For years, I had this simple message posted immediately at eye level in my office. Keep It Simple. Some days, I follow it. Other days, my calendar is so loaded that it all gets complicated. I'm good at that. We’re good at that. Making things heavier than they need to be. Am I speaking to anyone right now ? Are you adding layers? Overthinking conversations? Overplanning decisions? Filling calendars? Carrying expectations no one asked us to carry? Yeah, me too! Then, we wonder

Lately in leadership, this idea has been coming out of my mouth more frequently, almost without permission. I keep returning to the difference between a thermometer and a thermostat, a Habitude  Dr. Tim Elmore names with fantastic clarity. Here is how it works. A thermometer tells the truth about the temperature in the room. It reads and reflects what already exists. It reacts. Many leaders live here. We read the temperature of the culture, the conversation and the correspon

For those of you/us who grew up in church, you might be familiar with the centurion’s story.  The story comes from Matthew 8:5–13 (also in Luke 7:1–10 ). It’s one of those passages that keeps pressing on my heart lately, especially when I think about leadership. In a nutshell, Jesus is amazed not by position, charisma, or résumé, but by faith that understands authority. I drive a Tesla in Miami, but I’m not ready to take my hands off the wheel and fully trust it yet.. Read t

I was on a run the other day in Key Largo, at a familiar stretch of road I’ve passed a hundred times before. Same perfect temperature. Same clean air. Same pace. Same pathway. Just running and thinking. Thinking about the new year, staring down that soft pressure to say something meaningful in this blog, and honestly, not being sure what to post at all. And then I ran past it again. An old, weathered sign, overgrown by grass and surrounded by junk. One word, faded but fight

Most leadership failures don’t come from a lack of intelligence. They come from misplaced confidence. My son and I have been shuffling through the Proverbs trying to glean some wisdom about life, love and leadership and recently came across this little nugget of goodness in Proverbs 21:30. No human wisdom or understanding or plan can stand against the Lord . - King Solomon The language caused me to pause with this simple reminder: no amount of wisdom, insight, or strategy ult

Developing people rarely happens by accident. Well, I should correct that statement. The people who work for you, who are in your family, who are on your team - they are developing, whether you're being intentional about that development or not. That ought to frighten you. It frightens me. When you are responsible for developing people, you have to know that it takes clarity, patience, and a process that invites someone to grow step by step. It doesn't always have to be supe

When my friend Jimmy told me he was reading Steps  by John Ortberg, I jumped in too. He didn't really invite me to read the book with him. I'm just a huge John Ortberg reader/listener, so I knew it had to be a good read. A few chapters into this book, I was confronted by Ortberg’s section on attachment. Three types of attachment: secure , anxious , and avoidant . I have to say that while reading this section, it felt like Ortberg pulled language straight from places I hadn’t

This week has a way of slowing us down, regardless of our circumstances. Sometimes slowing down is gradual, sometimes it's a bit abrupt. And if you’re leading anything right now, whether a team, a home, a church, or a company of any size, you’ve probably felt that collision between gratitude and exhaustion. It’s real. But here’s something I want you to sit with: the people you lead aren’t looking for a perfect leader. They’re looking for a present one. A human one. Someone

Ever feel like you’ve had one of those days? There are days that seem to drag on for me. Some days feel heavy. And on others, it feels like I'm doing everything correctly, yet I still question if anything is truly moving the ball down the field. Two steps forward, one step backwards. Perhaps you feel stuck in whatever thing you've committed yourself to. It might not be for the reasons you think. Consider this quote: “Don’t judge each day by the harvest you reap, but by the

Life can be challenging. Can I see those hands!? Life is challenging, particularly when we encounter pain, injustice, or tragedy and question why God didn't intervene. Why doesn't God prevent bad things from occurring? Often, we (I certainly do this) distance ourselves from God because we don't comprehend how God responds, or doesn't respond, at least from what we can perceive. How many times have you prematurely dismissed situations in your life because you didn't understand

If I’m being real, I like calling the shots.. Knowing what’s next, when it’s next, and even how it all plays out. But then life throws a curveball - that is, something I didn’t plan, didn’t expect, and definitely didn’t want - and my thoughts turn inward toward self-preservation: Fear: What will happen to me? Frustration: Why is this happening to me? Confusion: How did this happen to me? Doubt: Where is my peace? If you’re reading this, chances are you know this pattern.

In a world where fear, frustration and hate seem to intensify, I love it when humanity shows up. You may have heard Jon Bon Jovi’s Soul Kitchen this week. When they opened its doors to furloughed workers during the government shutdown, it was a gesture that had nothing to do with politics or personal gain. It was just a good thing to do. No red, no blue, just people hungry for food and dignity. Honestly, that's where genuine community thrives; beyond politics or party affil

Last week, I had the opporutnity to speak to a group of young adults, and it reminded me of Chapter 21 in my book Devout in Doubt . I realized that chapter speaks perfectly to what many of you are walking through right now. So I decided to post it as an encouragement, for anyone who’s in that in–between place of questions, waiting, or wondering what God is up to. Stay encouraged. You’re not alone. October 20, 2020. Good day to you. Thank you for faithfully standing with Beck

We live in a loud, polarized, messy world. Misunderstandings happen fast. People react before they reflect. In this kind of environment, communication isn’t just important, it’s fragile. This is especially true within the places & spaces we inhabit like family, neighborhoods, and the workplace. That’s why the phrase “Don’t hear what I’m not saying” matters so much with our relationships. This phrase is probably the most common phrase that my team hears from me. So much so t

I’ll start with a confession. I’ve been guilty of laying out my expectations, for my team, for others, even for myself, and then...

I was asked the other day to speak at a 20-year vow renewal.  In fact, I’ve been asked quite a bit lately about marriage lately. To be...

I rarely watch Jimmy Kimmel. I'm usually in bed before those shows come on. I'm not tough enough to stay up late. Morning person. That...

Hello friends. Lately I’ve been reflecting on the cultural and political debates orbiting around figures like Charlie Kirk. Debates that...

Leadership isn’t just about strategy, titles, or vision-casting. It’s about empathy. I once heard the phrase, “If your heart doesn’t...

Genesis 1:1–2 — “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was formless and empty, and darkness covered the deep...