The Civil Dozen -- Part One

“There they come.” The Colonel squinted. The line of men came slowly up the road. One hundred and twenty men from the old Second Maine which had been disbanded. Unfortunately, these men had signed three-year agreements while the rest of the regiment had signed two-year agreements. When the old Second Maine had been disbanded, the three-year men, who only wanted to fight with the two-year men, mutinied.

There were guards with fixed bayonets. The Colonel could see the utineers shuffling along, pathetic, dusty, with their heads down. It reminded the Colonel of a history-book picture of impressed seamen in the last war with England.

An aide said: “Colonel, there’s almost as many men there as we got in the whole regiment. How are we going to guard them?” The Colonel said nothing. He was thinking: “How do you force a man to fight – for freedom?” The idiocy of it jarred him. He realized that he had to think on that later. He had to do something now.

The Captain at the head of old Second Maine turned them in off the road

and herded them into an open space in the field near the Regimental flag.

The Captain had a loud voice and used obscene words to assemble the men

in two long, ragged lines. He called them to attention but they ignored him.

One mutineer slumped to the ground, more out of exhaustion then mutiny.

A guard came forward. He yelled and probed with a bayonet but abruptly

several more men sat down. Finally, all of the mutineers sat down.

The Captain began yelling but the guards stood grinning. The guards had gotten them here but unless the men posed some type of threat, there was nothing that could be done. The men were simply exhausted.

The Colonel took it all in as he moved toward the Captain. The Captain pulled off his dirty gloves and shook his head with contempt, glowering at the Colonel.

“I am looking for the commanding officer.”

“You’ve found him,” the Colonel said. The Captain stared at him insolently,

showing what he thought of Maine men.

“Captain Brewer, sir. One-eighteenth Pennsylvania.” The Captain produced a sheaf of paper from his coat front. “If you are the commanding officer,

sir, then I present you with these here (pause) prisoners.” The Colonel took the papers and handed them to his aide.

The Captain pulled on his dirty gloves. “You’re welcome to them. We had to use the bayonet to get’em moving. Your orders state you are authorized to use whatever force necessary, Colonel, to make them serve – including – the authority to shoot any man who refuses to do his duty.”

“You are relieved Captain.” The Colonel then looked at the guards. “You can leave now. We don’t need any guards.”

The Colonel stood for a moment looking down at the mutineers. Some of the faces turned up. There was hunger, exhaustion, and occasional hatred in their eyes. “My name is Chamberlain. I’m the Colonel of the Twentieth Maine.”

Two Dozen Basic Management Principles -- Conclusion

Epilogue

Since his Olympic success in 2008, Lopez Lomong has partnered with World Vision to offer care, support, and a better future to families in South Sudan recovering from a legacy of warfare.

Through the 4 South Sudan project, The Lopez Lomong Foundation and World Vision are bringing hope to families who face the realities of poverty and the lingering impact of daily violence. By providing access to clean water, health care, education, and nutrition they are providing a brighter future for the South Sudanese.

You can go to www.LopezLomong.com to learn more and find information about how you can be involved with this great organization.

Management Lesson #24 – Give Back

It is easy to focus on yourself. The fact of the matter is that giving to others provides much greater satisfaction and yields much greater happiness. Choose to place others ahead of yourself by giving back to your country, your state, your community, or your church.

Lopez has also continued his professional running career. In the 2012 London Olympics, Lopez made the finals in the 5000 meters and finished fifth. He is now training for the 2016 Rio Olympics as we speak.

Two Dozen Basic Management Principles -- Pt. 20

Chapter 18

Graduation

The biggest moment of Lopez life did not take place in Beijing. His greatest moment came true nearly three years after the 2008 Beijing Olympics. To fully appreciate why December 16, 2011 was the greatest moment of his life, you must go back with him to Kimotong (Sudan) and Kakuma.

His village in Sudan was and is very poor by American standards. No one owns a car. No one has electricity. And there is no school in Kimotong. Very few people can read and write because there is no place to learn and no one there to teach them.

When Lopez was a boy, his father occasionally talked about sending him to Kenya for school – but that required money. Even if they had, Lopez would have only gotten a basic high school education.

Lopez arrived in Kakuma poor and hungry. It was there, that by God’s grace, he started school. There were no books, lessons were sung, and sticks and dirt served as pencil and paper. Encouragement came in the form of swats with a stick. Even after ten years of school, he wrote and did math at a first or second grade level. Never once did Lopez ever think that one day he would move on from the camp and go to college.

Thus, the greatest moment of his life came when he walked into the Sky Dome on the campus of Northern Arizona University carrying the banner of the W.A. Franke School of Business.

Jeremiah 29:11 says: “‘For I know the plans I have for you,’ says the Lord. ‘They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.’” These words sound like God wrote them specifically for Lopez. He lived through disaster. He lived through hardship and death. Yet God never left him. He changed Lopez from the lost boy into Joseph. And just like Joseph in the Bible, He took what was once intended for evil and transformed it into good. Receiving his college degree along with the future that degree represented the ultimate expression of God turning disaster into a future and a hope for Lopez.

Management Lesson # 23 – In God’s Hands

Lopez’ path to obtaining a degree was neither easy nor direct. Yet, it was ordained from a sovereign God who is wiser than us. May we understand that all things happen in order for us to grow in dependence upon Him and in order for us to grow in Christlikenes.

Two Dozen Basic Management Principles -- Pt. 19

Lopez thought he was nervous when he spoke to the Dream Team. He was really nervous when it came time to put on the strap for the flag and walk out into Beijing’s Olympic Stadium. The flag was huge, and the wind whipped down the tunnel where he waited for the signal to start walking. “Don’t let that flag touch the ground, buddy,” the President had told him. Lopez thought it would not be hard. With the wind blowing, he was not quite so sure now.

 

Lopez took a deep breath and said a quick prayer. The official in charge of the order of the teams looked up at Lopez, “Okay, it’s time, he said. A Chinese girl with a sign that read “United States of America” took her place in front of Lopez. They took off walking.

 

He stepped out of the tunnel and a million camera flashes went off at once. The crowd cheered. Lopez walked down the track, his grip tight on the flagpole. He looked up at the giant Jumbotron. There on the screen, he saw President Bush, standing, saluting the flag. They then split the image in half. On one side was the President, his hand over his heart. On the other side was Lopez Lomong, the lost boy carrying the flag of his new home. He was no longer a lost boy or an orphan. He was an American.

 

A full week passed between the opening ceremonies and his first 1500 meter heat. He needed that time to come down out of the clouds. His adopted parents, Coach Paccia, and Tom Carraci (his best friend from high school) all came to watch him run.

 

He finished fifth in his first race but his time qualified him for the semifinals. Unfortunately, that race didn’t go quite so well. His normal strategy worked until late in the third lap when the field starting kicking at 500 meters to go! Lopez normally starting kicking at 300 meters. Lopez could not believe his eyes. He tried to keep up but his right leg would not respond. He came away with his worst time of the year, a full five seconds slower than his time in the quarter-finals.

 

His Olympic dream of winning a gold medal had come to an end. But his dream, first voiced in a refugee camp in Kenya, of competing in the Olympics for the United States of America had come true.

 

Management Lesson #22 – Don’t Quit

No matter how difficult your challenge. Never, never, never quit. Failure is not an option!

Two Dozen Basic Management Principles -- Pt. 18

The next thing he knew, he was next to Coach Mike Krzyzewski, the legendary Duke University basketball coach. Coach Jim Boeheim from Syracuse stood off to one side. Coach K put his hand on Lopez’ shoulder. “We watched your news conference.”

“You did?” Lopez could not believe this.

“We sure did. Listen, I need you to do me a favor. I want you to tell your story to my team exactly like you told it in that news conference. Tell these guys what it means to be an American and what it means to wear that jersey. I don’t’ think any of us understand it quite like you do.”

Lopez walked into the green room and into the presence of athletic royalty. The room was filled with guys he’d only watched on television. Kobe Bryant sat on one side of the room near Lebron James. Carmelo Anthony, who went to college in Syracuse, sat close to the front. The greatest basketball players in the world filled this room and their coach wanted Lopez to talk to them.

Lopez’ knees nearly knocked and his voice cracked a little when he started talking. But he did exactly what Coach K asked him to do. He told his story. Inside the room, every eye locked onto him. All of those players sat in complete silence as he spoke. They soaked in every word.

After Lopez finished speaking, Coach K got up. “Now you guys know what this is all about. You are ambassadors for our great country. Now go out there and get it done.”

The team broke out in huge applause. Afterward, Lopez posed for photographs with the team. One player after another shook his hand and told him how much they appreciated what he had said. Lopez walked out of the room with a standing invitation to come hang out with the team whenever he wanted.

 

Management Lesson #21 – Public Speaking

The number one fear (in most surveys) is the fear of speaking in public. That is a shame. I would argue that the number one differentiator for those in management is the ability to speak publicly. As such, you should develop sufficient public speaking skills to become effective in presenting and explaining your management vision.

 

Two Dozen Basic Management Principles -- Pt. 17

Chapter 15

President Bush

 

“Where’s Lopez? I want to meet Lopez.”

Lopez heard his name but could not believe the speaker was looking for him. For eight years he had dreamed of running for the United States in the Olympic Games, but this went beyond anything he could ever have imagined. The President of the United States was now looking for him.

“Over here, sir,” one of the coaches said.

President Bush smiled and headed over toward Lopez. He had just delivered a speech to the entire U.S. delegation. The entire delegation consists of every athlete and coach for every sport in the Olympic games. In his speech, the President tapped into his old cheerleader self: “Get out there and kick some butt!”

After his speech, he went around the room shaking hands. So many famous athletes Lopez admired were there: Duke’s “Coach K,” Kobe Bryant, Lebron James, Carmelo Anthony, and Dwayne Wade of the Dream Team. Michael Phelps, who went on to win eight gold medals was also there.

Yet out of all these incredible and famous athletes, the president wanted to see Lopez! A nobody, a lost boy! For eight years he had dreamed of running in the Olympics but never dreamed this.

“Mr. President, I would like to introduce you to our flag bearer, Lopez Lomong,” the head of the U.S. Olympic Team said. The flag bearer leads the team into the stadium. It is one of the highest honors any Olympic athlete can receive. Unlike medals that are won in competition, the flag bearer is elected by his teammates. Out of the 596 athletes representing the United States in these games, only one can lead the team into the stadium carrying the flag, and the one that the athletes chose was Lopez. The vote was not even close.

President Bush shook his hand. “Lopez, I’ve heard a lot about you. I just wanted to let you know how excited and happy I am to have you here. Welcome to America. When you go out there and carry that flag tonight, enjoy the moment. It is your flag.”

“Thank you, sir,” Lopez said. He could not believe he was shaking hands with the president. His mind raced back to watching him in New York the day after the 9-11 attacks. He had inspired Lopez as he stood atop a pile of rubble with the rescue workers, a bullhorn in his hand.

A half-hour later, an U.S. Olympic Committee official came over and took Lopez by the arm. “Come with me,” he said. Lopez assumed he needed to go somewhere for instructions on how he was to carry the flag properly. Instead, he was taken into a room off to one side. And there in the room, was the President.

“Lopez,” he said when he saw me, “there’s something I forgot to tell you.”

“Yes, sir,” Lopez said.

“Lopez, son, when you go out there tonight carrying our flag, don’t let it touch the ground, buddy.”

 

Chapter 16

The Flag Bearer

Lopez selection as the flag bearer was seen as by reporters as possibly being a political statement. Around the time of the Olympic trials, Lopez had joined a group of athletes call Team Darfur. Team Darfur spoke out against the genocide occurring in the Darfur region of Sudan. There, the Sudanese government in Khartoum committed the same kind of atrocities they committed against Christians in Lopez’ home region of South Sudan during the civil war that lasted twenty years. This time, Arab Sudanese began exterminating African Sudanese even though they shared the same religion. The government of Sudan supported and aided this genocide.

Lopez had spoke out against this genocide right after he qualified for the Olympic team. Since the Chinese government financially supported the Sudanese government (in spite of these atrocities), a reporter asked Lopez if his election had political implications. Lopez dodged the question. “I’m so proud to be an American and raise that flag proudly.”

At the morning of his new conference, the flag bearer speaks to the press. Lopez was prepared for the inevitable questions about his selection. As important as genocide was, Lopez knew what he had to do. He sat down and proceeded to tell his story. He talked about the day he was taken from his church and of being held in the rebel prison camp. He told the story of his escape through the wilderness with his three angels and of his years in Kakuma. He shared the story of watching Michael Johnson run in the 2000 Olympics and the dream that Michael birthed in him. Then he explained how America opened its arms to him and gave him this great opportunity. “I am so thankful for this privilege of getting to put on this jersey and represent my country,” he said.

 
Once the press was finished with him, he walked out in the hallway. The president of the USOC walked over and said: “Good job, Lopez. You were great in there.”

“Thank you. I spoke from the heart,” Lopez said.

“Lopez, I need you to do one more thing before you go. Coach K would like for you to say a few words to the basketball team.”

Lopez’ jaw hit the floor. “The Dream Team?”

The president of the USOC laughed. “Yes, the Dream Team. Follow Susan here and she’ll take you to them.”

Management Lesson #20 – Humility

Humility is not taught in management courses or in many leadership courses, for that matter. Organizations want their leaders to be visionary, authoritative, confident, capable, and motivational. Yet, humility is the primary requirement for leadership. Or stated in a different manner, humility is the foundation of leadership. Why is humility essential to leadership, it is because humility:

• Acknowledges our sinfulness,

The Psalmist writes: “Who can discern his errors? Acquit me of hidden faults. Also keep back Thy servant from presumptuous sins; then I shall be blameless, and I shall be acquitted of great transgression” (Psalm 19:12-13).

This acknowledgement of man’s sinfulness has been a foundational principle of all successful governments. For example, this acknowledgement led our founding fathers to build into the very fabric of our governmental structure, a separation of powers. Each branch of government – executive, legislative, and judicial – is bridled by a series of checks and balances. Why? As Lord Achton expressed in a letter to Bishop Mandell Creighton in 1887: “Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely.”
 

• Comprehends our creatureliness, and

The second reason that we need humility in leadership is because it comprehends our creatureliness. The word “humility” itself comes from the Latin word humus, which means "dirt" or "earth." Behind the concept of humility is the realization that life inevitably ends with a return to the earth, "from dust to dust," as the expression goes. Since this inglorious end awaits all of us, it hardly behooves us to be boastful or full of ourselves. Ultimately we all turn into dust. Thus, true humility never lets us lose sight of our human mortality with all of its limitations (Armour, 2007).

• Authenticates our humanness.

The third reason that we need humility in leadership is because it authenticates our humanness. Or as John Baldoni states in his article entitled “Humility”: “Humility is a strand between leader and follower that underscores one common element – our humanity.” We humans are frail creatures. We have our faults. Recognizing what we do well, as well as what we do not do so well is vital to self-awareness and paramount to humility. Humility keeps us attuned to our frailty, our inadequacy, and our vulnerability (Baldoni, 2007).

 

 

Two Dozen Basic Management Principles -- (Pt. 16)

Chapter 14

Olympic Trials – Part 2

 

The second injury of Lopez’ career came ten minutes before the biggest race of his life. Over the three previous days, Lopez overcame the disappointment of the jersey pull in the 800 meters final and had breezed through the preliminary 1500 meter rounds. His body felt strong. His hamstring felt so good that he almost forgot he had injured it.

Right after he completed stretching for the 1500 meter final, his right foot came down on what appeared to be a normal patch of grass. It was a hole! His foot came down awkwardly, twisting his ankle on the same leg that had the bad hamstring. Pain shot up his leg. He tried to jog it out but he couldn’t put any weight on his right foot.

“Second call, 1500 meter men’s final,” the track announcer said. Lopez headed straight to Dr. Wharton. “I have a problem.”

“What happened?” Dr. Wharton asked.

“I twisted my ankle in a hole while doing strides.”

“Are you serious? Here, lay down. Let me see what I can do.” He grabbed Lopez’ foot and made a couple of adjustments.

“Third call, 1500 men’s final.”

His ankle still did not feel right but he had to go report for the race. They weren’t going to delay the finals until his ankle healed.

Lopez grabbed his backpack and started over toward the track. As he walked, he prayed. “God, I know You gave me this dream for something bigger than myself. You’ve done too many impossible things in my life so far for me to believe that You want my dream to end like this.”

Lopez took another step. The pain in his ankle disappeared. In fact, his ankle felt like he’d never run a race in his entire life.

“Runners, to your marks…Get set…” The gun sounded. Lopez took off. The first two laps went according to his game plan. He stayed alert on the first lap and got into position on the second lap. The pace picked up on the third lap. Lopez moved closer to the front, ready to strike. The hamstring felt great. There was no pain in his ankle. God performed a miracle on his leg. There was no other explanation that Lopez could come up with.

The pack rounded the turn and headed up the straightaway for the bell lap. All of a sudden, Lopez felt a push on his back. Someone had pushed another runner and that runner fell into Lopez. His feet flew awkwardly and Lopez struggled to keep his balance. Fortunately, his feet came back under him. No one fell. The bell sounded. It was time to grab the dream.

Lopez was right where he wanted to be at the 300 meter mark. He started his kick. This was his opportunity to make his dream a reality. With two hundred meters to go, he entered the final curve. He pushed his body harder than he had in any race in his life. With 150 meters to go, in the middle of the curve, running as hard as he could, his hamstring tightened with a yank. Pain shot up his leg. Lopez fell back. Runners passed him. For a moment, he could not run full speed.

He ran out of the curve and onto the final straightaway. Ninety meters to go. Eighty-nine. Eighty-eight. He fell further behind.

Then something remarkable happened, something Lopez could not explain. At the eighty-seven meter mark, a burst of energy came over him and neutralized the pain in his leg. His feet flew. He passed one runner, then another. Up ahead, he saw one runner and then another cross the line. No problem. His goal was the top three. With one final burst of speed, he passed the last runner in front of him and crossed the line in third place.

Lopez fell to the ground, overjoyed. “Thank you, God. Thank you, thank you, thank you. You did this, not me!”

 

Management Lesson #19 – Thank God & Those Who Got You There

It is easy to take credit for your successes. The reality is that most of the credit is shared. Your success was only possible because a sovereign God entrusted you with talents (you are but a steward of His gifts). Your success was aided by those who got you there. Make sure you thank God and those who assisted you in making your success possible.