It doesn’t belong on the agenda if:
…it can’t make our world at 5:00 pm different than we found it at 8:00 am.
…it’s noisy and not musical.
http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Selah
Selah (Hebrew: סֶלָה, also transliterated as selāh) is a word used
frequently in the Hebrew Bible, often in the Psalms, and is a
difficult concept to translate. (It should not be confused with the
Hebrew word sela‘ (Hebrew: סֶלַע) which means “rock.”) It is probably
either a liturgico-musical mark or an instruction on the reading of
the text, something like “stop and listen”. “Selah” can also be used
to indicate that there is to be a musical interlude at that point in
the Psalm.[1] The Amplified Bible states Selah as “pause, and think of
that”.
I like that the Hebrews had a word that meant “stop and listen”.
The next time your client shares their heart – selah.
The next time your eye catches a piece of art in a studio window – selah.
The next time your baby laughs – selah.
The next time your westbound at sunset – selah.
The next time an old friend calls – selah.
The next time you hear a bluebird sing – selah.
Great leaders selah. Great husbands/wives selah. Great dads/moms selah.
The world offers hidden music around every corner. Sometimes we just need to selah.
PS – Don’t miss the Hebrew saying you must stop before you can listen.
Every fishing guide has three things to accomplish once he gets you in the boat or wades into the river with you:
1) Show you he know his art.
2) Create some memories for you.
3) Get fish in the boat. (Most important)
When they accomplish #1 you see they are a professional, you trust them, and you know they know their stuff. You don’t cross the river and ask the other guide if the fish are biting and, if so, what are they biting on?
When they accomplish #2 they create story – and story is what we share. You text your family photographs and call your buddies with the success of the trip.
When they accomplish #3 they feed or create an addiction (winning) (everyone wants fish in the boat). So we come back. And the next time we come back we bring our friends. Then they return and bring their friends….you see where this leads.
They know they have a full day, half day, or three hours to accomplish these things. Laser focus is given to these three agendas and “carpe diem” is in their blood.
The next time you meet a client for the first time remember the “Fishing Guide 3”. If these guys ever retire from being fishing guides and bring their principles to your industry – be prepared for a fight.
So showcase your expertise in your art, create some memories, and help someone get fish in their boat today. You’ll win, I promise.
Case in point: I’ve never met a fishing guide I didn’t like.
Watch one game with Peyton Manning at quarterback, and you will see something very different about him as a quarterback, his team, and the vibes on field.
When you see him you will notice two things in his eyes: 1) He’s prepared. And because he’s prepared 2) He’s calm.
I would not be calm with 300 pound 6 foot 6 inch linemen running at me 100 times in 60 minutes – but Peyton is.
Keep watching him. You will notice he knows the other team better than they know themselves. Behind the line of scrimmage he taps every lineman and tells him who is coming his way and how to block him. He switches his receivers routes through sign language. In the blink of any eye, the play called in the huddle has been changed and leaves the defense lost and soon to be down another 6 points. And when the possession is over he sprints to the sideline, refills with Gatorade, and obsesses over photos from the last possession. Next possession he will be even more prepared. Great for his team – not so great for the other guys.
Off the field he is first to the gym and last to leave. He works one on one with each player, so there is no doubt they will be in rhythm on Sunday. He helps them define and refine their art. Here he’s building trust.
This is leadership at its best.
Leadership is not the opportunity to say “Set! Hut!”. Leadership is the painting/repainting of where YOU want to go in the minds of your followers before “Set! Hut”! Or put another way – being a quarterback has never been about starting the play, its about executing it.
When Peyton gets healthy again and back on the field, I encourage you to watch. You won’t see a quarterback. You will see the leader of an orchestra, and you will hear the music play.
Music is my metaphor for success. Music is what happens when instruments collide in their unique tunes and in their eclectic rhythms and tempos made by their musicians.
And that’s what I am after in this blog: finding a way to tune my instruments (values, ideas, beliefs, inspirations,) get them into new worlds of rhythms, and then let the music play.
This blog is about ideas that change things – challenging the status quo – and changing our world as we know it.
My hope is that the words shared here will amplify and create new music for us all.
Enjoy.
Ashton
Ashton.Gustafson 