If you are reading this… you probably have interacted with myself (Terry Walling) or Leader Breakthru in the past. Which means you have some interest or involvement.

You tell me… what could we offer that would be most helpful? What would resource your needs, and cause you to want to return to this site?

If you respond, I will send you any resource of your choosing for FREE.

Here is what the new will include thus far:

1. An upgrade of all our resources… better quality, each resource with “How-to” implementation, some with pod cast coaching, and many now offered for FREE, instead of pay.

2. Upgrade of current products. New resources including Coaching Certification training and Breakthru Planning.

3. Greater focus on coaching and training coaches.

4. More on-line learning and introduction to key leadership development concepts. The site will introduce paradigms so we can focus on coaching greater breakthrough utilizing the paradigms.

On track? What else? What are we missing?

Email me your comments. If it is what you are looking for, it most likely will be a resource others would need.

Thanks!

Terry

Some times the greatest curse of all is to be labeled as someone who has   potential. That branding has caused many to crumble under the pressure and expectations of others. But even for those who struggle with the expectations of others, the truth remains the same.

Residing within each of us is contribution. Within the framework of our ‘fearful and wonderful design’ is the seeds of giftedness… the ability and a talent whom others may share, cannot be fully duplicated in anyone.

I believe this! It is what I read in the story of each of ours personal redemption (Ephesians 2:8-10), and no matter what the ravages of life have done to us, it is still there. I believe it not only remains inside, but it hungers and desires expression, wanting to be played, as if part of a great symphony.

Within each of us who know Christ is a unique and ultimate contribution for Christ. I was reminded of this again, as I read the storyline behind the movie, “The Soloist.”

The book, and now movie, is about a chance-meeting between L.A. Times Columnist Steve Lopez, and Nathaniel Anthony Ayer, a homeless, schizophrenic who also happens to be an amazingly talented musician on the streets of Los Angeles. Below is an excerpt from part one of a five-part series by Lopez. (A link for the entire article is below)

The point of this blog entry is one-sided, and straight-forward…

What are you letting hold you back? Do you recognize and choose to play out the God-given destiny and contribution that resides within you?  Or do you let life conqueror the life that is within you? Do you… will you play? Check out the articles, the book, the movie… let Nathaniel challenge you!

Excerpt from the L.A. Times article…

Nathaniel was shy in our first encounter a few months ago, if not a little wary. He took a step back when I approached to say I liked the way his violin music turned the clatter around downtown L.A.’s Pershing Square into an urban symphony.

“Oh, thank you very much,” he said politely, apologizing for his appearance. He had gone through a couple of recent setbacks, Nathaniel said, but he intended to be whole again soon and playing at a higher level.

Next time I saw him, he had relocated to the mouth of the 2nd Street tunnel near Hill Street.

“Well, first of all, it’s beautiful here,” said Nathaniel, 54, who told me he had been diagnosed many years ago with schizophrenia. “And right there is the Los Angeles Times building. New York, Cleveland, Los Angeles. All I have to do is look up at that building and I know where I am.”

Nathaniel had an orange shopping cart that contained all of his belongings, including a huge plastic water gun, a single black boot and his violin case. We were practically in the shadow of the new Disney Concert Hall, and although Nathaniel said he wasn’t sure where it was, he had written the following on the side of his shopping cart:

“Little Walt Disney Concert Hall — Beethoven.”

Nathaniel plays classical music, some of it recognizable to me, some of it not. One day, I asked if he could play jazz, and he tucked the violin under his chin, closed his eyes in anticipation of the ecstasy that music brings him and began to play “Summertime.” He doesn’t always hit every note, but it’s abundantly clear that Nathaniel has been a student of music for many years.

(Link to full article)

A quote from Gerald May and his book, The Awakened Heart… “Keep risking that your heart’s desire is trustworthy.”

Most of us flirt with the deep passions and desires simmering within our hearts, and then step back!

• I sometimes hear leaders talk about issues of “heart” and “passion” with fear, not knowing anymore if those dreams and ideas are rumblings of carnality, or deeply placed desires authored by God.

• I have read books offering advice on how to test those desires, and how to weigh out whether they are fleeing whims riddled with ambition and pride, or truly calls and visions from God.

• I (like others) have also step out and chanced some things that I thought were God’s desires, only to realize that I was chasing me and my own pathology, and “stuff.”

In all of us comes moments when we either back away, or to continue the pursuit.

Yes… be a Christ-follower, led by God’s Spirit, living based upon the Word and with wisdom, but also be a leader who does not pull back. Continue the chase, not in the flesh, but as one who believes and follows the dreams and passions God has placed in the heart. And when the  “backing away” begins to counteract May’s quote, believe in the future God has placed in your heart. Today more than ever we need men and women who follow the heart’s desire entrusted to them.

More times than not, as I talk to leaders and look at myself, they are not necessarily wrong on the dream, but off on the timing. Part of the maturing of a leader is learning to not give away my heart, but be open to the ordained time that God Himself will bring it into fruition. If you think about it, that was the life and ministry of the prophets who lived in the certainty, but not yet.

So… keep risking… your heart is a trustworthy pursuit.

New friend of mine, Peter McKechnie, send me some choice quotes from a book titled:

HOW TO HIT A CURVEBALL, GRILL A STEAK, AND BECOME A REAL MAN: Learning What Our Fathers Never Taught Us, by Stephen James and David Thomas.

My Dad taught me a lot, but he never taught me how to both throw a curve (I hung too many of those during college ball) nor the fine art of grilling a steak.

So… here are some incredible quotes that fit everything Leader Breakthru is about… in terms of helping leaders bring greater clarity and courage in who God has designed them to be.

What if we quit trying to be perfect, or better, or be good, and instead spend our emotional and spiritual energy on trying to be ourselves?

What if spiritual maturity has more to do with our becoming ourselves than it does with our making fewer mistakes?

What if conforming to the image of Christ is more about living life in the same freedom and dependence that Jesus did, instead of losing our uniqueness to conform to a particular standard?

In other words, maybe real manhood is a continual process of becoming, rather than something we attain, say, around the age of eighteen, twenty-one, or whatever age you want to suggest.

Maybe that is what the Bible means when it talks about working out our salvation with fear and trembling.
We will never get this thing completely right, but that’s by design. Becoming an artist (Ephesians 2:10) is a life long process, and we will be learning how to be “real men” for the rest of our days.

What could be scarier – or more exciting – than that?

When I was in elementary school, my Dad worked in the aerospace industry. He worked on Gemini and Apollo space missions. The Space Shuttle of today only has a handful missions remaining. When it ends, so does an incredible chapter in American adventure.

This blog is not to debate the merits of the space program, but to present four simple, leadership lessons from that call to put a man on the moon, and in particular Ron Howard’s version of that incredible moment in history.

But… how does this fit with leadership development? Leaders are shaped by the challenges they face. God uses people, events and circumstances to form the character and skills of leaders. Even though it was an exercise in science and engineering, Apollo 13 presents surfaces lessons we (Christ-followers) can glean from, as God calls us to take the Church to a place it has never been.

Lesson One… It takes more than just you and your abilities. To go to a new place, it will require others… a team… the efforts of many. And not only others who will go with you, but also a set of strategic systems and structures that will help to go to a new place.

Lesson Two… To go to places unknown, it will also require not just leaders, but leaders who are leveraged… who have laid career and reputation on the line. Leaders who so believe in the goal, its worthiness, that they will see it through with conviction, and determination.

Lesson Three… To go the a place unknown will create and surface problems. It is not an issue of if, but rather when. Avoidance of problems will jeopardize the mission, but also short-circut the development of those who are leading. So what’s the lesson? Move toward the problem or conflict, not away from it.

Lesson Four… In the end, results are out of our control. Leaders/followers can only be obedient and faithful to live out what God has asked. The results rest in the hands of God, not ours. It His plan and design, not ours, that serves to build Hid Kingdom. Our part is one of gratefulness; grateful for life and the chance to be counted worthy to play some small part.

There are many more lessons from the mission of Apollo 13… love to hear one of yours.

There is the restless marketplace leaders.
Those who know there is more, but don’t know what, or how to have an impact for the Kingdom where they work. They are caught in the grind of the day-to-day, with little time to think of anything beyond the current demands on their time, and the increasing pile of paper and reports on their desk.

There is another leader out there. They are also restless.

They find themselves caught in the ministry sector.
They are leaders, but their struggle for years has been with the forms and the models of church.
To step out often can mean the loss of income and acceptance. These leaders continue to be frustrated by the non-effective. They are called to reach the growing masses that surround each of us everyday who have little to do with the church.

So where do these leaders go? And what are their next steps?
Leader Breakthru resources and coaches breakthrough for passionate, risk-taking Christian leaders.

Two groups leaders… one thing in common… a hunger for more, and a refusal to settle for the temptation of complacency. Leader Breakthru exists for these leaders.

Listen to two of their stories.

Wow. Beautiful new place.

The complex houses not only God’s team… the LA Dodgers… but also the American League Chicago White Sox’s. The complex is striking… 14 ball fields, clubhouses for both teams, water-lake between the two teams, beautiful new stadium for the games, and more.

As I read through the program, I was stuck at how so much of this new venture was done around partnership and collaboration. The two clubs in a joint-venture… the two-clubs working with the city of Glendale… the architect, the construction manager, and the city project representative. Each partner understanding the bigger goal and each bringing their unique contribution. Together they were able to achieve something far greater.

More than ever, we live in an age of specialization and niche.
And, more than ever, understanding one’s uniqueness and contribution helps to unlock opportunities and participation. It is also the key to achieving something far greater.

Knowing your unique contribution as a leader, helps to both clarify what to invest in, and what role a leader can play in a team effort. While all leaders must carry out generic duties and responsibilities, they can often get lost in the day-to-day demands, and miss ways they have been shaped to contribute. Knowing who you are, and who you are not, helps to unlock greater clarity for decision-making and life direction.

Here are six, breakthrough questions that help surface uniqueness:
1. Where have you been? (time-line)
2. Where are you going? (calling statement)
3. Who can help you get there? (mentoring)
4. What do you do? (major role)
5. How do you do it? (effective methods)
6. What if you did it? (ultimate contribution)

Focused Living on-line, and Focusing Leaders reader and the Advancing Leader reader all help to introduce insights into identifying a leader’s unique contribution.

Do you lead other leaders?

Leadership is influence, not position. Leadership is action, not indifference.

If you are wanting to make a difference, all leaders must recruit and lead other leaders. Leaders are people who act and influence. But how do you lead those who are smarter, more skilled and ofen have a greater sense of definition and strength?

Leading leaders involves one-on-one influence. It is a relational task, there is no way around it.

Leading leaders involves the building and investing in relationship and trust. To get there, it will require engaging in a series of strategic conversations.

In his book “Leading Leaders,” Jeswald W. Salacuse gives seven principles that facilitate strategic conversations between you and another leader:

1. Define and stay focused on your goal - first be clear on what you want to achieve.

2. Know the other person and their interests - understand them as individuals.

3. Appeal to and seek to influence those interests - bring your and their interests into alignment.

4. Anticipate the potential actions/responses - think through how your goals will be perceived.

5. Generate future options together - engage them in the process of direction setting.

6. Evaluate the options using a fair process - allow them and others to influence the direction.

7. Decide and gain commitment for the decision - most important, gain genuine commitment.

So what is going on? MySpace… then Facebook… now Twitter?!

Is it all just a fad, or is this something that leaders need to pay attention to? And, I am already feeling overloaded, how many things can I pay attention to? I don’t need something else! Or do I?

Pretty common responses. Especially for those 45+ in age. These were mine. Thankful I have a son who is up on all this.

It would have been pretty easy for older leaders to disregard it all. But a mentoring session with Kyle, and a very helpful book “Groundswell” from a colleague (thanks Jeff Galley) that has finally brought a personal breakthrough in all of this! And yes… it is a groundswell... and I think it is important to pay attention to.

The Point… The whole way we connect with those who need to hear our message, or the way we connect to those we seek to influence is the midst of a change. so, more and more we will miss our crowd if we do not wake-up and see what is occurring.

The New Rule… We must place our information and product where they look, as oppose to where we use to look.

The New Reality… over the 100 million Americans are now connected through social networking. These  people turn to the internet, blogs, Facebook, linkedin, Digg and other sites to receive their information. Their RSS feeds monitor these blog sources, sends them alerts, and it is these sources that they now trn to not going the newspaper and other traditional media .

When they want a recommendation on what is helpful… what is effective… and who they should turn to… they turn to their friends and work associates on facebook and their social network application.

TRANSLATION = If we want to get to your audience, you and I need to now consider placing our information where they are looking, not where they use to look.

How? One way… write a blog… or keep current information on facebook… and link to those, who will link to others. If what we offer impacts them, their friends will also see and be drawn to our message.

Still feel behind or clueless?

Kyle gave me two videos (each 2 min.) that provide easy to understand explanation.

What is Social networking?

What is Twitter?

Good questions have great power.

One right question, asked at the right time, can change the direction of our lives. Hence, the caliber of the questions that we find ourselves asking ourselves are VERY important. If we are not going in the direction that will ultimately help us make a greater Kingdom contribution, one of the problems may be the questions that we we are thinking about, internally. It may be time to re-frame some of the questions that are occupying our thoughts.

Seven Helpful Lists is a leadership tool by Tom Patterson, a highly-regarded strategic process thinker and facilitator. I have used part or all of these questions to help guide leaders towards obtaining accurate perspective of where they are now, prior to making decisions about which way forward. The insights gleaned from these questions can provide new thinking and help fuel future direction. They sound simple and basic, but turn out to be real quoughts:

What is right?
What is wrong?
What is confused?
What am I missing?
Where am I succeeding?
Where am I failing?
Where is the leverage?

Happy Quought-ing!