Follow this link to order a copy:
I’m scheduling trips to various cities to unpack chapters of the book to inspire, encourage and lift up leaders who are tired and loosing hope, but want to take their leadership to the next level!
If that would be of interest to you, please let me know.
Some have ordered 20 copies or more directly from the publisher to get a 50% discount, They want to invest in leaders on their team and in their organizations. Here’s the link if you want to do that:
Here’s some content from the chapter ~ ” If your goal is to keep everybody happy, sell ice cream”
If your goal in life is to try and keep everybody happy, don’t be a leader, sell ice cream!
~ Eric Geiger
I recall a number of years ago, a businessman I had in a small group was showing up at our evening meetings, completely exhausted with bloodshot eyes. He wasn’t sleeping well and wasn’t doing well. When we asked him what was going on so we could pray for him, he told us that they had let someone go in his department, but they were not going to hire a replacement; instead they asked him to do both jobs.
Trying to both keep his boss happy and keep his job. He worked his proverbial fingers to the bone. The thought of getting fired was worse than doing all the work. He just couldn’t bring himself to trust God to provide for him and his family and have an honest conversation with his boss. I would like to say that this was a rare occurrence, but I have seen this played out multiple times in the church and the marketplace. Oh, the fear of what people will say about us or do to us is definitely paralyzing.
Here are some thoughts about trying to please people and keep them happy:
It simply wears you out and takes a huge emotional toll trying to do your best to satisfy what people expect and demand of you
Your God-given vision can get stopped in its tracks as everyone has a different idea about what you, as a leader, should do or not
Frustration can increase among the team or group you work with as nobody ever gets everything they think they need from you
When you try to keep everyone happy, no one is ever truly, genuinely, and completely satisfied—not even you
At times, you will compromise your values and goals trying to give everybody what they want
You give up your God-given identity to gain the approval of others
You find yourself apologizing to people for being yourself and doing what you sincerely believe God is leading you to do
Over time, you lose the ability to tell anyone no for fear of losing a friendship or having someone not like you or want to continue to be your friend
You never get to the place where you feel you’ve completely pleased a person—there’s always the next thing they want from you
It’s quite clear from reading the Gospels that Jesus never aimed to please everybody he came into contact with or met—especially the religious authorities.
You need only to please the Lord. Live for an audience of one
You will experience sleepless nights worrying and second-guessing yourself with people you think you may have upset