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Marketplace Proverbs & Coffee With Ernie · Marketplace Proverbs and Coffee with Ernie-A Proverb Per Day Keeps Stinking Thinking At Bay

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  SPEAKER_00: Have you noticed we pay little attention to something that's broken?
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  I mean,
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  we'll notice it at first,
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  but unless it's repaired,
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  we just kind of ignore it.
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  SPEAKER_00: Also,
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  SPEAKER_00: there's abandoned buildings that rarely attract attention or opposition,
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  SPEAKER_00: and frankly,
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  SPEAKER_00: a neglected relationship seldom faces resistance.
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  SPEAKER_00: And
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  From experience,
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  a business in decline is often ignored by the competitors.
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  SPEAKER_00: But you know something?
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  SPEAKER_00: The moment rebuilding begins, everything changes.
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  SPEAKER_00: Suddenly,
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  SPEAKER_00: people notice,
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  SPEAKER_00: critics emerge,
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  SPEAKER_00: doubters appear,
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  SPEAKER_00: competitors become alert,
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  SPEAKER_00: and the greatest challenge often isn't the opposition around us.
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  SPEAKER_00: It's the discouragement within us.
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  SPEAKER_00: Welcome to Marketplace Proverbs and Coffee with Ernie,
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  SPEAKER_00: where a proverb a day keeps stinking thinking at bay.
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  SPEAKER_00: I'm Ernie Lansford.
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  SPEAKER_00: After more than 60 years in sales and leadership, I've learned that
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  Biblical Wisdom is the most valuable asset we can carry into
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  the marketplace.
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  SPEAKER_00: Each time I read Proverbs,
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  SPEAKER_00: Scripture reveals practical insight for leadership,
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  SPEAKER_00: service,
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  SPEAKER_00: and building relationships that far outlast the last transaction.
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  So pour yourself a cup of your favorite brew and let's explore
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  today's proverb together.
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  SPEAKER_00: Well,
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  SPEAKER_00: today we are in Proverbs 21 because it's the 21st day of the month,
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  SPEAKER_00: and I'm using verse 5 from the Holman Christian Standard Bible,
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  SPEAKER_00: HCSV.
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  SPEAKER_00: Quote,
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  SPEAKER_00: The plans of the diligent certainly lead to profit,
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  SPEAKER_00: but anyone who is reckless certainly becomes poor.
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  SPEAKER_00: That's Proverbs 21.5.
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  SPEAKER_00: using the Holman Christian Standard Bible.
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  SPEAKER_00: And this is part of a book that I'm working on,
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  SPEAKER_00: and it will be chapter 21,
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  SPEAKER_00: and the title is Mind to Work.
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  One of my favorite leadership stories in Scripture is found in
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  the book of Nehemiah.
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  SPEAKER_00: In fact, Nehemiah is one of my favorite
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  SPEAKER_00: leaders of all of the characters in the Bible.
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  SPEAKER_00: Now, let's recap.
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  SPEAKER_00: Jerusalem's wall had been lying in ruins for more than a century.
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  What was once a symbol of strength and protection and identity
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  had frankly become rubble.
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  And the surrounding enemies paid little attention because,
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  frankly,
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  a broken wall
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  SPEAKER_00: poses absolutely zero threat.
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  SPEAKER_00: Then Nehemiah arrived.
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  SPEAKER_00: He surveyed the damage.
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  SPEAKER_00: He assessed the situation and then developed a plan.
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  SPEAKER_00: But more importantly, he inspired people to rebuild.
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  SPEAKER_00: Now,
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  what really intrigues me is that Nehemiah's greatest challenge
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  wasn't rebuilding
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  SPEAKER_00: the wall itself.
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  SPEAKER_00: It was the people.
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  You know,
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  it's human nature to focus on the rubble before we notice the
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  rebuilding.
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  SPEAKER_00: And apparently Nehemiah's team was no different.
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  SPEAKER_00: Some of them became discouraged,
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  SPEAKER_00: some became tired,
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  SPEAKER_00: and yes,
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  SPEAKER_00: there was the typical criticism,
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  SPEAKER_00: threats,
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  SPEAKER_00: and opposition from outside forces,
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  SPEAKER_00: the enemies of Jerusalem.
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  SPEAKER_00: But going into and extracting a couple of scripture verses,
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  SPEAKER_00: Nehemiah records in 4 verse 6,
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  SPEAKER_00: using the ESV,
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  SPEAKER_00: So we built the wall,
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  SPEAKER_00: and all the wall was joined together to half its height,
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  SPEAKER_00: for the people had a mind to work.
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  SPEAKER_00: I love that phrase, a mind to work.
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  SPEAKER_00: It's more than a plan, a vision, an enthusiasm.
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  It's a mindset of work,
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  a true desire to work as a team on a project,
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  in this case,
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  a wall.
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  SPEAKER_00: Now,
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  SPEAKER_00: I,
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  SPEAKER_00: like many marketplace leaders,
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  SPEAKER_00: have faced similar situations,
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  SPEAKER_00: an existing territory or account list in need of repair,
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  SPEAKER_00: and sometimes we join a struggling team and
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  SPEAKER_00: Sometimes we walk into damaged customer relationships.
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  And sometimes we discover that trust has been lost and
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  credibility has eroded.
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  It's our human nature to initially focus on the rubble,
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  not unlike Nehemiah's team.
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  And from my perspective,
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  I feel the wiser approach is frankly to focus on rebuilding.
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  SPEAKER_00: As I reflect on Nehemiah's leadership, seven principles stand out.
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  SPEAKER_00: First, he kept things simple.
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  SPEAKER_00: He understood that complicated plans often create confusion.
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  I believe gospel-centric customer success masters communicate
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  clearly enough that
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  SPEAKER_00: everyone understands the objective.
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  SPEAKER_00: Second, Nehemiah encouraged participation.
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  The wall wasn't rebuilt by a handful of experts like high-paid
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  McKinsey consultants.
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  SPEAKER_00: Everyone who was willing and able contributed.
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  SPEAKER_00: And third, Nehemiah reinforced motivation.
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  SPEAKER_00: Remember,
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  we the people need constant reminders of what we're working
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  toward because vision
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  SPEAKER_00: becomes fuzzy if it isn't regularly refocused.
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  SPEAKER_00: And fourth,
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  SPEAKER_00: Nehemiah prepared for adversity.
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  SPEAKER_00: He hoped for peace, but frankly prepared for conflict.
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  SPEAKER_00: You know, wisdom requires both faith and readiness.
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  SPEAKER_00: And five, Nehemiah cultivated cooperation.
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  He recruited and included different families from different
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  trades and social
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  SPEAKER_00: classes to work together toward the common goal of rebuilding the wall.
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  SPEAKER_00: Sixth,
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  he delegated responsibility He mashed people with tasks that
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  fit their abilities
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  SPEAKER_00: and strengths And seventh,
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  he celebrated progress It's often leaders who only recognize
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  the finish line often
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  SPEAKER_00: lose the team before they arrive You know,
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  SPEAKER_00: small victories matter
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  Now,
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  what strikes me most is how these principles align with
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  Proverbs 21 verse 5.
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  SPEAKER_00: The diligent don't merely dream.
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  SPEAKER_00: They plan, prepare, and persevere.
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  SPEAKER_00: They remain faithful when the work becomes difficult.
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  SPEAKER_00: And frankly, that's why telemetry matters during rebuilding sessions.
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  SPEAKER_00: If we're not careful
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  SPEAKER_00: Discouragement can distort our perspective.
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  SPEAKER_00: We begin measuring the size of the rubble rather than our progress.
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  It's just human nature to focus on what remains broken instead
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  of what's already been restored.
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  Now,
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  we have to pay attention to what remains to be done,
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  but we also have to look and,
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  frankly,
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  SPEAKER_00: Look at and be proud of, I guess, of what's already been rebuilt.
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  SPEAKER_00: You know,
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  I've learned that rebuilding almost always takes longer than we
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  plan or hope,
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  SPEAKER_00: which means meaningful things usually do.
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  SPEAKER_00: I'm reminded of a quote by Wendley Phipps,
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  SPEAKER_00: quote,
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  SPEAKER_00: if the mountain path was smooth,
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  SPEAKER_00: you couldn't climb it,
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  SPEAKER_00: end quote.
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  SPEAKER_00: I love that quote.
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  SPEAKER_00: Building strong relationships,
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  SPEAKER_00: trust,
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  SPEAKER_00: character,
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  SPEAKER_00: teams,
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  SPEAKER_00: family,
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  SPEAKER_00: businesses,
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  SPEAKER_00: and frankly,
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  SPEAKER_00: kingdom influence takes time and dedication,
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  SPEAKER_00: and it's not a smooth path.
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  SPEAKER_00: It's not something that happens overnight.
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  SPEAKER_00: But the good news is that the rubble is not evidence of failure.
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  SPEAKER_00: Often, rubble is evidence that rebuilding has begun.
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  SPEAKER_00: Keep in mind,
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  Jerusalem's enemies weren't concerned about Jerusalem as a
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  viable entity until the
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  SPEAKER_00: rebuilding actually started.
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  SPEAKER_00: And there are parallels in the marketplace.
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  SPEAKER_00: Failing companies, failing brands rarely face attack.
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  SPEAKER_00: Dying brands rarely face competition.
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  SPEAKER_00: And broken teams rarely face opposition.
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  SPEAKER_00: But you know, once Movenum returns, the competitors wake up.
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  SPEAKER_00: And remember,
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  SPEAKER_00: Nehemiah's simple observation when the enemy,
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  SPEAKER_00: competition,
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  SPEAKER_00: began to notice,
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  SPEAKER_00: he said,
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  SPEAKER_00: the people had a mind to work.
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  SPEAKER_00: You know, sometimes God isn't asking us to finish the wall today.
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  SPEAKER_00: He may be simply asking us to show up tomorrow
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  SPEAKER_00: with a mind to work.
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  SPEAKER_00: Think on that.
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  SPEAKER_00: Today's customer success code, rubble is not evidence of failure.
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  SPEAKER_00: It's often evidence that rebuilding has begun.
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  SPEAKER_00: Today's action points,
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  SPEAKER_00: action point number one is identify an area of your life,
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  SPEAKER_00: business,
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  or relationships currently under reconstruction or needs to be
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  reconstructed.
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  SPEAKER_00: Action point number two is ask yourself,
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  SPEAKER_00: Am I focusing more on the rubble or on the rebuilding?
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  And action point number three is evaluate whether
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  discouragement has distorted your perspective.
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  SPEAKER_00: Think on that.
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  Well,
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  thank you for joining me on this episode of Marketplace
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  Proverbs and Coffee with Ernie.
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  SPEAKER_00: If this episode has been meaningful to you or added significance to you,
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  SPEAKER_00: please consider sharing it
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  SPEAKER_00: That's how we influence the marketplace for God.
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  SPEAKER_00: We truly do.
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  SPEAKER_00: And remember, chasing personal success is temporal.
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  SPEAKER_00: Adding significance to others is infinite.