Catalyst 2008 – Together – Day 2 – Dave Ramsey

Going to drop some nuggets of wisdom on the Internet courtesy of the amazing Dave Ramsey who just spoke at Catalyst.

First his leadership message:

• Few churches or organizations experience real unity.

There are 5 main enemies of unity:

1. Poor communication
2. Gossip
3. Unresolved disagreements
4. Lack of shared purpose
5. Sanctioned incompetence

• Poor communication can take many forms, but when the right hand doesn’t know what the left hand is doing, strife sets in.
• Gossip is degrading and will destroy a church or organization.
• a successful leader develop-s and maintains a culture in which negatives are handed up and positives are handed down.
• by definition, gossip is when a negative is discussed with anyone who can’t help solve the problem.
• Unresolved disagreements happen when a leader doesn’t know they exist or when that leader avoids confrontation.
• A little confrontation cleanses the wound and allows the parities to go forward in a spirit of unity.
• When you are aware there are hurt feelings and/or disagreements, act quickly and decisively.
• Lack of shared purpose is caused when a a leader doesn’t restate the goal, the vision and mission early and often.
• It has been said that sanctioned incompetence demoralizes.
• Team members will eventually become demotivated when someone else on the team can’t or won’t do their job and a leader will not take action.
• For the sake of unity in the entire group, the leader must go to battles early and often with any of these enemies of unity.
• When unity is valued in the culture, the team will also at to keep these enemies from the gate.
• The only way to penetrate the market place for Christ is extreme excellence

As for his financial advice in these turbulent times:

• Knowledge and perception removes fear.
• Gold hasn’t been used as an on-the-street currency since Roman times.
• Over the history of the last ten 10 year stock market cycles, the market has delivered a 33% increase over pre-crash value.