Unaired “Think Different” Ad from Apple.

Narrated by Steve Jobs.

“Here’s to the Crazy Ones.
The misfits. The rebels. The trouble-makers. The round pegs in the square holes.
The ones who see things differently.
They’re not fond of rules, and they have no respect for the status-quo.
You can quote them, disagree with them, glorify, or vilify them.
About the only thing you can’t do is ignore them.
Because they change things. They push the human race forward.
And while some may see them as the crazy ones, we see genius.
Because the people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world–
are the ones who do!”
~ Apple

“Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a hard battle.” {Plato}

That person walking down the street. That coworker in the cubicle. That actor on the screen. That neighbor cutting the grass. That couple in the diner. That preacher in the church. That cashier at the store. That leader in the White House.

Everyone goes through stuff.

We’re tempted to think we’re the only ones. We’re not. Some of us have just become professionals at hiding it. But if we were to look behind the curtain, we would see a mighty struggle, a difficult decision, a relationship crack, an old wound, a void, a physical ailment, an insecurity, and more.

Our challenge is to assume everyone around us needs our encouragement, our smile, and our attention.

Because just like us, they do.

When I’m wrestling with major life decisions (decisioneering), it can feel like I’m caught in the middle of a tug-of-war.

On one end of the rope, there’s Wisdom.
He’s a bright fellow who cautions me to use sound judgment, think big picture, and be intentional with my pursuits.  The guy always has a plan and is dependable.

On the other end, there’s Faith.
He’s a passionate chap who encourages me to take a chance, be adventurous, and go for it. The dude always fires me up and pushes me.

I like these guys, but sometimes they like to scrap like a couple of kid brothers:

“If God brought you to it, he will lead you through it.” shouts Faith.
Wisdom clears his throat and pipes in, “If you listen to me you won’t have to go through it at all.”
I think to myself, “Wisdom has a good point…”
Then Faith retorts, “Yeah, but sometimes you gotta grow a pair.”
Like a typical brother, Wisdom then threatens to tell on Faith for saying grow a pair.

At the end of the day, they are not mortal enemies, they are brothers.

I’m learning that it’s possible for them to join forces. In fact, that’s what they’re designed to do. Sometimes, the wise thing to do is to have faith and sometimes, the faithful thing to do is to be wise.

When I’m hanging on the edge of life trying to determine my next move, I don’t need Faith and Wisdom competing in tug-of-war, I need them working together to get me where I need to go.

After all, my life depends on it.

Remember that epic scene from the film ‘Braveheart’ when William Wallace (played by Mel Gibson), with his face painted like a college football fan, inspired his men with these words?

“Fight and you may die. Run, and you’ll live…at least a while. And dying in your beds, many years from now, would you be willin’ to trade all the days, from this day to that, for one chance, just one chance, to come back here and tell our enemies that they may take our lives, but they’ll never take…OUR FREEDOM”

Now imagine him riding off to safety while those men went and fought for freedom.

Not the same story is it?

Instead, he led the charge against their adversaries and laid it all out there. Inspiring men with more than his words- but with his own life.

His leadership wasn’t top-down, it was out-front.

This is leading forward and that’s how I want to lead.

How often do we see leaders who can make a good speech (or sermon) and then step back as people enter into the fight of their lives?  Meanwhile the leader returns to the safety of their throne called the office chair or La-Z-Boy.

Top-down leadership is all about “have to’s” and fueled with fear.
“Do this or something bad will happen to you.”

Out-front leadership is all about “get to’s” and ignited with inspiration.
“Do this and something bad may or may not happen, but it will be worth it.”

Big difference, huh?

Which type of leader do you want to follow?

What kind of leader are you?

Some final thoughts from the great leader, Michael Scott:

“Did General Patton actually fight in World War II? No, he delegated the fighting to soldiers after telling them what to do…I like to be in the trenches. But I still have to tell other people what to do…’Lead that battalion over there.’ ‘You guys, jump on those grenades and save a village.’ That’s just good management.”