To say that Steve Jobs was a complicated man would be a HUGE understatement of fact.  Steve Jobs was without any doubt a genius, visionary, and marketing master.  It is also a true statement to say that there is not an aspect of our lives that is not touched by Jobs or one of Jobs’ creations.  And that goes far beyond Apple and iPods, iPads, and iPhones…  The personal computer (Apples AND PCs) were both shaped and refined by the amazing creativity of Steve Jobs.  The entertainment industry was dramatically affected by Jobs and PIXAR.  And the world was forever changed by one man…Steve Jobs.

Walter Isaacson’s writing style is engaging and compelling.  I listened to Steve Jobs on audio book and it was difficult to “put the book down.”  I will be honest, the Biblical size of the book itself was a little overwhelming, but on the other hand, the audio books was 24+ hours long…  It’s an exhaustive narrative of Job’s life, loves, creations, and vision!

Looking through the prism of leadership, Steve Jobs is NOT the model for any business leader or corporate boss.  His moods would swing from rapt infatuation to furious anger, and at times he would cry and throw a temper tantrums much like a petulant small child.   Jobs would rally his corporate troops to push themselves to create WORLD CHANGING devices and tools and then back stab a past business partner out of sheer spite.

Steve Jobs was never truly loyal to family or friends, including his own children, but even in his last days, he was excited about the newest Apple device about to come out.  In many ways Jobs was a very unlikeable man, but in spite of his blustery personality, he was driven by art, design, and simplicity.

My favorite parts of the book was the PIXAR era, and I think that Jobs was most creative and, dare I say, happiest, when he was working with John Lasseter and the PIXAR team.  But even as Steve was helping to create movies like Toy Story and A Bugs Life, Jobs was also fighting with Disney and helping to oust Michael Eisner and usher in a new era for Disney Animation.

Steve Jobs was a creative genius and visionary.  And I think that he achieved his goal to change the world.  But to hear his story, I was struck by a sadness knowing that  he was driven by his abandonment as a child and his lack of moral center.  He spent his entire life trying to find enlightenment and wisdom, but at the end of his life, he was just like any other man.  And to hear about all of the amazing coincidences that happened for Jobs to make the connections to create amazing companies like Apple and PIXAR which brought about world changing devices and entertainment.

I did not know Steve Jobs, but I am sure that I would have been in awe of him, but I am equally sure that he would have been uninspired by me.  But that was the dichotomy of Steve Jobs.  People, ideas, or devices were either great or they were crap.  His vision, his genius, his creativity is worthy of study and emulation, but as a man, Steve Jobs is not a hero.  I feel sorry for him.  But I am thankful for his life and his creations.  We are a better world for his life.

It’s a simple question really….or is it? Think about it… What moves you to action?

Watching the actions of a madman that tries to overtake a smaller, weaker country may move you to enlist in the Reserves to serve your
country.

What moves you to tears? Watching a movie about a boat where over 1,200 died. What moves you to anger?  Watching a criminal get an early release from a murder conviction because of overcrowding in our prison system.

But what really moves your soul? I mean, what really makes you tick? What is the one thing that makes you so complete, that no amount of money or fame or anything can replace?

For me, it’s always been, and always will be….music.I mean every facet of music. From playing it, to teaching it, to living it vicariously through other performances. I love music. Big time. Anyone that knows me, can tell you that….but what really gets me going it the ability to make someone else feel what I feel about music.

It’s the middle bass drummer on the drum line that has that look in their eyes when they play “that” song. It’s the excitement a student has when they feel and understand what a groove is. It’s the church member that is moved by a performance of a drummer! It’s the groove that the other musicians feel when you’ve played that song better than the CD. It’s that special place that you can take an audience to when you perform.

You see, everybody is different. Everybody has different life experiences. Some people go through life and never get the chance to perform in front of people and hear applause. Some people never get the chance to experience the thrill of performing with an entire marching band at a contest….and win it! Some people never experience playing a song…and moving all the other musicians to tears. Some people never get a chance to play music that moves people closer to God…and maybe even moves God Himself.

What a sad life for the person that never has the chance to experience any one of a million musical experiences.  You see, I believe that music is a gift from God. It has immense power and we, as musicians, can wield that power. How amazing!  Music is magic. It can make you laugh or make you cry. Music can inspire you and compel you. Music is one of the most, if not the most powerful, medium that has ever been created.

Private lessons can be tough. I know. I’ve been teaching and taking them since I was in Middle School. Many is the child that comes into my studio who hasn’t practiced and isn’t ready for the lesson. Many is the student that doesn’t understand why I’m so excited about music. Why? It’s partly because of our society. We’re very busy and we rarely take the time sit down to a family dinner, let alone listen to a piece of music. Most
people’s musical diet consists of the 30 to 40 minutes in the shower and getting ready for work or school. Life is truly passing them by.

They’re missing out. So let me make a few suggestions. The next time you’re listening to the radio….LISTEN!! If a ballad comes on, listen to the words and music, listen to how they flow and work together to make the song move you. Listen to some classical music. Listen to old music, new music, it doesn’t matter, just listen and let the music move your soul.

On your next gig, really listen to what you’re playing. Make the song groove. Lay back and let the other musicians groove on what you’re doing. The next ballad you play, listen to the words and then play the music to make those words mean something.

If you play in church….and you play in a worship band….playing worship songs….WORSHIP GOD!! Instead of playing for money, play, and let the music flow through you. They money will come later, but you have to play first.  It’s not just a gig, it’s a chance to something that not many people on the planet can do, and then you get PAID for it!!

If you’re a student, listen to your music teacher. Soak up what they are trying to teach you and utilize those tools. Use what they know to expand your horizons. Don’t just play a song, make music.  Don’t just be a drummer, or a bass player, or a guitar player…make music.

Music is a gift from God, and I get to make it and teach it. What an honor. But with that honor comes responsibility. It’s my job to not just teach someone how to play, but also to enjoy what they play, and to make music. It’s my job as a musician to play to the best of my ability at all times. It’s my job as a teacher pass on the love of the art form of music. It’s also my job to motivate everybody that I come into contact with
to enjoy music. I mean really enjoy it. Listening to it, playing it, and performing it. I hold that honor in high regard.

That is what moves me.

I wrote this about 15+ years ago, and these words still hold true. As I read them, I can still feel the unbridled passion. In many ways, I miss those days…that old self. But I am working on gong back to that place, but this time, with the wisdom that only age can provide. I thought that over the next several weeks, I would re-post some of my older writings, because truth is always truth, no matter how old the writer may be.

It has been a wild roller-coaster ride over the last few years.  Since leaving “occupational ministry” I have  begun to wear several hats.  I love my life “outside” of the ministry profession.  I have been challenged, blessed, and struggled through self-worth and finding validation through my work, my loves, and my passions.

In other words… I have had my ass kicked and God has STILL been there for me and Sarah.

The website looks a little different…as I do as well.  I have been very slack about posting.  Some of that is due to some real technical issues I have been struggling with, but those have been solved (thanks Tech Support).  But mainly, I have been silent because I feel that at some point, I lost my voice.

Not being in a church leadership position made re-evaluate who I was and what my blog (and my whole live) would be focused on.  And then I realized that nothing changed about the focus…what changed was my audience.  The people who will read this are friends, family, and people I want to be closer to, but also people who are struggling with some of the same issue I have (and still are) dealing with.

For all of you, let me say this: there IS hope.  There IS a reason everything is happening to and around you.  God is ALWAYS there and wants you to be the best you can be.  Lead with all gusto and passion.  Fight the good fight and NEVER give up.

The payoff is STILL worth is and no matter what HAS happened, it’s nowhere near as good as what WILL happen if you focus on leading yourself and others as best as you can!

See you in a day or two and we’ll talk about the lessons I learned at my FIRST GUN SHOW!!  It was a blast!! (Sorry, couldn’t resist)

I recently learned a great leadership lesson from Netflix, the company that offers online flat rate DVD and Blu-ray Disc rental-by-mail and video streaming through gaming devices.  We’ve been trying Netflix out for the past month and had an issue with them last week that did not allow us to watch anything online through our Wii.

We were disappointed, but did not think too much about it.  And then I received this in my inbox this morning:

I was completely blown away by their depth of customer service.  For all intents and purposes, Netflix is a web-based company that is fairly turnkey: they upload the movies and TV show, provide the proper coding, and as long as I am paying my monthly fee, the content is electronically sent to my house.  There is not too much human to human interaction.  And when something goes wrong, I would expect very little by way of acknowledgement.

But they not only acknowledged the problem, they went above and beyond to keep me as a customer; extending my trial period for another day because of the day of service I had lost.

Do we go this far in our companies to keep current and future customers?

We’ve all had problems with services or products within our own companies, and our customers have been the unwitting victims.  And when they bring the problem to our attention, we all usually address it and resolve it as soon as possible.

But do we actively pursue those customers who have had a product or service problem that never brings it to our attention? In other words, what is our strategy for keeping customers when our systems fail?

Someone at Netflix has built a system that reacts when service is interrupted or there is a failure, and is proactive in resolving the problem in an extremely timely manner.

Thank you Netflix, for being a customer service leader in your industry and for helping us to learn a valuable lesson in customer service and satisfaction.