‍“Pity the leader caught between unloving critics and uncritical lovers.” - John Gardner

In this quote, John Gardner uses simple and precise words to explain the two kinds of people we most often encounter in our personal and professional lives: the unloving critic and the uncritical lover. The problem is that we need a different kind of person—one who cares enough about us to affirm us when we’re right and correct us when we’re wrong. These people are rare and hard to find. But if you’re in a leadership role, you’ll find plenty of the other two.

1. The Unloving Critic:

If you’re developing something new, you will always find people quick to criticize, critique, and condemn. There will be no shortage of people who think your idea is dumb and strategy is stupid. These people don’t care for you or the well-being of your organization. In fact, they seem to be more concerned about being right than being constructive. As a business, we have a goal to inspire people today to impact tomorrow. It’s amazing how quickly people outside of our organization want to offer their opinion by letting us know that “real businesses” won’t care about our mission, vision, and strategies. They seem more eager to discourage than to offer helpful feedback.

2. The Uncritical Lover:

On the other hand, there are plenty of people who just want to be part of the action and will tell you exactly what you want to hear. We all like being encouraged, so it’s tempting to surround ourselves with an echo chamber of people who tell us how great we are. That presentation was spot on. Your writing is perfect. You are such a great leader. Wow, that’s such an incredible idea. However, when we surround ourselves only with people who tell us what we want to hear, we likely won’t hear some of the things we need to hear to be successful. As a result, we risk confidently strutting our way into failure.

Neither the unloving critic nor the uncritical lover help us improve and become who we need to be. “Iron sharpens iron, and one man sharpens another” (Proverbs 27:17, ESV). Try to find the rare third type of person, the loving critic. We each need people who care about us enough to encourage us when we’re right and correct us when we’re wrong. Surround yourself with these people, listen to them, and learn from what they have to say. You will treasure these few friends who both encourage and edify you.

We each need people who care about us enough to encourage us when we’re right and correct us when we’re wrong.

But don’t just surround yourself with loving critics; be one. This is a struggle for me. Because I want people to feel good, I find it difficult to offer correction when it’s needed. However, I have to remember that if I truly care about people, I’ll tell them what they need to hear even when it’s not easy.

I think Peggy Noonan said it best: “Candor is a compliment; it implies equality. It’s how true friends talk.” I want to be part of true friendships, ones that sharpen me and those closest to me. Do you have these kinds of friendships? If not, work to be a loving critic, and find other friends who are eager to help you become the person you were meant to be.

Recently, I was in a meeting with some members of our team, and we were discussing a sales goal.

One colleague closed a huge sale and had been incredibly successful the week before, so I asked him in front of the others, “What did you do last week that was different from other weeks?”

He replied, “To be honest, I didn’t do anything different last week, but the couple of weeks before that, I was very intentional in my work. I just reaped the benefits last week.” His response reminded me of a quote from a great leader.

‍“Great doors of opportunity swing on the tiny hinges of obedience.” - Dr. Ike Reighard

‍My colleague chose to devote himself fully to his work by saying yes to the small, seemingly mundane parts of his job, and he reaped the benefits of a successful sale. We too will experience success if we are obedient to invest the time and effort that is necessary to reach our goals.

We must remember that the payoff does not come at the time we make the investment. Obedience requires patience and consistency to have a lasting impact on our endeavors. When we’re obedient in sewing, we have opportunities to reap in our personal and professional lives.

The opportunity for a sale starts with consistently pursuing a client. The opportunity for stronger relationships begins by investing time in the people you love. The opportunity for your team to succeed starts with creating systems and structures to enable progress. The opportunity for an online purchase is created by intentionally investing in a user-friendly experience. The company culture you want to build begins by fostering the right environment before people walk through the door. The fully committed church member develops through small groups and plugging into other activities.

The successful nonprofit makes a huge impact by consistently connecting with donors and providing strategic training for volunteers.

Each of these successful outcomes begins with consistent obedience in everyday actions and decisions. Open your eyes to small choices today that will create the opportunity you desire tomorrow.

The opportunity you seek tomorrow is created by your obedient investment today.

The opportunity you seek tomorrow is created by your obedient investment today.

You’ll close the sale. You’ll gain the trust of the most important people in your life. You’ll see consistency in your team’s performance. You’ll gain new clients through your approachable online platform. You’ll foster a healthy and enjoyable work environment for yourself and your team. You’ll develop committed leaders, eager to serve in the church. You’ll make a greater impact that you thought was possible.

Each of us desire more opportunity, but we have to remember that it’s made possible by the tiny hinges of obedience. Be obedient in the small things this week, and reap the harvest of opportunity in the future.

In the business world, we are bombarded with buzzwords and overused phrases.

Let’s circle up on that. Can we touch base tomorrow? Let’s table that conversation for later. Can we do a deep dive? Help me unpack that concept.

But there’s one word the corporate offices of America might just love more than any other: efficiency.

It sometimes hides behind questions like, How do we streamline this? Where can we cut the fat? Is there a more cost-effective solution? But we all know what’s being asked: How can we make this more efficient? I think we can all agree that efficiency is a good thing. As a card-carrying capitalist, I like work that’s done with as little time and effort wasted as possible.

However, I believe there are times when efficiency should not be the primary goal. If you’re an employee restocking an aisle at the grocery store and a customer asks where she can find something, the efficient thing to do is to tell her where that product is and point her in the right direction. However, it’s better customer service and more intentional to stop what you’re doing and walk the customer to the product.

When you walk into the corporate office, the most efficient thing to do is to keep your head down, avoid eye contact, dodge conversation, and go straight to your office. But some of the most important interactions we have with colleagues are the casual conversations that happen in the hallway. If you operate a quick service restaurant, it’s more efficient to have a separate drink station in the dining area where customers can serve themselves. However, by having customers return to the counter for a refill, you create an intentional opportunity for your frontline employees to serve them well and have a positive interaction.

As a church, it’s far more efficient to focus on the one big gathering each week that happens on Sunday mornings, but it’s more intentional and effective to create a culture of discipleship and encourage individuals to meet together in smaller groups. This helps individuals grow spiritually and have deeper connections with others.

Efficiency is good most of the time, but it should not always be the goal. In our busy lives, we are all aware of opportunities to make things more efficient, but we rarely take the time to stop, to look up, and to be intentional with the people around us.

The tougher task is identifying the times we should be intentional rather than efficient.

Take some time to think through opportunities where intentionality can be your goal this week. Efficiency is not a bad thing, but finding the right moment to exchange efficiency for intentionality will provide us a platform to better care for people, connect with customers, and change the world for the better.

I have the pleasure of speaking to and working with lots of different organizations and companies. They all have unique stories and cultures, but it seems that they all struggle with the same problem. Whether it’s a quick-service restaurant trying to hire frontline employees, or a large corporation looking for recent college graduates, the overwhelming majority say they struggle to hire great talent. In fact, out of the organizations I interact with regularly, it’s the number one issue they face.

A couple of months ago, I wrote a blog about selecting the right people for your organization, and I gave an example of a grocery store manager who had extremely low expectations for his potential team members. He even said, “If someone can put a sentence together and tie their own shoelaces, I will hire them.”

Today, I want to talk about how damaging this attitude toward hiring can be. Selecting the wrong people can stunt the growth and delay the success of any organization, and once we begin to hire the wrong individuals, it’s even more difficult to break out of this cycle and hire the talent we desire. Here’s why: We reproduce what we have, not what we want. At some point, you’ve settled for subpar talent, and now, you can’t hire anyone that meets your standards.

We reproduce what we have, not what we want.

Think about it. The University of North Carolina’s Kenan-Flagler Business School performed a survey that asked millennials to state what they are most looking for in a new job. Out of the students they polled, 65% said they are looking for an opportunity for personal development.

The talent we desire is looking for an opportunity to grow in a new job. However, many of us tire of the painstaking process of hiring, so we make the mistake of delegating it to someone else—sometimes, someone that does not exhibit the qualities we now desire in our team. Do you think this potential talent is going to be attracted to the person conducting their interview? If we know millennials are looking for personal development, and they look at our organization and see individuals that lack motivation, discipline, and ambition, then why are we surprised when we can't get the people we want?

When giving dating advice, Andy Stanley challenges people to, “Become the person you’re looking for is looking for.” Think about that. Doesn’t the same apply to the hiring process?

We can see that happy and content people attract other happy and content people and develop healthy relationships. At the same time, unhappy people attract other unhappy people and often develop toxic relationships.

The same happens in our organizations. Churches full of passionate and proactive members attract other people eager to learn and serve.

Colleges that develop talented and driven people will attract more talented and driven individuals, elevating the entire school.

And of course, businesses full of hard-working, ambitious individuals attract more high-caliber team members.

We can desire great talent, but the majority of the time we will not attract what we want but more of what we already have. If you want to attract the right people, you have to get the right people in the first place, so you can create the environment that other top-tier people want to join. And if you don’t have the right people already in place, spend every effort to develop your team into the people you want to hire. Until you develop your existing talent, you’ll never attract the talent you desire.

If you’re the manager of a team, work to help your team members reach their full potential and become the talent you want to hire.

If you’re the pastor of church, encourage your congregation to grow in their faith, so you’ll attract other people eager to learn and fulfill the Great Commission.

If you organize volunteers for a nonprofit, frequently share your passion for this cause to help develop more eager and effective volunteers.

If you are a student recruiter for a university, showcase the kinds of students you desire to enroll.

Developing and hiring great talent takes intentional time and hard work, but the efforts are well worth the lasting positive impact on your organization.

Has your mind ever wandered at a stoplight?

The other day, I was driving down the road and approached a familiar intersection. The stoplight turned yellow, then red, so I slowly rolled into a stop. I took advantage of this free moment to adjust the air, change the radio station, check the time, and before I knew it, my mind began to drift to the things that needed to get done before the end of the day.

All of the sudden, the car on my left moved forward, but I felt like I was moving backward. I slammed on the brakes and searched for something stationary, like a tree or a building, to fix my eyes on and confirm that I was standing still.

In this moment, I was searching for something to confirm that I was stopped. The car beside me was a moving object and I needed something constant, consistent, and immovable to see whether or not I was grounded in place. This situation got me thinking about other times that we search for something anchored to determine our position. As our culture shifts, and our values are challenged now more than ever, aren’t we also searching for something to fix our eyes on to confirm we’re standing still?

Today, it’s tempting to base our values on the changing tides of culture. As an organization, you want to stay relevant. As an individual, you want to fit in with your peers. As a movement, you want to attract more people.

But if you’re measuring your values against a moving target, your identity is as grounded as a ship without an anchor.

If an organization's values are based on the personality of its CEO, it won’t have the consistency that customers desire. If a church’s doctrine is based on cultural trends instead of the Bible, it will not teach its members lasting truth. If an individual’s values waver with the tide of popular opinion, they will never really know who they are and what they believe.

In order to be successful, we must stay true to our values, and we’ll only stay true to our values if they are rooted in something lasting and secure. Companies should be able to stand on their values like the wise man who built his house on the rock. “And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock” (Matthew 7:25).

Time will pass, trials will come, and cultures will change, but if your company can stand on its values, its identity will remain pure. This standard may be different for you than it is for me, but it should always stand firm in the midst of change. Let’s take a look at what the following successful businesses have chosen to value based on their mission statements.

Chick-fil-A: “To glorify God by being a faithful steward of all that is entrusted to us and to have a positive influence on all who come in contact with Chick-fil-A.”Whole Foods: “Our deepest purpose as an organization is helping support the health, well-being, and healing of both people — customers, Team Members, and business organizations in general — and the planet.”

The American Red Cross: “To prevent and alleviate human suffering in the face of emergencies by mobilizing the power of volunteers and the generosity of donors.”

Patagonia: “Build the best product, cause no unnecessary harm, use business to inspire and implement solutions to the environmental crisis.”

IKEA: “Our vision is to create a better everyday life for many people. Our business idea supports this vision by offering a wide range of well-designed, functional home furnishing products at prices so low that as many people as possible will be able to afford them.”

American Express: “At American Express, we have a mission to be the world’s most respected service brand. To do this, we have established a culture that supports our team members, so they can provide exceptional service to our customers.”

Each set of values, while very different, have a common thread—they are rooted in something that will stand the test of time. Have you established your values? If so, take some time to evaluate them to see if they will stand firm in our changing culture.

If not, work to make your values clear to your team and customers, so your company has an anchor to look to as you grow.

A couple of months ago, I had a meeting with one of our clients and presented some significant data about our existing project. I was so excited to share insights about what had been happening as a result of our partnership and predictions about growth in the months and years to come.

Uncharacteristically for me, my presentation included graphs, lots of numbers, and tangible evidence of our success. These insights were something we lacked in the past, so I was particularly proud to talk about how far we had come in this project and as a company. The client appreciated the information and complimented us on our achievements and progress. However, he said something at the end of our conversation that struck me: “Kevin, I love all of this stuff, it’s really good. Just don’t become too focused on it. Remember why we wanted to work with you in the first place. We didn’t hire you for your insights; we hired you for your instincts.”

He went on to explain that to them, our predictions and projections were interesting, but not nearly as valuable as our ability to do something different—something that’s going to be on the cutting edge. The best organizations have great data and good insight, but the organizations that change the world couple those insights with instincts to solve problems in a unique way.

‍1. Insights help you identify your target audience. Instincts help you connect with that audience in an authentic way.

Let’s look at Apple. Why do you think they are so much more successful than other tech companies? They aren’t the only ones that manufacture high-quality computers, tablets, and cellphones, but Apple continues to come out on top with loyal customers willing to wait in line for hours to get their hands on their most up-to-date products. Other companies are privy to many of the same insights about consumer trends and behavior. Apple, however, has strong instincts. They know that their target audience is people who appreciate accessible, easy-to-use technology, so they appeal to their audience with simple, clean advertising. Their billboards, posters, and commercials draw their customers in with quick and clear explanations of their products. The insights tell them what customers want, but the instincts help them accomplish the goal in a far more compelling way. These types of instincts will draw customers in and help them move beyond interest to action and buy your product.

‍2. Insights tell you what people want. Instincts help you design what people need.

‍Your insights illuminate what people are looking for, but your instincts tell you how to create something new and different to fill a gap that exists in the market.

Steve Jobs famously said, “If Henry Ford had asked people what they wanted, they would have said faster horses.” Ford had the insight to see people wanted a faster means of transportation, but he also knew that most of them couldn’t dream beyond the horse. His instincts gave him the creativity necessary to make automobiles affordable and accessible to a greater audience, and our world has never been the same.

‍3. Insights tell you where you’re going. Instincts help you change course to end up where you want to be.

‍Insights are good. They help us predict our measure of success and determine what our customers are most likely to buy. Insights show us trends, what our predicted success rate will be if we keep going on the same path. However, our instincts help us change that course to create a different outcome, one that could make the future even better.

It’s encouraging to see where ADDO has come as a company and to use data to predict potential future success, but I don’t want to become too content with these predictions. Our client challenged us to stay on the forefront and to not neglect the piece of our company that set us apart—our instincts. So, my hope is that we’ll use these instincts to move forward and to continue to work to innovate and change the world around us.

Insights coupled with instincts lead to innovation that impacts your organization and the world.

Have you spent the time to gain the correct insights? Are you focusing so much on those insights that you’ve forgotten to use your instincts?

Don’t rely so much on the former that you forget to leverage the latter.

Today is the 4th of July. On this day in 1776, our forefathers signed the Declaration of Independence, so it’s the day we, as Americans, celebrate our freedom. Later this week I’ll be traveling to Simi Valley, California, to visit the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library for the first time. There are few things I love more than 4th of July cookouts, fireworks, and celebrating the freedom we have in the USA. As we think about this holiday and my upcoming visit to the Reagan library, let’s take a look at the lessons we can learn from the legacy of President Reagan. Here are five of the most crucial components of Reagan’s leadership:

‍1. Compelling Vision

Where there is no vision, the people perish.

Proverbs 29:18a

People are motivated and moved by vision, and Ronald Reagan’s was both powerful and compelling. Ronald Reagan wanted America to be a country where individuals have an opportunity to pursue their dreams. This compelled his vision of a United States government that would create and foster an environment that encouraged people to pursue and achieve success. He wanted America to be a beacon of hope and democracy for the world, famously saying, “America is too great for small dreams.” Reagan’s vision was concrete and captivating, and Americans wanted to be a part of it.

‍2. Clear Goals

‍Reagan defined success clearly, and he communicated in a way that people understood exactly what he wanted. On June 12, 1987, President Reagan gave a speech at the Brandenburg Gate and boldly declared, “Mr. Gorbachev, open this gate! Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall!” He knew that the only way to reestablish peace and prosperity in the Soviet Union and Eastern Europe was for the Berlin Wall to fall. The fact that one world leader stood in a foreign country and publicly told another world leader what he should do is extraordinary. In today’s environment, many would feel outraged by this kind of declaration and even consider it disrespectful. However, Reagan’s clarity and courage were refreshing. There was no mistaking President Reagan’s goal, and both Americans and the world responded to his leadership.

‍3. Connecting with Others

‍There are countless stories of Ronald Reagan’s relatability and desire to connect with other people.

For example, Reagan chose to attend Eureka College, a co-educational school open to a diverse community of students and only one of a few such institutions at the time. While there, he befriended Willie Sue Smith, the first African American female to graduate from college. Smith would help Reagan pass notes between him and his girlfriend during class.

Another story that exemplifies his relatability comes days after he was shot. He accidentally spilled some water on the floor in his hospital room. He was caught on his hands and knees wiping up the water and said that he wanted to clean it up, so his nurse wouldn’t be blamed for the mess. Proverbs 18:12 says, “Humility comes before honor,” and Reagan was a man who lived out this principle. President Reagan truly valued people, and his authenticity allowed him to connect easily with others.

‍4. Choosing to be Optimistic

‍Reagan’s optimism stands in stark contrast to so much negativity seen in leadership today. Throughout his presidency, he maintained a positive temperament and paired it with bold, persistent action. Reagan was eager to move forward and grow, saying, “Like most Americans, I live for the future.” He would never settle for dwelling on what had been and was hopeful for what Americans could achieve.

‍5. Consistent Character

‍More than anything, Ronald Reagan was consistent, and to him, character was king.

Peggy Noonan, President Reagan’s speechwriter, said it best:

“In a president, character is everything. A president doesn’t have to be brilliant; Harry Truman wasn’t brilliant, and he helped save Western Europe from Stalin. He doesn’t have to be clever; you can hire clever. White Houses are always full of quick-witted people with ready advice on how to flip a senator or implement a strategy. You can hire pragmatic, and you can buy and bring in policy works, but you can’t buy courage and decency; you can’t rent a strong moral sense. A president must bring those things with him.”

Reagan held his role as a leader with courage and decency, using his strong moral convictions to make wise decisions for his country.

Whether you’re the president of a company or the coach of a little league baseball team, we all can become better leaders by looking at and learning from Ronald Reagan’s legacy.

We all can become better leaders by looking at and learning from Ronald Reagan’s legacy. #RonaldReagan #IndependenceDay

Today, I hope you have the opportunity to rest, to spend time with family, and to celebrate our freedom. Let's take these lessons from the past and apply them to the present to help create the brighter future Reagan saw for America.

A few months ago, I was in Africa with CARE for AIDS and participated in client home visits. For many individuals in Kenya affected by HIV, one of the worst parts of living with the disease is being ostracized from your community. This shame and separation from friends, neighbors, and family creates a void in their lives and prevents experiencing the connections that are essential to a fulfilling life. During one visit inside a gentleman’s home, he explained to the group that in his entire adult life, he can only remember two people ever visiting him: the landlord and the debt collector. He desired community so deeply, but the only people who would visit him were ones who needed his money.

Although our circumstances may not be nearly as dire, we all desire community. Even the most introverted among us seeks connection with those arounds us. Constant contact through our phones and social media might make us feel more connected to more people than ever before. The reality is, we often lack the community that we truly desire and need.

So, what does real community look like?

1. Real community, when possible, is face-to-face, not virtual. These relationships spring out of intentionality and are not centered on comfort or convenience. They require creating room in your schedule for personal and present interactions with your friends and family.

2. Real community is authentic and exists beyond surface-level conversations. These relationships thrive in openness and honesty and leave the small talk at the door. They force you to allow people to see who really are, so they can help you become who you want to be.

3. Real community is responsive and leads to action. These relationships spur on intentional service and generosity. When one friends sees a need, they respond to it and do not seek anything in return.

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If you’re reading this and you desire to have community with others, here’s a bold challenge: Instead of sitting around and waiting for community to come to you, be intentional and pursue it. Go. Connect with others. Create community.

Instead of sitting around and waiting for community to come to you, be intentional and pursue it.

Zig Ziglar said it this way: “If you go out looking for friends, you’re going to find they are very scarce. If you go out to be a friend, you’ll find them everywhere.”

This week, find an opportunity to create community.

Talk to the neighbor you’ve never met.

Ask your new coworker out to lunch.

Reach out to the family member that moved away and feels distant.

Work to create real community with the people around you and thrive in intentional relationships.

I have the privilege of doing a lot of different things for work and, sometimes, I am on TV.

Recently, I went to a wedding with my wife. We were talking to friends we knew, stacking food on our plates, and enjoying our time together at this beautiful Southern wedding. Suddenly, a guy walked up to me and said, “Hey, I think I saw you on Fox News last night.”

Admittedly, I was flattered and introduced myself, “Hey, I’m Kevin Scott. It’s nice to meet you. And, yes, I was on Fox last night.”

This stranger grabbed my arm and insisted he introduce me to his friends and family as “the guy on TV.” This exchange quickly turned from flattering to embarrassing, and even a little awkward. I realized that these people (or at least this one guy) were impressed by me and interested in me for one reason— that I’m on TV. And that small role I play, the part he was most impressed by, is by far the easiest part of my job.

Think about it. When I’m contributing commentary on a news station, I sit in a chair behind the security of a camera and lob compliments or criticisms toward people in the public eye—people actually doing something. Don’t misunderstand me. I enjoy doing this, but compared to the other aspects of my job, it’s easy.

The mundane tasks, the activities off camera, and things no one else sees are actually the most important contributions I make.

It’s the intentional conversations with a coworker that can offer encouragement or direction for them professionally or personally.

It’s the phone call I make to the payroll company that confirms my team members will get a check at the first of the month.

It’s the emails and calendar invites I sort through on a Monday morning that establishes my work load, and often our company’s direction, for that week.

It’s the meeting with a new customer that creates a lasting and mutually beneficial business relationship.

I like the stuff I get to do on TV, but at the end of the day, the most meaningful work that I do inside and outside the office is often the most mundane. Believe me, I understand the desire to be known and admired, but we must realize that focusing on fulfilling this desire should not be our primary goal in life.

The greatest work we do requires us to be faithful in the small, everyday, mundane tasks of life. It’s reaching out to the people around you at work, church, and home and understanding that the the kind word, the helping hand, and the consistent service is far more important than recognition and praise.

The easiest part of my job is not the most important thing I do, and I bet the same is true for you, as well.

This week, consider the most important things you do personally and professionally. In the most boring, frustrating, or mundane moments of your day, take heart that what you do matters and can make a significant, lasting impact.