There are biotic principles working around you and me every day of our lives. Biotic refers to actions caused by living organisms. Biotic principles are the underlying causes which produce ongoing operative life. That may sound a little complicated. So lets break it down.

Every living thing that God has created, person, animal, plant, has been created to grow and reproduce. Even the smallest blade of grass. These biotic principles are constantly working behind the scenes to produce this on-going growth and reproduction.

One of the biotic principles of natural growth is Energy Transformation. This is the redirecting of energy to help fulfill your objective. Some of the Martial Arts use this principle. Martial Arts students are taught to use your opponent’s energy for your benefit, and against him. When a would-be assailant lunges at you intending bodily harm, students are taught how to use the assailants lunging energy to disarm or literally throw the assailant to the ground. Learning these self-defense techniques allows a smaller person to disarm and defeat a much taller, stronger assailant. You are using the existing energy of another source to accomplish your objective.

Flowering plants, fruits and vegetables need pollination between like plants. They are pollinated in nature by using the energy already expended by bees, birds, and insects. As these bees, and others feed on the nectar from the blossoms of differing plants, the pollens are transferred from one plant to another. This is energy transformation.

In the church today (or any organization) learning the art of energy transformation will always be beneficial. Where are we expending energy, resources, time, talent today that is not moving us as desired toward our objective, fulfilling The Great Commission?

With the employment of a little energy transformation the power being expended on events, VBS, and many other actions in the church, momentum will move to true fulfilling of The Great Commission. Momentum or energy already flowing, whether positive or negative, can be redirected to accomplish God’s purposes.

How will you lead your ministry team to use energy transformation to be a more effective arm of God’s kingdom expansion?

For more information on Energy Transformation or the other five biotic principles contact George Yates and read Christian Schwarz’ Natural Church Growth.

George Yates is an Organizational Health Strategist and coach, assisting churches, organizations, and individuals in pursuing God’s purpose for life.

Bill and Sharon decided to take the family on a vacation in Claifornia. Together, they talked about Yosemite National Park, San Francisco, and San Diego. Each one is a great place to vacation. However, each one has its own climate base. San Diego is far different in weather than San Francisco or Yosemite. Bill was ready for a more rugged outdoors vacation. While his wife, Sharon, thought a family vacation to one of the touristy cities of the west coast would be more memorable.

If Bill and Sharon set out preparing and packing for his/her own destination, someone would not be prepared suitably for the weather or the environment. One’s vacation dreams would be shattered. This will only lead to frustration and disappointment. While we would not prepare for vacation with our family like this, this scenario certainly plays out in the workplace and in churches each year.

Whether planning for a family vacation or the next task in ministry (or business), a translucence of aim is necessary. By translucence of aim we are speaking of communicating the precise simplicity of your objective. Let’s break it down into three characteristics. The aim or objective is that which the leader desires his/her team to accomplish. What is it that we are driving for? Every aim should be clear, concise, and certain.

CLEAR – Your aim as an individual, family, or any organization (or team) must be clear. (Let’s use the term organization. You can replace it with family, team or other entity) When your aim or objective is not clearly understood by everyone involved, you’ll be as ill-prepared as Bill and Sharon’s vacation adventure. Most leaders believe they have a very clear aim and that every person in the organization “clearly” understands that aim. However, this is often not the case. When you have shared the aim with everyone multiple times – until you are tired of it, keep sharing it. Share it until the members of your organization are sharing it with you, voluntarily. This can help you avoid frustration and disappointment.

CONCISE – Every aim should be brief and to the point. You do not want your explanation of the organization’s aim to bore people to sleep. Keep it brief. You should be able to state your aim in one sentence – and not a run-on sentence either. Your aim sentence should be short enough that not only the leader, but every member can memorize it, without trying.

CERTAIN – Every aim should also be specific, certain. It must be specific enough that everyone in the organization is moving in the same direction. A train has many wheels. And every train making forward progress has every wheel on the right track and turning in the same direction. California is a big state. It is not certain or specific enough to say our aim is California. People will be packing the wrong bags, turning their wheel in the wrong direction, if even on the same track. The organizational aim should be so certain, that every person is not only on the same track but helping reach the objective by turning his/her own wheel in step with everyone else.

Translucence of Aim comes with being clear, concise, and certain. At any point of the journey, if asked by an outsider, any member should be able to clearly state the aim of your organization – as well as his/her part in fulfilling that aim. This is translucence of aim.

George Yates is an Organizational Health Strategist and coach, assisting churches, organizations, and individuals in pursuing God’s purpose for life.

Susan, in her mind, is in a dead-end job. Working in the office of a small distribution company, there is no opportunity to move up. Though, that has never been part of Susan’s life plan. She’s been doing the same job for twelve years, sitting at the same desk, looking at the same paper forms hour after hour, day after day, year after year. The thrill of work has long since departed. Susan experiences no challenges at work, nothing new, including her view of a plain gray wall.

There are many people who serve in the same job for many years without feelings like those of Susan. Regardless of the time on the job, any person who does not feel like a success, not treated like a success, or not being offered opportunities for success (big or small), is headed for exposure to failure.   

People need successes in their lives. We all do. Challenges bring successes. New opportunities bring successes. Encouragement is one of the biggest (and cheapest) avenues a leader can travel to bring success to others.

“Nothing intimidates us more than constant exposure to failure. Nothing motivates us more than constant exposure to success.” John Maxwell, The Winning Attitude. When an employee/volunteer is motivated toward success, he/she will be a greater and effective producer for the organization. Each success is a motivator in the direction of more successes.

Leaders need to be intentional about encouraging success in others. Unfortunately, many leaders only push the non-motivator buttons of their charges (employees/volunteers). Each person has his/her specific motivators. Using the same organizational motivators over and over only shows that you, the leader, are only interested in the organization, not the people running the grass roots of your organization. This is true in the business world and it is just as true – maybe more so – in the church.

Church is a volunteer driven organization. Regardless of how much we think it shouldn’t be, the fact is people get involved where they can see themselves as being part of a success. Not organizational success, but some type of personal gratification from serving. People will serve out of their passion. Gratification comes from serving others in a role one passionate about. Help people find their passion and help them find a place to serve using that passion and you have enabled one of the greatest motivators possible.

George Yates is an Organizational Health Strategist and coach, assisting churches, organizations, and individuals in pursuing God’s purpose for life.

In more than one of his books, Jim Collins writes of successful organizations having a Culture of Discipline. In Great By Choice, Collins remarks, “Discipline, in essence, is consistency in action. Discipline is not the same as regimentation…Discipline is not the same as hierarchical obedience or adherence to bureaucratic rules…” Giving great examples, Collins spends entire chapters in Good to Great, and Great By Choice, helping readers to understand discipline in an organization.

Discipline is not strictly following a set of rules or performing out of fear of the boss. True discipline in an organization requires independence at every level. True discipline requires an independence to avoid and steer away from those ideals and practices that would draw a person or organization into conformity with other worldviews. True organizational discipline requires individual self-discipline at every level of the organization.

Of course, this does not mean everyone has the total freedom to do his/her own thing. But if everyone is on the same page, with the same objective in mind, desiring the same outcome, then true discipline will always bring the desired result in a very effective and complementary system. Bureaucracy slows down effectiveness and production. Remove the bureaucracy and the positional leaders and you can create a culture of discipline in your organization that surpasses expectations.

With the right people in place, any organization will be filled with individuals who have the self-discipline to advance the progress of the organization. An organization with a true culture of discipline will grow more toward the discipline culture. Organizations that have adopted a culture of discipline, have even reported their “slackers” have stepped up or moved on to other organizations of their own accord.

Creating a culture of discipline is not easy, and it will take time. As with any major change in an organization, the desire to fall back into old cultures and habits is not only easy, but instinctive. It takes self-restraint and organizational restraint to remain in the culture of discipline. And the rewards are irreplaceable for years ahead.

Remember discipline is consistency in action. What freedoms can you create for your members or employees that will help you create a culture where everyone desires the same end result – a heart-felt desire for effective accomplishment of your mission?

Read more about creating a culture of discipline in Jim Collins books, Good to Great and Great by Choice or contact George Yates at SonC.A.R.E. Ministries.

George Yates is an Organizational Health Strategist and coach, assisting churches, organizations, and individuals in pursuing God’s purpose for life.

How do you see yourself? We all have a vision of how we look, who we are. You might call this our self-vision. I was recently reading something from Stephen Covey. Actually, reviewing a book I had read years ago. Covey was writing about this subject, vision or how we see our self. Covey wrote, “We all have some vision of ourselves and our future. And that vision creates consequences. More than any other factor, vision affects the choices we make and the how we spend our time.”

Perhaps today more than any time in history the social mirror is clamoring for more and more reflected identity. People whose vision is based on the social mirror make choices and decisions based on what others think. Choices are made based on the expectations of others. A person whose self-vision is only a reflection of the social mirror, cannot have a personal connection to the true self, his unique abilities to develop and contribute to family and society.

The Baby-boomer generation (of which I am one), wrote its own script. Sometimes that was good, sometimes perhaps not. Even in the coming of age, Baby-boomers created its own social mirrors. Many of the social mirrors of the Baby-boomers were to reflect anything but what “the establishment” stood for. Baby-boomers have carried some of those social mirrors for 50 years.

Yet, as I look around today, I see a social mirror that is very different and extreme. And it is being cast on younger generations much by the Baby-boomer leaders in various sectors of our society.

Whether in America or any other culture, a social mirror reflection of self is always pulling people away from his/her true God-given individuality. When we are living out scripts handed to us by others we cannot honor God through our uniqueness created by Him.

With a passion to unearth your true self, the reflection in your mirror can be a prevailing motivating force to propel you beyond anything you can imagine or dream. It happened for me first, when I stopped watching the news, in 1980. I realized newscasts were negative. Of a typical thirty-minute newscast, seldom is there more than thirty seconds of anything not negative. No wonder people have such a negative perspective on life. It was not only turning off newscasts. I made a concerted effort to change my self-vision, my mirror of me.

Last week my wife and I saw a photo of a young woman whom we knew when she was a teenager. As a teenager, she saw herself as an outcast, someone who was different, unliked, undesireable. Because this is who she felt she was in society, this was her mirror, she always tried to reflect this image, and she did it well. However, the photo we saw last week revealed a beautiful young lady with a positive attitude and a drive to accomplish, even in spite of society if society tried to push back on her.

God created you a unique individual with positive qualities to accomplish that which is beyond your comprehension. Whose mirror are you reflecting, society’s, or God’s?

George Yates is an Organizational Health Strategist and coach, assisting churches, organizations, and individuals in pursuing God’s purpose for life.

Believe it or not ATMs (Automated Teller Machines) were introduced to us in the late 1960’s. When they were first introduced most of the nation was skeptical of them. In fact, most citizens refused to use ATMs. After all, this was a far cry from the normal banking experience. Fast forward to today and many people in American society would not know how to exist without ATMs. Finding and using ATMs is now as common as walking down the street.

The introduction of ATMs was foreign to our custom of banking. Yet over time it has become part of the very fabric of banking in the United States. Acceptance of the ATM was gradual. This was change. Change is not easily accepted, is it?

Contrary to what we’ve been told, people are not opposed to change. However, people do not like forced change. We do not like someone else telling us we must change. Banks did not tell us we must use ATMs. ATMs were introduced alongside traditional banking practices.

Before ATMs were ever introduced, bank employees were trained to encourage customers to use ATMs. They were trained in the benefits and advantages of using ATMs.  Advertisements and promotions were published promoting the safety, security, and ease of use of ATMs. Slowly ATMs were acclimated into our lives. Banks were preparing us for ATMs before the first ATM hit the market. And they continued preparing us for several years.

The way we watch TV has changed. From black & white to color. From small 9 inch to 100 inch screens. From analog to HG, to 4K resolution. From using dials on the TV to remotes to smart TVs. All of these are changes that have happened in our lifetime. Change is inevitable, and people have adapted and accepted these changes without recourse.

People have adapted to change their entire lives. It is not change that people fear or are opposed to. It is forced change. As leaders, we are to guide and to, well, lead people into change. Too often organizational change is forced change. When leaders take the time to educate and bring people along, change can move much smoother than it often does.

We need to take a lesson from the banking industry. We need to slowly educate – long before the coming change. Educate, equip, and train our workers, employees, customers, members in a slow methodical process. Take your time; investigate, explore, train, equip, and implement in due time. Don’t rush change. Guide people bringing them along with openness and honesty.  

Change will come and the ease of change will be like money from an ATM.

George Yates is an Organizational Health Strategist and coach, assisting churches, organizations, and individuals in pursuing God’s purpose for life.

As a boy growing up in a small cape cod style house, my three brothers and I slept upstairs in our home. Our upstairs consisted of two open-air rooms. My oldest brother slept in the smaller room at the left of the staircase. My next older brother and I shared the larger of the two rooms at the right side of the stairs.  My youngest brother slept at the top of the stairs on a small bed. I remember at least one night after the lights were out, my two older brothers (I of course would not be involved) would slip out of their beds and crawl across the floor quietly sneaking up to my younger brother’s bed and pop up suddenly and scare him.

To hide from his fears my younger brother would pull the covers up over his head until he would stop shaking and felt it was safe to pull the covers down. Of course, it would only be a few minutes until one of the older ones was there at his bed again.

I remember thinking, “How is that going to save you?” But in my brother’s mind, his bed was his safe haven. Pulling his cover over his head provided his safety zone – his comfort zone. As long as he was in his bed with his cover he felt safe and comfortable.

Pulling your covers over your head may keep you from facing your fears. It will not help you out of your comfort zone. It will never take you where God wants to lead you!

Most professed Christians never truly experience being on-mission with God because they will not pull the covers down from over their head. No growth ever takes place in your comfort zone. God stretches you. He wants you to get out of your comfort zone so He can bless you with all the blessings of heaven (Ephesians 1:3-4).

We have got to not only pull the covers down to see where God is at work, we need to get out of that nice, warm, comfortable bed and join God in His work.

After all, what is the purpose of the church? The purpose of the church (God’s people) always has been and always will be to be “On Mission” with God to the unchurched.

Our marching orders are stated in Matthew 28:19-20. “GO” it says. That word means as you are going, As you go through life, you are to do the following… Who are we to go with? JESUS. He said at the end of those verses that He will always be with us even to the end of the earth.

To be On-Mission with God means that we are to be about God’s business. Not the business we think would please God. To do this we must be willing to get out of our comfort zone – out of that nice warm comfortable bed (or pew) and join God in the work He is doing around us. Therein comes the joy and the blessings of heaven.

George Yates is an Organizational Health Strategist and coach, assisting churches, organizations, and individuals in pursuing God’s purpose for life

In all areas of life and ministry, we confront adversarial situations. As I read about and study the great heroes of faith, successful organizations, and entrepreneurs, I see a common thread. This common bond or thread as I see it is a twofold character trait. While each of these two facets are great qualities and can stand alone, together they solidify a man’s temperament and resolve. These two character traits are a stalwart belief and a steadfast faith.

Standing stalwart in your beliefs and steadfast in yourfaith will carry a man farther than skill, ability, or fortune. Those finding themselves in an adversarial position may not be able to rely on fortune, skill, or ability. The two elements that can be relied upon are belief in a successful outcome and a faith to carry on through the difficulty. One thought that may come to mind here is that the outcome might not be the “successful” outcome we perceive or desire. However, God’s ways are much greater than our ways and His thoughts higher than ours. Therefore, it is worthy to always look at the outcome and see it from God’s kingdom perspective.

One of the great men of faith from the first century is the apostle Paul. Reading some of the words of the apostle Paul from the New Testament gives us insight into a man who was both stalwart in belief and steadfast in his faith.

Five times I received from the Jews 40 lashes minus one.

Three times I was beaten with rods. Once I was stoned.

Three times I was shipwrecked. I have spent a night

and a day in the depths of the sea. On frequent journeys,

[I faced] dangers from rivers, dangers

from robbers, dangers from my own people, dangers

from the Gentiles, dangers in the city, dangers

in the open country, dangers on the sea,

and dangers among false brothers; labor and hardship,

many sleepless nights, hunger and thirst, often without

food, cold, and lacking clothing. Not to mention other

things, there is the daily pressure on me: my care for all

the churches (2 Corinthians 11:24–28).

The apostle Paul suffered all these things, yet he always had words to share of his love and devotion to the God he served. Paul was stalwart in his journey, always pressing on, no matter what hardships he faced. He never stopped, suffering through all these things. Even after all this torture, pain, and hardship, Paul was found singing and praising God in prison, witnessing to the guards and writing letters of encouragement and training to the churches he had helped to start. He didn’t complain. Instead, in his own words Paul said, “I press on” (Philippians 3:14 NIV). Paul was stalwart in his belief and steadfast in his faith, never wavering.

God has promised He will never leave nor forsake you. He is with you every day, all day. Jesus, in the last words of the Great Commission, said, “I am with you always, even unto the end of the world” (KJV). You have what it takes to build a stalwart belief and steadfast faith. Stand on the shoulders of those who have gone before so that you will be strengthened for the victory and your shoulders will be broadened for those who come after you.

This article is adapted from Reaching the Summit:, Essence Publishing, chapter 13, Stalwart & Steadfast and first appeared on this blog in 2014.

For more information on this topic or to purchase your copy of Reaching the Summit contact George Yates and visit soncare.

“I know you love fishing and you’ve been fishing all your lives. I realize this is how you support your family. It is your family business. But I have something else I want you to consider. You know me and have seen me around the last few weeks. I want you to leave all this behind. Stop what you are doing, leave all this behind, and join my team. Follow me around for a few years and learn. You know how to catch fish. Follow me and you’ll learn how to catch men.”

While the above paragraph is in parentheses, it is not an actual monologue. But if Jesus had used the business acumen of many of today’s leaders, this might be how He would have recruited His Disciples. Instead, Jesus simply said, “Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.”

“Come, Follow Me.” Simple, straight forward. This is a directive of Jesus Christ to His Disciples. Simple does not always mean easy. Simple is uncomplicated. Jesus’ directives for His followers were usually simple, uncomplicated. Jesus used three words or less in some situations. To some of His Disciples, He said, “Follow me and I will make you fishers of men.” In this scenario, His directive was accompanied with a promise. “Follow me,” was the directive. The promise was “and I will make you fishers of men.”

As leaders in church and the corporate world today, we often think we are giving easy to follow directives, yet our delivery or the comprehension of others complicates the directive. These complications often lead to failed attempts or a mistaken application. Either of these will end in frustration for both parties. How can we avoid these frustrations? Here are three suggestions.

1.      Simplify your directives for others by using as few words as possible. Use enough words to get the objective across without being wordy.

2.      Write out your directive. Writing out your directive allows you the opportunity to see and examine it word for word to ensure it is concise and direct enough to be understood.

3.      Be positive in wording and delivery. As stated in earlier posts, not one of us communicates as clearly as we believe ourselves. Record your directive just as if your charges were standing in front of you. Then play it back. How did you sound? Forceful, lackadaisical, accusatory, encouraging? Now play it back for some other person who can evaluate objectively.

The easiest directive for anyone to follow is a simple, uncomplicated one. What steps will you take today to ensure your directives are simple and uncomplicated for all to follow?

All of Jesus’ directives were accompanied by a promise, spoken or implied. The promise was something better than the current state. Are your directives accompanied by a promise? If so, will your promise have a positive impact on the lives of those following your directive?

George Yates is an Organizational Health Strategist and coach, assisting churches, organizations, and individuals in pursuing God’s purpose for life.

Pastor Will, speaking with one of his staff members stated, “Joseph, your team is falling behind every week. The other teams seem to be doing fine and keeping the pace. I need you and your team to step it up.”

Did you notice a glaring omission in Pastor Will’s statement? There is no clarity. His statement to Joseph is very vague. There is no clarity in what the goal or objective is, what Joseph’s team is falling behind in, or what Joseph needs to accomplish. Whether you hold a leadership position in the church or a corporate organization, clarity is key.

I read somewhere that leadership begins with clarity. While I agree, I believe we need to clarify something (pardon the pun). Great leadership begins and ends with clarity. In fact, clarity is a character trait of great leadership.

Clarity is defined as; the quality of being clear. The quality of coherence and intelligibility. easy to see or hear; sharpness of image or sound.

Recently my wife and I were having a great start to our weekend. Then I messed it up. I wanted to show her how to check the air in her tires and how to use our compressor to add air if needed when I was not around. The mistake I made and one that many leaders make is, I was using terminology that I learned and have used since I was a child.  I assumed she knew what I was talking about. She did not. This was all foreign to her.

I never raised my voice, I did not get angry or upset with my wife. However, because she did not know the language, she interpreted my reactions and verbiage as condescending and hurtful.

I have said for years that there is not one person on earth (in every walk of life) who communicates as clearly as we think we do. And I proved that fact on this particular Saturday. Having clarity as a leader is more than understanding yourself but insuring every person you are communicating with is as clear as you are on the subject.

To be clear, to have clarity as a leader, when you think you have shared your thoughts enough, share them again – and again. Share in simple terms (simple means uncomplicated, not necessarily easy). Always ask questions to ascertain if your employees/volunteers have an adequate understanding of the task ahead and how to accomplish said task. Clarity is key in communication and leadership!

Sidenote: My wife and I recovered fine from our miscommunication that morning and had a very peaceful and nice weekend together.

George Yates is an Organizational Health Strategist and coach, assisting churches, organizations, and individuals in pursuing God’s purpose for life.