Classic Post: How to Write a Great Thank You Note

Put those grateful thoughts on paper - and mail them

“Thank you, the phrase, ‘the greatest thing since sliced bread,’ for making me seriously wonder who’s in charge of deciding what the greatest thing is.” – Jimmy Fallon I’m sure you received a lot of nice gifts for Christmas this year.  If you want to stand out as a man — to be the best version of yourself possible — take the time […]

Classic Post: The Unsung Hero of Christmas

The noble character of Joseph

Merry Christmas! While we celebrate the incarnation of Christ Jesus, I want to ask you to consider the example of a man who was indispensable to the Christmas story — Joseph the carpenter.   Meet Joseph When we first meet Joseph in the Bible, he is defined in terms of his relationships — as the […]

Re-post: Why Authority Is the Least Important Aspect of Leadership

"Because I said so," is a doomed strategy

“In a multitude of people is the glory of a king,     but without people a prince is ruined.” – Proverbs 14:28 (ESV) Several months ago, I wrote a post on leadership titled “Lead From The Front” in which I outlined several aspects of good leadership. I hope that you’ve been putting these into practice and […]

Re-post: Lead From the Front

It's futile to expect people to follow you when you're behind them

“Where there is no guidance, a people falls…” – Proverbs 11:14 (ESV) If you’ve been reading this blog for a while, you’ve probably noticed that we return often to the topic of leadership. It’s intentional. We talk about leadership so much because good leadership is valuable. What’s at stake Look at the quotation at the […]

Re-post: How to Prevail When the Spam Hits the Fan

Hardship is inevitable. Defeat isn't.

“Life is a storm, my young friend. You will bask in the sunlight one moment, be shattered on the rocks the next. What makes you a man is what you do when that storm comes. You must look into that storm and shout as you did in Rome, ‘Do your worst, for I will do […]

Do it now — Crush Procrastination

What lifetime are you waiting for?

“Prepare your work outside; get everything ready for yourself in the field, and after that build your house.” – Proverbs 24:27 (ESV) Knowing what you have to do and doing it are two vastly different things. With multiple large-scale disasters over the past two months — everything from earthquakes, to hurricanes and floods, to wildfires, […]

Re-post: Why Should A Man Choose Integrity Over Pragmatism?

Here are examples, ancient and modern

“There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way to death.” – Proverbs 14:12 How do you make decisions? When you’re running out of time and you have to choose one option and only one option, how do you determine which one to take? Some men select the […]

Update: The Wisdom of King Solomon

Learn from the wisest king in history

Men:  We have to talk about sex. If there’s one area where this generation is stuck, this is it. The Water Was Dirty Before You Got In Now, before you conclude that I’m pointing my finger at you, please realize that the Boomer cohort gave us the sexual revolution and rampant divorce, and the Gen X cohort […]

Re-post: Two Kinds of People

Are you engine or cargo?

Let every detail in your lives—words, actions, whatever—be done in the name of the Master, Jesus, thanking God the Father every step of the way.  – Colossians 3:17 (The Message) It’s time for another visit to the poetry corner.  The following was in regular use in my old Boy Scout troop.   It was there I […]

Yes, You Need Security, But…

Is it better to be safe or sorry?

“Life is pain, anyone who says differently is selling something.” – William Goldman, The Princess Bride Over the past several weeks we’ve been elaborating on the emotional and psychological needs articulated by Robert Ardrey in his book The Territorial Imperative. Those needs are Identity, Stimulation, and Security. In the various posts on these subjects we’ve […]