In all my years of leadership/followership and from my experience providing leadership consulting, I have come to realize that Great Leaders Challenge ‘The King.”  You may be reading that statement and wonder if I’m talking about Great Leaders are willing to challenge LeBron James to a game of 1:1 basketball.  I’m not talking about LeBron; however I am referring to “The King” as the Big Boss, The CEO, The Department Chair, The Senior Pastor, The President… The Senior Leader that’s making the decisions, ‘The King.”

What generally happens in an organization is that ”The King” develops a style, a system and a reputation for the types of decisions that he will make and the type of feedback that he will take; BTW- that he can also be a she.  Those that are closest to “The King” begin to accept those tendencies as the law and over-time challengeable actions, decisions and offenses go un-challenged.  This type of situation is not good for “The King” nor the leaders that follow him.

“The King” ends up leading from an isolated rarely challenged bubble that’s not going to bust because it’s not being poked, prodded and challenged.  Those that follow “The King” will sit around and talk about what ”The King” is or is not doing and the decisions ”The King” is or is not making, which only leads to more problems for “The King” and the organization. 

Great Leaders Challenge “The King” which makes him a better leader and a better King.  If an organization is being led by a King that is not willing to be challenged by those around him, the organization is being set up for failure.   If  leaders are not willing to challenge “The King” they will never be great leaders.  If an organizational culture does not embrace challenge at all levels, it’s time to change the culture.  Great Leaders Challenge “The King” and Great Kings create a culture where all things, decisions and people will be challenged… even “The King.”

Should “The King” be challenged?  Why does “The King” go un-challenged?  Share your thoughts & experiences!

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It’s very early in the morning as I’m writing this post in the midst of my morning reading, dreaming, thinking and praying time.  The over-arching theme of my thought process this morning is this simple four word phrase “I Will Be Successful.”  That has been the mantra or theme of my life even when I didn’t believe it.

When  was growing up, through college and even to this day my mom has always encouraged me with those words “You Will Be Successful.”  Over-time and as my relationship with Christ grew, I began to beleieve that no matter what “I Will Be Successful!”  Sometimes this may come off as over-confident, cocky, arrogant, prideful… but the reality is, it’s true.  I Can Do All Things Through Christ… is Truth,  PERIOD!

I tend to believe this same thing about my team and my 2 sons; the result may be some perceived over-confident, cocky… Successful People; but that’s fine by me.  I once read a quote that stated:  “You will only be successful as the most important people in your life think you will be!”   This makes since as to why some people walk around with the mindset of “I Will Be Successful!”and others have the mindset of “I Will Never Succeed!” 

If I’m being honest, there is always a lot on my mind and a lot that I need to do… I just need to go make it happen, because I know that “I Will Be Successful!”  How about you?

Share your thoughts!

This post will get straight to the point… If you want to get Re-Tweeted Follow These 7 Simple Ways:

1. Leave 18-20 characters available in your tweet… allows enough room for your name @ sign and RT.
2. Tweet content that provides value to a broad audience… quote, humor, questions, compelling thought, breaking news, tips…
3. Make sure your tweets are consistent… like a newspaper subscription, followers learn to trust and grow to expect a particular type of content.
4. Don’t consistently ask your tweeps to Re-Tweet your stuff… every once and awhile is okay, if you ask to often it will fall on deaf ears.
5. Re-tweet other’s tweets if you find their information of value…don’t be a Re-Tweetaholic or again it will fall on deaf ears.
6. Develop a twitter brand, presence, notoriety worthy of being Re-Tweeted…some tweeps have earned the right for their content to be Re-Tweeted, no matter if the content is good, bad or ugly.
7. Write a simple blogpost about How To Get Re-Tweeted or get tweeted by @ Twitter_Tips 

Share your thoughts on these 7 Simple Ways To Get Re-Tweeted.  Do you have any additional ways to add to the list?

This was the Line-up at Get Motivated: Rudy Giuliani, Zig Ziglar, Colin Powell, Tamara Lowe, Steve Forbes, Joe Montana, Laura Bush, Robert Schuller, Phil Town & a guy with a very common name Jim Smith.

Have you heard any of these above speakers Live? Have you been to a Get Motivated Seminar? Share Your Thoughts!

It has been 2 years since I launched this random blog that you have come to know as BigIsTheNewSmall.com.  The blog name and overall thought of blogging was inspired by Mr. Blogger himself Seth Godin and his book Small Is the New Big; I wonder if Seth will stop by and say Happy Birthday?  I have shared some e-mail conversation w/ Seth and I love all of his books; especially his newest book Tribes. 

I want to acknowledge that there would not be a BigIsTheNewSmall without you guys/gals reading… Thanks for reading!

Some Year Two Randomness:

• 6,006 total comments
• 526 total posts
• Yearly unique visitors increase: +1,782.33%  (This Is Awesome!  Thanks and Welcome New Visitors.)
• Most Commented posts: Roll Call, The First Black President & Stop Hatin’ on Joel Osteen
• Most Debated post: To Tithe or Not To Tithe
• My Personal Favorite post: Meet The Williams Family (It’s pictures of my family by  @photographerabi)
• First Person to ever comment: Sista Cala  BTW~ She doesn’t read my blog anymore LOL

We are expecting Big Things for BigIsTheNewSmall.com during this upcoming year.  My site is being re-designed from scratch as we speak, in addition to en entire logo/brand makeover… It’s going to be off the chizzain! 

Thanks again to the ridiculous number of new readers, the regulars, the silent readers and especially those who subscribe.  Thanks to all my co-bloggers; which are those of you who jump in the conversation via comments, that’s what truly makes a blogging community.  I would like to ask each of you to do me a small favor: Subscribe to my blog here and If you are on Twitter let your tweeps know about BigIsTheNewSmall.   

Thanks a million for reading… I’ve truly enjoyed these 2 years.  Remember: Two Is Better Than One!

A few questions:

• What type of posts do you enjoy reading most at BigIsTheNewSmall?
• What tagline would you create for BigIsTheNewSmall?
• Share any other thoughts, memories, favorite posts or ideas to make this year even better. 

Leadership is one of those constantly fluid moving pieces of work.  Great Leadership happens in motion, it happens in movement, it happens in action it happens in planning, it happens with thinking, it happens with vision… and it doesn’t happen by accident.  This premise creates a problem for some leaders, because they always feel the need to do something, to control something and to make something happen.

In my opinion, an Important Leadership Lesson For All Leaders is to realize the fact that it’s important to “Do Nothing!”  I know that sounds crazy; however it’s imperative as a leader to find seasons when you sit back and “Do Nothing!”  Not only do you sit back and “Do Nothing!” you must find contentment with that season.  This doesn’t mean be a dead-beat, lazy bum of a leader; it means you have developed systems, developed leaders, created margin, experienced success… and you are in a season where your “Do Nothing!”   Embracing the “Do Nothing!” seasons allows you to be fully prepared and energized for the upcoming seasons of “Make It Happen!”

Leaders have to embrace the fact that they are like a team in a row boat:  They have plotted the destination, they are rowing hard, they experience momentum, they catch a tail-wind and they must embrace that brief season and “Do Nothing!”  The destination of success is a long ways out and if the leader and the team keeps rowing and rowing and rowing in the season where the momentum and and tail-wind will carry them… they will prematurely tire out.

Don’t unnecessarily exasperate your leadership or your team, embrace the seasons of “Do Nothing!”

Can you or your leader embrace the “Do Nothing!” seasons?  Are “Do Nothing!” seasons necessary?  Share your thoughts!

If Michael Jackson Tweeted this list might have been some of his Top 10 Tweets:

1. I’m Gonna Make A Change, 4 Once In My Life, It’s Gonna Feel Real Good, Gonna Make A Difference, Gonna Make It right. . .
2. @LisaPresley  Do U Remember The Time, When We Fell In luv, Do U Remember The Time, When We 1st Met
3. I know  you’re probably wondering why my tweets have been so bad lately… let me tell you it’s Because I’m Bad, I’m Bad-Come On!
4. Its gr8 2 C all the green prof. pics. The world must come 2gthr as 1 there R ppl dying & its time 2 lend a hand, life the greatest gift of all.
5. Twitter is simple, it’s only 140 characters. ABC, it’s as easy as 123. It’s like counting up to 3 or as simple as Do re mi, tweet a melody!
6. RT @iamdiddy MJ showed me that you can actually see the beat. He made the music come to life!! He made me believe in magic. I will miss him!
7. We are the world,  We are the children, We are the ones who make a brighter day, So let’s start giving!
8. Don’t Tell Me You Agree With Me, When I Saw You Kicking Dirt In My Eye… Seriously Tweeps it don’t matter if you’re Black or White.
9. Don’t ever say what you can’t do, you can do anything: Barack Obama became  President and I walked on the moon… MOONWALK
10. #BET Awards… Thanks for trying with the tribute; but you just don’t stop until you get enough.

Share your thoughts on these tweets or add your own MJ tweets to the list! {Positive Only}

Share any random thoughts on my random thoughts or share your own random thoughts. 

Did you watch a Movie at the Theater this weekend?  Do you have an opinion or thoughts about the movie?  Please Share!  You can share any information that you would like; however the only information that we need is: The Name of The Movie,  your Star Rating out of 5 Stars and any additional comments.  You are  now officially a Movie Reviewer… GO!

My wife and I had the opportunity to teach a Prep For Marriage class this weekend.  We get the opportunity to do this about once a quarter and it’s always a great time to help couples begin the conversation, understand the importance of communication and most importantly learning to put God first in their relationship.

One of the exercises that we always do, is separate the couples by gender and engage in them in a conversation.  Their assignment is simple for the ladies: Come up with a Top 10 List of the Top 10 Things All Men Need To Know About Women and then for the men: Come up up with a Top 10 list of the Top 10 Things All Women Need To Know About Men.  Today I’m going to share the Top 10 List The Guys Came up with.  I will share the  Ladies’ List tomorrow. 

Top 10 Things All Women Need To Know About Men:

1. We enjoy sports and need time to watch our sports.
2. We are not mind readers, say what’s really on your mind.
3. We need our time alone: guys night out, man cave…
4. We need and desire sex.
5. We want to be the leader and the protector… let us lead.
6. When we say nothing is wrong, “Nothing is wrong” nothing means nothing!
7. We don’t like shopping/looking with you… we like in-and-out shopping.
8. We want to be respected and appreciated.
9. We don’t remember many dates, maybe even special dates.
10. We don’t like chick flix.

Share your thoughts on this list and add any additional things Women Need To Know About Men.