Oct. 13, 2025

Coach Tom Mullins on Servant Leadership, Team Culture, and How to Win Where You’re at

Coach Tom Mullins on Servant Leadership, Team Culture, and How to Win Where You’re at

What does it take to build a championship team—on the field and in the church? Pastor Jeff sits down with Coach Tom Mullins to talk about the plays that never stop working: servant leadership, character, and culture. From football locker rooms to a thriving church of 30,000, Coach Tom shares the habits, values, and mindset that help leaders win where they’re at. You’ll walk away challenged to serve deeper, lead stronger, and celebrate the people around you. TIMESTAMPS 0:00 - Servant Heart ...

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Apple Podcasts podcast player icon Spotify podcast player icon Amazon Music podcast player icon YouTube podcast player icon

What does it take to build a championship team—on the field and in the church?

Pastor Jeff sits down with Coach Tom Mullins to talk about the plays that never stop working: servant leadership, character, and culture.

From football locker rooms to a thriving church of 30,000, Coach Tom shares the habits, values, and mindset that help leaders win where they’re at. You’ll walk away challenged to serve deeper, lead stronger, and celebrate the people around you.

TIMESTAMPS
0:00 - Servant Heart and Humble Beginnings
3:10 - Coaching to Church: The Call and Launch
7:45 - Defining Leadership and Winning
12:20 - Preparation, Evaluation, and Growth Mindset
17:35 - What Great Team Members Do
23:45 - Bloom Where You’re Planted - Character First
28:50 - Trust, Excellence, and the Zone Above Expectation
35:10 - Lifting Others: “Run With Me” Culture
41:00 - Staff Values: People Lean In

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
More resources: https://leadtowin.com/
Win With People: https://leadtowin.com/pages/win-with-...
Register for Leaders Gathering: https://leadersgathering.leadtowin.com/
Information on Milestone Church: https://milestonechurch.com/

FIND US AT: https://leadtowin.com

GET IN TOUCH: Contact us at info@leadtowin.com

FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jefflittle/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pastorjefflittle

00:00 - Servant Heart and Humble Beginnings

03:10 - Coaching to Church: The Call and Launch

07:45 - Defining Leadership and Winning

12:20 - Preparation, Evaluation, and Growth Mindset

17:35 - What Great Team Members Do

23:45 - Bloom Where You’re Planted—Character First

28:50 - Trust, Excellence, and the Zone Above Expectation

35:10 - Lifting Others: “Run With Me” Culture

41:00 - Staff Values: People Lean In

WEBVTT

00:00:01.199 --> 00:00:13.119
That bloomer you're planted concept really was a neat way to wrap around no matter what size the assignment you're given, you give your best at that assignment.

00:00:13.279 --> 00:00:13.679
Yes.

00:00:13.919 --> 00:00:19.600
So you never allow the size of the assignment to dictate the effort you put into that assignment.

00:00:19.760 --> 00:00:19.920
Yes.

00:00:20.160 --> 00:00:22.000
That speaks of your character.

00:00:25.519 --> 00:00:43.600
Coach Tom, you know, to sit down with you and I again I wanted to do this in this format because we're here at the Lead to Win Gathering and we've had a great couple of days, but I also wanted to be able to share this with a lot of other people because there's going to be people say, hey, what what I heard about that.

00:00:43.920 --> 00:00:51.280
And I want to say, even as you know, I talk with you, that for me this is not a formal interview.

00:00:51.439 --> 00:00:53.280
I just I I you you know this.

00:00:53.359 --> 00:01:03.200
We've cried together, we've prayed together, we've traveled together, we've hunted everything on the planet together, and and you're you're you just have been a true spiritual father.

00:01:03.359 --> 00:01:08.239
I honor you, I respect you for your integrity, for your love for people.

00:01:08.719 --> 00:01:15.599
Um I was I was interviewing Natalie Grant, and I had never really met her a lot.

00:01:15.760 --> 00:01:21.280
I'd had a casual interaction, and I was I was actually doing a podcast interview with her.

00:01:21.359 --> 00:01:32.799
I visited with her for you know a little while, and she came here and led worship, and she said, Yeah, she said in the middle of it, she said, you know, pastors need to be servants, and and they need to serve people and this and that.

00:01:32.959 --> 00:01:34.159
I was like, I agree, Natalie.

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And she said, Well, she said, I'm gonna tell you a story about when I saw that.

00:01:37.519 --> 00:01:44.560
She said, I was singing with the group Truth, and back then we had to like clean the bus and we had to set up the product and we had to do this.

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And and I was at this church in South Florida.

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You probably don't know about it.

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My ears perked up.

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She said, I went to go to the use the restroom and they had it locked because somebody said it was clogged and they were cleaning it.

00:01:56.239 --> 00:02:00.239
And I'd go to the restroom and open the door, and she said, You won't believe this.

00:02:00.480 --> 00:02:04.799
The pastor, Tom Mullins, was unclogging the toilet.

00:02:05.040 --> 00:02:15.360
And I said, Well, that's one of my spiritual fathers, and I'm not surprised one bit because he's got a servant heart and he loves people, and we love you, coach.

00:02:15.599 --> 00:02:16.719
Yeah, we love you, Jeff.

00:02:16.879 --> 00:02:17.680
Thank you.

00:02:19.439 --> 00:02:22.479
Yeah, we we couldn't afford a custodian back then.

00:02:22.800 --> 00:02:25.120
So uh, you know, all hands on the city.

00:02:25.280 --> 00:02:27.199
So it was part heart and part practice.

00:02:27.360 --> 00:02:28.800
Yeah, it was just reality.

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Come on, baby.

00:02:29.680 --> 00:02:30.879
Gotta get after it.

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Whatever we need to do.

00:02:32.400 --> 00:02:34.000
Well, so coach, I want to talk to you.

00:02:34.080 --> 00:02:45.360
I mean, I I think when you talk about lead to win, like that embodies you because you uh love to help others, to serve others, servant leadership, and then you were a football coach.

00:02:45.439 --> 00:02:49.199
And I want to make sure everybody knows because I think a lot of people know you.

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First of all, you you started out as a football coach for many years.

00:02:54.080 --> 00:03:06.479
You had an encounter with Christ in Israel where God just touched your heart and you ended up in Palm Beach, Florida, and started a church called Christ Fellowship that now has 30,000 people.

00:03:06.560 --> 00:03:08.800
And how many locations do you all have now, Coach?

00:03:09.039 --> 00:03:09.439
I don't know.

00:03:09.680 --> 00:03:10.319
About 17.

00:03:11.199 --> 00:03:12.879
We're 14, 15 somewhere in there.

00:03:13.199 --> 00:03:15.599
Yeah, 1415, and then you're you're you're all the time.

00:03:15.680 --> 00:03:23.680
You're still on you're 80 years old, you're still on the team, like finding buildings, and you're telling me, I mean, God provided this, and and so you're just I'm excited.

00:03:23.759 --> 00:03:30.000
Yeah, we're uh yeah, we're we just bought a a Macy's furniture store, a 50,000 square foot Macy's furniture store.

00:03:30.159 --> 00:03:36.719
We've we've already found a lot of success in buying boxes, big box stores, and converting them to ministry centers.

00:03:36.879 --> 00:03:44.879
So we bought a big target store and built a 1700 seat uh auditorium in it, and uh it's just amazing.

00:03:44.960 --> 00:03:46.800
So we've had a lot of success doing that.

00:03:47.280 --> 00:03:59.599
And you've and you know, I've I disrespect you because you went through a great succession and transition, and now Todd, who I love as well, he's like my brother, and and we were down at your big ministry celebration.

00:03:59.759 --> 00:04:04.800
It was so amazing where we we had we celebrated, you had you know pictures of your grandfather.

00:04:04.879 --> 00:04:13.520
You and I had a picture with your grandfather's pulpit, and and and and it was right, it was all the years for you 50 years in ministry was the celebration.

00:04:13.840 --> 00:04:17.199
Yeah, we've actually been my wife and I have been in ministry for 60 years.

00:04:18.160 --> 00:04:24.800
But you know, we didn't really plant a church and become lead pastors until I was 38 years old.

00:04:24.959 --> 00:04:25.199
Yeah.

00:04:25.360 --> 00:04:40.399
Uh we'd we'd gone to Israel for our first time, had an encounter with the Lord on Via de la Rosa in the Church of Holy Sepulchre, just something hit me there that took me to a greater depth of God's love for me, it was revealed to me, and it wrecked me.

00:04:40.560 --> 00:04:41.759
I mean, it literally wrecked me.

00:04:41.839 --> 00:04:55.439
I had to send my wife and my and I had uh my kids were teenagers, sent them back with the group to the hotel, and I just stayed there for hours praying, and I knew that God was calling me to something higher.

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We had always served the church.

00:04:56.879 --> 00:05:00.959
Grew up in the church, my grandfather was my pastor, my mother played the piano.

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We never missed church.

00:05:01.920 --> 00:05:04.319
Sunday morning, Sunday night, Wednesday night.

00:05:04.639 --> 00:05:06.639
Davy Crockett came out.

00:05:07.199 --> 00:05:09.839
You all won't remember this because you're all too young.

00:05:10.079 --> 00:05:17.839
And we had this little black and white TV, and Davy Crockett came out on Sunday night on on the wonderful world of Disney, or whatever it was.

00:05:18.079 --> 00:05:19.199
I tried to fake it.

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I said, Mom, I'm really sick tonight.

00:05:21.120 --> 00:05:23.680
I I can't go to church tonight.

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So no, you're going to church, you're gonna be on the front row and you you'll be healed.

00:05:27.199 --> 00:05:27.759
So there we go.

00:05:27.839 --> 00:05:30.800
So so I I miss David Crockett.

00:05:31.279 --> 00:05:32.079
You missed David Crockett.

00:05:32.319 --> 00:05:33.040
I told that story one time.

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I think it was here.

00:05:34.079 --> 00:05:39.600
I told that story and kind of wind around a little bit, and somebody went back and bought me the entire Davy Crockett series.

00:05:39.680 --> 00:05:41.279
So God bless you, milestone.

00:05:41.600 --> 00:05:47.680
Thank you, Davy Davy Crockett, King of the Wild Frontier.

00:05:49.360 --> 00:05:49.680
Yeah.

00:05:50.079 --> 00:05:52.720
Now we got it imparted to the leaders' gathering.

00:05:52.879 --> 00:06:14.879
So so, coach, I I want to talk to somebody listening out there that says, okay, lead to win a scoreboard for my life, you being a coach, you're preparing teams, you're preparing them to get a little better every week in practice, that everybody is a part of the team.

00:06:15.040 --> 00:06:23.279
I mean, there's a lot, even church, that's related to team sports and all being a football coach, really translated well.

00:06:23.600 --> 00:06:28.480
But how would how would you describe leadership?

00:06:28.639 --> 00:06:29.600
What's winning?

00:06:29.759 --> 00:06:30.879
What is it, what is that?

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What how do you describe that?

00:06:32.240 --> 00:06:34.240
What are your your measurements for that?

00:06:34.639 --> 00:06:38.560
Well, you know, uh what's so exciting today is that we have so many resources.

00:06:38.720 --> 00:06:43.199
We have podcasts like this that we're sharing, we have conferences that you you're hosting.

00:06:43.360 --> 00:06:45.279
You know, you you interviewed uh Dr.

00:06:45.439 --> 00:06:53.040
John Maxwell on on your podcast recently, and here's the guru of leadership, written over a hundred books on leadership, and we had all that.

00:06:53.199 --> 00:06:55.519
But interestingly enough, when I grew up, we didn't have that.

00:06:55.600 --> 00:07:00.800
Uh we didn't have the resources like that, but we had people who modeled leadership for us.

00:07:00.959 --> 00:07:01.120
Right.

00:07:01.360 --> 00:07:11.439
I was very blessed to have my grandfather, um, who was I grew up and he was my pastor, and he really modeled what it meant to shepherd people, to love people.

00:07:11.920 --> 00:07:17.120
He had such a passion, and here's what I've known: your passions are contagious.

00:07:17.279 --> 00:07:23.199
Yes, and his passions were so contagious that I caught all of them.

00:07:23.680 --> 00:07:38.560
He was passionate for the things of God, he was passionate for the church, he was passionate about loving people at their point of need and and and serving them and lifting them to where God's purpose and call was on their lives.

00:07:38.800 --> 00:07:41.279
And um he was passionate about the outdoors.

00:07:41.360 --> 00:07:41.519
Yeah.

00:07:41.680 --> 00:07:43.199
I caught all those things, you know.

00:07:44.079 --> 00:07:51.680
I I but so I kind of grew up uh, you know, trying to share that love, loving the church and having passion for the outdoors.

00:07:51.920 --> 00:07:53.519
So I had that model for me.

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He modeled the heart of leadership for me.

00:07:56.319 --> 00:08:06.160
And then I was blessed uh as a football player in high school and college, and then later became uh a football coach both on a uh high school and collegiate level.

00:08:06.240 --> 00:08:09.040
Yeah, and then I became a college athletic director.

00:08:09.199 --> 00:08:19.120
Um, all of that really gave me a great foundation for understanding how to build teams and how to get focused on purpose.

00:08:19.199 --> 00:08:19.360
Yeah.

00:08:19.839 --> 00:08:28.160
Because in every locker room in America, there was a phrase that always was there preparation is the key to victory.

00:08:28.399 --> 00:08:37.600
So the one thing about coaches is the average coach puts in about an hour of preparation for every minute that you play the game.

00:08:38.000 --> 00:08:42.639
So average football coaches put in about 60 hours a week in preparation.

00:08:42.879 --> 00:09:01.279
So that whole mindset of preparation, evaluation, yeah, making adjustments, all of that fit into play to help prepare me uh to lead when when I really took those principles and carried them over into my leadership in the church.

00:09:01.600 --> 00:09:06.399
So all those years as a coach, you're you're recruiting players, you're developing players.

00:09:06.799 --> 00:09:09.679
You then move into pastoring for many years.

00:09:09.919 --> 00:09:11.759
I I'm and I appreciate this about you.

00:09:11.840 --> 00:09:30.240
We're talking about Christ fellowship and its impact, but I appreciate your hunger for growth because I've gone to a lot of things with you and sat beside you and you're taking notes, and you went back, you had a doctorate degree, you went back and got a PhD, and everybody was like, Well, why do you need to get a PhD?

00:09:30.320 --> 00:09:31.919
And you're like, Well, I want to keep growing.

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This was just a few years ago.

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Yes.

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And so I think that's the key of all leadership.

00:09:36.799 --> 00:09:41.120
I mean, one of the marks of a leader is that they're they're always trying to grow themselves.

00:09:41.279 --> 00:09:41.519
Right.

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And then I come from the old school that you lead by example.

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Yeah.

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Um, and you know, so how can I I remember when I sit down with the uh doctoral uh team uh at the university, they said, so why do you want a second doctor?

00:09:56.080 --> 00:10:00.720
I'm in my 70s going back to apply for a PhD in organizational leadership.

00:10:00.879 --> 00:10:02.320
And they said, Why?

00:10:02.480 --> 00:10:04.000
I said it's very simple.

00:10:04.159 --> 00:10:05.600
I've got to model growth.

00:10:05.759 --> 00:10:09.120
If I want my team to be growing, I've got to model growth.

00:10:09.360 --> 00:10:19.840
Secondly, I want to see if there's anything I can learn to become better at helping others grow in their organization with their structure and their processes uh to grow.

00:10:20.000 --> 00:10:21.519
Plus, it keeps me sharp.

00:10:21.919 --> 00:10:29.039
You know, if if I'm being forced to study and to read and to write, it's all healthy for me because it's keeping me growing.

00:10:29.360 --> 00:10:34.240
And you helped me get my doctorate and you were my cohort leader, so you then turned around and did all that to us.

00:10:34.799 --> 00:10:35.440
I did, I did.

00:10:35.600 --> 00:10:44.159
And by the way, you did a great job uh with your your doctoral studies, and um uh they had to do uh the final oral exam.

00:10:44.240 --> 00:10:52.559
Uh the boys had to come on Zoom uh and and get ready, and Jeff looked so good, but then he made a mistake.

00:10:52.639 --> 00:10:55.600
He got up to get something, and he was wearing a pair of shorts.

00:10:55.679 --> 00:10:56.879
I'm like, Jeff, wait a minute.

00:10:57.200 --> 00:11:02.720
You don't you don't get a doctoral dissertation with your you know your suit and tie and everything, you got a pair of shorts on.

00:11:03.039 --> 00:11:06.159
Anyway, so so but you did a great job, sir.

00:11:06.639 --> 00:11:11.519
To tell me this uh football teams and then and I think there's people listening, okay.

00:11:11.759 --> 00:11:16.799
There's listen, there's people here, they there's people that traveled 21 hours, we were just celebrating to get here.

00:11:16.879 --> 00:11:20.559
I want to talk about very practically football team, staff.

00:11:20.799 --> 00:11:28.720
If I'm if I'm a if I'm on a staff and and I want to be a good team member, I I want to, what are you looking for?

00:11:28.879 --> 00:11:31.679
What what do what kind of posture do I have?

00:11:31.919 --> 00:11:37.120
I I mean if someone doesn't want to be better, that's a whole nother set of problems.

00:11:37.360 --> 00:11:37.440
Right.

00:11:37.679 --> 00:11:43.759
But let's say, hey, I want to contribute, I want to, I want to play on the team, I want to be a contributor.

00:11:43.919 --> 00:11:47.120
What are the attributes of that player?

00:11:47.840 --> 00:11:54.000
Well, obviously it it all starts with uh the tone and attitude that they're kind of reflecting.

00:11:54.159 --> 00:12:01.360
You know, the the one thing you that every coach is looking for is that that person that absolutely is all in.

00:12:01.919 --> 00:12:07.360
Uh and and that's gonna be reflected by they're gonna show up early and they're gonna hang out late.

00:12:07.519 --> 00:12:15.120
They're gonna do every drill they're called to do, and they're not gonna show you any attitude or about it, they're just gonna be all in.

00:12:15.919 --> 00:12:22.399
And and when you find someone like that, and then you find that they have skill as well, you're going, hello, I found that.

00:12:22.559 --> 00:12:27.120
You know, one of the things I was uh we we brought a new staff member on many years ago.

00:12:27.440 --> 00:12:52.639
I I was observing him uh one day when I went to visit one of our campuses and we have in Royal Palm, Wellington area in there in South Florida, and uh we were doing an extension uh growth project and remodeling of the current facility, and he walked with me through and pointed out everything that they had been doing, and he said, By the way, coach, we're gonna make sure that's corrected and that correct.

00:12:52.960 --> 00:12:54.480
And I was going, no, wait a minute.

00:12:54.639 --> 00:12:54.879
Whoa.

00:12:55.039 --> 00:12:57.679
This kid's seen things that most people don't see.

00:12:57.919 --> 00:13:00.080
He's already a step ahead of me.

00:13:00.399 --> 00:13:01.279
I like him.

00:13:01.519 --> 00:13:02.080
There you go.

00:13:02.240 --> 00:13:04.080
He's this kid's this kid's sharp.

00:13:04.240 --> 00:13:08.240
Right away, his attention to detail captured me.

00:13:08.399 --> 00:13:11.600
Because I'm I'm very I have a lot of attention to detail.

00:13:11.679 --> 00:13:11.840
Yeah.

00:13:12.000 --> 00:13:19.440
If I'm walking by one of my staff members and there's a piece of anything laying on the ground, I'm watching to see are they gonna pick it up?

00:13:20.399 --> 00:13:23.279
Are are are how are they in the small assignments?

00:13:23.440 --> 00:13:24.960
How are they doing in those?

00:13:25.120 --> 00:13:31.200
So, because if you don't pass the test in the small assignments, how can you be trusted with the bigger assignments?

00:13:31.279 --> 00:13:44.240
Yeah, so I'm looking for the amount of effort that they're gonna put into whatever their assignment is, whether it be in practice or in the game, because that tells me a lot about them as a person and their character.

00:13:44.399 --> 00:13:51.919
So I'm looking for that character trait, I'm looking for how they interact with people because I want to have people that love people.

00:13:52.000 --> 00:13:52.240
Yeah.

00:13:52.399 --> 00:13:57.360
And not just task-oriented, and they can do a great job at the task, but they care about people.

00:13:57.519 --> 00:14:02.720
So how are they with people and how are they in the team dynamic?

00:14:02.879 --> 00:14:03.120
Yeah.

00:14:03.279 --> 00:14:09.200
Some people are great when you turn them, turn them loose on their own, but how are they in their team building skills?

00:14:09.519 --> 00:14:09.759
That's good.

00:14:09.919 --> 00:14:11.039
So I'm looking at all those dynamics.

00:14:11.200 --> 00:14:18.559
So we got we got attitude, I mean, there's a there's an overall demeanor and spirit, and and and is is this flowing?

00:14:18.720 --> 00:14:20.000
Is there a chemistry, right?

00:14:20.480 --> 00:14:27.279
And then the idea that I care, I'm ahead, I'm I'm I'm looking, I'm observing.

00:14:27.440 --> 00:14:45.519
A leader, a leader always, if if if you guys want to win with your pastor, with your department head, or you you if you want to get a raise, if you want to win, the leader's going, not even, not even, I don't always care if someone makes a mistake if they can see it, right?

00:14:45.600 --> 00:14:47.440
If they go, oh, okay, I got I got it.

00:14:47.600 --> 00:14:53.759
And then but you're looking for the people who can see the piece of paper before there has to be an instruction.

00:14:53.919 --> 00:14:57.600
Those are ex excellent, excellent uh team members.

00:14:58.159 --> 00:15:00.240
But it's it's can you see it?

00:15:00.399 --> 00:15:06.559
And if someone can't see that, if they don't care, then then it then you're you start losing interest in development.

00:15:06.960 --> 00:15:16.159
You know, I I wrote a book years ago kind of coming off of Jim Collins' book, Good to Great, and and I I went to coaches who had won the national championship.

00:15:16.399 --> 00:15:16.480
Good.

00:15:16.720 --> 00:15:20.639
And so how did you go from being a good coach to now a championship coach?

00:15:20.799 --> 00:15:26.240
I interviewed seven different national championship coaches um uh in that process.

00:15:26.480 --> 00:15:41.360
Uh and and it was really interesting that one of our coaches I interviewed was down at the University of Miami, and when I when I interviewed a coach down there, he said to me, he said, I've always had a philosophy, because one of my questions, what's your coaching philosophy?

00:15:41.519 --> 00:15:43.759
He said, My philosophy is bloom where you're planted.

00:15:44.399 --> 00:15:45.919
I said, Okay, unpack that for me.

00:15:46.080 --> 00:15:53.200
He said, No matter what assignment I've ever had, no matter what level I was coaching, I'm gonna give it my best.

00:15:53.360 --> 00:15:54.799
I'm gonna bloom there.

00:15:54.879 --> 00:16:07.120
And that bloom where you're planted concept really was a neat way to wrap around no matter what size the assignment you're given, you give your best at that assignment.

00:16:07.279 --> 00:16:07.679
Yes.

00:16:07.840 --> 00:16:13.600
So you never allow the size of the assignment to dictate the effort you put into that assignment.

00:16:13.679 --> 00:16:13.919
Yes.

00:16:14.159 --> 00:16:20.159
That speaks of your character, that speaks of who you are, and especially in the hidden assignments.

00:16:20.320 --> 00:16:20.799
Yeah.

00:16:21.279 --> 00:16:24.960
That how conscientious are you on those hidden assignments?

00:16:25.200 --> 00:16:28.159
And what's your tone and attitude when you do that assignment?

00:16:28.240 --> 00:16:29.519
Isn't that what Jesus taught us?

00:16:30.000 --> 00:16:32.879
If we're faithful with a little, then we can be entrusted with more.

00:16:33.120 --> 00:16:33.440
Exactly.

00:16:33.679 --> 00:16:36.320
And the servant that had one went out and multiplied it.

00:16:36.399 --> 00:16:36.480
Yeah.

00:16:36.720 --> 00:16:37.679
He was given more.

00:16:37.840 --> 00:16:42.399
So I think those are the things I'm looking for in them.

00:16:42.480 --> 00:16:54.399
But Jeff, that kind of goes to the broader question of as a leader, um the people who follow us, especially in the church dynamic world, they don't follow title or position.

00:16:54.559 --> 00:16:54.720
Right.

00:16:54.879 --> 00:16:56.000
They follow character.

00:16:56.159 --> 00:16:56.399
Right.

00:16:56.879 --> 00:16:58.639
So they're looking for character.

00:16:58.879 --> 00:17:01.279
And that gets back to the trust factor.

00:17:01.519 --> 00:17:03.519
Can I trust them?

00:17:03.679 --> 00:17:07.440
I mean, that is something that people have to answer.

00:17:07.759 --> 00:17:14.559
And so how do you prove or how do you earn trust is is a is a big question.

00:17:14.880 --> 00:17:28.160
And I think it's through the consistency of your performance, your tone, your attitude, your reactions, uh, the the level of excellence that you do with whatever your assignments are.

00:17:28.319 --> 00:17:28.480
Yeah.

00:17:28.799 --> 00:17:38.799
I when when no matter what I was doing, no matter what job I had, no matter where I was coaching, uh, whether I was working a summer job at a dairy, it didn't matter.

00:17:38.880 --> 00:17:44.720
I always wanted to know what's expected of me, and then I'm gonna perform here.

00:17:44.960 --> 00:17:45.359
Right.

00:17:45.599 --> 00:17:49.920
And I call this difference between what's expected and where you perform up here.

00:17:50.559 --> 00:17:51.759
That's the zone of excellence.

00:17:52.160 --> 00:17:52.559
That's the zone.

00:17:52.720 --> 00:17:53.519
And that's what I want.

00:17:53.599 --> 00:18:02.880
I want you to keep honing in on that because I think you're giving some great traits, and I think you're also balancing not only the practical traits, but also the inner person, right?

00:18:03.039 --> 00:18:15.039
So when I when I when I'm lazy, when I don't care, when I don't, when I don't, when the when when my boss or pastor or department head has to have more passion for my job than I do, that's a character issue.

00:18:15.359 --> 00:18:15.920
Yes, right.

00:18:16.160 --> 00:18:18.000
That's a character issue, really, is what it is.

00:18:18.160 --> 00:18:18.400
Yeah.

00:18:18.640 --> 00:18:21.680
And I saw a clip, I'm gonna send it to you later today.

00:18:21.920 --> 00:18:23.599
I saw a clip of Bear Bryant.

00:18:23.680 --> 00:18:27.920
It's a all black and white, and it's freshmen coming in to play for him.

00:18:28.240 --> 00:18:37.680
And he took a piece of chalk and he drew, he drew on the board, he looked at all the freshmen incoming football players, and he drew a 75 on the board, 75.

00:18:38.240 --> 00:18:42.079
And he said, This is this is this is potentially probably where you guys are at.

00:18:42.799 --> 00:18:46.720
And he said, But you're gonna face on Saturday a guy who's a 85.

00:18:47.680 --> 00:18:48.880
So what are we gonna do?

00:18:49.440 --> 00:18:51.119
He said, Well, we're gonna get better.

00:18:51.200 --> 00:18:53.119
We're gonna pay attention to the details.

00:18:53.279 --> 00:18:54.880
You're gonna get better every day.

00:18:55.119 --> 00:19:04.799
And if you'll continue to have a heart to get better, and you'll continue to do your job, and you'll continue to not worry about other and everybody, and we'll all get better.

00:19:05.119 --> 00:19:13.200
What'll happen is is that guy you're playing, you're a 75, he's a 85, and what'll happen is we'll say he's not getting better.

00:19:13.519 --> 00:19:15.920
Let's say he doesn't have a good attitude.

00:19:16.160 --> 00:19:26.799
And let's say on game day he performs below average and he's at a 74 or 5, but you've gotten 10% better and you've got a better ad.

00:19:27.200 --> 00:19:30.559
He said, if we all do that, then we're gonna win the game.

00:19:30.720 --> 00:19:39.279
And he said, I want all of you to know it's only a two-minute clip, and he cuts it off by going, and we're gonna win the national championship, and I expect nothing less from all of y'all.

00:19:39.519 --> 00:19:41.359
Come on, that's what a coach is talking.

00:19:41.599 --> 00:19:46.319
But you know, uh not only are we that's a good we should I thought about playing it for my staff.

00:19:46.559 --> 00:19:47.680
Come on, you know what I mean?

00:19:48.000 --> 00:19:49.359
We're gonna get better.

00:19:49.839 --> 00:20:02.240
Another characteristic that I look for is how they are interacting with other staff members and and even the the the we call them dream teamers, the volunteers that are serving along with them.

00:20:02.400 --> 00:20:02.799
Yep.

00:20:03.039 --> 00:20:05.039
And are are they making them better?

00:20:05.279 --> 00:20:06.880
How are they pouring into them?

00:20:07.039 --> 00:20:09.039
How are they calling them up?

00:20:09.279 --> 00:20:12.400
How are are they bringing the best out in them?

00:20:12.720 --> 00:20:18.400
Because the the great players bring the best out in their teammates.

00:20:18.640 --> 00:20:19.039
That's right.

00:20:19.279 --> 00:20:25.119
I remember when I was a freshman uh playing college ball and I thought it was hot stuff coming out of high school.

00:20:25.279 --> 00:20:28.960
And um I went to college and suddenly it's a whole nother level.

00:20:29.119 --> 00:20:30.880
And I mean, I'm getting beat to death.

00:20:30.960 --> 00:20:33.519
And I played back in the air where they wouldn't give us any water.

00:20:33.920 --> 00:20:36.240
They wouldn't give you water, they gave you a salt tabu.

00:20:36.480 --> 00:20:40.240
You know, the and the concussion protocol was an ammonia capsule.

00:20:40.480 --> 00:20:43.599
They would break an ammonia capsule sticking in your own.

00:20:43.680 --> 00:20:45.599
Yeah, that was the thing over your helmet.

00:20:46.160 --> 00:20:52.640
No, no, we we had these old Rydale suspension helmets that ring your bell and it and and you'd have, I don't know how many concussions.

00:20:52.960 --> 00:20:59.519
I recently went to have my my retina checked by, you know, because I'm seeing flashes of lightning and the one goes on.

00:20:59.920 --> 00:21:02.400
The guy looked at me and he says, Were you a boxer?

00:21:02.640 --> 00:21:04.000
I said, No.

00:21:04.400 --> 00:21:06.480
He said, Well, you your retina is horrible.

00:21:06.559 --> 00:21:07.759
It's jaggered all around.

00:21:07.839 --> 00:21:09.200
You've had so much head trauma.

00:21:09.359 --> 00:21:10.880
I said, I played football.

00:21:11.039 --> 00:21:16.880
And back in the day when there was no concussion protocol, he said, Well, that's about the worst thing I've ever seen.

00:21:17.039 --> 00:21:18.480
I said, We gotta keep an eye on you.

00:21:18.559 --> 00:21:20.480
That thing's gonna detach and whatever.

00:21:20.559 --> 00:21:22.319
And I'm going, well, thanks for the good word, Doc.

00:21:22.559 --> 00:21:25.519
Anyway, so that was my football coach.

00:21:25.680 --> 00:21:27.039
He said, Ringing my bell.

00:21:27.279 --> 00:21:32.640
But you know, in in those days, I had this guy come up to me in the middle of practice when I'm exhausted and can't do it.

00:21:32.720 --> 00:21:34.880
And he said, Come on, kid, run with me.

00:21:35.039 --> 00:21:39.680
And he literally lifted me to a new level when I was almost ready to quit.

00:21:40.319 --> 00:21:44.480
And and I thought I was a star, and I came in there and boom, boom.

00:21:44.799 --> 00:21:49.119
But learned out later this guy's senior all-American.

00:21:49.440 --> 00:21:58.559
Just as a note for people, if they want to go watch that, that that message, you preached that in a message just this year uh here at Milestone, and it's a great message.

00:21:58.720 --> 00:22:02.079
And I think the most powerful part of it is you ended the message.

00:22:02.240 --> 00:22:14.160
The whole point of the matter was there was an older upperclassman, you were a little intimidated, tired, you were wondering if you had confidence, and an older uh letterman comes and pulls you and said, run with me.

00:22:14.480 --> 00:22:15.440
Run with me was what he said.

00:22:15.680 --> 00:22:16.720
Run with me, rookie.

00:22:16.960 --> 00:22:20.000
But then you ran off the stage at the end of your message.

00:22:20.160 --> 00:22:20.799
Come run with me.

00:22:20.880 --> 00:22:22.240
And I thought that's powerful.

00:22:22.400 --> 00:22:23.039
Come on, baby.

00:22:25.440 --> 00:22:26.319
You can need it.

00:22:26.400 --> 00:22:27.519
You can hide it.

00:22:27.599 --> 00:22:28.559
I can still run, baby.

00:22:28.720 --> 00:22:29.599
I can still run.

00:22:29.839 --> 00:22:32.000
I still want to run the ball one more time.

00:22:33.519 --> 00:22:36.480
I know I can run it one more time.

00:22:36.640 --> 00:22:42.000
Now you'll probably have an ambulance out there like these, but I'm gonna run it one more time, baby.

00:22:43.920 --> 00:22:50.799
But give me back to staff, it's you know, you can really find out how people are reacting around them.

00:22:51.119 --> 00:22:51.759
Around them, really.

00:22:52.079 --> 00:23:01.440
That tells you so much about them, how those that are around them, yes, how they perform, how their tones, their body language.

00:23:01.680 --> 00:23:04.160
You know, my grandfather was an encourager.

00:23:04.400 --> 00:23:06.160
He had the gift of encouragement.

00:23:06.400 --> 00:23:15.519
And anytime my grandfather would walk in a room, you could physically see the body language of people in the room when he walked in.

00:23:15.680 --> 00:23:18.559
First of all, there would be a smile, would break loose.

00:23:18.720 --> 00:23:21.680
Secondly, physically, they would lean in.

00:23:22.640 --> 00:23:24.400
I watch for stuff like that.

00:23:24.960 --> 00:23:30.240
When my staff walks in a room, are people leaning in or are they leaning back?

00:23:31.039 --> 00:23:35.839
Are they getting a smile or are they getting a oh Lord Jesus?

00:23:38.400 --> 00:23:46.400
Todd and I have talked about this extensively because at Christ Fellowship you guys went through an exhaustive staff value process.

00:23:46.559 --> 00:23:48.160
Something we're learning from you right now.

00:23:48.480 --> 00:23:56.319
Because we I feel like we've done even a great job at church value, like working real hard the church.

00:23:56.559 --> 00:24:04.480
And we have a an organic culture, but I'm learning from Todd and Christ Fellowship that what are the staff values?

00:24:04.640 --> 00:24:06.480
And one of y'all's values is that.

00:24:06.640 --> 00:24:10.160
In fact, they go and look, fun, people leaning in.

00:24:10.319 --> 00:24:17.359
If they go to the children's environment and all the kids are crying, you don't get to lead anymore.

00:24:17.680 --> 00:24:18.960
Right, right, right, yeah.

00:24:19.200 --> 00:24:27.599
Like you, you it's like there there are cultural aspects that you guys have defined, and that and and this is good because we didn't plan this, but it's we're building a a teaching.

00:24:27.759 --> 00:24:30.319
One is you you have to you have to care.

00:24:30.640 --> 00:24:32.160
You do have to have an attitude.

00:24:32.319 --> 00:24:34.400
You have to really show that compassion.

00:24:34.559 --> 00:24:40.799
I I was doing a uh I was doing a little uh interesting podcast like this for our own leadership.

00:24:41.440 --> 00:24:41.680
Exactly.

00:24:41.759 --> 00:24:42.640
That's what that was amazing.

00:24:43.119 --> 00:24:44.160
Christ Fellowship.

00:24:44.400 --> 00:24:51.359
And uh the uh film crew was all setting up for this to film it and and to show it into class.

00:24:51.680 --> 00:25:04.240
And um they had a couple of news team members on there, and then we had one of our uh coordinators who's been with us for many years, was standing there, and um we asked, I asked a question.

00:25:04.400 --> 00:25:06.480
I said, How many years have you been with us?

00:25:06.799 --> 00:25:10.640
And she told me, and I said, What's what's kept you here?

00:25:11.039 --> 00:25:14.000
What's really kept you on our team?

00:25:15.119 --> 00:25:23.599
And she looked around and she said, you know, it's because the team that I work with, they care about me and my family.

00:25:25.200 --> 00:25:28.720
And they also demand the best out of me.

00:25:30.480 --> 00:25:35.839
And we know that we're making a difference in the work of the kingdom of God.

00:25:35.920 --> 00:25:36.400
It's a really good thing.

00:25:36.559 --> 00:25:39.440
But she opened up with they care about me.

00:25:39.920 --> 00:25:42.400
So I went, wow, I said that's so good.

00:25:42.720 --> 00:25:46.240
Because people do that, they they want to be able to trust you.

00:25:46.400 --> 00:25:58.000
It's a character issue, and you have to be consistent in the way you are with people and and your tones, your attitudes, your your work ethics, your character.

00:25:58.240 --> 00:26:06.240
I I tell our people, anybody joins our team, I tell them right up front, now listen, you know, when you join our team, you have now forfeited the right of a private life.

00:26:06.400 --> 00:26:06.799
Yes.

00:26:07.039 --> 00:26:09.359
There is no such thing as a private life any longer.

00:26:09.519 --> 00:26:12.960
You live one life, no matter where you are, who you're with.

00:26:13.119 --> 00:26:17.839
You can be in hunting camp, you can be in fishing camp, or you can be on the platform.

00:26:17.920 --> 00:26:34.880
Yeah, you're the same person, your language is the same, your your characteristics are the same, your tastes are the same, whether you're whether you're at home watching Netflix by yourself, or where you're going to a theater, or whatever, whatever you watch, because you have to you have to guard your integrity.

00:26:35.039 --> 00:26:35.440
Yes.

00:26:35.680 --> 00:26:44.079
I mean, because that is such a key of about guarding your life that way, and and and live very that way you can live totally transparent.

00:26:44.240 --> 00:26:44.480
Yes.

00:26:44.640 --> 00:26:46.960
I mean my grandfather told me something I was a kid one time.

00:26:47.039 --> 00:26:50.240
He said, Listen, son, always tell the truth.

00:26:50.480 --> 00:26:55.519
He said, because if you tell a lie, you're gonna tell another lie to cover that lie.

00:26:56.240 --> 00:27:07.279
So in a way, when you just live with transparency and and your honest desire is to please him and to love people at their point of need, that takes a lot of pressure off of you.

00:27:07.519 --> 00:27:13.119
So you don't have to perform, you just are striving to be what God's called you to be.

00:27:13.200 --> 00:27:18.480
And and none of us are perfect, let's face it, we're not perfect, but I believe we can have a perfect pursuit of heart.

00:27:18.720 --> 00:27:19.119
That's good.

00:27:19.359 --> 00:27:21.680
And that is we want to honor God in all that we can.

00:27:22.400 --> 00:27:25.920
So finally, people people want to know that they're you're trustworthy.

00:27:26.079 --> 00:27:26.480
Right.

00:27:26.720 --> 00:27:35.200
And that's proven in the way we are consistent and perform in whatever assignments we do and with people especially, and they want to know that we care.

00:27:35.359 --> 00:27:35.680
Yeah.

00:27:35.839 --> 00:27:37.839
And then they want to know that we're competent.

00:27:38.079 --> 00:27:38.480
Right.

00:27:38.720 --> 00:27:44.640
Can can we act, I mean, what's the fruit of of what I've applied myself to?

00:27:44.799 --> 00:27:45.200
Yes.

00:27:45.440 --> 00:27:48.480
And if if you're an effective leader, there will be fruit.

00:27:48.720 --> 00:27:49.279
There'll be fruit.

00:27:49.440 --> 00:27:55.759
Uh there will be people will be better, everything will be better around you because you've you've you've poured into that.

00:27:55.839 --> 00:27:58.240
That's like back to that bloom where you're planted thing.

00:27:58.400 --> 00:27:58.720
Right.

00:27:58.960 --> 00:28:05.920
So, you know, when you're trustworthy of this, you've got true compassion, and you've really got some competency to lead.

00:28:06.160 --> 00:28:12.640
And as leaders, we're always growing, and and you never arrive, we're always on the journey there.

00:28:12.880 --> 00:28:24.079
You know, the interesting thing is that I've had some great Paul's in my life mentors, and some great barnabuses that are mutual encouragers, and I had tons of Timothy's.

00:28:24.319 --> 00:28:30.799
But I'm learning more from my Timothy now than I am from my Paul's, because most of my Paul's have gone on to heaven, you know, they're in heaven.

00:28:30.960 --> 00:28:33.599
You know, John Maxwell is one of my barnabuses.

00:28:33.839 --> 00:28:38.559
We've been hanging out together for over 30 plus years, yeah, and and what a great learning journey.

00:28:38.720 --> 00:28:45.759
But when I hang with you, when I hang with a lot of the younger uh guys in ministry, I'm learning from you all.

00:28:45.920 --> 00:28:51.680
And it's motivating me too to keep myself fresh and to run my race hard.

00:28:52.000 --> 00:28:59.920
Because I I don't want you to ever trip over me because somewhere I have failed or I've slowed down.

00:29:00.160 --> 00:29:00.640
No way.

00:29:00.880 --> 00:29:01.279
It's beautiful.

00:29:01.519 --> 00:29:01.920
No way.

00:29:02.160 --> 00:29:03.920
You're such an inspiration, coach.

00:29:04.079 --> 00:29:04.720
You're amazing.

00:29:04.799 --> 00:29:05.839
Isn't he amazing?

00:29:06.000 --> 00:29:08.400
Yeah, you're such an inspiration.

00:29:09.119 --> 00:29:12.880
May we all keep our integrity and keep our passion.

00:29:13.200 --> 00:29:19.599
But integrity, you know, per you know, I I know this is kind of an old-fashioned term, personal holiness.

00:29:19.759 --> 00:29:20.079
Yeah.

00:29:20.319 --> 00:29:22.240
I was raised in that dynamic.

00:29:22.400 --> 00:29:23.440
My grandfather talked about it.

00:29:23.519 --> 00:29:24.960
It wasn't a legalistic term.

00:29:25.039 --> 00:29:25.200
Yeah.

00:29:25.359 --> 00:29:29.200
It was a term of keep your heart set apart for God.

00:29:29.359 --> 00:29:29.680
Yes.

00:29:29.839 --> 00:29:31.759
That's what holy means, it's set apart.

00:29:31.920 --> 00:29:35.759
You know, we want to keep our focus, my motivation, my desire.

00:29:36.079 --> 00:29:41.200
The bottom line is at the end of the day, we want to live a life that brings honor to Him.

00:29:41.519 --> 00:29:54.559
And you know, in 1 Samuel, it simply says in there, when the unnamed prophet comes to Eli, and really he's coming to rebuke because of Eli's sons, Hopni and Phineas, were wicked boys.

00:29:54.720 --> 00:29:57.839
And he was there to rebuke them, but he made this front comment.

00:29:58.079 --> 00:29:59.440
He said, Listen, those.

00:30:00.160 --> 00:30:03.119
God says, those who honor me, I will honor.

00:30:03.680 --> 00:30:05.680
Those who dishonor me, I will disdain.

00:30:05.759 --> 00:30:08.319
I don't like that part of it, but I like the front part of it, okay?

00:30:08.640 --> 00:30:12.079
So I want to live a life that's in striving to honor Him.

00:30:12.160 --> 00:30:19.839
And I know I do that by the way I try to live according to His word and the way I honor you and the way I honor others.

00:30:20.079 --> 00:30:28.640
And when we live a life with that mindset, especially as leaders, we live a life with a mindset, how can I bring honor to those I'm serving?

00:30:29.680 --> 00:30:43.279
That positions you uh to not only earn their heart, but you can now gain influence to help guide them to the place that God's wanting them to be and discover their purpose.

00:30:43.440 --> 00:30:44.960
Because that's what our whole mission is.

00:30:45.279 --> 00:30:46.559
Isn't that that's so interesting?

00:30:46.720 --> 00:30:59.440
Because sometimes when you have, you know, what we have had a tendency sometimes to do is teach on honor because we need to honor the senior leader or honor the bishop or the apostle or people.

00:31:00.079 --> 00:31:03.839
But but you're saying we should honor them.

00:31:07.839 --> 00:31:08.880
Honor your people.

00:31:09.039 --> 00:31:10.240
You know, we're very blessed.

00:31:10.319 --> 00:31:18.720
Uh we just uh celebrated at Christ Fellowship 40 years of ministry uh this past year, and um we we had a wonderful time.

00:31:18.880 --> 00:31:25.680
But here's one of the most exciting things the families that started with us 40 years ago are still with us.

00:31:26.240 --> 00:31:30.880
Yeah, their children are with us, their grandchildren are with us, and they're serving.

00:31:30.960 --> 00:31:41.119
Yeah, because we started off, we keep honoring them, and we still honor them, and we still reflect on that and honor them.

00:31:41.359 --> 00:31:54.400
I I may have told you this story, I don't know if I did or not, but one of our founding um leaders, and he was chairman of our board his whole life until he stepped into heaven, uh, a man by the name of Dick Smith, a businessman.

00:31:54.640 --> 00:32:14.480
And on Dick's deathbed, I'm there beside him with his four children and all of his grandchildren and family, and I'm holding his hand as he's literally taking his final breaths on this earth, and his two sons get up and leave the room and come back with a towel and a basin of water.

00:32:15.119 --> 00:32:21.279
They rolled the blanket up, took the compression hose off their father's legs, and washed his feet.

00:32:22.400 --> 00:32:30.720
And they prayed out loud, Father, may our dad's anointing to serve the church fall on us.

00:32:31.599 --> 00:32:32.880
I'm weeping.

00:32:33.039 --> 00:32:48.079
I'm I'm in the floor, these boys washing their father's feet as he's about to step into eternity and asking for the mantle that was on their father to serve the church to fall on them.

00:32:50.000 --> 00:32:51.440
I said, wow, what a life.

00:32:51.599 --> 00:32:59.359
You're talking about, we were talking about legacy recently, a legacy of what was deposited in them.

00:33:00.240 --> 00:33:07.519
A father's love for the church and for the pastors of the church.

00:33:07.839 --> 00:33:16.319
But I can't describe to you the depth of my love for that man and for his family and for our people.

00:33:16.880 --> 00:33:33.759
And one thing that I I have practiced, and I learned this from my grandfather, Jeff, and I would suggest all those listening to the podcast today, if you're in any form of leadership, tell your people often how much you love them.

00:33:34.319 --> 00:33:35.359
So good, coach.

00:33:35.680 --> 00:33:50.240
There's rarely a Sunday that I stood in the pulpit and proclaimed the word of God that I didn't at some point intentionally stop, look at the people, and say, I want you to know how much I love you.

00:33:51.920 --> 00:33:57.359
And you tell them that often enough, they're gonna start understanding how much you love them.

00:33:57.839 --> 00:34:06.880
And I still to this day, I try to come out early before service starts, and I walk down the aisleways just loving on people.

00:34:07.680 --> 00:34:18.239
And you know, I know after we started preaching five times a weekend, it was hard for me to get out after the service, you know, but I still want to get out of, I want people to know I love them.

00:34:18.400 --> 00:34:24.079
I, you know, I keep telling them, and it used to be when the people wrote letters, we don't write letters anymore, you know.

00:34:24.159 --> 00:34:32.400
We send we send, you know, our texts and emails and everything else and Instagrams and I don't know what the other stuff is because I I'm not on that.

00:34:32.719 --> 00:34:42.800
But I would get these notes from people, and they would say, you know, the only time I ever hear those words are when you speak them from the platform.

00:34:43.280 --> 00:34:46.480
Thank you for letting me know I am loved.

00:34:47.440 --> 00:34:50.559
Tell your people how much you love them.

00:34:51.119 --> 00:34:52.079
So good, coach.

00:34:52.400 --> 00:35:03.920
I want I've been this is this is a um we're in the kitchen making a from scratch recipe from Coach Tom, pastor, leader, you know.

00:35:04.079 --> 00:35:08.559
Um, and so I'm I'm hearing number one, I want I want to walk through all of them.

00:35:09.039 --> 00:35:15.679
Number one, a team member that wins is a a team member that that has a good attitude.

00:35:16.559 --> 00:35:21.599
And you can't you can't lead someone that doesn't have a good attitude.

00:35:21.840 --> 00:35:22.880
You gotta have a good attitude.

00:35:22.960 --> 00:35:26.880
You gotta, it's like as I say, there's more lucrative ways to be miserable.

00:35:27.199 --> 00:35:32.320
Why are you choosing ministry when you're not excited to do it?

00:35:32.800 --> 00:35:39.519
And never and and I I want someone that never feels entitled about anything, and there's no task too small for them to take on.

00:35:39.760 --> 00:35:40.880
No tasks too small.

00:35:41.199 --> 00:35:44.079
And by the way, if they walk by something that needs to be done, do it.

00:35:44.239 --> 00:35:50.159
I I happened to walk by that bathroom that day, and somebody mentioned that that the toilet was clogged.

00:35:50.400 --> 00:35:52.320
Well, I'm not gonna I I was there.

00:35:52.480 --> 00:35:52.880
Yeah.

00:35:53.039 --> 00:35:56.559
So I know where the plumbing stuff is, the plunger.

00:35:56.719 --> 00:35:58.000
I went and got the plunger.

00:35:58.320 --> 00:36:00.800
So that that one I saw as number two.

00:36:00.960 --> 00:36:02.320
You're willing to do anything.

00:36:02.400 --> 00:36:03.760
You you're you can see it.

00:36:03.920 --> 00:36:13.119
Like if your pastor sees you or your department head, anybody sees you saying, That guy walked around, we're gonna fix that, Pat, we're doing this, here's what we're doing.

00:36:13.199 --> 00:36:14.079
They they see it.

00:36:14.239 --> 00:36:18.400
Boy, that just makes you just go, oh, wait, that's weight I don't have to carry.

00:36:18.559 --> 00:36:20.719
Oh, they're with me, they're carrying that.

00:36:20.880 --> 00:36:24.639
So somebody who sees it, who cares, who's not above doing anything.

00:36:24.800 --> 00:36:29.280
The third thing you said that makes a winning team member, we we might write a book on this.

00:36:31.119 --> 00:36:34.639
Listen, the third thing is how they interact with other team members.

00:36:34.880 --> 00:36:35.119
Yes.

00:36:35.360 --> 00:36:38.639
Like they have to be able to flow with the rest of the team.

00:36:38.800 --> 00:36:41.840
You're your team promotes you, actually.

00:36:42.159 --> 00:36:43.119
A lot of people don't realize that.

00:36:43.599 --> 00:36:45.760
Great team members make their team great.

00:36:46.079 --> 00:36:58.480
And and and they they think you get promoted from your boss, but actually there's a meeting that happens before your boss has his meeting with you and the team goes, vote them off the island.

00:37:00.320 --> 00:37:02.480
And that's what a lot of people don't realize.

00:37:02.639 --> 00:37:04.880
It's your team that actually promotes you.

00:37:05.039 --> 00:37:09.440
And if you tried, if we have to have layoffs, the team will storm the Capitol.

00:37:09.519 --> 00:37:11.440
It'd be like, you're not getting rid of this one.

00:37:11.599 --> 00:37:13.920
Like, I'm I'll give them my salary.

00:37:14.559 --> 00:37:18.239
I'll get and I have done that in challenging times at Milestone.

00:37:18.320 --> 00:37:20.719
I've had team members that go, I'll give them some of my salary.

00:37:20.800 --> 00:37:23.679
I've deferred raises because I wanted a great team.

00:37:23.840 --> 00:37:28.559
And that's another problem a lot of times is you can't have a great team because you need it all for you.

00:37:29.039 --> 00:37:30.079
And there's a disparity.

00:37:30.239 --> 00:37:31.760
But wait, wait, I gotta finish my list.

00:37:32.000 --> 00:37:32.159
Okay.

00:37:32.320 --> 00:37:33.199
I got to finish my list.

00:37:33.599 --> 00:37:35.679
I got some more to give you guys, I'll see you.

00:37:36.480 --> 00:37:36.800
I'm ready.

00:37:37.039 --> 00:37:38.320
Okay, wait a minute.

00:37:39.039 --> 00:37:43.280
Then after work with the team, is it's character, really, right?

00:37:43.679 --> 00:37:52.159
It's character, it's character because laziness and lack of caring and taking paychecks for something you don't have a heart for.

00:37:52.239 --> 00:37:53.679
It's like it's it's character.

00:37:53.840 --> 00:37:59.360
It's it's character also character being integrity, which means whole number.

00:37:59.440 --> 00:38:02.960
So I'm the same person with my team as I am with my family.

00:38:03.119 --> 00:38:16.719
So there's character, and the final one I heard was is honor that you know how to honor up, you know how to process up, and you know how to honor down, and you know how to be and and honor around.

00:38:16.800 --> 00:38:23.039
Like there's there's honor around your life, and really you honor others because you ultimately honor God.

00:38:23.199 --> 00:38:23.519
Right.

00:38:23.679 --> 00:38:23.920
Right?

00:38:24.079 --> 00:38:28.400
We don't we don't we don't act right because I told my kids, I think it's the worst thing you can do.

00:38:28.559 --> 00:38:32.000
Are we are we acting right because we're in the ministry or pastor?

00:38:32.239 --> 00:38:34.960
No, we're we're doing it because we we honor Jesus.

00:38:35.280 --> 00:38:37.599
It has nothing to do with what our job description is.

00:38:37.760 --> 00:38:43.840
If we were plumbers or or or painters, we we we we honor because we are followers of Christ.

00:38:44.079 --> 00:38:47.119
That's my list, and I think there's probably more.

00:38:47.440 --> 00:38:50.000
You know, at my age, I've got to get things out while they're there.

00:38:50.159 --> 00:38:50.400
Okay.

00:38:50.639 --> 00:38:54.719
Because if I if I don't get them out quick, they're going back, you know.

00:38:54.880 --> 00:38:57.519
I I'm at what we call the write it down stage.

00:38:57.760 --> 00:38:58.320
Yes.

00:38:58.719 --> 00:39:08.400
You heard about the uh the older couple, they they went to the doctor and and uh they were having some memory challenges, and I said, you know, you're at the stage, you know, just write everything down.

00:39:08.639 --> 00:39:11.119
So they're sitting there, uh Jeff having dinner.

00:39:11.199 --> 00:39:17.519
Uh I'm not watching TV one night, and uh the wife says to the husband, Hey honey, can you give me some ice cream?

00:39:17.840 --> 00:39:20.320
He said, I don't want to get you no ice cream, I'm watching the game.

00:39:20.480 --> 00:39:22.079
So come on, honey, get me some ice cream.

00:39:22.159 --> 00:39:22.559
I'm tired.

00:39:22.639 --> 00:39:23.440
I fixed dinner.

00:39:23.519 --> 00:39:24.960
You you should get me some ice cream.

00:39:25.039 --> 00:39:26.000
He said, Uh all right.

00:39:26.159 --> 00:39:26.880
So he gets up.

00:39:27.039 --> 00:39:28.559
She said, Well, write that down.

00:39:29.039 --> 00:39:31.679
You're getting ice cream, I'm not writing down, I'm getting ice cream.

00:39:31.760 --> 00:39:34.880
I'm just going in the kitchen and I'll be right back with your ice cream.

00:39:34.960 --> 00:39:36.880
Well, he goes in the kitchen, he's gone a long time.

00:39:37.199 --> 00:39:39.599
He comes back with bacon and eggs.

00:39:40.400 --> 00:39:42.960
She says to him, I told you to write that down.

00:39:43.119 --> 00:39:44.800
You forgot my toast.

00:39:46.719 --> 00:39:52.320
So, anyways, I'm at the write it down stage, so I gotta do it quick.

00:39:52.400 --> 00:39:53.760
When it comes, boom, I gotta do it.

00:39:54.079 --> 00:39:54.239
Okay.

00:39:55.679 --> 00:39:56.239
All right.

00:39:56.960 --> 00:39:59.440
I just added another, I added another C.

00:39:59.679 --> 00:40:00.480
You added another one.

00:40:00.639 --> 00:40:02.480
Yeah, it's not ice cream and it's not toast.

00:40:02.639 --> 00:40:02.800
Okay.

00:40:02.880 --> 00:40:03.920
So I add another C.

00:40:04.079 --> 00:40:05.760
So it's we're looking for character.

00:40:05.920 --> 00:40:07.599
That that's non-negotiable.

00:40:07.760 --> 00:40:10.480
Integrity is is key.

00:40:10.719 --> 00:40:12.800
We're looking for that compassion, yeah.

00:40:12.960 --> 00:40:14.000
That's non-negotiable.

00:40:14.159 --> 00:40:14.320
Yeah.

00:40:14.559 --> 00:40:16.079
And we're looking for competence.

00:40:16.239 --> 00:40:16.639
Right.

00:40:16.800 --> 00:40:18.079
But here's another C.

00:40:18.639 --> 00:40:19.840
It's my 4C.

00:40:20.079 --> 00:40:20.320
Okay.

00:40:20.480 --> 00:40:20.800
Okay?

00:40:21.119 --> 00:40:22.480
Got my 4C here.

00:40:22.800 --> 00:40:23.920
That's celebration.

00:40:24.159 --> 00:40:24.880
That's good.

00:40:25.199 --> 00:40:29.519
I want team members who naturally celebrate other team members.

00:40:29.840 --> 00:40:30.480
So good.

00:40:30.800 --> 00:40:34.719
Because if if you're secure, you celebrate.

00:40:34.880 --> 00:40:37.840
If you're insecure, you don't celebrate others.

00:40:37.920 --> 00:40:40.320
Because you're intimidated by their success.

00:40:40.480 --> 00:40:40.880
Yes.

00:40:41.039 --> 00:40:43.920
I don't ever want to be intimidated by somebody else's success.

00:40:44.000 --> 00:40:45.599
I want to celebrate their success.

00:40:46.239 --> 00:40:49.199
Now, at Christ Fellowship, we put stars on helmets.

00:40:49.280 --> 00:40:50.480
You know, I'm putting stickers on.

00:40:50.559 --> 00:40:55.039
You know, you performed well, you did well, you went above and beyond in practice.

00:40:55.920 --> 00:41:00.239
When I was a football coach, I took over this one high school football team, never had a winning season.

00:41:00.320 --> 00:41:01.599
That's the only reason I got the job.

00:41:01.679 --> 00:41:02.400
I was so young.

00:41:02.559 --> 00:41:04.079
They didn't even have a winning season.

00:41:04.239 --> 00:41:07.119
And so I realized I gotta teach these guys how to win.

00:41:07.199 --> 00:41:10.639
So I started to find any way I excuse I could to celebrate them.

00:41:10.800 --> 00:41:13.440
So I went to McDonald's, which you know I'd like to go to.

00:41:13.599 --> 00:41:13.760
Yes.

00:41:13.920 --> 00:41:17.440
And I went to the manager and I said, give me a bunch of Big Mac tickets.

00:41:17.599 --> 00:41:23.360
I'm gonna give them away at practice, and they'll come in, they'll get a Big Mac, they'll buy a drink, they'll get some fries, and they'll bring their friends.

00:41:23.440 --> 00:41:24.559
So I said, fine.

00:41:24.719 --> 00:41:28.639
So in practice, I started giving away the Big Mac award.

00:41:28.800 --> 00:41:34.559
And anytime a kid fired out on a drill and did anything, I said, Big Mac, baby.

00:41:34.639 --> 00:41:34.880
Yeah.

00:41:35.119 --> 00:41:35.599
Big Mac.

00:41:36.159 --> 00:41:38.639
Matter of fact, it changed one of my players' names.

00:41:38.800 --> 00:41:43.119
He he earned and saved up five Big Macs and went and ate them all at one time.

00:41:43.679 --> 00:41:50.239
So and he never wanted to wash his uniforms, and so he actually got the nickname Dirty Mac.

00:41:50.480 --> 00:41:53.840
So it was you know, it looked like it was Big Mac, Dirty Mac.

00:41:54.159 --> 00:41:55.679
But celebration is so critical.

00:41:55.840 --> 00:41:57.599
We do that every week in staff meetings.

00:41:57.840 --> 00:41:57.920
Yes.

00:41:58.159 --> 00:42:02.719
And our staff meetings, we always have great worship and everything else.

00:42:03.119 --> 00:42:05.599
Your staff meeting model is one of the best in the country.

00:42:06.400 --> 00:42:09.679
Starting with celebration, the whole process, how y'all do that.

00:42:10.000 --> 00:42:14.239
I think if every staff would do that, we we adopted that from you guys.

00:42:14.320 --> 00:42:18.239
We try to have a moment, celebrate, right, have people stand up, tell celebrations.

00:42:18.800 --> 00:42:20.400
And we're cheering them all, we're celebrating them.

00:42:20.639 --> 00:42:22.639
So celebration becomes a part of our culture.

00:42:23.119 --> 00:42:23.440
Part of it.

00:42:23.599 --> 00:42:27.920
In celebrating others, I'm looking for team members who love to celebrate their team members.

00:42:28.159 --> 00:42:28.320
Yes.

00:42:29.119 --> 00:42:31.280
Insecure people cannot celebrate others.

00:42:31.760 --> 00:42:33.039
Insecure people are critical.

00:42:33.679 --> 00:42:35.119
They got to, oh, it wasn't that good.

00:42:35.360 --> 00:42:36.159
Tear it down.

00:42:36.559 --> 00:42:37.840
That's a sign of insecurity.

00:42:38.000 --> 00:42:38.079
Right.

00:42:38.239 --> 00:42:38.880
So and celebration.

00:42:39.280 --> 00:42:41.760
We either got to get them out of that or get them out of there.

00:42:42.559 --> 00:42:47.440
I don't want to be around a bunch of insecure, small-minded people.

00:42:47.840 --> 00:42:49.679
Um and by the way, it's very tough.

00:42:49.760 --> 00:42:54.559
And when I was coaching, if you didn't perform, baby, hit the road, Jack.

00:42:54.719 --> 00:42:55.679
Don't you come back?

00:42:55.920 --> 00:42:57.840
No more, no more, no more, no.

00:42:58.079 --> 00:42:59.840
No, but in the church world, it's a little bit tougher.

00:43:01.760 --> 00:43:07.360
And everything by the Lord and Jesus and everything else, but come on, baby.

00:43:07.519 --> 00:43:08.000
Yeah.

00:43:08.480 --> 00:43:09.440
Celebrate with me.

00:43:09.679 --> 00:43:11.039
Coach, I think this is amazing.

00:43:11.199 --> 00:43:23.599
Those are some great points that I think if I want to be a better team member, or if I want to be able to evaluate what team members I'm looking for, I think that is such helpful information.

00:43:23.840 --> 00:43:26.880
Would you pray for all of us gathered here at the leaders' gathering?

00:43:27.119 --> 00:43:28.000
Lead to win.

00:43:28.079 --> 00:43:28.559
I love you.

00:43:28.719 --> 00:43:30.400
Have your lead-to-win pullover.

00:43:30.639 --> 00:43:31.199
Come on, baby.

00:43:31.360 --> 00:43:34.079
And I want you to wear that everywhere representing.

00:43:34.480 --> 00:43:34.719
I am.

00:43:34.880 --> 00:43:35.280
You are.

00:43:35.599 --> 00:43:39.679
We're going to take this actually as our new mantra back at Christ Fellowship.

00:43:41.360 --> 00:43:43.440
We will have a lead-to-win conference next year.

00:43:43.599 --> 00:43:44.079
No, no, no.

00:43:45.440 --> 00:43:46.559
I'll tell you one thing.

00:43:46.639 --> 00:43:49.440
I'm bringing our team here next year for this conference.

00:43:49.599 --> 00:43:52.159
I want our team as a part of this conference, baby.

00:43:52.239 --> 00:43:52.880
You got my own.

00:43:53.599 --> 00:43:54.159
You're awesome.

00:43:54.400 --> 00:43:54.719
All right.

00:43:54.800 --> 00:43:56.159
Pray for us, Coach.

00:43:56.559 --> 00:44:13.199
Heavenly Father, we thank you for the honor and privilege that you've given us to be a part of helping your church, your people fulfill their mission, that we are to be the light that you've called us to be.

00:44:13.440 --> 00:44:18.480
And you said, so let your light shine that men will see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.

00:44:18.559 --> 00:44:30.960
And Lord, as you laid on my heart, is what you were really telling us that we as leaders need to live a life that's so attractive that others are drawn to us so we can lead them to you.

00:44:31.199 --> 00:44:35.519
And we realize that, Father, that we must be fully surrendered to you.

00:44:35.679 --> 00:44:39.920
And I pray for your wisdom and your guidance to be upon our hearts.

00:44:40.079 --> 00:44:50.159
I pray for all those joining on this podcast today that God, you will touch them with the grace of heaven, and you will bless them with the wisdom of heaven.

00:44:50.320 --> 00:44:55.760
And you will help them as they look into the word of God, that you will bring revelation to them in the word.

00:44:56.079 --> 00:45:04.480
As they pray, you will build a stronger bond of intimacy in their hearts and lives with you and the Spirit of God within them.

00:45:04.639 --> 00:45:12.719
And as they begin to lead, people will see and sense your heart, your spirit upon them.

00:45:12.880 --> 00:45:19.119
And they will be drawn to them so they can help others, Father, fulfill their purpose and their calling.

00:45:19.280 --> 00:45:26.000
For that's our mission, is to help others fulfill their calling and for us to call the champion out in them.

00:45:26.159 --> 00:46:03.119
So, Father, I pray that you will inspire these champions to go back into their arenas of ministry you've called them to, and they will be able to call the champion out in their people, and we will see a true transformational movement of people's lives that are so transformed by your power and your love, and they will become so attractive and their lights will shine so bright that we will begin to see a movement of where the darkness is dispelled and people are brought to the freedom and life that is in Christ and Christ alone.

00:46:03.360 --> 00:46:07.360
So bless them, Father, I pray, in Jesus' name.

00:46:07.679 --> 00:46:08.320
Amen.

00:46:08.880 --> 00:46:14.880
I want to say thank you for checking out this episode of the Lead to Win podcast.

00:46:15.039 --> 00:46:25.760
I want you to know that I love and my team loves getting this kind of content into your life so it can help you lead and win at what matters most.

00:46:26.079 --> 00:46:39.360
So I'd love for you to do me a favor like, comment, especially subscribe if you would, so that we can make sure that we're able to get to you some of the things that are gonna help you lead to win.