The side lights dim in the auditorium and the speaker walks on stage. As they are introduced you notice something different about them. The way they are dressed commands your attention. They start to speak and you are quickly drawn into a powerful story. There is drama, tension, and intrigue.

Soon you are tracking with them. You can relate to their struggles and you marvel at their tenacity. Soon they share how they overcame obstacles and found a way to prosper. And then they do something amazing. They offer to share their secret with you.

I spent the summer before my sophomore year in college as a summer missionary in Galveston, Texas. Each week my team visited a different church in the area and led vacation Bible school. It was fun, rewarding work.

In addition, I was assigned to a local church where I lived with the pastor, his wife, and their two children. They were both in their fifties and made me feel right at home.

Most creatives I know hate marketing. They want to write, speak, or entertain. But they hate the thought of promoting themselves or selling their art.

If this describes you, I have good news. Marketing is dead.

Has anyone ever taught you “how” to think? It might seem like an odd question but think about it for a moment. (No pun intended.)

We all think. We’ve all heard about the power of our thoughts. And we’ve all heard about positive thinking.

When I was twenty-years-old, I participated in a summer missions trip in Galveston, Texas. I was assigned to assist the pastor of a small Baptist church. I thought I would mostly be helping with the youth program.

About two weeks into this project, the pastor announced that he would be out-of-town the next Sunday. He asked me to preach on his behalf. I was thunderstruck.

Earlier this week, I attended a very productive meeting. It was long, but we accomplished what we set out to do. We made significant decisions, established accountabilities, and left the meeting knowing exactly what was expected of us. I think everyone left feeling that it was a good use of time.

Unfortunately, too many corporate meetings don’t go this well. Often, they are a complete waste of time. But the good news is that they can be substantially improved by observing a few simple rules. Here is my list of seven rules for more effective meetings.

In today’s environment, to be an effective leader you must be an effective communicator. The two go hand-in-hand. Whether you are the CEO of a company, the director of a division, or the pastor of a church, you must be able to write and speak well if you are going to maximize your influence.

More than ten years ago, when I was a marketing executive, I attended a week-long, “Copywriters Bootcamp” in Del Ray, Florida. The experience was invaluable. We listened to lectures, wrote headlines and advertising copy, and then read our work aloud to the group.

I have been reading the book, Outlive Your Life, by Max Lucado. In the book Lucado asks a simple but powerful question: Do you see through people or into people? This question has been challenging me all week to examine how I interact and communicate with the people around me.

As a business leader it is easy to get caught up into thinking only about my world, my struggles, and my priorities; so much so that my interaction with others can become automated and disingenuous. This book has caused me to wonder just how many opportunities I have missed to connect with others more deeply and to truly serve them.

I have written before about SoChurch, a new Web-based communications tool for churches. I serve on the Advisory Board. It has been a delight to watch the SoChurch team turn their dream and into reality. The product officially launches on Monday, January 10th. In a moment, I will tell you how to sign-up before then and get a 25% discount.

What is SoChurch? As they say in their marketing copy.

The TSA is suffering a backlash in the court of public opinion. The agency recently changed its airport security procedures without warning. This surprised travelers, forcing them with a choice between submitting to a full body scan or an individual “pat down.” Privacy advocates and the media are up in arms.

Though I wrote a book on privacy in 2001, I don’t have anything new to offer to the debate. I’ll leave that to the pundits who are weighing in on talk radio, cable TV, and the blogosphere. There is certainly no lack of opinion.

Last April, I spoke at the Christian Leadership Alliance’s Annual Conference in San Diego, California. I spoke to the CEOs in attendance on the topic of “Social Media and Your Ministry.”

Recently, my friend John Saddington invited me to consider becoming an advisor to a new software startup call SoChurch. John is one of the most tech-savvy people I know. He is the Creative Web Director of North Point Ministries and the owner of Milk Engine, the Web design firm that built my blog. So when he makes a request, I listen.

I am always surprised at how well books on making presentations do. Presentation Zen, Slide:ology, and Beyond Bullet Points have all done exceedingly well. I have read them all and loved every word.

While weak leaders blame their followers for a lack of alignment, strong leaders know that it is their responsibility to create it. Alignment doesn’t just happen. It is created.

A few weeks ago, I was called by a consultant who was prospecting for business. He was a friend of a friend, so I felt duty-bound to give him thirty minutes to tell me about his company and the service he provides. Sadly, it was a complete waste of time.

Andy Stanley is the founder and senior pastor of Northpoint Community Church in Atlanta, Georgia. He is also one of the best communicators I have ever heard. His “Leadership Podcast” is designed “to help leaders go further faster.” I can attest to the fact that it delivers on its promise.

The TED Conference is one of the most prestigious in the world. In case you haven’t heard of it, TED stands for “Technology, Entertainment, Design.” It started out in 1984 as a conference bringing together people from those three worlds.

Since then its scope has become ever broader. The annual conference now brings together the world’s most fascinating thinkers and doers, who are challenged by TED to give “the talk of their lives.” Each speaker is given just 18 minutes to do so. Talk about pressure!

In a word, yes. At least for me. I probably don’t get more than two or three voice mail messages a month. Usually, these are calls from sales people who are prospecting or automated voice mail messages (e.g., a message from Walgreen’s, letting me know that my prescription is ready).

In my experience, the problem with voice mail is two-fold: (1) it’s more difficult to retrieve a message as compared to the alternatives and (2) it’s more difficult to integrate into my workflow. I hate to listen to a rambling voice mail message. People can ramble via email, too, but email is easier to scan and determine what the sender wants.

Last night, Gail and I went to local production of the play, “My Fair Lady.” I am embarrassed to admit that I have never seen it. I had seen clips from the movie, but I had never the watched the entire thing.

The reason I went is that Matt Baugher, one of our Thomas Nelson Vice Presidents, was starring in the lead role of Henry Higgins. I was blown away by his performance. He sang, danced, and spoke with an English accent. I was completely swept up in the story and forgot that Matt is a colleague and dear friend.

Today, I was reviewing a colleague’s PowerPoint presentation. The first thing I noticed was his company’s logo was on every single slide. After a few slides, I found myself getting annoyed.

I know it is standard practice to put a logo on every page, especially in the corporate world. However, I would suggest that you avoid this practice. Here’s why: