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Systematizing to Scale
How to create robust systems and processes to scale and create uniformity and in turn save time, energy, and other scarce resources
I’ve more than two decades of international leadership experience and have been helping leaders make successful transitions from one stage of leadership to the next one:
- From Star Employee to first-time Team Leader, Project Manager, or Supervisor;
- From Supervisory to Middle Management; and
- From Management to Executive Leadership.
In 2016 – 2017, I also had a golden opportunity to work with a national training company in the US, traveling around the country to provide public seminars and on-site workshops for new supervisors and managers.
One thing I quickly realized back then was that not all organizations have the knowhow, willingness, and ability to custom design and provide stage-by-stage leadership programs for their:
- Emerging Leaders,
- Middle Leaders, and
- Senior Leaders.
What is more? Very few smart organizations proactively and intentionally empower their NEW and 1st Time:
- Supervisors,
- Managers, and
- Executive to make a smooth transition and excel at their new leadership roles from the get-go.
A few years ago, I decided to help first-time leaders who may not get leadership transition programs from their employers to make a smooth transition from one stage of leadership to the next one.
As a result, I published the first of three books on leadership transition.
The first book in this series was published in 2021 and became Amazon’s #1 bestseller within the 1st week of its release. To learn more about this book and other complementary programs for first-time team leaders, project managers, and supervisors, click here…
The 2nd book in this trilogy is in the pipeline and may be published within a few months. The final and third book may be published at the end of this year or early next year, and it aims at equipping first-time new executives and CEOs. Stay Tuned!
The second book empowers supervisors transitioning from supervision to middle management- from leading one project or team to leading multiple teams and projects.
The transition from Star Employee to 1st time leadership is tough- at least for the first few months. Likewise, transitioning from supervision to middle management won’t be easy. And, of course, unless someone gets the appropriate transition programs individually and/or collectively.
This morning, I was enriching one of the keys shared in the second book: Systematizing Processes. One of the 12 keys a new middle leader needs to succeed in leading from the middle is the ability to systematize his/her portfolio, department, or function.
As a team supervisor or project manager, one might never need to create systems and processes under each system. He or she may have the pulse of the team at their fingertips. They may know what is going on and can create uniformity, harmony, and synergy without systematizing and creating processes for each system.
Unfortunately, many middle leaders may not make a quick shift in their mindset and develop the right competencies right away to lead multiple teams and projects from the get-go. Many solo entrepreneurs, too, struggle to scale because they don’t know the importance of systematizing and creating processes. Even if they are aware and willing, they may lack the know-how and abilities to do so.
When a supervisor or entrepreneur is leading one team or managing one project, they can survive and still perform well without systematizing.
Sadly, as a middle leader who manages multiple projects and teams, one can’t survive, let alone succeed, without systematizing the processes in their multiple teams and projects.
Systematizing is one of the skills necessary to lead from the middle effectively and successfully from the start without wasting scarce resources, harming performance, and/or affecting the well-being of all parties involved.
If it is done effectively, systematizing enables middle leaders to:
- Create uniformity,
- Save tons of time and energy,
- Conserve other scarce resources,
- Facilitate cross-pollination by busting silos,
- Enjoy an easy flow of info,
- Exchange of ideas and expertise,
- And many more benefits that come with breaking down silos and creating robust systems and agile processes.
The good news is that, unlike in the past, middle leaders and solo entrepreneurs who desire to scale FAST can tap into and leverage the latest technologies and platforms to create a robust system. More than ever, there are many affordable and easy-to-implement options out there…
Let me stop here. As soon as the book becomes available, I’ll share it with you here. Stay Tuned!
At this point, you may be wondering how these all apply to what we do at AHM Ministries.
Though AHM Ministries partner with other religious institutions to work together on issues that affect us commonly, the Ministry focuses on equipping Christians who are active in the market and workplaces.
Like their counterparts, Christian professionals, supervisors, managers, and executives need to make smooth transitions and excel at their new leadership roles to stay relevant, and become salt and light wherever they’re taking leadership.
Besides, Christian entrepreneurs, inventors, and investors who desire to scale need to systematize and scale fast. They can’t do these with the same mentality and competencies that enabled them to form and lead one project and/or team. They need to upscale their attitude and capabilities too…
I’ve personally seen on how many Churches and Ministries struggle to:
- Optimize their system,
- Scale, and
- Expand to reach and serve many beyond their backyards.
They had succeed leading one local Church or Ministry. When you had hoped they’d keep the momentum, many got stuck failing to enlarge their congregations. Those who managed to grow struggled to survive, let alone to keep the momentum going.
Sadly, some may revert, shrink, and even become irrelevant in their local community. In most cases, the problem that stopped their advancement is nothing to do with spirituality. They still:
- Pray,
- Fast, and
- Read scriptures.
In a few cases, it is to do with distraction from:
- The main mission,
- Lack of vision, and/or
- Character flow. It is rarely because they were spiritually weak nor lacked quality followers.
In most cases, it is the lack of the next level mindset, and the skillsets to take that one Church or Ministry to the next level and keep it going to reach and serve as many people as possible.
These transition books I’ve been writing and the programs I’ve been designing can be customized to empower Church and Ministry leaders who desire to:
- Keep growing,
- Optimizing,
- Scaling, and
- Expanding to serve the world with their calling and mandates…
The first Church was commissioned to start from Jerusalem and then go global. One’s mindset and skillsets that empowered a leader to succeed in leading a Church or Ministry in ‘Jerusalem’ succes may not help him or her to take it global, make it relevant, and keep it there till its mission is accomplished…
What is more, AHM Ministries aims at restoring the former glory of humanity one person at a time.
- In collaboration with our strategic partners and sponsors, we offer different leadership programs and services for Church and Ministry leaders.
- We also have an initiative that provides cohort programs based on the spiritual and leadership development stages of Christian leaders. These three books on leadership transitions will be some of the references.
If you would like to be a strategic partner, sponsor, or volunteer, reach out.
#Scaling #Systematizing #MiddleLeadership #MiddleManagers
Networking Among Christian Entrepreneurs and Professionals
This past Thursday at Montgomery College, Takoma Park MD, three Christian brothers- Surafel, Joseph, and Aklilu- in partnership with other friends and colleagues, arranged a networking opportunity for entrepreneurs and professionals.
There are networking opportunities for Ethiopians in the DMV area and I’ve been attending many of them. As a businessman and learning professional I network and do business with anyone regardless of their faith. I’ve friends, colleagues, and clients who are from diverse religions. I love and care about all of them.
For me, and I believe for many of the attendees, this is an additional platform that brings entrepreneurs and professionals who share the same faith.
Our ministry is committed in raising world-class Christians who become light and salt in the world by serving in the area of their passion as professionals and entrepreneurs. We need:
- Creative and innovative,
- Sharp,
- Hardworking,
- Consistent, and
- Ethical Christian professionals and entrepreneurs who bridge the gaps that exist in the work and solve hardest problems that torment humanity.
I was part of the panel that discussed the importance of networking for professionals and entrepreneurs. In the panel were:
- Gabe Hamda, President & CEO of ICATT;
- Selamawit Tefera, Owner of Sheger Ethiopian Restaurant;
- Surafel Tilahun, Founder & Owner -Sura Investment Consultancy, -ET-POL Global SP.Z.O.O , -Addis Tec – Debol Trading LLC
Gabe is a master of networking. I’ve watched him for years since 2008 as he turns strangers into his friends, partners, and clients. I’ve also learned so many lessons from his natural ability to connect with anyone regardless of their religious background. The audience didn’t take long to recognize that Gabe is the King of NETWORKING.
Selam is one of those few Ethiopian entrepreneurs who succeeded in making the American dream come true by starting with a few hundred dollars in her pocket, ending up owning multiple restaurants, and adding additional investments into her portfolio. Though she shared so many helpful insights and nuggets, one thing that resonated with the audience most was COURAGE in business. She EMBODIES courage and shared some of her bold moves and how they allowed her to advance in her entrepreneurial journey.
Surafel is a visionary who invests both in Ethiopia and the US. On top of taking the initiative to create, together with his colleagues, this unique networking platform, he is a man on a mission. Throughout the event, you could see his passion and determination in his:
- Opening remark,
- Unique perspectives in doing business as visionaries, and
- Closing remark where he emphasized the crucial place faith plays in translating one’s vision into reality.
As a panelist, my focus areas were:
- Making networking a habit even if you prefer introversion like I do. As someone who has a preference for introversion, networking wasn’t within my comfort zone. However, given the critical role it plays in my entrepreneurial success, I kept going out of my comfort zone and doing it even if I wasn’t enthusiastic initially until it became a habit.
- Becoming indispensable in the workplace. In the era of global and local cutthroat competition, economic downturn, and AI, professionals can’t afford to specialize in one thing, especially if it is a technical field. One must develop certain soft skills, become a problem solver, and take the lead outside of his/her job description to survive and thrive in the 21st C
- Developing high-revenue and high-impact skillsets to scale. Among other skills I mentioned in the discussion, networking is critical if you desire to collaborate, increase influence, and scale. Networking isn’t just a mindset thing, though. Almost all people on this planet understand its significance. The problem is that many don’t have the skillsets needed to succeed before, during, and after networking: such as setting goals about why they’re networking and with whom they should network and for what purpose (s); branding and marketing themselves like a pro; selling their ideas or product or service without acting like a sleazy salesperson; closing that ends with a win-win deal for all parties involved; delivering (overdealivering) once getting the deal; followup including getting QUALIFIED referrals and glowing testimonials; etc.
Many people struggle to develop and maintain high character, which is super important for anyone who claims follows Jesus. They may succeed at the front end of networking up to closing. What is the use of investing one’s scarce resources to attend networking events and ultimately get deals if they can’t overdeliver?!
Trust is vital to succeed in any business. It is already hard to earn someone’s trust and make them feel like working and/or doing business with you.
What is the hardest? Delivering your promises!!! One needs to have the character it takes to keep one’s word and follow through on one’s promises… Without character and overdelivering, one is wasting his/her time networking…
I believe that all professionals and entrepreneurs should be ethical. Yes, businesses by Christians should make profits to fulfill their mission. They can’t survive, let alone have an impact if they don’t generate revenue. However, Christians should take the high road regarding character and trust. We have to strive, more than our peers, to overdeliver and demonstrate character throughout the full cycle of networking from:
- Meeting people,
- Connecting,
- Communicating,
- Closing,
- Collaborating to
- Delivering and follow up…
Not just in this networking event but in some of the leadership workshops I design and facilitate in some government agencies, corporations, and community organizations, such as ‘Interpersonal Communication’ and ‘Collaboration and Coalition Building’, I emphasize the need to be proactive and intentional to sharpen some advanced skills, one of which is networking.
- Networking doesn’t mean exchanging business cards.
- It isn’t all about engaging in transactional relationships.
- It is more than that; it is relevant in all industries and determines our individual and collective success as a person, family, team, and organization (church/minstry).
These days, many government agencies and corporations realize that it is not just their marketing and sales professionals who need networking skills. Their leaders at all levels should also excel in networking with internal and external partners, peers, and stakeholders to expand their influence and build coalitions within and outside of their organization. Your church and ministry should also equip your people and leaders to develop networking skills. What are you doing in this regard?
One person, team, or organization is too little, insignificant, and insufficient to have a meaningful impact in this century…
As the saying goes: ‘Your network is your net worth.’
Let me know if you need help empowering your team to develop critical skill sets to succeed in:
- Connecting,
- Communicating,
- Collaborating,
- Turning Conflicts into Opportunities,
- Building Alliances and Coalitions, and so on… We can design and deliver the right webinars or workshops or engage with you in coaching or consulting services that focus on your needs, goals, and according to your preferences.
Finally, kudos to the organizers. Aklilu did a fantastic job successfully MCing the event. Joseph moderated the panel and came up with thoughtful questions. I am looking forward to attending future events and supporting what you do using my talent and experience.
Like every other networking opportunity, I met good old friends and got acquainted with great future friends, partners, and clients. Looking forward to stay in touch, connect, and potentially partner with you all…
#Networking #Connection #Collaboration #Coalition
Creating and Nurturing a Robust Corporate Culture (short video clips)
Only insecure leaders demand agreement all the time.
Smart organizations such as BridgeWater, a multi-billion Dollar Hedge Fund, and leaders like Ray Dalio, don’t allow the status quo and mediocrity to imprison them.
Rather, they create and nurture a corporate culture that intentionally incentivizes organized disagreement.
BridgeWater has a Radical Transparency corporate culture where providing feedback is the norm, not rarity.
Such organizations and leaders encourage their people to share their thoughts even if it means disagreeing with the leadership and what is the norm.
Everyone including the top leadership eagerly seek feedback from anyone in the organization.
As a result, everyone on the team and in the organization feels:
- Heard,
- Appreciated, and
- Respected.
Because of such a robust and vibrant culture, they unleash their full potential, create, and innovate, making such a robust culture a win-win for all parties…
By the way, some Ivy League universities in the US have studied the company’s corporate culture to understand how the culture was built and sustained.
Many companies attempted to copy and paste Bridgewater’s culture.
Unfortunately, few succeeded.
Many failed because they could not create a safe and productive environment where inhabitants of the culture engage in ORGANIZED disagreements to challenge the status quo, question mediocre ideas, and so on without feeling unsafe.
One of the reasons they struggled to configure such a culture was because they didn’t put the necessary ground rules to combat DISORGANIZED agreement.
As a result, they ended up having a toxic environment where few members belittle, undermine, or dominate others in the name of disagreement…
Watch the two less-than-60-second video clips to gain some context…
Once you have watched the videos, answer these questions:
- If you’re a leader of your church, ministry, or business, do you excel in providing feedback?
- Do you ‘beg’ for feedback, and when you get feedback, do you receive it gracefully?
- Have you created a vibrant pro feedback culture?
- What are some of the ground rules you put in place to create a vibrant and safe environment?
- How are you empowering your people to excel in giving and receiving feedback well?
- How do you nurture and sustain the culture?
Conversations on Leadership with Dr. Dave
I had a very engaging conversation with my good friend, Dr. Dave Miles.
We both are Regent University Alumni.
If you’re not familiar with Regent University. It is a leading global Christian university.
The university focuses on transforming the world through raising leaders. Its motto is “Christian Leadership to Change the World.”
Though this interview wasn’t designed for Christian leaders, there are many leadership lessons that can be drawn and implemented within a Church or a Ministry context.
Click here, watch the interview, and let me know your thoughts.
- What are the three lessons you drew from this interview that apply to Christian Leadership?
- What is that one concept or story that resonated the most with you? Why?
- Which of the lessons you got will you be implementing right away in your Church or Ministry? How?
Redeeming The Time in 2024
Redeeming one’s soul should be the top priority. There is nothing more important than the soul, the spirit side of our identity- the ONE that makes us eternal and transcendent species.
Jesus wondered and asked: “What good will it be for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul? Or what can anyone give in exchange for their soul?” (Matthew 16: 26)
However, TODAY, my focus isn’t on redeeming and restoring our souls, though these are some of the focus areas of our ministry…
This blog aims to remind all of us to make redeeming time one of our top priorities while we’re still in the first month of 2024.
Apostle Paul warned Ephesians by emphasizing: “See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil.” (Ephesians 5:15-16)
Next to redeeming our souls, we should give prime attention to redeeming our time.
Therefore, let’s redeem the time while we’re in the very early days of the New Year. It is not too late, if in case you’ve not yet, to:
- Think,
- Strategize,
- Prioritize, and
- Plan on how to redeem the time we lost in 2024.
One of the decisions I made at the early stage of the ministry, which I kept it to this day, is living with a sense of urgency.
Jesus shared a parable on what happens to a servant who doesn’t anticipate the coming of his master unexpectedly (Luke 12:47). He also talked about the 5 foolish virgins who weren’t with a sense of urgency and how they ended up paying a dire price for their negligence. (Matthew 25:1-4)
Since having a sense of urgency is one of my top 3 core values, I make sure to redeem the time on a daily basis. I make myself accountable. I remind myself constantly that this day could be my last.
Every day, I try my best and make sure that I commit significant time, energy, and resources toward the most important tasks that advance my assignment in life on a daily basis.
- Whether I’m tired/sick or not;
- Whether I feel like it or not;
- Whether I’m interested in it or not; there are certain tasks I must do on a daily and weekly basis…
Let me be honest:
- Do I succeed in staying with a sense of urgency every day? No!
- Do I get distracted, at least, for a portion of a given day? Yes.
- Do some urgent matters stop me from doing some of the daily routine? Yes.
I’m human like you. My goal isn’t to be perfect and act like a robot. I also don’t live on an island. I’ve family members, friends, colleagues, and clients, some of whom may need me urgently once in a while, and I must stop whatever I’m doing to meet their needs.
However, I try my best, at least before the world wakes up, to accomplish the most important tasks of the day first. If I get lucky, I get to keep my plan that day. If not, at least I took care of the most important tasks of the day.
Unfortunately, I’ve witnessed many giving less attention to redeeming their time. As a result, they take the risk of not fulfilling the assignment they were given when they joined this universe.
What is the use of redeeming our souls unless we use time wisely and allow the soul to fulfill its earthly journey successfully? This physical universe is trapped with time and space, and both are not eternal and indefinite. We all have limited time on earth and must redeem it consistently…
The devil may not be able to stop or cheat all of us from redeeming our souls, but he has been very lucky to distract many of us.
A quick disclaimer: Many of us are not wasting time. The challenge many of us good people have is that we’re actually too busy, like Martha, for some seemingly justifiable reasons with GOOD INTENTIONS.
Indeed, we are very busy and restless. But:
- Where are we spending our precious time?
- Do we prioritize?
- Do we have a schedule that we protect?
- Do we use technology and platforms to assist us in managing time well?
- Are we like Mary, Martha’s sister, whom Jesus complimented for spending her time on what mattered the most?
“Martha, Martha, you are worried and bothered and anxious about so many things; but only one thing is necessary, for Mary has chosen the good part, which will not be taken away from her.” (Luke 10:41-42)
The Apostle Paul in the scripture above warned us that we shouldn’t be FOOLS by failing to redeem our time… “not as fools but as wise, redeeming the time…” (Ephesians 5:15-16)
This is time to redeem what we lost in the previous year (s).
What are some of the things you should do to redeem the time you lost in 2023, and use the upcoming time wisely in 2024 and beyond?
If you have any questions or would like to partner with us, reach out to our team at [email protected]
Why is Christmas Special?
How the birth of Jesus made humanity special and why we shouldn’t be scared of AI and Aliens
Merry Christmas to you if you live in the Western Hemisphere! I’ll be back to wish you the same if you live in a country celebrating Christmas in January.
I’m lucky! I celebrate 2 Christmas:
- I celebrate Christmas tomorrow since I live in the US.
- In my native country, Ethiopia, it’ll be celebrated on January 7th, 2024.
A quick disclaimer. I know that Christmas has been commercialized, and people celebrate it differently.
For me, Christmas is special. It isn’t just one of the holidays. It’s an infliction point in the history of the universe.
For starters, the birth of Jesus Christ divided the world’s calendar into two:
- Before Christ (BC), and
- After Christ (AD).
Nonetheless, the birth of Jesus Christ has more significant spiritual implications than dividing the world’s history.
Whatever assessments scientists make about why the Earth is exceptional, the main reason for its uniqueness is that humanity resides on it. Humans are the temples of the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of God. Our presence made the Earth special!
Because Jesus was born, the Holy Spirit returned after the fall of the 1st Adam. The Spirit of God resided among us, and as a result, it made Earth special.
Since Jesus wore our flesh, entered space and time in our likeness, and became our substitute:
- We reconciled with the Father.
- We don’t feel condemned any longer.
- We’re not separate from our Source.
- We now dare to call the Father Abba.
- We can stand before His throne and glory to communion with Him as His offspring.
Reminding ourselves of Christmas’s significance is critical because there is a temptation to lower our standards and treat ourselves as normal.
We are a special species. A priceless price was paid for us to enjoy the above benefits. We shouldn’t lower our privileged status in the universe. This is especially true now more than ever.
Here are a couple of things I’m reflecting while celebrating this Christmas:
1. We can’t be substituted by AI. We’re a different breed. We were created after the image of God, and no other beings can replace our special place in the universe. We were worth the Son of God showing up in the flesh among us, proving that we’re special to the Kingdom of God.
I’m not against AI. I intensively use AI for my personal, professional, and business lives. AI will assist humanity in solving many of its daunting challenges! It is our ally. I can’t wait to benefit from all AI advancements in the coming years and decades…
I don’t see it as a threat either. The advent of AI demonstrates that we humans have been evolving metaphysically, and our creativity is increasing exponentially.
As many experts agree:
- AI can’t substitute you or your job, but someone who uses AI does.
- AI isn’t the danger; the person who uses it can make it dangerous.
The point is that we’re the only danger against ourselves because we’re spiritual beings who can override matter and mind. We have creative (destructive) power many of us can’t comprehend…
Even at this stage of our mental evolution, we created powerful technologies that can destroy the Earth multiple times.
The wars in Ukraine and Gaza are proof of how close we are to employing nuclear weapons that can wipe out the entire human race. This shows that we’ve evolved mentally and can create great technologies, but we’re prone to self-destruct since we’re so slow in our spiritual evolution.
In the decades ahead, as we evolve mentally, there is no question that AI will become more intelligent than the average man. It is a good thing, not a threat!
Why should we not be scared? Because AI doesn’t and can’t have what we already have innately: Consciousness.
There is no proof of consciousness arising from hardware and software.
The only possibility for AI to function like humanity is if we further evolve spiritually and know how to introduce consciousness into the physical universe. That is when we understand how to ‘create’ consciousness.
So far, we’re not yet there. We created intelligence like AI that functions in the physical and metaphysical realms. Still, it won’t be a threat when we further evolve and enable AI to possess independence and become a conscious being because we are ahead of AI in our consciousness evolution.
2. We can’t be destroyed by Aliens. I don’t have proof of the existence or non-existence of aliens. Intuitively, they do not exist. Even if some out there are mentally advanced, they aren’t better than us, at least spiritually.
Christmas is proof that God favored us when Jesus, who 100% evolved spiritually, was born among us. As far as we’re conscious beings, it is unlikely any other non-spiritual being is destroying us.
Let’s say, for now, that there are aliens on the far side of the universe. There are a lot of talks about aliens coming to colonize and even destroy us. If aliens exist, they’re either more primitive or more advanced than us:
- If they’re primitive, we are the threats, not them.
- If they’re more intelligent and evolved than us, there is no way they desire to hurt or compete with us.
We humans hurt one another mainly because we have a scarcity mentality. We dominate others to exploit their resources. And we think that aliens are like us, and their sole interest in us and our special planet is domination to take over the Earth and its resources.
If there are Aliens out there who could contact and reach us, they must be well advanced and can utilize the vast infinite resources of the universe. In that case, why would they want to destroy us as far as we’re backward and nonthreat to them?
Let’s celebrate Christmas and remind ourselves that we’re special, and Jesus’ birth made it so. God reunited with us by sending His Son- Jesus Christ. The birth of Jesus brought to us so many blessings. While celebrating Christmas, let’s recount those personal and collective blessings the birth of the King brought to humanity.
Merry Christmas again!
Excelling as a 1st Time Supervisor or Manager
According to the Corporate Executive Board (CEB), “Within the first 24 months of taking a new position, 60% of new managers fail.”
You shouldn’t be surprised by this statistic. Many first-time supervisors and managers are thrown into deep water to see if they can swim or sink. Unfortunately, the majority are sinking.
They are unable to make a smooth transition and excel at their new role. In the process, they also hurt their well-being, performance, and relationships.
However, I have worked with some proactive organizations that didn’t wait 24 months to see whether their new supervisors and managers can survive or not. They don’t let their new leaders swim alone and solo without giving them the proper training and equipping them with the right gear. I traveled around the country to facilitate workshops specifically designed for new supervisors and managers.
At the end of each session, you could see the excitement, confidence, and sense of relief from participants. Many of them mentioned they had wished they had this workshop months ago prior or as soon as they were promoted. Some regretted the stress, anxiety, and uncertainty that tortured them for weeks and months. These could have been avoided. They also admitted that they could have become a little bit more assertive, and productive, and improved their relationships with key stakeholders sooner if they passed through this program earlier.
If you’re a senior leader responsible for managing, coaching, and mentoring first-time supervisors and managers, you were among those 40% who survived and ultimately succeeded in climbing the corporate ladder. When you were a new supervisor or manager, you might have gotten some support from your superiors, or you took matters into your own hands and made the transition successfully. But many of your peers didn’t make it.
I have noticed that many senior leaders don’t see the need to arrange transition programs for their coachees and mentees. They made the transition by themselves successfully back then when they were just starting, consciously or unconsciously, they presume that the current new leaders in their organization too could make it, if not right away, at the end of the day…
To read the rest of the blog, click here…
To watch the video clip, click here…
Note: As you know, we’re a non-profit organization, and we offer most of our services for FREE, in a few cases, we charge a nominal price to cover our expenses. But, our programs are limited to spiritual individuals and instituitions.
However, if you’re our strategic partner or a spiritual institution and have supervisors and managers, you should get the programs of Success Pathways, LLC.
As you may already know, Success Pathways support AHM Ministries financially and offers discounts to our Strategic Partners. Reach out to its team via [email protected] and mention that you’re our Strategic Partner and a spiritual organization, they’ll give you discount.
If you’re an aspiring or new team leader, project manager, or supervisors, click here and take advantage of the promotional price to get the eBook of Overcoming 1st Timer for just 1 USD (plus bonuses worth of 1, 400 USD).
If you have any questions or would like to partner with us, reach out to our team at [email protected]
Reflections Based on a Visit I Made to My Alma Mater
How I came to know Regent University and make a decision to join one of its doctoral programs
Why I did decide to pursue a doctoral degree?
I didn’t know the existence of Regent University until 2008.
During that time, I was in transition. It had already been 3 years since I came to the US, and it felt like I wasn’t loyal enough to my purpose in life. I was far away from the center of my mission in life.
After spending days fasting and praying, I finally decided that I needed to pursue my doctoral degree in a field that could equip me to pursue my God-given purpose.
I still remember the pushbacks and objections I experienced when I shared this decision with the people around me. Many of my colleagues and friends thought I was crazy.
They rather preferred me to do a Ph.D. in Veterinary Medicine (my first degree) or Computer Science (my Master’s). When they realized I wasn’t budging, they advised: “At least, study one of the science fields, not leadership…”
They were looking out for me and thought these were safe and predictable fields for an immigrant like myself. They couldn’t see me succeeding in the field of leadership. I don’t blame them…
While searching for which university and program to join, I was introduced to a master’s student who already enrolled at Regent University. Back then, we both were attending the same church in DC.
Since she didn’t give me permission, I won’t mention her name here and put her in the spotlight. However, I’m always grateful to her!
She was very generous in her time. After giving me some background info about Regent University, she suggested I should visit the campus and talk to the Deans of the different programs. I listened…
My first visit to the Regent University campus in Virginia Beach
Luckily, there was an upcoming 2-day campus visit event in 2008 at the end of the first week of November.
The event was jam-packed. We had a chance to:
- Tour Regent University’s beautiful campus (I’ve attached some pics throughout this blog if you have never been there).
- Attend briefings by Deans from different Schools.
- Have one-on-one conversations with the Deans of schools we are inclined to join.
The founder of Regent University, the late Dr. Pat Robinson, shared how Regent University was formed and his vision.
About Regent University
If you’re not familiar with Regent University, it is located in Virginia Beach, VA. It was founded in 1977 by Pat Robertson. The university offers:
- Associate,
- Bachelor’s,
- Master’s, and
- Doctoral programs.
Regent is accredited by some national and regional accreditation institutions, including the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, the most rigorous accreditation institution.
Why I wrote this blog?
You may be asking: “Where are you taking this blog?” Please be patient with me. I’m giving you some background and context.
My goal in this blog is to share with you:
- My mindset,
- How I make decisions, and
- One of my longtime habits.
You may resonate with my story and how I see things. Who knows you may find some insights or approaches that may help you when you make your next tough decision. As you have seen so far, I took some steps before I made one of the most important decisions in my life: Where and what to study for my doctoral degree…
Besides, since you’re here, I’d like to share with you some pics I took during my visit to Virginia Beach and Norfolk in late July 2023.
One of my habits
Once in a while, I go back to where I was ten, five, or three years ago just for the purpose of recounting:
- Who I was back then.
- What my vision was.
- How I viewed the world around me.
- The concerns and worries I had during that stage of my life.
- How far I have come and the blessings in my life since then.
I’ve this grateful mindset. Though I didn’t know when I started this mentality, it has been therapeutic. It helps me to:
- Remember how far I’ve come.
- Put things in perspective.
- Regroup and rejuvenate.
- Remain grateful even if I may be passing through tough times and things may look bad in the NOW.
Every time I go back to memory lane, relatively speaking, I find myself:
- How egotistical and selfish I was back then.
- How out of touch and unrealistic some of my thinking and expectations were.
- How much I worried in vain…
Sometimes, I fly or drive for hours to revisit a place where I was some years back.
My recent visit to Regent University
End of July this year, I was in Virginia Beach. During office hours, I was:
- Reconnecting,
- Networking, and
- Doing business.
During the early morning and after work hours, I was:
- Chilling on the beaches of Virginia Beach and Norfolk, or
- Dining with friends, colleagues, former and prospective future clients.
Whenever I go to the Virginia Beach and Norfolk area, I attempt to:
- Visit Regent University campus
- Talk to some of my former professors on campus
- Reconnect with cohort members in the area
- Drive by the street of the house where I stayed for 6 months during the first year of my study at Regent University’s Doctor of Strategic Leadership program.
During this particular trip, I got lucky to:
- Meet the Dean of one of the schools in person. Since I didn’t get permission, I’m not mentioning the name of the Dean here.
- Talk over the phone with another Dean.
- Connect with some new professors and current students…
If you have never been to Regent University, here is what you will find when you step onto the campus and walk around:
- You’re bound to smell love and calmness in the air.
- You’ll find staff members with a sense of duty to give you outstanding service.
- You’ll also encounter students and professors eager to greet and talk to you with a smiley face 😀
The Legacy of Dr. Pat Robinson
What made this particular visit different was that I visited the campus after the passing of the Founder, Dr. Pat Robinson. I read his autobiography when I was a student at the University. The reading allowed me to know him as:
- Visionary and farsighted. I read his autobiography where he detailed what he saw and how he went about translating his vision into reality. If you have a mind and heart that appreciates a visionary, it doesn’t matter whether you are a Christian or not; whether you share that person’s beliefs or not, you honor them when you see with your own eyes the translation of their vision into realities.
- Independent thinker. Pat was loved by many and equally hated by many because of his conservative values, and his charismatic and maverick personality. Believe me, no one is free from haters, if they do something significant like Pat did. Actually, there is a popular saying in my native country Ethiopia. Its translation in English is close to: “God, please don’t deny me of haters?” You will have haters if you haven’t yet if you are an independent thinker and change agent.
- Pioneer. He ran for the US presidency. Many popular Christian leaders before him avoided politics.
- Builder. I wasn’t just a visionary, he built enduring institutions. His legacy is continuing because he was a builder. He is still leading without his presence.
- Generous with a big heart. I heard some heartwarming stories of how he personally helped some students financially, including from my own country, Ethiopia to study at Regent University. I also heard that before his passing, he gave away the Founders Inn and many of his personal possessions to Regent University.
If you’re in the DC metro area and an alumni or student of Regent University, you should join the DC Metro area Alumni Network Chapter. Stay in touch with your fellow alumni by joining the LinkedIn Group.
Reach out and let’s have coffee or lunch.
Finishing Your Race Before Dying
Is seeking greatness from ego or God?
Who is setting your bar?
It is common to see many Christians setting their bar based on the teachings of their denomination and church.
The tone set by their denomination, more importantly, the local church, determines how far a believer desires to go in life.
Just be honest:
- Who is setting your bar and how far you can go in life?
- You (I mean your ego)?
- Your parents?
- The media you frequently listen to and watch?
- Your teacher or mentor or coach? Or
- God (your soul)?
Having ego isn’t the problem, the type of ego that possesses you is the issue
There were a few individuals who cared and boldly confronted me. They were frank in my face telling me that I had ego.
My immediate response always had been, who doesn’t have ego? Most of these good people were shocked!
- First, they didn’t know that I knew about having ego.
- Second, they didn’t anticipate that I’d be frank about it. They were expecting me to be apologetic. Why should I?
Sometimes for a few minutes while other times for hours and for more than one session- depending on with whom I was debating- I must explain to them that even Moses, Jesus, and Paul had egos except that they weren’t led by their ego.
You can imagine how stunned they were. They thought I was crazy, even speaking blasphemy for putting Jesus’ name into the mix. Of course, until I provided the context…
I don’t blame them. The problem is the definition of ego they had. In my world, there are two ego types:
- Healthy and normal, and
- Toxic and abnormal.
The healthy ego is necessary to survive in the physical universe
The normal ego is meant to help us in this dangerous world. Can you imagine what will happen if you always use your soul to guide you here on earth? You can’t protect yourself from:
- Car accidents,
- Fire, and
- Many other dangerous beings and things including bad people.
Think of your infancy years, before you developed your ego when you were 4 – 6 years old. You didn’t have a personal identity yet. You were trusting and relating to everyone, even strangers and potentially horrible people.
If a snake crawled toward you, you would have grabbed it and might have attempted to swallow it. If there was a fire in front of you, you would have played with it. You got my point…
Before we move on, I fully understand that the line between having a healthy and a toxic ego is very delicate.
What is more? At one point in life, before we developed our spirituality, we all might have been possessed by a toxic ego that thought there was only a physical universe, and the most important thing is survival and comfort of the physical body.
In the future, I will dive deep and talk about the different identities we have, in which universes they operate, and what their agendas and priorities are. Familiarizing ourselves with these personalities helps us to differentiate and also prioritize whose voice to hear and when.
Just a quick example, if I’m driving on a highway, I want my ego to be in charge and pay attention to avoid accidents and hurting other people around me. This isn’t the time to think heavenly. When I am in a prayer and fellowship mood, I silence my ego and command it to sit tight until I’m done. I tune to the voice of my inner self and leave the physical and metaphysical universes to communion with the heavenly beings in the spirit.
Depending on where I’m at a given time, what I’m doing, and with whom I’m interacting, I switch between my identities. You got the point…
You may be rolling your eyes and thinking that I’m being dishonest or having a multiple personality disorder.
If you’re tempted to negatively label me like that, you haven’t read what Jesus said: “Here I am sending you out like sheep with wolves all round you; so be as wise as serpents and yet as harmless as doves. But be on your guard against men.” (Matthew 10: 16)
Jesus was telling His disciples to be wise!!! You can’t always be a dove or a ‘serpent’ and always and everywhere. Be wise when to switch your personality hat…
Ego will fight to death to stop you from seeking true greatness
That being said about ego, the question is who is seeking greatness? Your ego or your highest self within? The short answer is your highest self.
Let me break it down for you. Ego is selfish, think temporal, and fearful. On the other hand, your soul- your highest self, doesn’t think small and never buy into human made limitations. It’s eternal and never afraid of anything…
If you think about it, ego is afraid of you taking the journey of your soul and being truly great. It will lose you if you step into this realm…
Ego only seeks high places, like the pharisees, as far as the glory doesn’t cost their lives and cause discomfort.
The next question is: Does God be unhappy if you succeed on earth and become great in your own unique way?
No way! He is the GREAT ONE and it is His pleasure to see His images, you and I, attain true greatness. Here is what He said to Abraham: “I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing.” (Genesis 12: 2)
Didn’t He made Abrham great? Why then do you think He will be intimidated or offended if you also become great in your own unique way and according to the glory He had for you before the foundation of the world?!
No one who took their fulfillment seriously stayed ordinary and obscure
By the way, I’m not talking about the greatness ego seeks. I’m talking about the greatness your soul desires and destined to achieve. Her fulfillment on earth is dependent on whether you pursue your purpose in life and get fulfilled or not.
Without any doubt, no one took this fulfilling and God ordained journey and remained ordinary, obscure, and stayed under the table! If you find yourselves ‘under the table’ and your light is not shining on top of a hill, it’s because you haven’t yet begun the journey of your soul. You haven’t yet left ‘egypt’ and martched forward toward ‘cannan’…
Jesus pursued His assignment in life, and He became great. Remember, He:
- Wore our flesh.
- Began from scratch as a kid and grew in strength and wisdom (Luke 2:40).
- Didn’t succeed automatically.
- Sought and pursued His assignment on earth till the end until He said: ‘It is finished.’
Your greatness begins when you start the assignment God gave you on earth
One of the most powerful scriptures that has inspired and guided me for many years is one of Jesus’ last day’s prayers in John 25 where He said, “I have brought you glory on earth by finishing the work you gave me to do.” (John 17: 4)
But, Jesus wasn’t the only one who discovered, pursued, and fulfilled His assignment on earth. Paul followed the same pattern and encouraged others to do the same when he said, “Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ.” (1 Corinthians 11: 1)
Paul too finished his race and announced, “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race.” (2 Timothy 4: 7)
I’m aware of one of the quotations some preachers use to limit the aspiration of their congregation. They quote the same Paul I just quoted who hadn’t content until he finished his race. In Philippians 4:12, Paul confessed: “I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation.”
Unless someone wants to take this out of context, Paul wasn’t talking about being content where you’re in life, away from God’s purpose for your life. He was talking about learning to be content with what he had materially.
Yes, we should be content with what we have materially right now. The question is are we contented based on what others tell us where our finish line should end and how high our bar should be or are we contented based on the destiny God has for us, which isn’t too small nor too little?
Mistaking a transit as a destination
Unfortunately, most of us camp on a ‘mountain’ for too long, never moving to our destiny thinking that that is where God wants us to conclude our journey. We’ve mistaken the transit as a destination.
I can hear God admonishing us like He did the Israelites in the desert. “Leave this place, you and the people you brought up out of Egypt and go up to the land I promised on oath to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.” (Exodus 33: 1).
God has a glorious destiny for all of us during our lifetime that allows us to unchain our full potential. It isn’t behind us. It is ahead of us and we must begin this journey if we haven’t yet.
Sadly, many of us think that our potential will be fulfilled when we get to heaven and in the spiritual universe. As a result, we camp where we are now and WAIT til we die. Very saddening and heartbreaking!!!
This message is especially important if you’re mistakenly thinking that you’ve arrived. If you’re still breathing, you’re not yet done! You’re not close to the finish line yet, let alone crossing it, until you fulfill your assignment.
Why? Because you know it when you cross the finish line. Your soul testifies that you have arrived… You have peace unlike in this world. And most importantly, the world around you know it. Nothing is fulfilling like the feeling of finishing your God-ordained assignment faithfuly and courageously by staying committed and resilient till the end!
Don’t forget, Jesus knew when He crossed the finished line. After saying ‘it’s finished’, He stayed a little longer to mentor His successors. Likewise, Paul finished the race and stayed for the sake of His followers. He said: “For I am hard-pressed between the two, having a desire to depart and be with Christ, which is far better. Nevertheless to remain in the flesh is more needful for you.” (Philippians 1: 23-24).
I’d like to make some disclaimers:
- Your purpose and destiny are different than the ones Jesus and Paul had.
- Where you finish your race and how it will come about is totally different than mine and everyone else’s.
- We all may not finish our race while leading at the front like Jesus and Paul. Do you remember the prophetess Anna (Luke 2:36–38) and Simeon the devout (Luke 2:25–35)? They played significant roles in supporting the mission of Jesus while He was a kid and vulnerable. They knew why they were there. The outcome would have been different if these were bad people who worked for Herod. They understood that they were playing a part toward the eternal agenda of God. Because of that they fulfilled their spiritual duty. Once it was done, they knew when they crossed the finish line and ready to transcend to the spiritual world feeling contented and fulfilled. What a journey and an end!? What about you? How do you plan to finihs your race? How can we help?
In conclusion, we all should discover God’s purpose for our life and pursue it till we fulfill it. We shouldn’t fear stepping up to the plate to join the eternal movement of the Kingdom of our Almighty Father even if our ego limits our aspirations and tries its best to stop us from taking the journey of our soul. Even if the world around us thinks that we are egotestical and trying to make a name for ourselves.
Beware!
- The ego has a totally different agenda how it would like to use you.
- The devil may also use the people you trust to cheat you out of your glorious destiny, without them knowing it, by lowering your bar, over staying at a transit, and stopping before you reach the finish line.
Ego thinks that there is only a physical universe and a body it protects and take care of. It is so selfish that it seeks comfort and avoids taking risks, such as pursuing your eternal assignment, which may make you uncomfortable and require you to pay some dire prices.
Whether your purpose entails you to be at the front and leading like Moses, Jesus, and Paul or provide support in the background like Mary, Anna, and Simeon, don’t settle until you cross the finish line and get fulfilled in life while you’re alive and on earth.
If you would like to:
- Discover your purpose in life,
- Equip yourself with the necessary mindset, skillset, and character, which enable you to pursue and fulfill your call, you should be part of our community.
We would like to hear from you. Send us email if you have any questions or would like to be part of our team at [email protected]
Who Should Worry About Money as Their Lord?
Some people think that the devil is in the same class as God. They wrongly assume that the two compete.
God never competed with the devil and never shown any worry that the devil may replace him in the hearts of His people.
The reason is simple. God believes that His people can easily recognize that the devil is a creation, and everything he got came from its Source, God, who is our Father!
Sadly, however, there are a few who, knowingly or unknowingly, chose to serve the inferior lord. These people decided to serve the devil and allow him to lord over them. Sad!!!
Then you may ask if the devil is not a competitor, who else is there to compete with God?
Well, let’s hear from the master. In Matthew 6:24, Jesus said: “No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money”.
As you can see, the devil isn’t in the equation. Jesus didn’t say ‘You cannot serve both God and money.’
This clearly shows that money is more powerful than the devil…
You may not agree with me on this one. Many people shouldn’t worry about money becoming their lord.
The reason is simple: They don’t have enough money that can alter their thoughts, decisions, and take their focus from God to money.
For that matter, what is happening is that many spiritual people are worried too much about money and stressed out to pay their bills that they don’t have enough time to fellowship with God and serve Him and His purpose in their lives and in their generation. Unfortunate!
These precious people don’t worship money, but they need money to survive. If they don’t survive, they can’t even have a roof over their heads that allow them to sit down and pray and worship God.
If you ask me, who should be worried about money becoming their lord are those who have MONEY! Rich people may wrongly decide to worship money because it gives them temporary self worth and security, get what they want, get away with so many jams, and do what they want to do.
If someone is poor or average, they shouldn’t worry about money lording over them. What they need to worry about is why they’re not yet using their God given talent, His guidance, and favor, to make money so that they can serve God, His People, and meet the needs of the poor.
I’ve witnessed many spiritual teachers watering down their messages and getting manipulated because they were highly dependent on some members of their congregation to fund their mission. Rather than talk, behave, and do the way they truly believe and as they are instructed by the Lord, they lower their bar and conform to appease donors.
It is better to have enough money these servants of God need to fund their mission and worry about whether they worship money or not rather than being hostages because they don’t have enough money.
Part of the problem is that many believers are afraid of making money because of some scriptures that talk about money that have been taken out of context. Scriptures like “For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.” (1 Timothy 6:10)
This scripture doesn’t talk about money as evil. It is the LOVE of money. Money that doesn’t ‘err you from the faith and pierce you through with many sorrows’ isn’t evil.
These the same people who misunderstand what Paul was saying in the above scripture also, somehow, escaped or neglected to read scriptures like this: “But remember the LORD your God, for it is he who gives you the ability to produce wealth.” (Deuteronomy 8:18).
Here, Moses was not talking about rich, he was actually talking about WEALTH! From this scripture, you can clearly see that God doesn’t have a problem if you and I become wealthy.
For that matter, when you look back in history, many of God’s servants were wealthy. Think of Abraham, David, and Solomon.
Even in the New Testament, Jesus never lacked money. He was so wealthy that he needed an accountant. Not just any ordinary and ethical accountant. An accountant that stole from Him. What was impressive? Even if He had such a thief accountant, He never lacked money.
I know some people will be alarmed by what I just stated above above Jesus because they know another scripture which says: “For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sake He became poor, so that you through His poverty might become rich.” (2 Corinthians 8:9).
Compared to His glory and richness in the Heavenlies- before He took our flesh and came here on earth- yes, He looked poor during His earthly years. Otherwise, money never had been an issue and came in the way of affecting Jesus’ lifestyle and the way He ministered His people.
By the way, I’m not here in this blog inspiring you to seek money or wealth. I just want you to stop and reflect to evaluate and see if in case you are afraid of money and wealth in vain- if not consciously, unconsciously- because you don’t have the full context why God doesn’t want you to be porr so that you proof Him that you love Him and He is your LORD.
If in case there is any trace of worry God may disown you if you get wealthy, I’m here to ask you what kind of wealthy father desires his kids to be poor?
Our wealthy Father desires us to have all-around wealth, not just rich in money. We bear His image, and we represent Him better when we have abundance than scarcity.
Of course, God will never disown poor people. He wants us to help the poor…
Nonetheless, do you know that if you happen to be poor, God doesn’t want you to feel poor. It is written in Joel 3:10: “Let the weak say I am strong and the poor say I am rich.”
It seems paradoxical. But that is the way we should live our lives. We shouldn’t be afraid of getting wealthy. When we have abundance:
- We have freedom.
- We can choose and decide godly.
- We don’t allow the lack of money to stress and lord over us.
- We can make money serve God’s purpose in our lives.
Not only should we believe that we should strive to be wealthy by using the unlimited potential, talent, and gifts He gave us, but we shouldn’t say, behave, and act as if we’re poor even if we may not have a lot of money in the NOW.
- Let’s be honest:
- There is no glory in being poor.
- The overwhelming majority of believers shouldn’t worry about money being their lords. They don’t have enough money yet.
- Having a lot of money doesn’t instantly or by default make you worship and make money your lord.
Let’s be real. For example, most middle-class people in any country can’t send their kids to good schools, and of course, unless they get scholarships. While in this position, they should be far away from fearing money becoming their lord…
Actually, people who don’t have money are susceptible to allowing money to lord over them. They may:
- Say,
- Behave, and
- Do things that are not godly because of money so that they may survive!
Spiritual people can only gain their freedom by getting more money through proper channels, taking out the lack of money out of the equation. When they have neough money, they can focus on God, and spend enough time and resources to serve God and His people.
In closing, who should worry about money being one’s lord? People who have millions and billions of dollars. They may become susceptible to the lordship of money.
But we know so many wealthy people who:
- Didn’t allow money to lord over them.
- Created jobs.
- Help countless needy people.,
- Also live a godly lifestyle.
You want to be like them to transfer the wealth God has for you in store to those who need financial help. The least, you shouldn’t resent and judge wealthy people. Most importantly you shouldn’t scared of becoming wealthy as if money owns your soul authomatically and by default. It does’t; unless you allow it…
Therefore, this concern of spiritual people who don’t even have enough money to pay their bills and people who are not even leading a comfortable life to worry about money becoming their lord, is unnecessary, to say the least.
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- Board of Directors
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