FISHING

I enjoy fishing. This past Saturday I caught a walleye at Sylvan Lake near Rome City, Indiana. Any year when I catch a walleye this early in the year is a great fishing year.

The confidence of a fisherman is very significant. If a fisherman is confident he will stay alert. While alert the fisherman will set the hook upon the fish striking the bait. A good fisherman knows to set the hook firmly.

This time of year the water is chilly. Minnows are the best bait. The bigger the minnow the bigger the fish caught. The bigger the fish caught the longer the fisherman has to wait to catch the big fish.

After the walleye I caught a crappie using a minnow. The day before I caught a trout using a minnow. Two days before I caught a bass using a minnow.

Three days in a row the weather was warm. The wind was slight. I got sunburned while wearing shorts and a tee shirt.

I cannot beat warm weather, fishing, and catching. This year is a great fishing year.

TRUTH

At college I took a class entitled Modern Literature. The theme of the class was “Fiction mirrors reality.”

When practicing law, I hear many true stories. I use the phrase “Who needs fiction when you have reality.”

Recently I heard a quote from Mark Twain. He said, “Fiction is obliged to stick to possibilities. Truth isn’t.”

Last Sunday the speaker encouraged his listeners to dig for the truth. He explained resources of news are not enough to know the whole story.

Learning how to learn is so important. The skills I have developed for learning how to learn have proven invaluable.

Such skills strengthened me to read the One Year Bible many times. I was able to study God’s Word and learn His truth.

Such skills make me look into the background of all resources I use. I investigate the behavior and witness of resources’ authors.

I encourage others to choose carefully what they decide to put into their heads. You are what you think.

GENUINE CHARACTER

I hold in high personal regard people who are authentic. Authentic people are sincere, communicate directly, and are honest. Authentic people have genuine character.

The history for the term authentic also carries with it “one who does things himself.” Another word is self-sufficient: having the necessary resources to get along without help.

The more and more an entrepreneur maintains a consistent genuine character, the more likely the entrepreneur’s enterprise will have necessary resources. The necessary resources resulting from a genuine character are customers with whom the entrepreneur wants to work, an outstanding reputation, and trustworthy referral sources.

An entrepreneur with genuine character may boldly embrace sales. For an entrepreneur with genuine character sales is not a gimmick, puffing, or a canned presentation. Sales for an entrepreneur with genuine character can be performed with a conversation about what the entrepreneur is passionate about.

Before conducting sales an authentic entrepreneur already figured out what others need and how to best serve. With sincere and direct conversation about the enterprise’s purpose, the entrepreneur grows relationships then nourishes the relationships with timely follow through and by keeping his promises.

An entrepreneur striving for consistent genuine character makes an honest effort to understand fully his strengths and the opportunities of the enterprise. The entrepreneur can then confidently use his sales strengths and grab the opportunities available.

COACHING

A coach serves as a leader. A leader must communicate clearly. A coach must establish a code of honor all teammates abide by. I use the 345 Reward System.

The 3 in 345 is three rules. Each team member holds their tongue (is quiet) when a coach is talking. Each team member always hustles. Each team member is never negative. These three rules work great during practice. The team members know the authority outlined practice for continuous hustle and the team members should not complain.

The 4 in 345 is four requirements. Team members communicate to one another. Each team member is to concentrate constantly. Team members work hard. All team members compete. These four rules work great during time outs. When the game is going well, the team quickly reaffirms the team’s good play by committing to remain steady at the requirement the team is performing best. When the game is not going so well, the team can point to one requirement the team is doing worst at then commit they will immediately get better at the unsatisfactory requirement.

The 5 in 345 is five character building statements. The first is “Not Today” meaning there is no acceptable level of failure. The statement is a call to perform with excellence, not simply to make a mediocre effort.

The second is “It Doesn’t Matter.” No matter what the challenge there is no place for self pity. Team members do not use excuses or blame others.

The third is “Finish It.” Most sporting activities have half times. There is no success at half time. Whether referencing a set play or a shot for a goal, each team member must finish strong.

The fourth is “There is No Growth Without Failure.” No one grows through constant success. Team members cannot give up no matter how bad the circumstances.

The fifth is “There is no Strength Without Pain.” Most everyone has heard the phrase no pain, no gain. The bottom line: if you want to perform, you must work hard.

With these character statements coaches and teammates encourage each other. The greatest reward is when each team member fulfills his role and the team performs successfully. A coach should reward team members verbally with encouragement every opportunity the coach has.

TEAMS

For teams to work the members of the team must each agree to follow a code of honor. The leader must clearly communicate the code of honor in writing. The code of honor sets forth expectations for each and every combination of relationship between team members. Each team member agreeing to the expectations better prevents the relationships from failing.

Teams come in all shapes and sizes. A team I recently wrote a code of honor for was my wife, me, and my daughter who started college. We agreed to a code of honor for a point of reference or guideline for my daughter’s four years at college.

When a student decides to attend college the future is uncertain. For instance, the student and the parents are concerned how the student will fit in. As part of the leader communicating clearly, less is more.

The code of honor includes my daughter must stay busy. The busier a student is the more efficient the student remains. The student decreases mind clutter because the student does not have time to second guess. The student has less room to make errors with extra time if the student is busy enough the student by force learns how to use time wisely.

The code of honor requires a commitment to personal development. The most significant habit of personal development is eradicating offers or events for which the student does not have a passion. Part of the college experience is gathering experiences and exploring a variety of disciplines then discovering what the student does not like. The commitment will define the student’s vision and provide focused direction as the college years go on. The personal development of the student includes equipping the student with skills matching the student’s talents.

The student within the code of honor must contribute financially. No one has a sufficient stake in a commitment without some skin in the game. Education should address the two resources over which each student serves as a steward: time and money. When the student contributes financially, the student learns the relationship between time and money.

The student must ask for help. Asking for help is a strength, not a weakness. The student healthily seeks independence but should know she is supported. As a good steward, the student will understand the benefit of asking for help before the resource of time, for example, is expended and there is no hope for recovery.

The student timely shares grades and report cards. Codes of honor essentially have methods to measure progress. Report cards with grades reflect whether the student is meeting the expectations of the professor who is the authority providing the measure.

I will write about another code of honor example tomorrow. Tomorrow’s entry will address coaching.

ENTREPRENEUR

An entrepreneur grabs an opportunity without having control over all of the resources. An entrepreneur first has to recognize an opportunity. An entrepreneur develops his ability to recognize an opportunity when accelerating failure.

An entrepreneur does not view the reality that challenges are in store as a problem. An entrepreneur knows problems will come up but is confident solving problems when the challenge arises. The entrepreneur constantly learns how to learn and a challenge positively accelerates learning how to learn.

Learning how to learn increases emotional intelligence and has little to do with a measured intelligence quotient. Failing at a high velocity most quickly nourishes emotional intelligence. Upon failing an entrepreneur naturally learns how to learn and will most efficiently and effectively meet the challenge.

Learning how to learn while meeting challenges sharpens an entrepreneur’s ability to make correct snap decisions. The higher the emotional intelligence the higher the confidence and the less second guessing occurs. The absence of second guessing eliminates analysis paralysis.

When analysis paralysis is absent the entrepreneur recognizes opportunities more rapidly. The entrepreneur makes snap decisions about lucrative opportunities and eradicates less valuable opportunities. Even if the entrepreneur incorrectly chooses one opportunity over another the entrepreneur is grateful for the opportunity to sort through opportunities because the sorting process causes the entrepreneur to learn how to learn better.

This process best defines the term opportunist. A faithful entrepreneur who is a humble opportunist knows to serve or to meet a need. When an entrepreneur serves others’ best interests or meets the need of others, the resource of money will follow collaterally.

THREE STRUCTURES

Three structures in which servant leaders may work are government, organizations like churches, and business. I chose business. None are wrong or right. I was called to business. My strengths and talents best match with serving as an entrepreneur.

The wisdom of leadership is providing clarity. Humans who are followers of leaders have common fears. A significant fear is fear of the future. Fearing the future causes uncertainty. When a leader is clear the leader is communicating certainty for the best interests of the followers.

A leader must first strive for clarity in his own life. A leader must embrace a purpose to focus on the direction for his life. A leader must struggle and persevere to strengthen his character and to have hope about following a plan to meet his purpose. The clarity about his purpose dispels fear and allows confidence in his direction, plan, and steps within his course of action.

A leader must get help. A leader must have mentors. A leader must surround himself with other servant leaders who are smart about what the maturing leader needs them to be smart about. With others surrounding the leader, the leader best eradicates distractions to more rapidly gain on his personal development. Anyone who makes the leader accountable helps the leader stayed focused.

LEGACY

American citizens over the age of eighty were asked, “What would you have focused more on in your life if you had to do it all over again.” Most respondents stated they would have worked more diligently on their legacy. My legacy is to continue developing an enterprise that contributes more and more to organizations effectively pointing singly to Jesus.

Over 20 years ago I read a book about a man from Ohio named Stanley Tam. When Mr. Tam started his business, he provided ten percent of the gross proceeds from his business to organizations effectively pointing singly to Jesus. During the decades Mr. Tam grew his business he incrementally provided larger percentages. His business grew to provide ninety percent of gross proceeds to organizations effectively pointing singly to Jesus.

An enterprise like Mr. Tam’s business is much bigger and greater than the founder. My vision is to continue developing an enterprise that allows all involved to maximize their strengths within their clear roles so the enterprise efficiently operates with an increasing profit margin.

The enterprise in which I devote one hundred percent of my effort and expertise is my law firm. Metz Legal Services maintains long-term relationships with people who own businesses and customizes its expert and practical legal consulting services to meet client needs in growth, compliance, and wealth planning. My purpose is to learn how to learn better, to communicate clearly, and to encourage others.

I am committed to communicate clearly on my blog. I hope something on my blog encourages somebody. I trust I will continue to learn more and more about clearly communicating and encouraging others as I add to my blog.