or to teach middle school students. A lot of times, we devalue the roles we’ve been given and don’t view them from the proper perspective.

Think about it like this:

If you were meant to cure cancer, to solve world hunger, or to negotiate a treaty that would bring peace to millions of people, and you didn’t do it, it wouldn’t just affect you. It would hurt other people—your children, your friends, your community, and the world as a whole.

Steven Pressfield says that when you aren’t living out the true purpose for your life, “You shame the angels who watch over you and you spite the Almighty, who created you and only you with your unique gifts, for the sole purpose of nudging the human race one millimeter farther

along its path back to God.” We all have unique talents and abilities; therefore, we should view each of our roles as vitally important to the good of the people around us. Whether you are a manager of a team, a customer service representative, a waiter in a restaurant, a teacher, or a lawyer, your role matters. God’s unique plan for your life is a gift to you that you, in turn, owe the world. This week, consider the talents and gifts God has given you. Are you living these out in your daily life? If so, keep working and be encouraged that your role matters. If not, find ways to pursue God’s unique purpose for your life.

In the same way that my child is fearfully and wonderfully made, so am I and so are you.

Don’t cheat the world of your contribution, and get to work.

‍I have a new book out called The Lens of Leadership. It's all about perspective because I believe the way we view things changes how we do things.

CLICK TO ORDER The Lens of Leadership

Imagine you’re standing on an empty sidewalk, and you see someone attacking another person a block away. If you know you’re the only person witnessing this attack, you probably feel the responsibility to do something about it, whether it’s physically helping the victim or calling for help. However, if you’re standing on a crowded sidewalk, and you see someone attacking another person a block away, you’re much less likely to act.

This phenomena is called the bystander effect. The more people there are in a collective group, the less personal responsibility each one feels in these types of situations. If 50 people are witnessing this attack, it’s easy to assume that one of the other 49 will step up and do something, so when you don’t act, you only feel 1/50th responsible for the outcome of the situation.

Throughout history, legal debates have erupted about this very issue. If we see something happening, what level of responsibility do we have for it? The case of Kitty Genovese is one of the most frequently-cited examples of the bystander effect. On March 13, 1964, Genovese was walking back to her apartment in Queens, New York, at 3 a.m. when she was stabbed. She screamed and cried out for help, and the attacker initially fled the scene after attracting the attention of a neighbor. But about ten minutes later, he returned, assaulted Genovese, and killed her.

Newspaper reports claimed that 38 witnesses watched the attack from neighboring apartment units and failed to intervene or even contact the police until after Genovese had died. There are certainly life-threatening implications to the bystander effect, but more often they aren’t quite as dire. We’re faced with the choice to act or stand by many times in the routine activities of our daily lives.

Here’s a personal example. When my wife is not at home and laundry needs to be done, I do it. Why? Because I know that if I don’t, it won’t get done. But when my wife is at home, I’m less likely to tackle the pile of laundry on the couch. It’s not because I don’t want to serve her, or because I believe it’s her job to do. Instead, it’s because I subconsciously recognize that there’s another person that could do it. I feel less responsibility to take care of it. That’s why our laundry sometimes sits for a few days. We’re both waiting for the other person to do it.

Think about these situations: It’s the tenth time they’ve asked for volunteers to help with the children’s ministry at church, and we’re all waiting for the other couple hundred people in the congregation to step in and help. In the office, when an extra job needs to be done to finish a project, we absolve ourselves of the responsibility to do it because there are others in the office that could step in and complete the task.

Let’s resist the temptation to fall prey to the bystander effect and find ways to feel, and accept, the responsibility we each hold.

If we will look through that lens, we’re less likely to assume that someone else will do it and far more likely to accept our responsibility to make something happen.

I have a new book out called The Lens of Leadership. It's all about perspective because I believe the way we view things changes how we do things. If you’ve read The Lens of Leadership, don’t be a bystander—leave a review on Amazon!

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One of the things that our company creates and distributes is an elementary school program called The Voyage. This program has given me an opportunity to be in elementary schools more often and to witness the wonder of a child’s imagination. There are many fun things that happen in elementary schools, but for me, the most captivating moments are when we see the imagination of little children at work—the way they think about things, play with one another, and write stories.

Most adults want to instill the belief in children that there is no limit to what they can do, so we encourage their curiosity, imagination, and dreams. It doesn’t matter their socio-economic status, their race, or their gender—we want to inspire all kids to dream about what they can be one day. One of the most common questions we ask children is what they want to be when they grow up. (One comedian remarked, that some adults aren’t that interested in the answers, but they are just looking for ideas)!

But something strange happens when we get older; we stop celebrating the dreamers and creatives. What we encourage in children, we patronize in adults. That guy needs to grow up. It’s time for her to get serious. They need to be more realistic.

‍It’s true—as adults, we have real responsibilities we need to own. We need to provide for ourselves and do what’s best for our families. But we also need to remember that there are still opportunities for us to dream and for us to pursue new things. Will Smith says, “Being realistic is the most common path to mediocrity.”So don’t settle. Rediscover some of those childlike ideals.

If you have a dream, pursue it. If you want a career change, explore it.

If you have a new idea or initiative for your company, present it.

The older we get, the more we color inside the lines and think inside the box. But often, it’s curiosity and imagination that lead to more fulfillment, new innovations, and answers to problems the world is desperately looking to solve.

If you’ve given up on your dream or are too afraid to take the leap, this blog is for you. Put your dream back on the table. Dust it off. Explore it. Pursue it. And make a difference in the world around you.

‍I have a new book out called The Lens of Leadership. It's all about perspective because I believe the way we view things changes how we do things.

CLICK TO ORDER The Lens of Leadership

I am excited to share that my new book The Lens of Leadership is out TODAY! The book is all about shifting our perspective on life and leadership.

When you hear the word perspective, I want you to think about how each of us can see things differently. Consider an ocean view. It could be from the window of a hotel condominium; it could be with scuba diving gear on about to plunge into the deep; or it could be from a helicopter with the waves rolling below. In each position, you are looking at the same ocean, but when your perspective shifts, you see the same ocean in a totally new way.

In the book, I unpack nine areas that deserve a shift in our perspective, and my hope is that each reader will see familiar things in a new way. By simply changing the way we view things, it can radically alter how we do things.

Perspective is important because the way we view things changes how we do things.

In the introduction of The Lens of Leadership, I unpack theologian N.T. Wright’s explanation that the greatest lessons in the world are learned through contrast.

For example, look at the way Jesus taught. He didn’t just say, “I’m going to look for one little sheep that’s lost.” He asked us to imagine a shepherd that has 100 sheep and loses just one. That shepherd leaves the 99 to find the one that’s lost. A shepherd going to look for one sheep is kind of interesting, but when you think about a shepherd leaving 99 to go search for one, you feel the deep compassion and care that the shepherd has for one individual sheep. Through that lens, we see the story in a whole new light.

The same is true in Jesus’ parable of the talents. One man buries talents entrusted to him and simply brings them to the owner upon his return. In isolation, it’s not all that significant, but compared to the other men who invested their talents for the owner, the first man is shown to be lazy and a bad steward.

When you look at a concept, a principle, or an idea against the backdrop of something different, it helps us understand and see it more clearly. In the book, you’ll see that "gaining a clearer, wider, more accurate perception creates profound changes in every area of our lives." Everyone can benefit from seeing more clearly!

Check the book out, apply these principles to your life, and please share it with the people you love.

CLICK TO ORDER The Lens of Leadership

One of the most interesting things about writing a book is asking people for endorsements. You’re not only asking to put their name on the back of your book; you’re asking them to lend their credibility to you. You’re asking someone to leverage their name, their reputation, and even their company’s reputation to be an advocate for you. It’s true—endorsements are essential to successful book publishing and promotion. But endorsements also play an important role in many areas of our personal and professional lives.

We’re all looking for someone to endorse us, aren’t we? We desire for others to use their name on our behalf. We need references when we’re applying for a job or seeking new work. We need someone to vouch for us in our personal lives when we are trying to get a date. We need someone to recommend us when we’re trying sell our products and services. Whether it’s a business meeting or a conversation in the carpool line, we’re often asking or needing one person to speak on behalf of someone else. In fact, endorsement is one of the most powerful tools we can use to build our businesses or careers.

So, if endorsements are so important, how do you earn them? How do you find someone willing to stand up, speak on your behalf, and provide a testament about who you are and the work that you do?

I believe earning endorsement comes down to two essential elements: the quality of your work and the emotional connections you create.

1. The quality of your work.

People are not willing to put their names on something that’s not good or sub-par. One of the best ways to gain endorsement in life is to do good work. If you’re a painter, it means your workmanship is precise and consistent. If you’re a graphic designer, your artwork must be effective and unique. If you’re a writer, your words are clear and engaging. If you’re a restaurant owner, you create food that is satisfying and delicious. In your personal life, it means you live in a way that is above reproach. So in your work, are you producing something that is worthy of endorsement?

2. An emotional connection.

Most of the time, quality alone won’t compel someone to endorse you and your work. They might approve of it, but it’s unlikely they will go to the effort to speak on your behalf unless they feel connected to you. For me, there has to be something beyond a “job well done” that compels me to spend my time, my energy, and my relational capital to promote a product or a person to other people. People make the mistake of believing their quality work is enough, but it takes more than that for somebody to be your advocate.

Are you making connections that compel people to endorse you?

If endorsement has been important to you in your journey, consider using your name to advance the career of somebody else. Who are you endorsing? Your endorsement can have a profound impact on someone’s professional success. We could take an extra step to speak on someone’s behalf, and it could be the missing piece that gives them an opportunity for a promotion at their company, it could change the trajectory of their career, and it might even dramatically improve the financial situation of their family.

This week, consider the people in your life who are willing to endorse you and your work. At the same time, think about someone you can promote and encourage by lending your name and reputation. Try to earn endorsement more often and try to give endorsement more freely. We’re all on different personal and professional journeys, but each of us have the power and opportunity to help one another move forward.

I have a new book coming out on June 26th called The Lens of Leadership. It's all about perspective because I believe the way we view things changes how we do things.

PRE-ORDER The Lens of Leadership

A few weeks ago, there was a heated debate about athletics and salaries in the state of Georgia. The football coach from my alma mater, the University of Georgia, just received a raise after an incredible season this past fall. Kirby Smart is a public employee that works for a public university, and he just signed a $49 million contract—that’s $7 million a year for 7 years. The same day this contract was announced, Matt Ryan, the quarterback for my professional home team—the Atlanta Falcons—became the highest paid NFL player, receiving $30 million for one season.

I’d be willing to bet that many of you reading this have the same gut reaction that I did when I heard these numbers for the first time:

I can’t believe they make this much money. That’s insane. What is wrong with our world? It’s just sports! There are people doing real, meaningful work for almost nothing.

These are all thoughts that ran through my head, but after a moment, I realized that my way of thinking about this was all wrong. Do I believe that a football coach or football player is “worth” $30 million a year? Absolutely not. But is there a reasonable justification for them to make that amount of money? Absolutely. Here’s why: What they do, their skill set, and what they bring to the table is unique. I love educators. I am grateful for teachers. But, in our world, there are simply more people that can teach than throw a football accurately, make plays with precision, and physically do what Matt Ryan does. I’m thankful for medical professionals, but more people can become successful doctors and nurses than national championship-winning football coaches.

Lawyers can be incredible problem-solvers, case-makers, and advocates, but more individuals can serve the justice system effectively than successfully compete as a professional athlete or elite college football coach.

I know this is not a popular opinion. Don’t get me wrong; there are numerous professions that are good and valuable, but what the market is paying for—whether we agree with it or not—is not the value of the work but the uniqueness of a person’s skills and offerings. With this in mind, here’s the challenge for me and for you: What are you bringing to the world that only you can offer?

No, you and I will probably never get paid $30 million a year for what we do. But there is something more important here than money. We all have something unique, even remarkable, to bring to the table, and every day, we are in conversations and interactions where the world wants us to bring this thing to light.

It might be a something you do in your company that no one else in the organization can do.

It might be a unique way you serve your church week after week.

It might be a specific gift you use to serve your child’s school and make it a better place to learn.

It might be a distinct role that only you can play in your family.

Comparing ourselves to others can be frustrating. When other people receive more recognition, credit, or money for the things they do, we often get discouraged. But that’s not what matters. If we take the unique gifts God has given us and leverage them to give the world the best we have to offer, we become faithful stewards of the talents and abilities that he’s entrusted to us.

Our abilities might not earn us as much money or recognition as a professional athlete, but we should still focus on what we can do uniquely better than anyone else in order to positively impact our spheres of influence. If we focus more on that than how much money someone else is making, our world will be a better place.

So, let’s stop complaining and start contributing.

Let’s stop complaining and start contributing.

Every single one of us has been on a team. Whether it’s a little league sports team, a group working on a school project, a corporate team working on a sales strategy, or a rock ’n’ roll band, we will all experience excitement or disappointment as we work with other people to accomplish something. And undoubtedly, on every single team, there is a star—a front person, a leader, and a face of the team.

In NSYNC, it was Justin Timberlake. For many in the Civil Rights Movement, it was Martin Luther King Jr. In your corporate office, it might be your CEO. On your state championship-winning high school football team, maybe it was your quarterback. In every group, there’s a star, but teams would not exist, and certainly wouldn’t succeed, without the other contributing players.

I want this post to serve as a reminder to all of us that teams are made up of many valuable members. If you’re the star of your team, you need your teammates to make things happen. And if you’re in a supporting role, the work you do is important and vital to the success of your team.

Right now, the NBA finals are happening, and it reminds me of an example of the ultimate team player who you may have never heard of. Most people agree that Michael Jordan is one of the top basketball players of all time (we won’t argue the Lebron/Jordan debate here). One night, Jordan scored a career high of 69 points in one game. That same night, there was a rookie on his team named Stacy King that scored one point.

After the game, they interviewed King and asked him about the game and Michael Jordan’s remarkable performance. I love his response: “I will never forget this game. This was the night that Michael Jordan and I combined the score at 70 points.” Each of us can laugh at that statement, but it serves as a strong reminder. King was not put on the team to score a lot of points. His role was to rebound, play defense, and fill in the gaps, so his contribution played a role in one star getting to stand out. Yet, the whole team benefited. His efforts made the whole team succeed.

For some of you—on your team at your office, in your church, on your kickball team, in your nonprofit—you’re the star. Don’t forget the people that help support what you do. For others, you know what you do is important, but you get discouraged when the work you do is thankless, and you don’t get recognized for your efforts. Remember, your work is important. All of us, regardless of our role, play an essential piece in putting together a team, especially a team that’s going to win.

All of us, regardless of our role, play an essential piece in putting together a team, especially a team that’s going to win.

I have a new book coming out June 26th called The Lens of Leadership. It's all about perspective because I believe that way we view things changes how we do things. You can preorder the book here!

What in the world should I do with my life?

In the work that I am privileged to do, that’s one of the most challenging questions I get.

It’s daunting, both because I feel ill-equipped to answer, and even a little scary to think I might have the power to speak into someone’s life and influence what they do. In the past, I’ve been asked this question primarily by young people—high school students, college students, and young professionals—but now, it’s happening more with seasoned adults who are “successful” by the world’s standards but feel like they should be doing something different.

Unfortunately, this issue is sometimes even more complicated and challenging for Christians that have grown up in the church. We’ve been told that God has a plan for our lives—which is true—but we sometimes feel like it’s this elusive thing that we can’t quite grasp.

Candidly, I don’t have a magic formula to give you to figure out your purpose. However, I have found a successful rubric to help anyone get started. It’s less of a prescription that tells you exactly what to do and more of a lens to look through when you think about a plan for life.

The path to purpose is often found at the intersection of ability, affinity, and opportunity.

‍1. Affinity:

‍What do you enjoy doing? Fifty years ago, nobody would have asked you what you wanted to do; you would have rolled up your sleeves to complete the task at hand. But now, we’re frequently asked, “What are you passionate about?” And I think this is a good thing. I believe that God gives us desires and dreams, so when you’re looking for what to do with your life, your affinity (something that brings you joy) is a great place to start.

‍2. Ability:

‍I think far too many people stop at affinity. I am sick and tired of people telling young students, “Find whatever you want to do, and do it for the rest of your life.” In isolation, that is terrible advice. Some people want to do things that they aren’t good at, and if you have an affinity but lack ability, that should never be a career—it should be a hobby! Affinity is important, but you must couple that with ability to develop talent and pursue a trade.

‍3. Opportunity:

‍This element can be discouraging to people, but it’s the practical reality of the world we live in. It’s not enough that you enjoy something (affinity) and are good at it (ability), but is there an opportunity to put that talent into practice. Said another way, does the world need what you are trying to offer? If you’re in business, is there a need for your passion and skill set? This is especially true within organizations. I find so many professionals who are frustrated in their roles, but their organization doesn’t have an opportunity for them to pursue what they want to do. Rather than resenting your organization, I encourage you to go and find the place that has the opportunity you desire.

If you don’t find opportunity intersecting with your affinity and ability, it’s probably time to move down the list and find something else you can become passionate about and can develop an ability to do. Oftentimes, finding your God-given purpose in life won’t happen with a lightning flash from the sky. But if you’re seeking for what to do next, particularly in your career, this a good place to start. What are the desires God has put in your heart? What are the giftings he’s given you? And what opportunities do you have to step into these two things? Where affinity, ability, and opportunity intersect is where we find ourselves in our element.