Sometimes I’m not sure what I want to write about, or if what I write will really make a difference. During these periods I’m learning a simple lesson: Write anyway.

Anyone who has mastered a skill, a sport, an instrument, painting, speaking or writing will probably offer you the same advice: Stay at it. Research streams consistently tell us that it takes about 10,000 hours in a complex activity to become an expert. That’s roughly five years of working 40 hours per week at something. OK, inhale. Exhale. My experience shows that depending on the complexity of the task and how deeply ingrained I want it to become a habit, it will probably take three to six months to get over the hump, then another year to really feel like I know what I am doing. This has proved true for changing my diet, learning a new job, making a new exercise program a part of my life, doing doctoral level research, and leading teams.

This morning I was in a conversation with someone who wants to start blogging. I offered him the same advice I had received three years ago when I began writing www.OnLeadingWell.com. I knew I wanted to blog regularly but feared I would lose motivation. These three questions helped me focus:

1. What am I passionate about? This must be something I naturally think about, read about, live out and and discuss with friends late at night.

2. What am I knowledgeable about? I have more than a handful of blog posts in my head on this topic AND I could write about it regularly.

3. What do I want to focus on and continue to learn about, perhaps to a point of mastery? I will add value for my readers only if I provide them with ideas, inspiration and resources that they might not have the time, perspective or connections to find on their own.

The best blogs, the ones I find myself returning to over and over again, seem to share these characteristics. So, if you’re wondering what to write about, find a blank piece of paper and answer these three questions. Make some notes. Jot down random ideas. Draw a few pictures. Then put it aside for a day and come back and stare at it. You’ll find what you’re looking for.

Here are two great links on overcoming inertia when trying to write blogs (by Michael Hyatt) or books (by Matt Mikalatos).

So, what do you want to write about?

Tomorrow I am attempting to ride my bicycle 170 miles (~274 km) across the state of Florida. Lord, legs and lungs willing, several hundred cyclists will begin at sunrise on the eastern Atlantic coast and finish on the western Gulf coast before sunset (see map). A huge party with lots of BBQ will lure us to complete our journey.

The farthest I’ve ever cycled in one day was 92 miles. Tomorrow is nearly twice that distance. During my last few training rides I’ve been asking myself: Will my body even be able to endure this distance and time in the saddle? What will be necessary to finish well? Here are four crucial secrets to extreme endurance that I’ve gleaned from veterans. It seems these same principles apply to many other challenging endeavors in life:

1. Have the right equipment. Most of us won’t be riding $5,000 all-carbon frame bikes with elite racing components. But those who finish will have good quality road bikes that are clean and well-tuned. They’ll also have the right clothing for pressure points that matter most, such as well-padded shorts, stiff shoes with cleats, comfortable gloves and good shades.
2. Train appropriately. Tomorrow’s ride is not a sprint, it’s a double-marathon of 10-11 hours. Finishers will need long, steady-paced effort. The training base required is one of regular 1, 2 and 3-hour rides over the past several months. Unless you’ve already developed the wind and strength in another sport, it’s unlikely you can just wake up and decide to do this. Intentional, specific preparation will be key.
3. Replenish along the way. Carbo-loading the night before is a myth. That energy might last an hour or two. We’ll be burning about 800 calories per hour and sweating out several pounds of fluids in 90 degree (32 C) weather. Muscles will be screaming for glycogen to fuel their efforts. Though I won’t need to replace my energy calorie-for-calorie, I will need to be eating and drinking constantly if I don’t want to bonk. I’ll be consuming lots of complex carbs, protein, and electrolytes to ensure my engine keeps running smoothly.
4. Rely on others. It’s common knowledge that geese can fly about 70% farther in V-formation than by going it alone. The same is true for cycling with a group of people who share leadership in a paceline. There’s no way I’d be able to ride that distance without drafting behind others. Etiquette will also require that I pull my fair share of time up front, helping break the wind for the group. I’m riding with a couple of friends, and we’ll attach ourselves to various groups along the route. When my motivation flags, others’ vision will spur me to keep pedaling. My sweet wife Ann will be driving our sag wagon, toting extra food, water and gear that we may need throughout the day. It takes a village….

What challenge are you currently facing that may require different equipment, new training, continuous help along the way, or increased reliance on your network?

This is one of 15 core posts in RE-think: Campus Crusade’s 3rd Annual Blogference, running April 13-15, 2010. Please join the conversation.

“Own your own development” we’ve been told. In an age of overload we need to RE-think how to cultivate our own personal leadership development. Though I must take responsibility to make wise choices, ultimately it’s God who causes the growth in my life. Below are four proven pathways to personal growth that fellow leaders have passed along to me and have now become lifetime habits.

Expose yourself to other leaders and study how they lead. Good leaders are all around us. How do they make decisions? How do they create an environment for productive group interaction? How do they inspire hope while authentically revealing their own struggles and doubts? Buy someone lunch and ask him or her how they balance the eternal leadership tensions between people and production; setting direction and releasing others; short-term results and long-term impact.

Read deep and wide. Scan broadly. Constantly skim, noticing trends in topics and conversations. Get to know a handful of ancient and contemporary authors’ voices. As you identify authors and bloggers that speak to you, follow their thinking through the years. Yes, years. You’re in this for the long haul, right? Read and reread selectively. Reflect, chew, pray, and digest. Seek wisdom and personal transformation. If you need some ideas, here’s my 2010 Leadership Reading List.

Embrace divine displacement. Consider these personal LD plans: Moses spent 40 years in the desert (twice), Joseph languished 13 years in prison, Ruth endured famine for 10 years then became widowed, and David hid in caves for 7 years. Interviews with hundreds of business and ministry leaders consistently reveal that the majority of developmental experiences occur in-the-trenches (32%), during times of significant transition (27%), or in personal relationships (23%). Note that formal training content is a distant fourth. Leaders develop as they are doing their work and leading on the edge of their comfort zones.* One essential developmental task of Christian leadership involves forging a personal theology of suffering that embraces blocked goals, unmet expectations and broken people (see Romans 5:3-5). God’s LD plan typically leads us toward whole-hearted dependence upon him rather than finding easier ways to make life work without him.

Act on what you know. “Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them.” (John 13:17). No matter what scope of responsibility you’ve been entrusted with, leading and serving other people gets complicated. There will always be more great ideas to consider, more trends to analyze, more people to consult, and more needs than you can possibly meet. Today’s information explosion can freeze us into analysis paralysis. Effective leaders focus their actions and own the gap between knowing and doing. In our noisy world Jesus’ voice beckons: Act on what you know.

Join the conversation: What is working (or lacking) in your personal approach to leadership development?

*Source: McKenna, Robert B., and Paul R. Yost. “Leadership Development and Clergy: Understanding the Events and Lessons That Shape Pastoral Leaders.” Journal of Psychology & Theology 35, no. 3 (2007): 179-189.

From my back porch: Today I’m writing my first post/tweet/FB status update in over a month. The mallards and sandhill cranes that nestle on the pond behind our home don’t seem to notice I’ve been offline. This is day #29 of my sabbatical and I’m feeling pretty dialed in to nature.

The verdict is in: Sabbatical works. With only two days left, I feel refreshed, restored and eager to reengage. If you’re considering a sabbatical anytime soon, here are some of my takeaways:

1. Intentionally break your routine on Day #1. At the advice of two close friends, on Monday, March 1st I packed a small overnight bag and checked into the Canterbury Episcopal Retreat Center about 10 miles from my home. Just one night and two full days. This provided the clean break and a mental ‘reset’ button to help me escape the pull of gravity around my home. I took long prayer walks on the grounds. I fell asleep on a bench in the sun. I packed a few books on Contemplative Prayer, a topic I had been eager to learn more about but ‘never had the time.’ I read one or two chapters from each and tried some of the forms. I threw my road bike in the trunk and explored a new 40-mile bike trail. I worshipped.

2. Don’t hurry. Donna, another friend who just finished her sabbatical in January, offered this wise counsel. I had to repeat this to myself several times the first few days. It became pretty natural after the voices in my head quieted down on Day #4. Grace and peace are yours for the taking.

3. Pursue the people and activities you love. Sabbatical is all about fueling your soul. Don’t do the stuff you don’t want to do. Avoid obligatory social events if you really don’t feel like going. I did a few small projects around the house – ‘quick wins’ – but left the major stuff for another month. I took my Taylor guitar out to the beach and sang my way through about 30 of my favorite praise songs. Indulge in family and friends.

4. Have a plan, but flex as you go. I broke the month of March into four weeks, each with its own focus on being, learning, doing and/or writing. It really helped me, for instance, to save reading any books on leadership until week #4, since that tends to be my default setting. I also used the month to train my palate to enjoy eating healthier foods and lost a few pounds along the way. Days #30 & 31 have been set aside as an onramp back to reality.

5. Have a strong support system. Hebrews 4: 11 exhorts us to “strive to enter God’s rest.” It takes a village and a lot of advance planning to rest well. Ann amazed me in her strong spousal support. She was virtually silent on any work-related issues for a month. Kudos also to my assistant Kelly for deleting… um… handling… most of my email; to my teammates for honoring my boundaries; and to my boss for his whole-hearted support of this time away.

6. Go public. By publicly declaring my intentions and my dates away I was able to set reasonable expectations for colleagues and people I care about. My ‘out of office’ reply clearly communicated that I would not feel obliged to respond to any email received during this month and asked colleagues to resend important email on April 1. This also helped maintain accountability when I was tempted to cheat.* Worthy of note: Michael Hyatt (CEO of Thomas Nelson) and John Piper (preacher, writer, speaker and book-writing machine) both went public this week, saying they are taking social media sabbaticals for the next 3 weeks and 8 months, respectively. Piper’s explanation is worth a read. Maybe we’re starting a movement….

7. Don’t break your rules. Exercising your ‘no’ muscle allows you to say ‘yes’ to the deeper yearnings burning within. For me, this meant no meetings, no business travel, no work-related phone calls or email, no Tweets, no Facebook posts, no blogging. I fudged once or twice for unique circumstances, and upon reflection I honestly don’t even think those were necessary. For one month away most things can wait. Here are two great HBR posts on unplugging and not breaking your own vacation rules. Be self-aware enough to know if you’re crossing the line into legalism or obnoxiousness in the process. Just like authentic Christian faith, sabbatical isn’t about what you avoid. It’s all about what you pursue.

How are you doing in exerting sufficient self-leadership to enter into regular days or seasons of personal restoration?

*Pulling away revealed deeper heart issues that I’ll tackle in another post.

Sabbath, noun, a period of rest.

For the past 15 years I have enjoyed what I call “distance leadership” roles. Ministering over geographic and cultural distance taps into my gifts and passions. It also demands a lot of travel and emotional energy.

In 2002 a number of challenges led to me to begin taking a regular weekly Sabbath. My goal was simple: no email, no phone, and no wristwatch for 24 hours each week. Since that time I’d say I’ve averaged about 35-40 good Sabbaths each year. Not perfect, but definitely profitable. I’ve also managed to squeeze in one or two “mini-sabbatical” weeks each year which have been devoted to reading, reflection and prayer.

Last August the Lord showed me that my soul needs to take an extended rest from ministry. There’s a subtle temptation, almost unnoticeable, that creeps in when one is constantly positioned to help others enjoy Jesus: we can stop enjoying Jesus for ourselves. When this happens we can be in danger of drying up as a branch, or worse, losing our First Love. To combat this condition, most missions organizations provide for regular sabbaticals to refresh one’s soul. It might help to think of this period as an athlete looks at off-season. In off-season, athletes continue to work out and to cross-train, but their bodies enjoy a break from intense competition. It’s a chance for the body to recover and for the mind to gain new perspectives on its craft.

Campus Crusade offers senior staff members one month of sabbatical for every four years served. Stunningly, very few people take this gift. We talk about how we long for rest, but we’re too busy to take it.

In his eternal wisdom, God has provided for us regular periods of rest. It began with creation (“on the seventh day, God rested from his work.”) It continues throughout Scripture. Here are a few passages of the many that highlight our need for regular celebration and rest:

• See! The Lord has given you the Sabbath. (Exodus 16:29)
• Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. (Exodus 20:8)
• Be still, and know that I am God. (Psalm 46:10)
• And Jesus said to them, “The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath. (Mark 2:27)
• So then, there remains a Sabbath rest for the people of God. (Hebrews 4:9)
• Draw near to God, he will draw near to you. (James 4:8)

In March I will be taking a one-month Sabbatical. My goal is simple: To draw near to Jesus in fresh, unhindered ways so I can experience fresh power and fruitfulness in the next season of ministry.

This is a HUGE step of faith for me at this time. For the next 31 days I will not be answering any work-related email or phone calls. No ministry-related travel. No meetings. No trips to the office. Nothing. Nada. Everything has been placed in the capable hands of my Lord and my team. I am fairly confident the world will continue to spin without my help.

It requires faith to believe God works even when we don’t. I’ve learned that in Scripture, and in life, Sabbath is not so much a day off, but a day with. It’s a time to be with the Lord and with special people who restore our passion for living and loving well.

As the Lord prompts you, would you pray for me during March? Pray those verses above for me. Ask that Jesus would give me the discipline to wean myself from work, from Facebook and Twitter, and from other cultural white noise that clutters my soul. Pray that my Father the Vinedresser would prune me so that I could bear much more fruit. Ask that I would return on April 1 like Moses, whose face shone after he had been with God.

Thanks, and feel free to take the rest of the day off.

Suggested resources: The Rest of God by Mark Buchanan and Strengthening the Soul of Your Leadership by Ruth Haley Barton.

Love. Humility. Zeal. Knowledge.

These four words provided stepstones for my personal development path in 2009. They came to me during an extended day with the Lord in June, a day when I was asking Jesus what specific areas he wanted me to pursue for the next season of my life. So, over the past half year most of my close friends know that I’ve been hovering around these four ideas, seeking insight on their implications for my own growth, service and leadership. What follows is a snapshot of what I’m learning.

LOVE. Some time ago a mentor asked me “Where do you want to grow, Ken?” I replied: Soft people skills. The next time we were together he brought that up, saying, “Ken, you know, in Christian leadership there’s no such thing as soft people skills. It’s called LOVE.” Jesus spoke often of love. So did Peter and Paul. Love one another, we are urged. Greater love has no one than this, that she lay down his life for her friends. Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude; it does not seek its own. Knowledge puffs up, but love builds up. Make every effort to add to your faith… love. Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind and strength. Love your neighbor as yourself… and so on.

I spend an inordinate amount of time in various leadership settings around the world. It pains me to say that if we made podcasts of all of these discussions and played them back, we wouldn’t hear the word “love” pop up nearly as frequently as we’d like to think. If three of the world’s greatest spiritual leaders spoke so often of love, I should definitely pay more attention to this. For me this means forgiving people more readily when their mistakes cost me time, extra effort or loss of face. It means growing in p a t i e n c e. It means constantly depending on the Holy Spirit for discernment on when I should intervene as a leader and when I should allow others’ decisions to play out over time. I am usually too quick to rush to judgment or leap in to save. Yep. Still learning, still growing here.

Next up: HUMILITY.

Lord, you are God and there is no other.

This morning’s rising sun declares your glory and reminds me of your Word and your Spirit. Nothing is hidden from their light and heat.

You are compassionate and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in lovingkindness and truth. I am so glad that you are God and I am not.

Lord, I feel compressed. The pressures, the demands, the expectations of my leadership role squeeze me like a vise. This is a high season of ministry to others. You have led me to make commitments: to travel, to speak, to observe, to listen, to coach, to serve, to support others in their high calling of following you. I have been careful to seek your leading for each commitment. Now it’s game time. No one else understands or can fully appreciate the path I must walk for the next two months… except for you. Lord, take me by the hand and lead me. I am your trusting child. Help me fulfill my commitments and bear fruit that glorifies your name.

Lord, I feel tension. Like everyone else, I experience tensions between being and doing, people and production, cause and community, quantity and quality, running hard and resting in you. Your servant captures my heartfelt sentiments:

There is the tension between the need for organizational hierarchy with all the power dynamics this creates and the mutuality and inter-dependence of life in community to which we as Christians are called. There is the tension of knowing how to “work the system” and entering into trustworthy relationships characterized by trust and a commitment to one another’s well-being. There is the tension between the need for an easy discipleship process through which we can efficiently herd lots of people and the patient, plodding and ultimately mysterious nature of the spiritual transformation process. And then there is the challenge of knowing how to speak of these things in fruitful ways inside places of power without becoming polarized in our relationships with one another.

Compression and tension. Aren’t those the same two opposing forces that allow architects to erect their masterpieces of concrete and steel? Is not this dynamic interaction the source of strength for the human body, with the skeleton allowing for compression while the muscles and sinews work in tension? Does not the studied, disciplined training of these opposing forces allow the athlete to gracefully run and jump? The painter to draw out the most delicate brushstrokes from the palette? The musician to ply and pluck her notes with power and sensitivity?

Ah, yes, Lord. They are one and the same. My soul resonates with the song of your servant David:

For who is God, but the Lord?
and who is a rock, except our God?
The God who equipped me with strength
and made my way blameless.
He made my feet like the feet of a deer
and set me secure on the heights.
He trains my hands for war,
so that my arms can bend a bow of bronze.

Bring it on, Lord! Today awaits us!

Sources: Ruth Haley Barton’s Strengthening the Soul of Your Leadership, Psalm 18:31-34

I confess I began Twittering one month ago as a skeptic. My felt need for more info about more people doing more stuff was pretty low. But, as I mentioned here, I decided to give it a try for 30 days. I’m glad I did. Here are five reasons why:

1. I learn a lot, very quickly, from good tweeters. Several @johnpiper tweets have provoked questions that resonated all day long. My brother-in-law @garunn posts very insightful links. There is more actual value per tweet than I find in most emails or in Facebook. Good tweeters engage others using @angelamaiers’ 70-20-10 rule.

2. It’s manageable. The ease of this surprised me. I can turn off the faucet of information whenever I want. Also, I use TweetDeck which makes it super easy to scan, filter, save and reply to tweets. I like that I can update my Facebook status without being at the computer. Oddly enough, life feels a bit more integrated. @stephnannen recently posted her fellow skeptic’s insights on her excellent blog. If you’re drowning in tweets, see 10 Tips For Managing Twitter As Your Usage Increases.

3. It’s customizable. You can choose to receive text updates from everyone, no one, or just two people (as I’ve chosen to do).

4. It inspires good writing. Seriously. To communicate something of value in only 140 characters is a mix of art and science. Clear writing is a sign of clear thinking.

5. Friends help me solve problems. Case in point: After 12 years with the Palm OS (currently on a Treo) I’ve been trying to decide on moving to a new smartphone platform. But which one would best suit my needs? I researched the blogs, watched the ads, and Googled the reviews. It’s a big investment in my time, energy and money to make a move. I estimate I spent 10-15 hours on this decision over the past few weeks.

Enter Twitter.

Yesterday I sent the following tweet from my phone (which automatically posted to FB) at 10:10 a.m.:

pondering switching from Treo to Pre or iphone. Since i live in outlook, my device *must* sync tasks & notes. what device drives you & why?

By 11:10 a.m. I had received more than a dozen substantial, informative responses (both in Facebook and in Tweetdeck). The best info came from @travistodd who is 10,000 miles away in Asia.

By dinner time I had enough relevant info based on personal user experiences of trusted friends to make an informed decision with confidence. (I’m going with the iPhone.)

These days it takes a Tribe.

Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing…. If you abide in me and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish and it shall be done for you. Jesus in John 15

I have a confession to make—we’re a Facebook family. Not that we’re online all the time, but that is one of many avenues we use (in addition to texting, Skype video calls, and — decreasingly — email) to stay connected, keep up with one other, share pictures and stay in touch. With Travis away in college and me frequently traveling, we long to share life as it happens.

Recently Ann and I took a weekend away to assess how we were doing at connecting with the Lord, with each other and with friends. Jesus impressed upon me, or shall I say invited me, to deepen my times with him through memorizing Scripture again and devoting myself more fully to prayer. Abiding is all about staying connected to the true Source. As a result I’m enjoying a renewed zeal for Christ and genuine, loving interest in others.

One of my specific requests was for new non-CCC friendships. Guys need time to do stuff together, shoulder to shoulder. Frequent travel and other responsibilities mitigate against this. Neither sitting in church nor sipping lattes provides the anvil upon which lifelong guy friendships are forged. But the Lord in his goodness has inundated me with new connections in the past four weeks: neighbors, businessmen in the city, visitors staying in our home, and a tightly knit men’s prayer group on Monday mornings. God answers prayer.

“If…” the conditions are met, ask whatever you wish. What are you asking for?

Our old bathroom had two rooms: one for vanities, the other a toilet and tub.
Dark and confining. Functional not inviting.
Cheap white tile and brown stick-on linoleum,
green walls, pickled cabinets, bisque porcelain.
Displeasing dissonance. All must go.
Potential: Could it be better? Brighter?

An afternoon with Jack, Travis and a reciprocating saw begins a radical transformation.
The right tools make the job much easier.
Demolition brings dust and splinters and draws some blood.
Ominous stains lurking behind the tub, the stubborn wall -
they fought hard but they’re gone now.
Brokenness: Things must get worse before they get better.

Virgin wall board, stylish tile, fresh paint, polished granite, new hardware.
Color. Space. Light. Life.
Restoration and Invitation: Come on in and stay awhile.

My heart has two personas: one for my vanities, one that longs to be clean.
Anger and love. Competition and compassion.
Functional but not always inviting.
Stubborn habits, selfish ambitions, proud defenses, carnal passions.
My talents, my dreams, my experiences, my strengths,
me, me, me, me.
Displeasing dissonance. All must go.
Potential: Could it be better? Brighter?

An afternoon with Jesus on the cross begins a radical transformation.
The Roman tool of punishment makes the job much easier.
Death brings dust and splinters and draws much blood.
Ominous stains of my sin, my stubborn will -
they fought hard but have been crucified.
Brokenness: Things must get worse before they get better.

True faith, fresh hope, pure love, new freedom.
Color. Space. Light. Life.
Restoration and Invitation: Come on in and stay awhile.

klc, 3/09