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Apples of Gold
Radio Script for December 3, 2009
“A Leadership Shortage Is Coming Soon”
Hello, I’m Doug Apple…with Apples of Gold.
We shall apply the digit “0.”
That’s how much wisdom and knowledge we are born with.
Now I know we have certain base instincts and drives. Certain things are hardwired into us, but I’m not counting those. I’m talking about things we have to learn, the things that are generally considered wisdom and knowledge. So in my system, our total count at birth is zero.
And let’s say if we spent a lifetime becoming the smartest and wisest person on earth, at our peak we would hit the number 100. So that’s our scale, zero to 100.
Now let’s say we could somehow have a big meter that would tell us, at any given moment, the average amount of wisdom and knowledge, per person, in the whole world.
So let’s say that, right now, I’m at about a 70. My wisdom and knowledge has grown quite a bit in 46 years, but I still have a lot to learn.
So if I’m at about a 70, and a new baby is born, then the average between us plummets to 35.
Are you with me so far?
On December first, the world’s population was estimated to be 6,800,435,588 people.*
By January first that number will go up by 6,537,936.
So a little math here, if 150,000 people die each day**, that means that, every day, we have over 350,000 new babies in the world – with a wisdom and knowledge rating of zero.
That’s every single day – we are adding all those zeros to the world average of wisdom and knowledge.
Now, what kind of world will it be if our total average of wisdom and knowledge goes down? I would think it’s bad enough already, but what if it goes down?
Now stop for a minute. Put this whole line of thinking on hold.
I want to share with you something I read in a book by Ken Blanchard called “Leading at a Higher Level.” Listen to this first sentence in chapter nine. It says, “In companies all over the world, surveys are showing that a leadership shortage is coming soon.”
Did you hear that? A leadership shortage is coming soon.
But you know what? Someone will still be leading. There will always be someone in charge, whether they are prepared or not. There will be presidents and CEO’s and CFO’s. There will be senators and governors and mayors. People will fill leadership positions whether they are fit for them or not.
Well what kind of world will we have if our leaders are less than wise and knowledgeable?
Okay, now back to our original discussion, the idea of an overall world average of wisdom and knowledge.
Here’s what I’m saying. We need to do our part to raise that average. We must.
It starts with ourselves. We must raise our own level of wisdom and knowledge. We must never stop growing smarter and wiser, for the sake of everyone.
Then we must share that wisdom and knowledge with everyone around us. We must pass it on.
My daughter got married last week. Does that mean my raising and training of her is finished? Not at all. True, she is no longer in my home as my responsibility. But I will never stop helping her grow in wisdom and knowledge. For example, now that she is married, I will try to pass on to her everything I’ve learned about building a strong marriage.
The other day I picked up a CD set from the library. It contains the wisdom of people who have lived to be 100, and you know what? I want to know what those people have to say. They’ve seen how things go. They’ve seen a lot of sowing and reaping. They’ve elevated their level of wisdom and knowledge, and they will help me elevate mine.
And let me say this, if you are an older person out there, and you aren’t sharing things you’ve learned, shame on you.
“But Doug, no one wants to listen.”
Well write it down. Create a blog on the internet. If you don’t know how, have someone show you, it’s not that hard. Make a video and slap it up on Youtube. Heaven knows there is plenty of ignorance on Youtube, so how about a little wisdom? Or just handwrite it and photocopy it for the grandkids – anything to elevate the level of wisdom and knowledge in the world.
Proverbs 13:14 says, “The teaching of the wise is a fountain of life…”
In fact, the Bible tells us repeatedly to teach and admonish and exhort one another. We are to constantly be helping each other grow in true wisdom and knowledge.
If we don’t, then the worldwide average will go down. There will be a shortage of leaders. The kids will still grow up, but they will be less prepared – if we don’t teach them every step of the way.
So think about this today. What can you do to raise the total average of wisdom and knowledge in the world?
Comments?
E-mail me: dougapple@wave94.com.
May God bless you today! With Apples of Gold…I’m Doug Apple.
* http://www.census.gov/ipc/www/popclockworld.html
** http://www.chacha.com/question/how-many-people-die-each-day-around-the-world
Ken Blanchard talks about the importance of coaching to develop new leaders. I call it raising up new layers of leadership. In any organization, if we want to have strong leadership in the future, we must be raising them up now. Churches must constantly be training and equipping people for ministry. Businesses must constantly be coaching and developing lower level employees so they can rise to the next level. People never stop arriving, so the education wheel must never stop turning.
© 2009 The Arrow’s Tip
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(Proverbs 25:11 – “A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in settings of silver.”)
Why “The Arrow’s Tip”? Each morning, after diligently seeking the Lord, I write Apples of Gold. Then before I release it to the public I pray one final prayer, “Lord, send forth your arrows.” I envision Apples of Gold as arrows, tips dipped in the river of the water of life that flows from the throne of God (Rev. 22:1), sailing toward the hearts and minds of men and women around the world.
Doug Apple
General Manager - Wave 94
Christian Radio for Tallahassee
PO Box 4105
Tallahassee, FL 32315
(850) 926-8000
-vi-
1 comment:
In terms of of leadership, and whether they're good or bad, I hope those who seek to lead others will take a look at "Words for Warriors," by a retired Army colonel, Ralph Puckett. He spent decades leading, and doing leadership training, and he talks about his years in the military and in training officers and leading others in the essays in the book. (He blends his own story with the advice of military people like Alexander, Napoleon and Eisenhower.) Fascinating book -- my husband is reading it, and I've really enjoyed some of the essays in it as well. We want our leaders -- in business, in politics, in whatever, to gain his expertise.
And as for kids and being a parent ... I was emailing back and forth with a friend last night, updating her on a situation with my 21-year-old daughter, who's having some difficulties but is thankfully working through them. I mentioned I'd had to help her quite a bit with ghelping her get medical records transferred to her school, (almost an adult, I said to my friend, but not quite!)And my friend e-mailed back about a situation with her son that she'd had to help him with, while at a wedding reception two states away. "And I'll help him when he's 75 if she needs it!" she said. Ain't that the truth.
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