GlocalNet

Yesterday I hung out with Bob Buford, Leadership Network & Half-time Guru, for a couple of hours and as usual really enjoyed it.  He is chairman of the Drucker Institute now and gave me a copy of “Management”, the revised edition, and signed it for me.  It has all of the teachings of Drucker condensed, which I really like.  I’ve been skimming and skipping over and reading it already and love it.  It’s more of a “pill box” as Bob would describe it.  It’s arranged in a way that you can scratch where you are itching at the moment. 

There’s not a man alive who has invested more in me or encouraged me more during the past 15 years than Bob.  Because of the learning communities I’ve been a part of, events, people that he’s exposed me to, and ideas that he’s challenged me with, it would be impossible to put a price tag on it.  I’m not the only one, there are thousands of us, pastors, businessmen, and other professionals whose lives he has affected with his unique way of combining his faith with pragmatism, leading to results in a wide range of fields.  He likes to say, “My fruit grows on other peoples trees.” 

That takes a big man.  Most people want to hoard their fruit and keep it to themselves for themselves.  Not Bob.  He doesn’t have an orchard; he throws fertilizer on others orchards.  I’ve learned some really big lessons from Bob . . .

1.  Live life with an open hand.  Bob has shared relationships, ideas, and many resources but keeps it all with a view to the kingdom, it’s not his.  We talked about the economy yesterday and how he hates what’s going on because of how it impacts kingdom work financially.  I reminded him of what he already knew, what he and others have given over the years still multiplies because it’s far more than money.

2.  Don’t burn bridges.  You can’t be a “Bob Buford” without people trying to use you or take advantage of you.  I’ve watched him graciously deal with people whom I knew had caused him grief.  Perhaps because I knew of a couple of situations personally, he blew me away with how kind he was. 

3.  Serve others.  Everything about Bob is about others.  It’s not his organization or his stuff.  He generally uses his stuff for someone else’s stuff.  That takes humility.  Most people would like to brag and run up their flag on someone else’s property, not Bob. 

4.  Keep on learning and never stop dreaming.  He was telling me yesterday about his upcoming ideas, dreams, goals, aspirations . . . . He told me about a couple of new books he had just read.  One in particular is Clint Eastwood’s new book about his life at the age of 78 and where he’s going.  Guys like Bob may slow down, but they don’t age.  His hero, Peter Drucker, was the same. 

5.  Money is only one resource.  People who think of Bob’s organizations as potential funding devices miss the whole point.  It is knowledge, it is brain power, it is relationships, it is results, it is learning.

6.  Spot winners.  Bob had 2 pictures he showed me.  One was a 25 year old picture of 30+ people with Peter Drucker, Leith Anderson, Bob Buford, Bob Seiple, Bobb Biehl, Gordon Loux, Gordon McDonald . . . and a young Bill Hybels with long hair and a big grin.  Bob has always been about finding and facilitating the new and emerging.  BUT, his new picture was a huge lecture hall in China filled with people coming to hear about Drucker and management!  Way to go Bob, your apple is the world!

7.  Do what is uniquely you.  I use his organizational chart for life to help me when I study who I am and where I’m going.  He’s challenged me with this over and over again.  “Roberts, what is it you do that no one else can or does do?”  Each time I answer that question it is the same.  Each time I’m effective it’s that one thing . . . . .

So, Merry Christmas, Bob, you’ve been one of a handful of “life Santa Claus’ ” that has filled my mind, my heart, and has led to many results.