Latest / Made For More Leadership Podcast / The Leadership Skill AI Can Never Replace | Aaron Burke & Richard Crisco

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The Leadership Skill AI Can Never Replace | Aaron Burke & Richard Crisco · Made For More Leadership Podcast

0:00
SPEAKER_00: When you think of this idea of going the extra mile, why does it matter?
0:03
SPEAKER_00: As Christians, we're not even Christian until we go the extra mile.
0:06
SPEAKER_00: The biblical background comes from where Jesus says, you know, if that Roman soldier requires you to take their baggage a mile, you go that extra mile.
0:15
SPEAKER_00: And it's the extra mile that sets you apart from everybody else because it's no longer done.
0:21
SPEAKER_01: Especially in the church world, we can automate so much that we forget the personal touch.
0:26
SPEAKER_00: People know when you care or not.
0:28
SPEAKER_00: And when you really care, it's not a burden.
0:30
SPEAKER_00: If you don't really care, if it's just your job, you're never gonna do this.
0:34
SPEAKER_00: Talk about how Jesus did this when it comes to the demand on an individual.
0:38
SPEAKER_01: Nobody was in higher demand than Jesus.
0:41
SPEAKER_01: Your divine appointments are usually in between appointments.
0:45
SPEAKER_00: I try to be completely unoffendable.
0:47
SPEAKER_00: I'm just not going to let their problem become my problem.
0:50
SPEAKER_00: And I've got to let that go quickly.
0:52
SPEAKER_01: You told me that people don't leave your church because the coffee's not hot.
0:56
SPEAKER_01: You said they leave because.
0:59
SPEAKER_01: Hey, welcome to Made for More.
1:01
SPEAKER_01: My name is Aaron Burke.
1:02
SPEAKER_01: I am the host of this podcast, and every month we put out new content to help leaders continually get better, church leaders, business leaders, leaders within their home.
1:10
SPEAKER_01: We want to help you just get better.
1:12
SPEAKER_01: And I love the conversations we're able to have.
1:14
SPEAKER_01: And today, we have one of my favorite leaders in the world with us today, Pastor Richard Crisko.
1:20
SPEAKER_01: And if you don't know who Richard Crisko is, he has been uh one of my pastors for almost 30 years now.
1:25
SPEAKER_01: I can't believe we say that.
1:26
SPEAKER_01: But um I was a teenager in his youth group.
1:29
SPEAKER_01: But um, you have led during some incredibly um amazing events um in life, leading through the Brownsville Revival, uh, the youth ministry there, um, obviously doing so much leadership around the world.
1:43
SPEAKER_01: And I'm honored to have you here.
1:44
SPEAKER_01: He just spoke to our staff, and um we talked about the subject of going the extra mile.
1:49
SPEAKER_01: And that's what this whole podcast is going to be about is about creating an organization, creating a culture that goes the extra mile.
1:56
SPEAKER_01: So, Pastor Richard, thanks for being here.
1:58
SPEAKER_01: Why is going the extra mile, why does it matter today?
2:01
SPEAKER_00: Yeah, well, first of all, thanks for letting me be here with you.
2:03
SPEAKER_00: Yeah, I love you, buddy.
2:04
SPEAKER_00: Uh, you know, I I honestly believe the more that uh AI takes over the world, right, the more important going the extra mile, meaning keeping the personal touch is going to be valuable.
2:18
SPEAKER_00: Uh the the the businesses and the churches who can maintain that personal touch are going to be offering something that AI will never be able to do.
2:28
SPEAKER_00: Systems will never be able to do.
2:31
SPEAKER_00: And it doesn't matter if you're a church or if you're a car salesman or if you work at Walmart, all businesses are really about people, not necessarily their product or their service.
2:43
SPEAKER_00: And we got to keep that, we got to always keep that in mind.
2:45
SPEAKER_01: You know, a phrase we've been using is personal is powerful.
2:48
SPEAKER_01: Personal is powerful because people can tell when it's automated.
2:52
SPEAKER_01: You know, like I can even tell when people are like, they're talking.
2:55
SPEAKER_01: I'm like, that sounds like chat GPT.
2:57
SPEAKER_01: That sound, you know, it bothers me a lot.
2:59
SPEAKER_00: It bothers me a lot.
3:00
SPEAKER_00: And and and more and more, even some of my favorite voices that I like to listen to, I went, oh no, please don't get lazy and start using chat ATT.
3:10
SPEAKER_00: Chat GPT.
3:11
SPEAKER_00: Yeah, yeah.
3:12
SPEAKER_00: Please don't do that.
3:13
SPEAKER_00: Right.
3:13
SPEAKER_00: Because you can.
3:14
SPEAKER_00: You can tell when it's coming from their head or coming from their heart.
3:18
SPEAKER_00: Right.
3:18
SPEAKER_00: And people are all about heart.
3:20
SPEAKER_01: Right.
3:20
SPEAKER_01: They really are.
3:21
SPEAKER_01: So when you think of this idea of going the extra mile, I mean, it's the personal touch, you know.
3:25
SPEAKER_01: Give us the biblical background, give us like why does it matter?
3:28
SPEAKER_00: So it it it's uh the biblical background comes from where Jesus says, you know, if that Roman soldier requires you to take their baggage a mile, you go that extra mile.
3:40
SPEAKER_00: And and the way that I said it even while ago to your staff is that as Christians, we're not even Christian until we go the extra mile.
3:47
SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
3:47
SPEAKER_00: And it's the extra mile that sets you apart from everybody else.
3:52
SPEAKER_00: The good thing about the extra mile is there's not much traffic there.
3:54
unknown: Okay.
3:56
SPEAKER_00: That's really good.
3:57
SPEAKER_00: Right?
3:58
SPEAKER_00: It's pretty easy traveling.
3:59
SPEAKER_00: But but going beyond the expectations of uh or or the requirements that's necessary for the job or the business.
4:08
SPEAKER_01: And it's really not that hard.
4:09
SPEAKER_01: I mean, you talked about the the bar when it comes to being even being a pastor, it's is so much lower today of what we have to do because so much is automated, so much is unpersonable.
4:20
SPEAKER_01: Talk about even the bar, what it used to be like, and then you know, talk about what it's like today.
4:25
SPEAKER_00: Yeah, yeah, no doubt.
4:26
SPEAKER_00: I mean, like whenever I went into ministry, if someone came to your church, right, they expected you to visit them at their house.
4:33
SPEAKER_01: Right.
4:34
SPEAKER_00: Now, if you do that, they go call the police on you.
4:37
SPEAKER_00: That's true.
4:37
SPEAKER_01: It's very true.
4:39
SPEAKER_00: Right.
4:39
SPEAKER_00: And and yet, and yet it's again, it's those little things that that that quick conversation, that that text, you know, right after a uh a conversation following up on them, it's those little things that make you stand out because it's no longer done.
4:55
SPEAKER_01: Right.
4:55
SPEAKER_01: It's no longer done.
4:56
SPEAKER_01: And it when it is done, it just blows you away.
5:00
SPEAKER_01: Um, I had one um with some friends of mine.
5:03
SPEAKER_01: We were at Disney uh a couple months ago.
5:06
SPEAKER_01: And when we were at Disney a couple months ago, uh one of them lost their magic bands.
5:10
SPEAKER_01: That's the band that you get in with and whatever.
5:13
SPEAKER_01: They lost it on a ride.
5:15
SPEAKER_01: So they get home four days later and it's in the mail.
5:20
SPEAKER_01: Somebody on their staff, a Disney's hundreds of thousands of employees, yet somehow somebody found it, found out where it goes, what it is, you know, found out the address, hand wrote the address on some kind of put it in a package, and it showed up at their house.
5:36
SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
5:37
SPEAKER_01: And I'm going, that's the extra mile.
5:39
SPEAKER_00: Absolutely.
5:40
SPEAKER_00: And that's why I love Disney.
5:41
SPEAKER_00: I love Disney more for the customer service than I do the actual, the, the, yeah, the experience.
5:46
SPEAKER_01: I get that.
5:47
SPEAKER_01: Yeah, I get it.
5:48
SPEAKER_01: But but I think churches and businesses, we lose this.
5:51
SPEAKER_01: And uh especially in the church world, we we can automate so much that we forget the personal touch.
5:58
SPEAKER_01: And what you said was so beautiful.
6:00
SPEAKER_01: It's like, we're we're not in the church business.
6:02
SPEAKER_01: We're we're not in the church industry, we're in the people like industry.
6:06
SPEAKER_01: This is a people thing.
6:07
SPEAKER_01: So, how do we go the extra mile?
6:08
SPEAKER_01: Let's give us some really practical things.
6:10
SPEAKER_00: Well, um, uh, some things that I do, I was telling your staff while ago, I use my electric calendar for everything.
6:17
SPEAKER_00: So anytime I have a conversation, I'm making myself notes, you know, in three weeks they're gonna, they got a job interview, you know, so that I can call them that morning or text them, hey, I'm praying for your job interview.
6:28
SPEAKER_00: Check up on my afterwards.
6:30
SPEAKER_00: Those are things that, again, make you stand out because nobody else is doing it, right?
6:34
SPEAKER_00: Right.
6:34
SPEAKER_00: Simple things like birthdays and anniversaries or surgeries, you know, um as a pastor, whenever I have someone that dies in my church, I mark it down on my calendar and I make sure the next year uh I'm calling that family.
6:49
SPEAKER_00: You know, it's those little bitty uh things that I again, uh here's how I do it, Aaron.
6:56
SPEAKER_00: I always think of what would mean something to me, and then I try to offer that to them.
7:01
SPEAKER_01: That's so good.
7:02
SPEAKER_01: Right?
7:02
SPEAKER_01: That's so good.
7:03
SPEAKER_01: Yeah, like like, but how do you do that and not get overwhelmed?
7:06
SPEAKER_01: I mean, is it overwhelming?
7:07
SPEAKER_01: Like to For me, it's not.
7:12
SPEAKER_00: So, first of all, you gotta truly care.
7:15
SPEAKER_00: Yes.
7:16
SPEAKER_00: Okay, it starts there.
7:18
SPEAKER_00: Right.
7:18
SPEAKER_00: If you don't really care, if it's just your job, you're never gonna do this.
7:22
SPEAKER_00: Right.
7:23
SPEAKER_00: Um, it people know when you care or not.
7:26
SPEAKER_00: And when you really care, it's not a burden.
7:28
SPEAKER_00: You know, I it's kind of like the old story, you know, the uh the eight-year-old was carrying her five-year-old brother, and he's as big as she is, and she's carrying, and a man comes to her and goes, put that boy down, he's too big for you.
7:39
SPEAKER_00: And she goes, Oh no, he's my brother.
7:42
SPEAKER_01: Oh, wow.
7:42
SPEAKER_00: Right.
7:43
SPEAKER_00: I mean, when you care, it becomes very easy and it becomes natural.
7:47
SPEAKER_00: It doesn't take much longer to do these things.
7:51
SPEAKER_00: Again, it's those little things that can make situations.
7:54
SPEAKER_01: Have you found yourself throughout the years um getting cynical, getting uh, you know, people don't respond to this, they don't care as much, you know.
8:04
SPEAKER_01: I'm I'm reaching out to them and they're not even responding.
8:07
SPEAKER_01: Or like what has kept you motivated in this personal touch?
8:11
SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
8:12
SPEAKER_00: So I I think bec I it comes to expectation.
8:15
SPEAKER_00: So one of the principles I teach is as a leader, we need to always be sure to thank people who serve us.
8:23
SPEAKER_00: But we should not expect to be thanked for those that we serve.
8:28
SPEAKER_00: Because if I expect to thank you and I get it, I only got what I expected.
8:33
SPEAKER_00: Right.
8:33
SPEAKER_00: But when I expect to thank you, if I don't expect to thank you and I don't get it, I got what I didn't expect.
8:39
SPEAKER_00: Right.
8:39
SPEAKER_00: If I don't expect to thank you and I did get it, now I can actually enjoy it.
8:43
SPEAKER_00: So it actually starts with, I don't expect it.
8:46
SPEAKER_00: I'm not doing this to get something back.
8:48
SPEAKER_00: I'm doing this because I truly care about the person.
8:52
SPEAKER_00: Right.
8:52
SPEAKER_00: Not because I'm trying to get something in return.
8:54
SPEAKER_00: I'm not sowing to reap.
8:56
SPEAKER_00: I'm I'm sowing because I love and I care for people.
8:59
SPEAKER_00: And and again, the the businesses that will learn to do that are the ones that that people will flock to.
9:06
SPEAKER_00: It's all about customer service.
9:08
SPEAKER_01: Right, right, right.
9:09
SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
9:09
SPEAKER_01: Okay, so let's go through.
9:10
SPEAKER_01: You talk about some of the details.
9:12
SPEAKER_01: What are some of the details that you're looking at when people's lives?
9:15
SPEAKER_01: You talked about birthdays, anniversaries, anything else that you're kind of thinking through of like, I'm remembering this because it helps me have that personal touch to go the extra mile.
9:25
SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
9:25
SPEAKER_00: So uh again, so I always look for what I call reachable moments.
9:30
SPEAKER_00: Okay, and those are your tragedies and your triumphs.
9:34
SPEAKER_00: And so I'm always looking for those things.
9:36
SPEAKER_00: Anything that's important to them immediately becomes important.
9:40
SPEAKER_01: Explain tragedies and triumphs.
9:41
SPEAKER_01: What are you looking for in those?
9:42
SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
9:43
SPEAKER_00: So uh, you know, a death, a loss of a job, a car accident, anything that would would upset their their uh their life.
9:51
SPEAKER_00: And then a tragedy is any kind of accomplishment, right?
9:54
SPEAKER_00: You know, a raise, another a new job, uh, they got engaged, they got impregnant, you know, that that type of thing.
10:00
SPEAKER_00: So anything that is a big landmark in their life, I want to be a part of that.
10:04
SPEAKER_01: It's very good.
10:05
SPEAKER_00: And and and if those that can do that, all of a sudden you become very important to them.
10:10
SPEAKER_01: Okay, so it's not just doing it, but then the next part you talked about is the timing of it.
10:15
SPEAKER_00: So everything's about timing.
10:17
SPEAKER_00: Explain that.
10:17
SPEAKER_00: Yeah, yeah.
10:18
SPEAKER_00: So as a youth pastor, I you you and I both serve as a youth pastor.
10:21
SPEAKER_00: I was in the youth minister over 20 years.
10:23
SPEAKER_00: The number one question that teenagers always ask is, you know, what's the will of God for my life?
10:27
SPEAKER_00: Right.
10:28
SPEAKER_00: Well, the that's only half of the equation.
10:30
SPEAKER_00: The other half is the timing.
10:32
SPEAKER_00: Right.
10:33
SPEAKER_00: Because if timing is off, you're never gonna hit the home run.
10:36
SPEAKER_00: You're gonna swing out, you're gonna strike out every time.
10:39
SPEAKER_00: And so the the the importance of doing it immediately.
10:43
SPEAKER_00: So, you know, if you if your son does something wrong, you don't come back in and correct him three weeks later.
10:48
SPEAKER_00: You got to do it right then, the timing on it.
10:51
SPEAKER_00: And so, um, so for example, one of the things that I do is for our guest, all of the guest forms are on my desk, and I am writing them a personal text or sometimes calling them within the hour, you know, with my phone number and and my contact information.
11:08
SPEAKER_00: And and um because again, that immediate, while it's fresh in their mind, it means so much more.
11:15
SPEAKER_01: I find myself sitting there and uh procrastinating.
11:19
SPEAKER_01: Uh, you know, I've got to make a phone call.
11:21
SPEAKER_01: And, you know, I've got to follow up with this person.
11:23
SPEAKER_01: This person's in a hospital, I need to call them.
11:25
SPEAKER_01: And it's something in our mind of just like, okay, I can just put this off.
11:29
SPEAKER_01: They don't need it.
11:30
SPEAKER_01: And I have to talk myself into it.
11:32
SPEAKER_01: Like, do it now.
11:33
SPEAKER_01: Just make the phone call.
11:35
SPEAKER_00: Yes, because the phone call now is 10 times more important than it is tomorrow.
11:40
SPEAKER_01: Wow, that is so true.
11:41
SPEAKER_00: It really is.
11:42
SPEAKER_00: It really is true.
11:43
SPEAKER_00: If if if if someone's getting out of surgery and they get a phone call from the pastor within that few minutes, you know, that means so much more than him calling them two or three days later.
11:54
SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
11:55
SPEAKER_00: Hey, by the way, how was the surgery?
11:56
SPEAKER_00: You know what I'm saying?
11:57
SPEAKER_01: Right.
11:58
SPEAKER_01: And and by the way, I think a lot of this hinges on the fact that we're talking about phone calls, we're talking about the idea that this is personal, this is not just a random text message.
12:07
SPEAKER_01: Right.
12:08
SPEAKER_01: Um, and why does that matter?
12:10
SPEAKER_00: Well, because again, everybody expects text messages.
12:15
SPEAKER_01: Yeah, yeah, yeah.
12:15
SPEAKER_01: The extra mile is a phone call.
12:17
SPEAKER_00: Yeah, it is actually let them hear your voice.
12:20
SPEAKER_00: And your voice is just so much more warm, you know, than just a cold text.
12:25
SPEAKER_00: And a text can be misunderstood so many times.
12:27
SPEAKER_01: It can.
12:28
SPEAKER_00: I have written kind texts that were misunderstood and they were offended with them.
12:32
SPEAKER_00: Right.
12:33
SPEAKER_00: In fact, I often will start my text if I have to do it, friendly reminder.
12:39
SPEAKER_01: It's really good.
12:40
SPEAKER_00: And then I tell them what it is.
12:41
SPEAKER_00: Right.
12:42
SPEAKER_00: Because a lot of times the one I'm trying to remind them of could be offended.
12:45
SPEAKER_00: And they're I already did that.
12:48
SPEAKER_00: Right, right.
12:48
SPEAKER_01: Okay, so I I want us to hit on this because we're talking about immediate follow-up.
12:53
SPEAKER_01: Let's talk about when we fail.
12:54
SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
12:55
SPEAKER_01: Okay, because this is a big one because how you handle failure really determines um if that customer, if that person in your congregation stays with you.
13:05
SPEAKER_01: And if you handle it well, I mean, you can win them over for life.
13:08
SPEAKER_01: Yeah, you got a raving fan.
13:10
SPEAKER_01: You've got a raving fan, but um, I've also handled it really bad with not going the extra mile, avoiding the conversation.
13:17
SPEAKER_01: So, how do we handle even our own failures in this to make sure we go the extra mile?
13:21
SPEAKER_01: We messed up, we didn't do it right.
13:23
SPEAKER_01: What do we do?
13:24
SPEAKER_00: Yeah, absolutely.
13:25
SPEAKER_00: Well, well, it starts with humility and and repentance and acknowledging that you did wrong.
13:32
SPEAKER_00: I mean, um, even this weekend, I there was uh uh a party at our church where the founder member of our church turned 95 years old.
13:42
SPEAKER_00: Wow.
13:43
SPEAKER_00: And the the the found they had the party at the church.
13:47
SPEAKER_00: They got there and there were some toilets that were not clean.
13:51
SPEAKER_00: And they sent me an email.
13:53
SPEAKER_00: I immediately turned around, sent it to my executive and to my custodian, and I also called them immediately.
14:01
SPEAKER_00: I called them on the phone with my voice.
14:04
SPEAKER_00: I said, Hey, I am so sorry.
14:06
SPEAKER_00: We will look into this, we will make sure this doesn't happen again, we're we're gonna make this right.
14:11
SPEAKER_00: But but then anything that you can do, so it was immediate.
14:15
SPEAKER_00: It was acknowledging it, right?
14:17
SPEAKER_00: We're gonna make changes so that we make sure it doesn't happen again.
14:20
SPEAKER_00: And then anything that we can do to compensate for that mistake, any extra mile that you can do there, you can make you a raving fan for life.
14:29
SPEAKER_01: I've had so many times where I've been speaking and made a joke from the stage.
14:34
SPEAKER_01: And uh and you know what?
14:35
SPEAKER_01: And it's it's it's I love to make people laugh.
14:38
SPEAKER_01: You know, I always try to do it, but I'll get an email once in a while where hey, and they're they're very kind.
14:44
SPEAKER_01: People are very kind.
14:45
SPEAKER_01: They're just going, I I heard the joke, but you might not understand it.
14:48
SPEAKER_01: Yeah, yeah, yeah.
14:48
SPEAKER_01: You know, from my perspective.
14:50
SPEAKER_01: You mentioned something about weight loss.
14:51
SPEAKER_01: Let me understand.
14:52
SPEAKER_01: Yeah, as someone who's struggling with their weight, yeah.
14:55
SPEAKER_01: You know, they bring it up and I'll do the same thing.
14:57
SPEAKER_01: I'll call them.
14:58
SPEAKER_01: And and and what happens when I call and I don't go, but you don't understand.
15:03
SPEAKER_01: Exactly.
15:04
SPEAKER_00: That's not what I meant.
15:05
SPEAKER_01: Yeah, it's not what I meant.
15:06
SPEAKER_00: Right, right, right, right.
15:07
SPEAKER_01: I I've just had to learn to start with, I am so sorry.
15:10
SPEAKER_01: Yeah, I did not see that right.
15:12
SPEAKER_01: I wasn't thinking correctly, and I will change.
15:15
SPEAKER_01: But people are just shocked when they hear somebody go, I messed up.
15:21
SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
15:21
SPEAKER_01: And it's something about the connection.
15:23
SPEAKER_01: And I remember one time this, these, these young guys, they were uh young leaders in the church, and they were all frustrated with some stuff.
15:30
SPEAKER_01: And then they sat down with me one time and they were going, I just, I'm frustrated about this, and I'm frustrated about this.
15:34
SPEAKER_01: And then they looked at me and they go, and I'm frustrated that we don't have a cross in our building.
15:39
SPEAKER_01: And I said, You're right.
15:42
SPEAKER_01: That's a fail.
15:43
SPEAKER_01: I'm gonna get crosses in all of our buildings.
15:45
SPEAKER_01: I just haven't thought about it.
15:46
SPEAKER_01: We renovated the auditorium and we we didn't we didn't put it up the way we had put it up.
15:50
SPEAKER_01: And I put crosses all over our building.
15:51
SPEAKER_01: And they were just like, Oh, people are teachable.
15:53
SPEAKER_01: And it it and it wins people over for life when you go that extra mile.
15:57
SPEAKER_01: So I think it's vitally important.
15:59
SPEAKER_01: Anything else off of that, just owning up to mistakes.
16:01
SPEAKER_00: Yeah, I mean, people are gonna misunderstand you.
16:04
SPEAKER_00: Yeah, and when they come, so I I I want my people in my church family to be able to come and address issues without me getting a defensive.
16:14
SPEAKER_00: Yeah, right?
16:15
SPEAKER_00: And so, and sometimes they're just gonna blow it.
16:17
SPEAKER_00: Right.
16:18
SPEAKER_00: I I mean, not too long ago, I had uh uh a wonderful member of my church family come and accuse me of being narcissistic, okay?
16:26
SPEAKER_00: And it was because I kept asking for an amen.
16:31
SPEAKER_00: I'm going, and I was like, you don't understand, first of all, communication.
16:36
SPEAKER_00: Right, right.
16:36
SPEAKER_00: This is a way of pulling people in, blah, blah, blah.
16:38
SPEAKER_00: It's not because I need you, you know, you know what I'm saying?
16:42
SPEAKER_00: But you know what I did?
16:43
SPEAKER_00: I said, you know what?
16:44
SPEAKER_00: I could see where you get that.
16:46
SPEAKER_00: I I I'm gonna work on that.
16:48
SPEAKER_00: I didn't defend myself, I didn't, you know, I didn't, I just whatever.
16:52
SPEAKER_00: And you know, and now they're fine.
16:54
SPEAKER_00: They they love me, they think I'm amazing, you know.
16:56
SPEAKER_00: So I took what could have been a division point and actually turned it to be something more solid because I took the high road of humility, I listened to them, I heard them.
17:10
SPEAKER_00: I don't have to agree with them, I heard them, you know.
17:13
SPEAKER_00: I'm taking this seriously, and it turns out so much better that way.
17:18
SPEAKER_01: Okay, as a leader, when you go the extra mile and it doesn't pay off.
17:21
SPEAKER_01: And they leave the church, yeah, they give you a bad review all the time online, you know, uh they they badmouth your business.
17:29
SPEAKER_01: Um what do we do?
17:31
SPEAKER_01: We forgive immediately.
17:33
SPEAKER_00: And the quicker you do it, the better you are.
17:35
SPEAKER_00: Right.
17:36
SPEAKER_00: I I do it immediately.
17:37
SPEAKER_00: I I try to be completely unoffendable.
17:41
SPEAKER_00: That's my goal in life.
17:42
SPEAKER_00: Explain that.
17:43
SPEAKER_00: Well, so whenever I feel an offense because somebody did something, even maybe inappropriately wrong, uh, I I have a couple things that go through my head.
17:52
SPEAKER_00: Number one, Richard, you need to die.
17:54
SPEAKER_00: Because you can't offend a dead man.
17:56
SPEAKER_00: Number two, it's not about you.
17:59
SPEAKER_00: And you have a choice.
18:01
SPEAKER_00: You can either hold on to this and let it poison your spirit, or you can become more like Jesus, forgive them, release it, and go on.
18:08
SPEAKER_00: And and and you and I both understand.
18:10
SPEAKER_00: We don't forgive people for them, we forgive people for us.
18:14
SPEAKER_00: Right.
18:14
SPEAKER_00: Right?
18:14
SPEAKER_00: That frees us.
18:15
SPEAKER_00: And and and so I I'm just not going to let their problem become my problem.
18:19
SPEAKER_00: I'm not gonna let their misunderstanding of my motive, which is the most painful, right, is when they they question your motive.
18:26
SPEAKER_00: I it and I and I've got to let that go quickly.
18:29
SPEAKER_00: Yes.
18:29
SPEAKER_00: Let that go quickly.
18:30
SPEAKER_01: Let's talk about walking slowly, because I think this was such a big takeaway of going the extra mile.
18:36
SPEAKER_01: I mean, we're who's listening to this are some of the greatest leaders in the Tampa Bay area, entrepreneurs.
18:43
SPEAKER_01: I mean, we're fast.
18:45
SPEAKER_01: We're on to the next thing.
18:46
SPEAKER_01: Yes.
18:47
SPEAKER_01: And I find myself, you know, racing through the hallways doing it.
18:51
SPEAKER_01: And people always come up to me and say the same thing.
18:52
SPEAKER_01: Like, do you have a second?
18:53
SPEAKER_01: I know you're so busy.
18:54
SPEAKER_01: Yes.
18:55
SPEAKER_01: And I'm like, why do I always look like I'm Yes?
18:58
SPEAKER_01: But Jesus didn't do that.
19:01
SPEAKER_01: Yes.
19:01
SPEAKER_01: And I think we lose touch a lot with the front line of who we're called to serve because we're just so fast.
19:08
SPEAKER_01: So how do we do this?
19:09
SPEAKER_00: Yeah, yeah.
19:09
SPEAKER_00: So, first of all, I I actually tell my church family, I say, Listen, the most offensive thing that you can say to me is, Pastor, I know you're busy, but because what I just did is I somehow communicated to them that I'm more important than you are.
19:24
SPEAKER_00: Right.
19:24
SPEAKER_00: My schedule's more important than you are.
19:26
SPEAKER_00: Right.
19:27
SPEAKER_00: And so I've got to work on that for one, right?
19:30
SPEAKER_00: And so um obviously different leaders have different amounts of load, and the bigger the load, obviously the quicker you gotta move.
19:40
SPEAKER_00: My advice though is to know when to do move fast and when are people time.
19:47
SPEAKER_00: When when's when's when's business time?
19:49
SPEAKER_00: Move, move, move, move, move.
19:51
SPEAKER_00: And when do I need to slow down and take time with people?
19:54
SPEAKER_00: Okay.
19:56
SPEAKER_00: Um, and and you just gotta know that.
19:58
SPEAKER_00: You because you can shift even in your own spirit.
20:01
SPEAKER_00: You can feel it when they're when you're on there there are conversations whenever I call you, I know sometimes when you I'm sorry, I just know.
20:10
SPEAKER_00: I'm going, okay, he's got a lot on his mind.
20:12
SPEAKER_00: This conversation's not gonna really go.
20:14
SPEAKER_01: That rarely happens.
20:15
SPEAKER_00: No, it happens a lot.
20:16
SPEAKER_00: And and and then there's other times I can go, okay, Aaron's, Aaron's, Aaron's fully engaged with me, and I can take my time because I'm a slow talker anyway.
20:24
SPEAKER_00: So um uh, but you got you've got to know your timing.
20:28
SPEAKER_00: And I think you need to know when needs to be people time and when needs to be we're in business mode.
20:34
SPEAKER_00: Yes, yeah, yeah, yeah.
20:35
SPEAKER_00: Yeah, that really can help a lot, regardless of your position.
20:38
SPEAKER_01: Talk about how Jesus did this, because I think you what you said was so amazing to our staff when it comes to the demand on an individual.
20:45
SPEAKER_00: I mean, if you ever think about it, nobody was in higher demand than Jesus.
20:49
SPEAKER_00: Right.
20:49
SPEAKER_00: Everybody wanted a piece of Jesus, right?
20:51
SPEAKER_00: But Jesus didn't come riding in on a white stallion high above everybody else, racing through the crowd.
20:57
SPEAKER_00: He intentionally came in on a slowly donkey, low and slow, so that whoever wanted to touch him could.
21:04
SPEAKER_00: Yes.
21:04
SPEAKER_00: And I honestly do not believe that Jesus ever gave anybody the impression that they were imposing on his time.
21:12
SPEAKER_00: I mean, even whenever he was going to heal the woman with the uh no, the daughter, or the daughter that was being that was his daughter, right?
21:20
SPEAKER_00: Yeah, yeah.
21:21
SPEAKER_00: The woman with the issue of blood interrupts him.
21:23
SPEAKER_01: Right.
21:23
SPEAKER_00: He didn't go, uh, I have the girl raised from the dead.
21:27
SPEAKER_00: He stopped and took time for her, right?
21:31
SPEAKER_00: And and they're like, come on, she's dying.
21:33
SPEAKER_00: It's okay.
21:35
SPEAKER_00: He took care of her, okay?
21:37
SPEAKER_00: And and so actually, one of the tricks that I have done is I put cushions in my day.
21:41
SPEAKER_00: I have intentionally done this now for over over a year and a half.
21:45
SPEAKER_00: Cushions in my day for what I call interruptions, so that I can be open to an interruption.
21:51
SPEAKER_00: I actually look for interruptions because the really important divine appointments is what I call them, it it happens in.
22:00
SPEAKER_00: Between those appointments that we have.
22:01
SPEAKER_00: They do.
22:02
SPEAKER_00: And but you got to have the cushion.
22:04
SPEAKER_00: Otherwise, you're mentally, you can be looking at them, you can truly be trying to honor them, but inside you're going, how long is this conversation going to go?
22:13
SPEAKER_01: So how do you get over that?
22:14
SPEAKER_01: Because I I deal with that a lot.
22:15
SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
22:16
SPEAKER_00: Because I know I got a cushion.
22:17
unknown: Right.
22:18
SPEAKER_00: And I can make up for it.
22:19
SPEAKER_00: See what I'm saying?
22:20
SPEAKER_00: Yes.
22:21
SPEAKER_00: I can I can jockey around.
22:22
SPEAKER_00: Right.
22:23
SPEAKER_00: You know, now it's not always, I mean, if you got an appointment at a bank somewhere, you know, you can't move that.
22:28
SPEAKER_00: But but a lot of our appointments can be flexible if we've got, if we're not back to back to back to back, to back to back to back to back all day long, which is what you and I have learned to do, right?
22:39
SPEAKER_00: Right.
22:39
SPEAKER_00: And so if when I put that cushion in there, it actually helps me relax knowing I've got that cushion there.
22:44
SPEAKER_01: Your divine appointments are usually in-between appointments.
22:48
SPEAKER_01: Yes.
22:48
SPEAKER_01: And I love that idea of that some of the greatest moments are the ones that are not scheduled, but you had room for them.
22:56
SPEAKER_00: Yes.
22:56
SPEAKER_01: And you walk slow enough to encounter them.
22:58
SPEAKER_01: And I think that's what's going the extra mile.
23:01
SPEAKER_00: And now you're relaxed enough that the Holy Spirit can flow through you also.
23:05
SPEAKER_00: You're not all tied up.
23:06
SPEAKER_00: You're not your mind's not all in that work gear.
23:09
SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
23:09
SPEAKER_00: Right.
23:10
SPEAKER_00: You're able to be relaxed, be present.
23:12
SPEAKER_00: The best gift that you can give to somebody is your presence.
23:16
SPEAKER_01: That's so good.
23:17
SPEAKER_01: When it comes to the extra mile, any final thoughts of just people with their organization, with their family, with everything that they're doing, how do they go the extra mile?
23:26
SPEAKER_01: Anything else?
23:26
SPEAKER_00: Yeah, I again, I think it's understanding that people are the primary thing.
23:33
SPEAKER_00: Period.
23:34
SPEAKER_00: I don't care again what your business is or how big your church is.
23:38
SPEAKER_00: It's all about people and just intentionally loving people every moment of every day, every conversation, every interaction.
23:46
SPEAKER_01: You told me that people don't leave your church because the coffee's not hot.
23:50
SPEAKER_01: You said they leave because they do not feel valued.
23:54
SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
23:54
SPEAKER_01: And that's true.
23:55
SPEAKER_01: And I think it's with every organization.
23:57
SPEAKER_01: I mean, you can fail, you know, in in the drive-thru line, but as long as people feel seen.
24:03
SPEAKER_00: I remember vividly being at a business, a place of business.
24:06
SPEAKER_00: I was in, I came up to the cash register.
24:09
SPEAKER_00: I had probably$100 worth of material I was wanting to purchase.
24:13
SPEAKER_00: The cashier was on the phone with a friend who would not acknowledge me.
24:17
SPEAKER_00: I stood there for about two minutes.
24:20
SPEAKER_00: I I this honest truth, I took my products, I put them on the counter, I said, I hope that's important conversation because you just lost a customer.
24:27
SPEAKER_00: I walked off.
24:28
SPEAKER_00: I never went back into that restaurant, that business.
24:31
SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
24:32
SPEAKER_01: It doesn't take much to lose them, but it also doesn't take much to just go the extra mile to keep them.
24:37
SPEAKER_00: Absolutely.
24:38
SPEAKER_01: And I love what you said.
24:39
SPEAKER_00: I'm fascinated, Aaron, how much time we how much time and money we spend on advertisement when if we would just take care of the ones that come in our front door.
24:49
SPEAKER_00: Right.
24:50
SPEAKER_00: Right?
24:50
SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
24:51
SPEAKER_00: If we would if we could just retain that at a higher percentage, we would not need advertisement.
24:56
SPEAKER_00: I don't care what your business is.
24:57
SPEAKER_01: No, you're absolutely right.
24:58
SPEAKER_01: We're way too focused on recruitment and real success is the retention.
25:03
SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
25:03
SPEAKER_01: It's keeping the ones that God's given you.
25:05
SPEAKER_01: And that's what I mean, I think it's the book of Galatians.
25:08
SPEAKER_01: Do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the house of God.
25:11
SPEAKER_01: It's like, hey, take care of the people God's giving you.
25:14
SPEAKER_01: You go the extra mile, there's not a lot of traffic there.
25:17
SPEAKER_01: Anything else on the extra mile, Pastor Richard?
25:19
SPEAKER_01: No, it's good.
25:20
SPEAKER_01: Thank you so much for this conversation.
25:21
SPEAKER_01: It's always a joy to have my pastor with us.
25:24
SPEAKER_01: And uh, if you want to hear great, great preaching every Sunday, uh, check out Pastor Richard, and he is at Rochester First Assembly.
25:32
SPEAKER_01: And he's a great church.
25:33
SPEAKER_01: And um you can check them out on Google and see his messages and uh love to hear her feedback on how we can continually make made for more better.
25:41
SPEAKER_01: Share this.
25:42
SPEAKER_01: Hopefully, I hear all the time church staffs and uh companies go through these things together.
25:47
SPEAKER_01: Um, hope they're helpful to you.
25:49
SPEAKER_01: And we're gonna continue to put out good content every single month.
25:53
SPEAKER_01: 25 minutes of content.
25:55
SPEAKER_01: Make sure it helps you on your drive to work.
25:57
SPEAKER_01: Love you guys.
25:58
SPEAKER_01: We'll see y'all next month.