This past week, during practice 51 with a team of amigo’s, I was reminded of a learning long ago from an old pastor. As the story goes a pastor with a large congregation began an experiment on human hearing. He preached a sermon. Novel idea. Preacher preached. The next Sunday he repeated the same sermon as close to word to word as humanly possible. The following Sunday – the same. The next Sunday, yup, he did it again. Nobody said a word until his fifth straight repeat. After the fifth Sunday one of his chosen few came up to him to call him out. He told the pastor that he was onto him. Playing along the pastor asked him what in particular he was onto?
“You preached that same sermon last year, didn’t you!”
Remember, my leader, you will get tired of delivering the message long before the team hears it. Keep reminding, reminding, reminding. Remember MLK jr’s famous speech, when we record it in history was his umpteenth time of sending it. He was so sick of the “Dream” speech he actually began that day in D.C. with a new speech that simply fell flat. So, he went back to his old stand by and his listeners loved it. Turns out once we’ve heard our leaders and we like it, we want it more and more and more.
So, Amigo’s, remember to ask your amigo, your teammate, your leader, and your wife, if they would be so kind as to play back what they heard. And, don’t be surprised when they don’t get it.
Good…
BUILT TO LEAD 