Ron Edmondson

DECEMBER 31, 2011

I’m like many others on this day. I’m not a big new year’s resolution person. I am huge on setting goals, but resolutions seem to be broken more than they are kept. Perhaps it’s a bias we have towards resolutions. I think part of the reason, however, is that when we set goals, we are more realistic, but when we set resolutions, they are often so lofty we’ll never attain them.

Goal 70

Goal Follow-up Planning Positioning 70

Ron Edmondson

DECEMBER 4, 2011

Saul told his son Jonathan and all the attendants to kill David. 1 Samuel 19:1 NIV. One day David was minding his own business, tending sheep, when God called him to be a king. He didn’t ask to be king, but God said he was the one. He turned out to be a really good king. Imagine that? God made a good pick! David had a heart modeled after God’s, according to the Bible.

Learning-by-Doing 70

Learning-by-Doing 70

Ron Edmondson

DECEMBER 22, 2011

Here’s a quick confession. I’ve told readers before that I’m an introvert. That’s not the confession. I’ve learned lots of pastors are introverted. In fact, I can appear fairly extroverted at times. When I have a definite purpose and responsibility, I can be the most extroverted person in the room. On Sunday, for example, I work the crowd, shake tons of hands, and talk non-stop.

Conference 65

Conference Definition Advice Learning-by-Doing 65

Ron Edmondson

DECEMBER 5, 2011

But the angel said to them, “Don’t be afraid, for look, I proclaim to you good news of great joy that will be for all the people: Today a Savior, who is Messiah the Lord, was born for you in the city of David. Luke 2:10-11. Joy is not an option for a believer, as I read the Scriptures. For many, however, finding joy at Christmas is harder than other times of the year.

Resources 62

Resources 62

Ron Edmondson

DECEMBER 7, 2011

Someone emailed me recently about a conflict they are having with someone. It is not a clearly defined Biblical issue. Both parties feel they are right. Neither is willing to budge on their position due to personal experience and conviction. Both parties are believers but not related by blood or by marriage. They have no mandated relationship, such as work or marriage.

Sharpe 59

Sharpe Learning-by-Doing Tips Positioning 59

Ron Edmondson

DECEMBER 8, 2011

You’ve failed. It was huge…at least to the people impacted by the mistake. Perhaps you did it on purpose. Maybe it was an accident. You may have stumbled into gradually over time. Bottom line: It was wrong. You did it. No denying it now. What next? Here are 5 steps to recover from a failure: Admit – Be honest…with yourself and others who need to know.

Maturity 59

Maturity Bottom-up Commitment Learning-by-Doing 59

Ron Edmondson

DECEMBER 15, 2011

Never let them see you sweat… Or, so they say… Apparently the phrase, “ Never let them see you sweat” came from a 1984 Gillette company deodorant commercial. I looked it up so I could give proper credit in this post. It’s a great phrase. When I was younger, it was a popular cultural saying in some circles. The idea was used for much more than a deodorant.

Bottom-up 58

Bottom-up Follow-up Advice Leadership 58

Ron Edmondson

DECEMBER 29, 2011

This week every year, I review my personal progress for the year. Would you like to play along? Here are some examples of questions I ask myself: What did I do that worked well? What did I attempt that didn’t work? Did I meet my goals? What could I do better with a little tweaking? What should I stop doing so I can do other things? Where is my time most being wasted?

Planning 57

Planning Energy Review Goal 57

Ron Edmondson

DECEMBER 7, 2011

I get asked a lot by young pastors what leadership books I recommend. It seems they didn’t learn leadership in seminary. Pastors get into the administration of a church and quickly discover they need help learning to lead. It should be noted that I don’t do “favorites” normally. I learn from everything, so I seldom have a list like this compiled.

Books 57

Books Collins Leadership Learning-by-Doing 57

Ron Edmondson

DECEMBER 28, 2011

The Lord said to Abram: Go out from your land, your relatives, and your father’s house. to the land that I will show you. I will make you into a great nation, I will bless you, I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, I will curse those who treat you with contempt, and all the peoples on earth will be blessed through you.

Succession 57

Succession How To Planning Organization 57

Ron Edmondson

DECEMBER 19, 2011

It was the busiest day of my week. I was prepping for Sunday, had a packed calendar of meetings, and had over-committed my time for the week. I knew I needed to find time to exercise (I’ve wrote about that principle HERE ), so I slipped into the gym when I thought it would be least crowded. That hour visit turned into a two hour experience. I exercised very little, but I was able to invest in a young man who needed some life direction.

Commitment 56

Commitment Planning Leadership 56

Ron Edmondson

DECEMBER 25, 2011

“Fear not!” Those have to be two of my favorite words from the Christmas story. The phrase may be “do not be afraid”, but I’ll take that also! I love the fact that Christmas removes the need to worry, to be fearful, to dread the future. Consider these familiar verses of the Christmas story: But as he considered these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary as your wife, for that w

Planning 54

Planning 54

Ron Edmondson

DECEMBER 21, 2011

I’m with Stanley: How about you? Related posts: Catalyst Atlanta… #Cat11 … Andy Stanley. Catalyst One Day Chicago Session One: Andy Stanley on Momentum. Catalyst One Day Chicago: Andy Stanley on Momentum in our Practices.

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Ron Edmondson

DECEMBER 2, 2011

Recently I had the opportunity to meet and later interview Claire Diaz-Ortiz. Claire leads social innovation at Twitter, where she has worked since 2009. She wrote Twitter for Good: Change the World one Tweet at a Time and is a frequent international speaker on social media, leadership, and social change. Claire began using Twitter in 2006 while living in a Christian orphanage in Kenya.

Press Release 53

Press Release Media Open-book Learning-by-Doing 53

Ron Edmondson

DECEMBER 9, 2011

I stumbled on a list of the “top 50 television shows” of all time. It’s not my list. It’s a Wikipedia list, so i understand it’s not scientific, but it gives us something to talk about. Here is a list of the top 50 shows of all time: Seinfeld (NBC). I Love Lucy (CBS). The Honeymooners (CBS). All in the Family (CBS). The Sopranos (HBO). 60 Minutes (CBS).

Survey 51

Survey 51

Ron Edmondson

DECEMBER 14, 2011

I’m the old guy on our team, so young whipper snapper leaders like Ben Reed , Adam Bayne and Brandon Reed love to mess with me at times. Brandon loves to point me out in emails as the old guy, Adam recently squirted me with a super-soaker water gun (in front of a crowd of people), and Ben tweets funny things he thinks I say. Recently Ben Tweeted, “ Just heard @RonEdmondson say, “The reality is the reality.” #ProfoundWisdom” Punk!

Goal 50

Goal Planning Team Leadership 50

Ron Edmondson

DECEMBER 20, 2011

(Art work courtesy of me.). One qualification to be an effective leader, especially at a senior level, is the ability to see beyond the organization’s current path. Effective leaders appear to have a unique perception ability… A leader’s view goes beyond what’s expected to sense and prepare for the unexpected… A leader looks outside the norm to attain untapped potential and seize opportunities… A leader observes what needs changing to stir enthusiasm and fuel

Positioning 50

Positioning Organization Leadership Team 50

Ron Edmondson

DECEMBER 27, 2011

Counting down the top blog entries posted this year, this one only recently appeared. I posted this less than 30 days ago, but it still makes the cut. Here is the 5th most read blog post written this year: 10 Secrets of Many Senior Pastors: I get to hang out and know many senior pastors. I have a great heart for them and understand, firsthand, some of the pressures, frustrations and joys, which are unique to the role of a senior pastor.

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Conference Blog Survey Report 49

Ron Edmondson

DECEMBER 17, 2011

The title of this post may get me in trouble, but there’s a point behind it. In marriage conferences, I used to teach the difference in the way a man and a woman develop respect and love. Basically, for my purposes here, men can usually separate their respect for someone based on their abilities in a certain area. So a man may be able to respect a businessman for his skills in business, even if that man is a lousy husband and father.

Loyalty 47

Loyalty Conference Class Skills 47

Ron Edmondson

DECEMBER 13, 2011

God’s ways are not my ways…I know that’s true, but still, some days I wish He took suggestions. For example, I’d suggest: It should never rain on Mondays…. In fact, can we do away with Monday’s altogether? There should be some times where time really does stand still… Eating should be an exercise and burn calories…. Love should never fade….

Operations 47

Operations Examples 47

Ron Edmondson

DECEMBER 21, 2011

I once asked one of my mentor pastors, (make sure you have one of those) who is in his 90′s now, how he was able to implement major changes in a large, traditional church. (If you’ve never tried it…trust me…it’s not easy.) He had a history of successfully leading churches and I knew he had surely faced opposition to change. His advice was simple, yet profound.

Idea Generation 47

Idea Generation Advice Mentor Tips 47

Ron Edmondson

DECEMBER 29, 2011

This is the third most popular blog post written in 2011: 7 Warning Signs You May Be a Controlling Leader. I’m seeing and hearing more about controlling leadership lately. I regularly talk to young leaders through my blog and many of them feel they are working for one. The odd thing, however, is that many controlling leaders never really know they are one.

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Blog Leadership 47

Ron Edmondson

DECEMBER 31, 2011

I’ve been counting down the most popular posts written in 2011. The funny thing is, this post was a revised post from a few years ago. It was a most popular post that year. It’s a powerful concept for spouses to understand. Here’s A Secret Your Husband Keeps but You Need to Know. Ladies, here’s a secret your husband probably won’t share….

Power 47

Power 47

Ron Edmondson

DECEMBER 23, 2011

If you read this blog you’ve probably discerned I’m fairly intentional and strategic. For years, I have tried to be intentional about my role in making disciples. Right now I have a mentoring group. This is different from the small group I lead. It’s a group of men, typically in a season of life I’ve already lived. Pastor friend Chris Elrod saw a tweet about this and emailed me some questions about how I do this.

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Mentor Learning-by-Doing Participative Process 45

Ron Edmondson

DECEMBER 9, 2011

When there are competing answers… When you can’t decide between good choices… When differences of opinion exist… Go for the greater good test…. Of the possible scenarios, which has the potential for creating the greater good? Often when I step back and get a bigger picture…when I force myself to think longer term…the answer becomes clearer.

Planning 45

Planning 45

Ron Edmondson

DECEMBER 3, 2011

I love to read. Normally I’m reading several books at one time. This year I read lots of books, but these three stood out as my favorites: Rumors of God by Darren Whitehead & Jon Tyson. You Lost Me by David Kinnaman. Jesus, My Father, the CIA, And Me by Ian Morgan Crowe. What was your favorite read this year? What book should I make sure I don’t miss?

Books 45

Books 45

Ron Edmondson

DECEMBER 28, 2011

I love team dynamics and organizational structures. I have written many times about what makes a healthy team, my expectations of team members, and elements to build health into your team. I’m not sure I’ve talked specifically about the characteristics I believe make up excellent team members. Here are 5 characteristics of an excellent team member: Needs very little direction – Catches on quickly, learning the leader’s expectations, having confidence in his or her ability, and knowing the vision

Team 44

Team Organization Development Leadership 44

Ron Edmondson

DECEMBER 2, 2011

This is a sermon message and paradigm which I believe can be helpful… If you ever doubt God’s love… If you consistently feel you don’t measure up… If you worry about your God relationship… If you are caught in the performance trap… Living My Identity from Gcomchurch Sermons on Vimeo. Related posts: The Believer’s Response to Grief.

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44

Ron Edmondson

DECEMBER 29, 2011

I’m counting down the top posts, which were written in 2011. Surprisingly, my top posts are usually from year’s past, thanks to Google search, but these were actually written this year. (You can read my all-time top posts on my “About” page HERE.). Here is the second most popular post of 2011: True friendship is rare. If you ever get in a bind, have a major failure, or somehow lose your way, you realize how rare true friendship is these days.

Team 42

Team 42

Ron Edmondson

DECEMBER 24, 2011

My 2 favorite poems by Ann Weems: Yesterday’s Pain. In the godforsaken, obscene quicksand of life, there is a deafening alleluia. rising from the souls of those who weep, and of those who weep with those who weep. If you watch, you will see. the hand of God. putting the stars back in their skies. one by one. Yesterday’s Pain. Some of us walk in Advent. tethered to our unresolved yesterdays. the pain still stabbing. the hurt still throbbing.

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Ron Edmondson

DECEMBER 10, 2011

Would you help me improve my blog? Please consider taking my 2011 reader survey. It will take you less than 10 minutes, probably less than 5. Seriously, if you enjoy my blog, I’d appreciate your help. Click here to take survey. Thank you for reading this blog. I don’t take it lightly. My blog continues to grow and last month was again a record-setting month for me in traffic.

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Survey Blog Edmondson Leadership 42

Ron Edmondson

DECEMBER 18, 2011

The creation waits in eager expectation for the sons of God to be revealed. Romans 8:19. Many of us have a nativity set sitting around for Christmas. If your nativity set is like most I’ve seen, you no doubt have a few animals sitting around it. There may be a cow or two, a sheep, even a camel if it is a fancy set! Of course, Joseph and Mary placed Jesus in a manger, which is a feeding troth for animals, so there certainly would have been animals close to His birthplace.

Training 42

Training Course Planning How To 42

Ron Edmondson

DECEMBER 26, 2011

Here’s a CBS News story of a secret Santa. I’ve seen reports of this businessman man’s way of spreading Christmas cheer before, but I loved the outcome on this one. (You’ll watch a 30 second advertisement, then the 3 minute video.). I also love the news segment by Steve Hartman called “On the Road” You can read or watch more of his Secret Santa stories HERE.

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Video Advertising Report Succession 40

Ron Edmondson

DECEMBER 6, 2011

Back in September my friend Greg Darley , with BackStage Leadership , asked me to do a guest for the BackStage Leadership blog. He gave me the title…If I could do my 20′s over again… Here’s an excerpt from that post: I’m 47. I’ve done a few things right and a lot of things wrong. I spend a lot of time these days, for whatever reason, reflecting on days past and wondering what life would be like had I reacted in different ways earlier in life.

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Long-term Learning-by-Doing Advice Blog 39

Ron Edmondson

DECEMBER 18, 2011

Grace Community Church. Thank you for making Grace a place that helps us to remember those in the community that could really use help… Michelle and I just provided for two kids this morning through the Church’s program and I can’t tell you how great of an experience it was for us. Grace is such an amazing place for growth in so many ways, thanks for all you do.

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Ron Edmondson

DECEMBER 25, 2011

Merry Christmas! It has been a great year for the Edmondson’s. We spent our first full year in our downtown condo. We love it. When weather and schedules cooperate, we walk downtown at night and through the campus of Austin Peay State University (our Alma mater and the fastest growing university in our state). We even dine on campus some nights.

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Edmondson Newsletter Cooper Planning 39

Ron Edmondson

DECEMBER 10, 2011

It’s Christmas…we should know this verse: And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Luke 2:10. Bonus to this post: What’s your favorite Christmas memory? . Related posts: Scripture Memorization, Week 33 (And a video). Scripture Memorization, Week 35.

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Video 36