Lecture

Well, welcome back. You had a great time out there in the tent dining room on our campus. And I’ve just been enjoying to see how much you’ve learned today, and have been encouraged with the seminar. I hope you feel good about yourself. I hope you feel thankful about the people in your life: that they different, that they unique. Don’t you need them? Wow. And we talked about how important this is for self-understanding. We’re now going to talk about the workplace. You know, God is really interested in not just our personal lives and our worship lives; He’s interested in our work life. Go and read Colossians, and there we’re taught that what you do for the boss; you really do for the ultimate Lord. And God is going to reward you, or not, not just for your religious life, but maybe more so even for your Monday through Saturday life – your work life. And this next session is going to help you take this information and apply it to your work life. So I want to pray for you. ‘Lord, I pray that we would be encouraged to understand how we can serve our workplace better, our customers, our bosses, our fellow workers – everyone involved. Make us sharp instruments that love and bless people. I pray it in Christ’s Name, Amen.’

Part 1. Deploy Yourself and Colleagues Appropriately

So this session is called Deploying Yourself and Your Colleagues Appropriately.

[1] The big idea here is to match strengths and CONTEXT. We have a little story about the animals. I think the story will illustrate well what I’m going to introduce to you.

The Animal School

Once upon a time the animals decided they needed to do something heroic in order to meet the problems of a new world. So they organized a school. They decided that the school activities would consist of running, climbing, swimming, and flying. To make it easier to manage the program, all the animals took all the subjects. The duck was excellent in swimming. In fact, better than his instructor. But he made only passing grades in flying, and was very poor in running. Since he was slow in running, he had to stay after school, and also dropped swimming in order to practice running. This was kept up till his webbed feet were badly worn, and he was only average in swimming. But average was acceptable in school, so nobody worried about that except the duck. The squirrel was excellent in climbing, until he became extremely frustrated in flying class, where his teacher made him start from the ground up, instead of the treetop down. He also developed terrible knee ache from overexertion, and made but a C in climbing and a D in running. The eagle was a problem child, and was disciplined severely. In the climbing class, he beat all the others to the top of the tree, but insisted on using his own way to get there. The eagle said that clearly it was the goal that mattered, and it was quite right for eagles to get to the treetop by soaring. And the moral of the story is: When we try to make everybody the same, nobody is happy. People can get hurt and their very best gifts can go to waste.

The story is, eagles are supposed to soar and fly. They’re not there to run. And ducks are there to swim. They’re not there to climb trees. And so, in our storyline, and often in our workplace, we are deployed and challenged, and asked to do things that are not in our strengths. We can do them. But they’re really part of our weakness. And we’re frustrated at work, and we frustrate other people.

[1.1] So you have a couple of circles there in your workbook. And the first thing you want to understand with the two circles there – on the left-hand side you want to write the word STRENGTH, and on the right side CONTEXT. So, matching strengths and context, or place, is the goal here. Now those two circles, at the moment, aren’t overlapping. So, if this was your life, you have a certain strength set, and then your workplace is asking for something else.

And we don’t have what is called the SWEET spot. Finding the sweet spot is what you’re trying to do for yourself, for your fellow workers, for those who work for you. And this is also true in teams, or at the workplace, or when you allocate people to ministry positions.

[1.2] So what you’re looking for is this – this red zone -- the sweet spot, where your strengths and your context, or your place, overlaps. This is about a 20% overlap. So this person is not a happy camper.

[1.3] What you really want to do is move and gravitate so that most of what you do is in the sweet spot. Now you’re never going to be in a situation that everything you do is in the sweet spot. That’s naïve. My C is low – I have to do admin. C’s are better with that. But I don’t think they necessarily like it, but they’re just better at it. If you’re a servant, sometimes you have to act out of character, out of what’s necessary, and just do it – and that’s appropriate. You can’t just say, “Oh, listen, I’m a this. I can’t do that.” That’s inappropriate response to this teaching. But what is an appropriate response is to try and fit your gift set, your strengths, into the context that’s required. Because, if you act out of your strength too much, you get tired, and that’s not really – God didn’t create you to use your weaknesses to bless society.

Go read Romans 12. The Bible says: If you have the gift of leadership, lead diligently. If you have the gift of service, serve greatly. If you have the gift of giving, give liberally. The Bible doesn’t say, “Well, if you really don’t like it…” Prove that you love God by doing something. Do more of what you’re great with. So often in the Christian life, or the workplace, we try and let people just work on their weaknesses all the time. And you want to minimize it. You need to learn certain skills in the areas that you’re not good. But what’s really going to make you excel is if your strength and the place that you’re in has a great overlap. And that can be in any profession, in any company. You can start gravitating towards it.

So, for instance, let’s say you love medicine, you’d love to be a doctor. Can you become a doctor? Of course you can. Should you become a family doctor if you don’t have any sympathy or empathy or time to listen to people? No. You just want to listen to x-rays, and see the blood tests, do the scans. And then, appropriately, consult with people and do the surgery, right? Then you excel in that area. So in your profession, you excel into an area that matches your strength. That fuels you. Then you get up in the morning and you want to go to work, because you and I love doing what we are made to do. Isn’t that true? But we dread doing what we are not made to do. If you are a good boss, you try and help people to find their sweet spot – understand if they’re task people, if they are people-people, if they initiate and respond, and then appropriately give them job descriptions that focus on that.

Okay, #2. I want you to do some thinking here with me. Make a list of 4 colleagues you work with closely and identify their personality styles. So think of Susan and Peter and Joshua. And write down just 4 people that you work with – put their names underneath one another. Write yours down, as well, as #5. Here’s my personality style. I’m a S, or C, or D, or I, or I’m this combination. Now put one or two of my strengths next to it. So you know now what the strengths are of the personality types. So write that down. And then you ask yourself: Are they at the moment in the right place – this Steve, or Susan, or Jerry, or Todd, or Rusty? I’m thinking of the colleagues I work with. And many of them are exactly where they should be. Most of them – all of them, if I think about it now. That’s wonderful. When you have a productive company is when people are in places that they are proficient with, that they good with. Then they experience work as a calling – not just a way to pay the bills. Are you in the right place? How much overlap do you have at the moment between your place and your strengths? Now, remember, if you’re a High D, you want new challenges, new projects, freedom from control and detail. You want big goals. And you want resources – you want to have control over resources to get there. If you’re a High I, you want a work environment where you have access to people, where you can influence people, where you can use your verbal skills, where you can dream, where you can do great presentations. You like to sell. High I’s are good sellers, if they know how to do a few things right with other personality types. We’ll get to that later. If you’re a High S, you’re a great service person. If people phone you, you have the discipline to listen, and with empathy to get them to the right place. You’re great in service industries. You’re a people person. You can be a counselor. You’re environment is where you have quality relationships and you can help people. If you’re a High C, the workplace loves you because you typically are skilled and competent, because you’ve trained in an area and you’ve become excellent in it. And you’re an analyst. And you have a creative streak. And if they give you enough time, you’ll make quality products or places. You will do things with excellence. You don’t necessarily need a lot of people around you, unless that’s the project. Are you in the right place? Are your colleagues in the right place? If you’re a boss, the question is going to be: Are your people optimally connected to their sweet spot, or in their sweet spot?

[2a] So here I say, #1, UNDERSTAND your colleagues. Understand your colleagues. Accept them just like you have to do with your wife and children.

[2b] B. MATCH or deploy your colleagues’ strength with context. Go tell someone of influence, “You know, such and such will be fantastic doing this kind of thing”. Some personality types don’t sell themselves – true or false? You go and sell them. And if you’re someone that – don’t always take the vacuum. You understand your people. You help match inside.

[2c] CRITICIZE in private, HONOR in public. You’re going to find that a lot of times when your colleagues are not in the right place, they’re not going to do well. So try more to criticize in private, and honor in public. Catch people doing things right. If you’re a High C, you catch people doing things wrong. If you’re a High C, make an effort to catch people doing things right.

[2d] Number D: CHAMPION your colleagues versus criticizing them. All of us, if we’re in a high-pressure environment, will become disloyal to our colleagues if we focus on their weaknesses. If you focus on their strengths, you’ll become loyal, thankful.

Part 2: How to Motivate Your Staff or Volunteers

Let me give you a few practical things now to do here – how to motivate your employee or volunteer that you work with. Sometimes if you’re in a non-profit or NGO, if you’re in teams where people are not paid, these same motivational factors work. So in the work, how to motivate your staff -- the people that work for you.

Well if you work with – there on the right-hand side – if you work with a High D, give a High D big GOALS and FREEDOM to achieve them. Don’t give a High D staff person a lot of detailed instructions. If you give them a task that has to do with a lot of detail, and repetitive things, and quality control, they aren’t the right people for it.

The High I – if you want to motivate, recognize them through RECOGNITION and DREAM. An ‘I’ doesn’t just have his own dreams. An ‘I’ will dream with you if you have a big dream. Don’t just share the task with him. Tell them how this is going to change the world. Let them have a desire to see a preferred future. If they have a desire to see one, you paint it for them – and paint it in color.

If you have a staff member that’s a High S, well, you’re going to support them through RELATIONSHIP. They don’t want the cold work environment. They don’t just want the efficient environment like the D’s, or a fun environment like the I’s. They want a social environment. Go out to lunch, and don’t take a cell phone with you. Just spend time, just ask them about their families. They think you don’t care. If you don’t ask the family questions, they think you don’t care. I know you care than you may be projecting. So ask them about that. Give them TIME to respond to change. We live in a world today where change is going to happen all the time, and frequently. And the High S people need to get real about it, but you need to give them time, reasons, and warning. That’s how you motivate your employees.

And the last thing is your C, your High C colleagues or the people that work for you. You support them through FACTS and LOGIC. They want facts, details, process. That’s how you do it.

Now I’m going to flip it around. If you are relating to your boss, your employer -- if your employer is a High D – top right-hand corner – you need to give your employer… He needs to see that you communicate URGENCY. Give him relief. If he’s urgent about something, what does he want you to be? Urgent. If this is a priority for him, or even a colleague of yours, up it. Don’t just say ‘I’ll get to it when all the other stuff is getting done’. That doesn’t help the High D. You need to respond to his urgency. And often in big corporate environments and in big organizations, a lot of the top bosses are High what? High D’s. So that’s important. And when you’re relating to him, give him the bottom line. He doesn’t want the explanation. Don’t spend five minutes to explain what something broke or you missed the target. Tell him, “We missed the target”, and don’t excuse or blame, and then just give the facts. That’s what he wants. He doesn’t want to hear a story. You frustrate the High D boss out of his mind if there’s too long of an explanation or long story – particularly is there’s a crisis, or urgency, or opportunity. And other times it can be fine.

The other thing that you want to do with your boss is, if he’s a High I, you want to INSPIRE him. You want to dream with him. And you don’t want to criticize – if you have a High I boss, they’re going to have lots of ideas. Don’t roll your eyes. Be sincere. Remember; don’t always worry if your boss has a big, new idea. They can’t have too many ideas come to fruition. Just give your boss some enthusiasm and time, right? And if you see it seriously, then obviously you’re going to have give not just enthusiasm but alignment and be part of it. But if you are a skeptic around a High I boss, you have limited life expectancy. Don’t do that. Stop that.

If you have a High S boss… Now some of you can have High S bosses today because High S’s are specialists, and they can excel in work because they have good relationships, so they don’t get into political trouble. So High S’s can end at the top often. So LISTENING is important. They want to feel that you listen to them. So don’t just talk, talk, talk to an S boss. And give him the reasons, also, why things need to be done.

And then, of course, if your boss is a High C -- and in government, the bosses are often High C. Because in a more bureaucratic environment, the High C’s excel – true or false? Yes, because there’s protocol and there’s rules. So the guys that are good with that, they end at the top. And so, how you work with them is you give them ANALYSIS. You give them FACTS. You do research. You don’t wing it. You do things orderly. If you have a High C boss, can you have a messy desk? No. Because that communicates to him what? Disrespect. If you have a High D boss, he doesn’t care what you desk looks like, as long as you make the sales, as you get the job done. Don’t think, if you’re a High C, now I’m going to impress my High D boss if I let everything be tidy. He doesn’t care. He just wants to know that you… And not that you try -- they don’t care if you tried. They just want to know that you do it. They look at results. They don’t look at effort. A lot of you think that High D’s appreciate effort. Are you mistaken. They don’t. They think effort is expensive. They want you to get results with the least amount of effort, with the most amount of profit. Remember that. So keep that in mind. So relate to them differently.

Now, in the workplace, as a spiritual leader or a teacher – this is an interesting way how you can do it. If you are a D, an I, an S, or a C preacher or teacher … It’s very easy to fall into the trap that I fell into. Let’s think about a few commands, things that God wants us to do. God wants us to grow the church, to evangelize – true or false? Okay, so I’m going to preach now on evangelism. I’m a D. So I’m going to read a verse, and explain it, and then I’m going to say, “Okay, friends, we’re going to do evangelism. I’m going to give you a booklet. And I’m going to train you in a few minutes. And then, I’m going to let you go out, knock on doors, get inside, and tell people what the gospel is, and then get them to pray a prayer.” Now the High D’s love that kind of approach. It’s fast. It’s efficient. You can train lots of people at the same time. You take initiative and you just do it. How do you think the S’s feel about that kind of application of evangelism? It’s not for me. So then what you do is, because your application of a principle they couldn’t identify with, now they’re going to disobey God. They’re not going to do evangelism. If you’re the High I, you’re going to say, “This is how evangelism works. We’re going to have a big concert. We’re going to invite people. That’s the way to do it.” Tent meeting. Enthusiasm. That’s how we do it. Now, listen, some of your people have High C friends that are educated. Do they like to go to a rah-rah meeting? They’re going to say, “This is not for me”. So now you’ve built a barrier, because your way of evangelism is the tent way and the crusade way, and that’s it, and there’s people, “That’s not my cup of tea”. Of course, if you’re the High S evangelist, you read in the Bible that God wants you to reach the people.

There was a book out years ago, that came out, that was called Friendship Evangelism. What a heresy. What a heresy. I have to first become your friend before I have the right to speak to you? How do you think High D’s like that kind of approach to evangelism? Is that the silver bullet for a High D? No. That’s nonsense. That’s, ‘you put me in a box’. I don’t have time. You can’t do that to the High D’s. They’re not going to do friendship evangelism. They want to take initiative evangelism. But the High S’s, how do they feel about that book? Oh, they love it, man. They love it. Isn’t Jesus like that with the women at the well? He first started a relationship. This is Jesus’ way. And all this other stuff is just bad, right? Then you get to the High C’s, how do they like to evangelize? Well, they would like to send someone a book defending the faith. Or they would like to debate with an atheist about that Scripture is true. And they’re more into the logic of the gospel and to the facts. And so, what you do is – as a teacher, you find… Hospitality – how does a D do hospitality? Quick and fast and now. How does an I do it? With lots of impulsiveness. Room colors. The S, they will do it… The C will do it different. So very important – don’t project in application your preferential style as a teacher or a preacher to your audience. This is worth the whole course, if you’re in ministry. Say to yourself, “I’m going to preach this week on – this is the principle from scripture. I’m going to apply it this week to D’s and I’s. And next week I’m going to apply this to S’s and C’s.” Or I’m going to give it four applications; I’m going to say, “Some of you will like to do it this way, and here’s a course on how to do it.” Do you understand? Because we typically want to force people – and we don’t know we’re doing it – by illustration, example, encouragement, or model into just doing it this way. Stop that. Turn to the person next to you, and say to him, “What I’ve just heard; I want to reflect on that with you”. Turn to the person next to you and just tell them about this.

If you are a preacher or a teacher, and you discover a principle from the Word of God, you want to be creative in applying the principle to all four personality types – all of them. Because they do life differently. So you take a principle and you ask yourself, “Okay, how would this apply…? Sometimes we do it this way. How would this apply to young people, old people, singles, and married people?” That’s good. It’s different types of people. But then you also say, “How would this apply to different personality types – the D, the I, the S, and the C?” And then give oxygen to every group through illustration, through training.

Or what you do is you let four people come and give a testimony. When people typically -- let’s say you want to motivate people to do evangelism. Who are the people that we are going to typically bring up to give a testimony on how you do evangelism? The I’s. The people that are what? Extroverts. How do, then, the other personality types feel about doing life that way? Can’t do that. So then they – either they say it’s not for them, or they feel guilty, or so on. So you make champions of all four types. Are you with me? So that’s another way. You illustrate. You motivate. You equip. You encourage with all four styles. And sometimes you get – maybe your get your four friends together – a D, I, S, and a C -- you write them an email or a SMS, or you get them together, and you say, “I’m going to preach about this series. Here is some principles that I’ve seen.” What are your struggles as a High D with this? What are your struggles as a High I with this? What’s your struggle with money, as a High C or High I?

They have different struggles – true or false? Do you need to preach to High C’s to have self-discipline? No. So think about it. And think about challenges. Think about how you deploy people in your church to do works of service. Let’s say you have an executive in your church, and he’s a marketing executive at his company. Do you know what some churches do with them? They make them take up the offering bag, right? So don’t let people serve outside of their gifting. What can marketing executives do with your church? [Budget] And they can double it through a marketing campaign. True or false? Any executive… Listen, I have to be honest with you. How many people…? Who is a pastor here? Is it true, if I applied myself, I could double your church, at the end of this, for you for one Sunday at least through a campaign I can come up with? Is that true? Because that’s what I do. So, do you want to give me a basket to hand around, or do you want to say to me, “Martin, listen, glad you’re in our church. You do kind of trainings and events where Bruce Wilkinson trained you how to double things. Why don’t we double this youth event next Friday? Why don’t you come up with some ideas, and tell me what you need so that we double the event?” Does he have my attention now? Right? So in church you challenge people with their skill set, and their background, and it relates to their personality.

So, we just look at a need, and we just look for volunteers. That’s crazy. Don’t solicit volunteers. Because the poor S – if you say to people, “Listen, I want Sunday school, and there’s no one”, what will the S’s do? They will volunteer, right? Or if you ask them, “Will you do that for us”, what will they say? Yes. Because they don’t want to disappoint you. So, stop that. And let’s say you have an area in your church that calls for a High I, and there’s no High I. Just delay that project. Find the right people, and then you deploy them in their strength. So it’s how you deploy people – volunteers, how you preach to them. This is a big deal. And then people -- why do people come to church? Because their needs are met. They don’t want to get out there and feel guilty all the time. And this is a way how you empower people. You make them, “Wow, this pastor, this preacher, gets me. I’m helped.” And that’s why it’s important that you understand the needs of other people. You have a different spirituality based on your D, I, S, C. Isn’t that true? And your spirituality can’t be put on me, because I relate to God differently than you relate. Now, obviously, there’s similarities. We all talk to God and worship God and have communion with God. But we do it a little differently, right?

The last one I’m going to do here for you today that’s practical is I’m going to encourage you… Because in the workplace, we all have to sell. We’re either in the service industry or selling, manufacturing, whatever we are. But eventually we all into sales, I believe. And, obviously, that comes from a D-I. But we’re either selling a concept, a service, or a product, or an idea. And I want you to be more effective as you sell to others. So, based on this, I’ve asked our very competent actor team to come and teach us how to sell to the different personality types. Give them a big hand.

Peter: Zanele, sit down. I have something important to discuss with you. We have decided to scrap the annual parent-teacher treasure hunt that you organize for us every year. And we’ve decided to replace it with a spring dance.

Zanele: What? I mean, excuse me, Mr. Smith.

Peter: Yes, it’s off. We are going to make much more money with a spring dance, because people will pay money to come. And then we don’t have to go and find treasure; the treasure will come and find us.

Zanele: Treasure will come to us? Money will come to us?

Peter: Money will come to us, yes. So, you’ll still organize it for us, then, on behalf of the parents, of course.

Zanele: I’m struggling to say no.

Peter: Oh, so it’s a yes then. Perfect.

Zanele: No sir. I’m sorry if I offend you, but I cannot.

Peter: Zanele, please sit down. I really appreciate that you came to my office to speak to me. I know that, as a mother, this is quite a sacrifice for you, and I appreciate your availability.

Zanele: You’re welcome, Mr. Smith.

Peter: Now, regarding the parent-teacher treasure hunt that you organize for us every year, we had this wonderful suggestion that this year we do something a little different, that not only includes the parents and the teachers, but also includes the children. A family event.

Zanele: That sounds wonderful, sir.

Peter: Yes. Here’s our plan. We will have the event on spring day. And then the parents and the students can come and have a picnic. And afterwards we’ll have a dance, and we can show the whole world that St. Marks is a community.

Zanele: That’s amazing.

Peter: That’s not all. Then we will ask the parents to donate 100 rand per family, and the school will then in turn give 10% to the Mother Teresa Orphanage across the road.

Zanele: That’s a fantastic idea.

Peter: Now I just have one question left. Zanele, will you organize the event for us?

Zanele: Of course I will. I just love to help, especially when it’s for such an inspiring idea.

Peter: Oh, thank you, Zanele.

Caryn: Reverend Umcozi, I hope you’re not busy, because I have to show you something. It’s so amazing. Amazing.

Patrick: Caryn, I’m extremely busy.

Caryn: Okay, then I’ll just be quick. So, the department has released these new mathematic textbooks. And they are so beautiful. Have you seen the charts and the graphics? Very, very colorful. These books speak to you. It’s like I want to do mathematics the whole time because this book speaks to me. Have you ever felt that way, Mr. Umcozi? Do you know what it feels like when a book speaks to you? Actually, I don’t really talk to books. I like talking to people. I like talking to people but like chilling, hanging out, party time. So actually now I’m talking about speaking to books. But, actually, this book speaks to you. But that shows you how amazing these books are. We need them. The school needs them. Our children need them. Your children need them. What do you think?

Patrick: No, Caryn, the school cannot prioritize budget for speaking books.

Caryn: Mr. Umcozi, do you have three minutes?

Patrick: Caryn, only three minutes please.

Caryn: I’ve done some research. There’s a new mathematics book for grade 8. And it’s called Math Alive. It is written by Professor Allen; mathematics educator of the year 2014. It has sold 20,000 copies within the first three weeks of its release. It has been endorsed by Professor Whitlock from the USA; an inspired educational psychologist that claims that the book presents the newest and most innovative graphic tools that will enhance a child’s analytical perceptive intuition. What do you think, sir?

Patrick: Wow. This is so fantastic. If the information they’re giving me is true, the school will definitely prioritize a budget for this book.

Caryn: Yes. Woo!

Patrick: Oh, thank you, Caryn.

Do you see the first time they came around they sold an idea in the way they were created? Very effective or ineffective? Ineffective because of the audience. If the High I sold to an High I, that would have been appropriate. But they changed their methodology and they applied what they’ve learned in this seminar, and then they adjusted their style. And, would you agree with me that that was a very reasonable presentation the second time around? But we think the skills are our gifting. No, the skills is to understand the audience that you’re selling to. So with a High D, they want to know that it works. They don’t need to read the manual. They want to know it saves cost. They want to know that it’s efficient. A High I, they’re impressed if other people of note have bought into it. So you can do name dropping with a High I if you want to sell to them. You need to sell enthusiastically to a High I. And they actually like a pretty product. They like if the presentation is good. To sell to a High S, don’t pressure them into it. Give them good reasons. Remember how the principal did it? What is of value to a High S? He understood her. Family. So he was able to sell an idea that was going to cause change. But a High S will change for the value of family; and they could also help the orphanage. So he understood that he had to have a different approach. He couldn’t just get to the bottom line on it.

And then, with a High C, how was the math teacher, the department head? What swayed him? Was it emotion? Enthusiasm? Facts, not feelings. And the fact that other people… She didn’t say this singer thought it was a good idea. She used people that had credibility in his eyes – professors. And, also, remember there – if she pushed him to make a decision right there, would that be good with a High C? No. He said, “If everything you said is true…” -- he was going to look at the book. He was going to do his own research. But she, at least, got him open to the idea.

So, how do you sell? You are typically selling the way you like to be sold. Stop that. You don’t serve people by giving them the food you like. You serve people by giving them the food they like. That’s true in communication and everything else. Excellent. So this is how to apply this to the work space environment. Turn to the person next to you and tell him how you’re going to operate differently with the people in the work environment. And then, in the back of the book, go and fill in the questions related to session 7. We’re almost at the last session. We’ll see you back in a few minutes. Thank you.

Coming Up Next Session Questions. But first, enjoy this preview of another lifechanging course.

Equipping Leaders: Leaving a Legacy – Tom Mullins

Equipping Leaders: Leaving a Legacy. It has been my opportunity to be a part of this training sessions that we’re offering you, that really, I believe, are the fundamental principles of true leadership in our lives. I’ve been blessed to be pastoring the same church for the last 32 years. And now, as President of Equip, which is an organization training leaders globally – as I’ve experienced the true living out of these principles, it’s my desire to share these things that are going to help you grow as a leader, and will help you, as a leader, establish a legacy that will impact for generations to come. So I’m so glad you’re joining us. I’m so thankful we have an opportunity to learn and grow together. So let’s jump into this course – Equipping Leaders: Leaving a Legacy – and let’s begin to establish our legacy today together. God bless.

[John Maxwell] Hi, my name is John Maxwell, and I greet each one of you at the TEN conference. I think it’s great that you’re committed as leaders to Teach Every Nation. I’m so glad that my friend, Tom Mullins, is going to be sharing with you, because this is a leader of leaders. You’re going to love him, but you’re going to love his leadership principles. You’re going to find that he’s a great man of integrity, but backs up his principles with his practices and his life. You’re on a great mission. You really are trying to make a difference in Africa; and you are making a difference. And I think that Tom Mullins being with you for these few short hours will make a difference in your life. And I want to encourage you to take what he gives you and pass it on. One of the things you’re going to see and hear from my good friend Tom Mullins is he’s going to be talking to you about you becoming salt and light – and not only yourself, but engaging others to make their world better and brighter. And I would love for you to hear that message, because I think it’s a life-transformational message for you and for your ministry. So, enjoy yourself together. Wish I could be with you. But I can tell you right now – sent you the very best. Enjoy Tom Mullins.