Many words in the English language are difficult. In fact, there’s even a Dictionary of Difficult Words. But none are more difficult than these: “I’m sorry. I was wrong. Will you please forgive me?”
Archive for Forgiveness
How Leaders Make It Right When They Blow It
5 Necessary Steps to a Mended Relationship
If you’re in a position of leadership, chances are better than good you’re going to blow it with your people sooner or later. It’s like messing things up in your marriage. Don’t ask me how I know this, but it’s inevitable from time to time. There are pluses and minuses to that comparison, but one […]
The Difference Between a Sin and a Mistake
Do You Know the Difference?
A mistake and a sin are two different things. People often confuse the two. But unless they understand the difference, there is no possibility of reconciliation.
Yes, Life is Risky—Dive in Anyway
How We Can Find Miracles in the Midst of Difficult Times
Life comes at us in waves. Sometimes the surge ripples gently by. Other times it can pound the daylights out of us and leave us gasping for breath. How do we respond when that happens? I live with my family in Colorado so my kids are more familiar with soaring mountains and sweeping plains than […]
Before You Send That Angry E-mail
I have fired off my share of angry letters and e-mail. Honestly, I cannot think of a single time when these communiques had a positive effect. Here are six steps you can take when you are tempted.
How to Fail Well
As a leader, it’s not whether you will fail but HOW. In this guest post, Nathan Rouse shares five principles for failing well.
An Interview with Ian Cron [Video]
A few weeks ago, I had the privilege of interviewing my dear friend and neighbor, Ian Cron, about his new book, Jesus, My Father, The CIA, and Me: A Memoir. . . of Sorts.
My Keynote Speech on Dealing with Offenses
The way we deal with offenses will determine the course of our spiritual journey. Here is my premise: “If you are going to survive—and fulfill your God-given calling—you must learn to handle criticism and overlook offenses.” In this speech I provide four truths about offenses.
The Number One Way Leaders Get Derailed
Recently, I wrote about how leaders must learn to handle criticism and overlook offenses. I think this is the number one way that leaders can get derailed and rendered ineffective.
Leadership and Forgiveness, Part 2
Amazingly, all these events seem to have a single thing in common: if a leader was the person who caused all the trouble (pulled the switch, made the move, etc.), he or she tried to clean up the disaster and make everything “nice” without knowing the difference between a mistake and a choice. … Parents who make wrong choices in front of their followers (children) and chalk them up as mistakes, throwing them away with casual apologies, know that those offenses can pile up in the life of a child and overflow into astonishing rebellion and disrespect.
Leadership and Forgiveness, Part 1
I have become convinced that there is one leadership principle upon which companies and families and fortunes balance, but it is totally misunderstood by today’s corporate and political leaders. This principle is powerful enough that it has redirected many of our lives in an eternal way, yet it is so ignored in our daily living that its absence has torn apart companies, families, nations, and civilizations!
What Does Tiger Wood’s Apology Require of You?
Last Thursday, I watched the Tiger Woods press conference in amazement. I was stunned at his candor. He didn’t sugar-coat his sin. Instead, he repeatedly acknowledged the magnitude of his wrongdoing and the scope of its impact. It is worth reading or watching the statement in its entirety. It contains several important lessons.