Untitled Sermon

The Iceberg is the first rule of Life and Leadership

The 10% above the waterline, represents your skills.

The 90% that lies beneath the surface represents your character.

IT'S WHAT'S BELOW THE SURFACE THAT SINKS THE SHIP

90% of our influence lies in the qualities beneath the surface that nobody sees.

We spend the vast majority of our life, working on the part of us that everyone sees...that 10%

How we look.

How we sound.

How we smell.

***WE ARE CAUGHT UP IN OUR IMAGE*** the stuff above the surface.

The Iceberg reminds us what matters most is what lies below the surface...or what's inside us...which is our character.

Ultimately what people want to know about us is:

Can I trust you?

How do you deal with others?

Do you have any sense of integrity?

Do you have values and principles that you live by?

ORRRRR

Can I not trust you?

Can I know what you're going to do next?

Will you turn on me next week?

Iceberg reminds us of the Titanic...the unsinkable ship without enough lifeboats.

The Titanic received 5 iceberg warnings but ignored them.

6th warning the telegraph operator responded stop bothering me I'm busy.

Maybe WE get warnings from people around us...and we respond the same way.

Parents.

Teachers.

Classmates

Siblings

Coaches

NOW...Nobody wakes up in the morning and decides...this is a good day to have bad character.

I'm going to cheat on a test.

I'm going to take something that doesn't belong to me.

I'm going to bully or make fun of somebody until it hurts them.

But sometimes we make small decisions that sometimes causes us to move in a direction that forces us to become a person...we never wanted to become.

For example, its just one test to cheat on...its no big deal...everyone does it.

Its funny to say things to that person to get them mad...its not a problem because I'm just joking.

Its only one little lie...its not going to hurt anyone.

***These kind of decisions that start to take us down a path to become a person we never wanted to become***.

****Here's an illustration for why this is so important as you continue to live and grow in your life.

Do you know what PTSD is?

Soldiers in war come back and suffer from it.

They suffer from incredible stress after coming back.

A large percentage of soldiers that returned from the Vietnam war suffered from this not because of bombs, bullets and grenades.

****BECAUSE OF THE LACK OF ETHICS IN THE LEADERS ABOVE THEM****

Their leaders lack ethics, values and integrity.

The soldiers couldn't trust them to have the best interest of the soldiers in mind.

I can NOT stress enough the importance of a trust worthy leader.

ALL LEADERSHIP OPERATES ON THE BASIS OF TRUST.

More and more employers Hire for character, train for skill.

****GIVE AN ILLUSTRATION IN MY OWN CAREER****

Skills can be built in a short period of time...CHARACTER TAKES TIME TO DEVELOP

Ok...teacher...why is this idea of good character and trust important? If I'm good at basketball, or if I'm good at writing or if I'm good at math...shouldn't that be enough for me to be a good leader?

Your ability...your skills may carry you further than your character can sustain you.

Think of a building and its infrastructure that keeps the building's exterior upright.

Leaders get into trouble when their character does not keep pace with their giftedness.

Our commitment to integrity can be easily eroded by our love for progress.

In other words...we want so badly to have successful progress that we fall into the trap of lying or stealing or cheating.

For example...your love for a 5 on a test can ruin your integrity.

OR cheating in a game so we can win.

OR lying about who you are so people will like you.

YOUR GIFT MIGHT PUT YOU ON THE STAGE, BUT IT'S YOUR CHARACTER THAT'S GOING TO KEEP YOU THERE.

I'm saying all this to emphasize why it is so important for us to pay close attention to the invisible qualities, the 90% below the surface that nobody can see...OUR CHARACTER.

So what is character?

****Tim Elmore Founder and President of Growing Leaders says****

our character is the subtotal of 4 simple ingredients...they're simple to understand, but take hard work to develop.

Self-discipline – I have the ability to do what I have to do...even if I don't feel like doing it.

Emotional Security – I'm not always comparing myself to somebody else. I'm secure and I'm not always competing with others (CLARIFY THIS) this does not mean in sports. This is about comparing your looks, to my looks. Your clothes to my clothes. Your smarts to my smarts.

Values and ethics – I have a list of principles that I live by and if need be I'm willing to die for...that govern how I act. 

Life isn't about reacting its about acting from the foundation of principles that I've chosen to live my life by.

Corporations have core values, our school has core values, why wouldn't you have core values that you live by that govern how lead your life.

Sense of Identity – Knowing your strengths and weaknesses. Are you ok with who you are? OR do you start to question your own identity because you see others that have more friends, or more things or get to go places you don't?

You're sense of identity comes into question because you have measured yourself against others and you're not measuring up.

If your life exhibited these 4 ingredients...think about how much stronger...think about how much better you could live your life if you lived them by these 4 pillars.

So he says..."The iceberg always teaches us...I must lead myself before I try to lead anyone else."

Successful leadership ALWAYS starts with self leadership.

If you lead your own life, people will WANT to follow you EVEN if you don't have a leadership position.

The Whistler:

You know there are different types of icebergs than the one you see in this picture.

They're called Whistlers.

These icebergs are exactly like this one in substance, but there's NOTHING below the surface of the water.

It's more like a giant ice cube.

He says "You can always tell a whistler, makes a lot of noise, and always drifting because there's stuff above the surface but nothing below. This is how people are too...if they have lots of skills but no character inside...lots of noise, and always drifting.

The Growler:

Equal amount above and below. 

Causes them to twist and turn and flip without warning.

People that are like growlers LOOK like the have lot's below the surface, but they might turn on you without warning.

EVERYONE OF US NEEDS TO PAY ATTENTION TO WHAT'S BELOW OUR SURFACE.

Over the rest of the school year, we are going to help you develop what is below the surface...your character.

As we develop in you what is below the surface, your character, we will also develop you into a leader that people can trust and will want to follow.

Habitudes is going to help us to develop what's below the surface...our character.

Habitudes will help us introduce to you leadership principles rooted in real life, that will use to have conversations with each other that lead to memorable experiences.

These discussions are a part of a process that will build the leadership habits and attitudes that are essential for your character development...for your 90% below the surface.

People learn better through circles of image-based learning and discussion than by simply sitting and listening in rows.