Not "Success" but "Value"

I just read a great quote that got me to thinking. I read it in the Leadership Wired newsletter, a great newsletter from INJOY. Albert Einstein said:

"Try not to become a man of success, but rather try to become a man of value."

That really got me to thinking and evaluating myself and my career. I had never heard this quote before but it lines up well with my overall career philosophy. My intent is to add value each year, each project, each day, and with each task. I have never measured "success" with money, job title, office size, or material possessions. I'm a people person and an organization/team guy. As a supervisor, I'm overjoyed when my employees reach their goals -- their success is my success. As a leader, my focus should not be on what direction I want to go but what direction is best for the team and the organization in the long run. Those things (and much more) serve to make a man of value.

A job change is pretty likely for me right now and I have felt like a man of value. I have felt valuable with the offer extended to me and I have felt valuable discussing it with my current boss. There are successful people in every organization, but people that are valuable are almost irreplaceable.

My Honey's Birthday

Today is my girl's birthday -- happy birthday Heather!! You'll never really know just how awesome you are, but here's an attempt.

You hold our family together and keep us organized,
You show our children what it means every day to walk with God,
You make me feel loved and cherished and valued,
You are creative in everything that you do,
You make even half birthdays special for others,
You bring consistency to the kids lives that they miss terribly when you are gone,
You are a sounding board, a voice of wisdom and reason, and a source of strength and help for your friends,
You are an awesome prayer partner,
You take a house and craft it with loving care into a home,
You are a valuable resource and servant in the body of Christ,
You are absolutely my other half and something is definitely not right when you are away from our home,

and never forget that you are loved by your children and adored by your husband!

Jackie Robinson Day

Today was a special day. I led a meeting today and asked the group of about 12 people what made today special. Tax day was the most common response. When I mentioned the number 42 and baseball, one person in the room remembered Jackie Robinson.

What a great man -- a true competitor, patient, skilled, intelligent, persevering. As baseball honors the 61st anniversary of Jackie Robinson breaking the color barrier in Major League Baseball, here's my small tribute with my favorite quotes by him.

"I'm not concerned with your liking or disliking me... all I ask is that you respect me as a human being."

"Life is not a spectator sport. If you're going to spend your whole life in the grandstand just watching what goes on, in my opinion you're wasting your life."

"There's not an American in this country free until every one of us is free."

"A life is not important except in the impact it has on other lives."

Reminded of Derek and Jim Redmond

I can't believe that it's time for the summer Olympics again. It's been crazy watching all of the controversy surrounding the torch relay. I would like to dwell on something more positive. I was recently reminded of one of the most personally inspiring moments in all of sports -- the story of Derek and Jim Redmond at the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona, Spain.

I remember watching track and field on TV and getting ready to watch a typical runnng event, the 400-meters. However, the race was anything but typical! Derek Redmond from Great Britain seemed to be running well! However, coming around the turn, Redmond's hamstring suddenly pulled and he hit the track. I remember thinking how sad it was that a world-class athlete worked so hard to make it that far only to be injured during the race of his life. I saw him get back up and wave off the trainers coming to try to help him and it was obvious that he wanted to cross the finish line . . . to finish what he started. Then, his Dad came up to him (who had made his way onto the track from the stands) and put his arm around his struggling son and helped him hobble to the finish line. I've got tears in my eyes just typing this (once again proving beyond doubt what a softy I am).

It was an amazing show of determination by Derek Redmond and an outstanding show of love and support by his father, Jim. Lord, please let my kids know that their Dad loves and supports them! Hopefully, some day I'll get a chance to show them I support them even if it's not as dramatic and with the world watching.