Nouriel Roubini and Stephen Mihm
Crisis Economics: A Crash Course in the Future of Finance , (p. 266-267), The Penguin Press, 2010
Financial crises disappeared only after the Great Depression, a period that coincided with the rise of the United States as a global superpower. At the same time the U.S. government reined in financial institutions with legislation like the Glass-Steagall Act and shored them up by creating agencies like the SEC and FDIC. The dollar became the ballast of an extraordinarily stable international monetary system, and crises came to seem like things of the past. Though serious cracks started to appear in the facade after the 1970s, economists in developed nations kept the faith, worshipping at the altar of the Great Moderation.

The recent cataclysm marks the beginning of the end of this dangerous illusion. It also marks the end of the financial stability ushered in by the Pax Americana. As American power erodes in the coming years, crises may become more frequent and virulent, absent a strong superpower that can cooperate with other emerging powers to bring the same stability to the global economy. Far from being a once-in-a-century event, the recent financial disaster may be a taste of things to come.

A new era demands new ways of thinking. We should jettison bankrupt ideas about the inherent stability, efficiency, and resilience of unregulated markets, and we should let crises take their own rightful place in economics and finance. Sadly, many otherwise intelligent people cling to the belief that the recent crisis was an unpredictable, unheralded event. No one could have seen it coming, they say, and we’ll never see the likes of it again — at least not in our lifetimes.

We can wait for a new financial calamity to deal a coup de grace to this continuing complacency. Or we can embrace understanding a new economics: crisis economics.

Jeremiah 17:7-8
The New International Version
⁷ “But blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD,
whose confidence is in him.

⁸ He will be like a tree planted by the water
that sends out its roots by the stream.
It does not fear when heat comes;
its leaves are always green.
It has no worries in a year of drought
and never fails to bear fruit.”

I’m driving back to a Dallas hotel with my wife and two of our kids after an enjoyable visit with my relatives. It’s past 9 PM, and I hear a comment from the back seat that sounds more like a command.

“Dad, I’m hungry!”

Knowing better than to fight this — despite just having a delicious, expensive, and satisfying dinner — I pull off the toll road toward a shopping center I know on the corner of Royal and Preston. We pull in toward a neon sign that says Pizza by Marco.

And to my surprise, I get an education in how to compete as a little guy in business, and how to achieve small-business greatness.

Another sign by the door announces that this was voted “best pizzeria in Dallas” by D Magazine. But at first glance, it doesn’t appear to be much of a restaurant at all.

The entire dining room — with a maximum capacity of 12 — is no bigger than a Jiffy-Lube waiting room with the same lack of frills and ambience. They take orders through a small window in the wall, and it feels like filling a prescription at the pharmacy. Then you wait for the pizza.

As we wait, I am engrossed in reading all the press that Marco has received and all the awards it has won since it was established in 1956. The place is now in the hands of Marco Jr. It’s customers, or should I say, fans, include pro-football players and other celebrities who still have pizzas shipped to them long after leaving the area.

Here are a few of my observations on how to compete as the little guy:

1. Strive for product greatness.

There’s no doubt from the reviews and awards that Marco has exceptional crust and sauce. You absolutely cannot compete as a small business with mediocre products and services. Our ½ pepperoni, ½ cheese, thin crust surpassed our family taste test!

2. Welcome competition!

They aren’t afraid to put their product on the line in pizza competitions. Don’t cower from the competition. Take them on. It shows a confidence in your product and abilities.

3. Tell your story.

It was fascinating reading about the 50 year history, the family, the location, the invention of the sauce and crust (Mama’s secret), and the fans who order the pizzas from around the country. I could totally relate to the family.

4. Create mystery and capitalize on your uniqueness.

The ingredients in the sauce are only known to Mama and Marco. They will not move out of this quirky location, serving the pizza as they do. They’re open 365 days a year.

5. Create a product signature.

The sauce and the crust remain the same.
It’s what they are known for and what customers crave. And though they may add some other products, they don’t mess around with what they are famous for.

6. Create loyalty.

Yep, you can even buy the t-shirt. Their fans are completely loyal.

7. Capitalize on trends without compromising the secret sauce.

Believe it or not, in spite of the protests of purists, you can get vegan and low carb pizzas.

8. Leverage technology to your advantage.

They have a website, online ordering, and even customers all over the country. I suppose with express delivery you could get a pizza delivered to Bangalore or Beijing. So here’s a little guy with a global presence. That’s fun to think about.

Many of you run small businesses or are contemplating starting one. Let Marco serve as some inspiration that little guys can compete and create businesses that last.

Gordon MacDonald
Restoring Your Spiritual Passion , (p. 48), Oliver-Nelson Books, 1986
…one who is dried out has reached that state by not taking anything into the inner chambers of life for quite some time…

The unfilled spiritual tank is an invitation to disaster, and many of us have known that awful moment when, like a car out of gas, we seem to cough and sputter and pull over to the shoulder, out of service, not able to go any further.

We have all seen the car out of gas in a long tunnel or on a narrow bridge at rush hour. Thousands of people are potentially affected in the clogged-up mess that follows. And it can happen in spiritual life also. One empty spiritual tank can affect a score of other people. It’s happened more than once.

Like many others, I am no stranger to the dried-out condition. This condition is often a danger for the multi-gifted person, one who has many differing gifts and capacities and who can appear to go for long periods, as they say, winging it.

Those with natural talents, like musicians, are quite vulnerable here. They can mistake the applause of the admiring crowds for God’s blessing. Thinking that their ability to raise the emotions of people in an artistic setting is the same as being a tool in the hand of God, they begin to abandon any sense of need for spiritual passion or energy and move ahead on their own instincts. More often, what power they appear to have is sheer theatrics, not spiritual passion. Often the system seems to work for a long time, and then — disaster.

Psalm 63:1
The New International Version
O God, you are my God,
earnestly I seek you;
my soul thirsts for you,
my body longs for you,
in a dry and weary land
where there is no water

J.I. Packer
Freedom and Authority , (p. 13), International Council on Biblical Inerrancy, 1981
One aspect of this freedom is integrity, that simplicity and purity of heart which, as Kierkegaard analyzed it, consists in willing one thing, namely the will and glory of God, so that one’s motives are freed from the taint of self-regard. A second aspect is spontaneity. Unlike the rule-ridden Pharisees, whom Jesus pictured living (as it were) by numbers, the free person in Christ invests creative enterprise and resourcefulness in the task of pleasing and praising God and doing good to one’s fellows. Where the Pharisee’s concern is to avoid doing wrong, the free person seeks to make the most and best of every situation, so that he is lively and sometimes breath-taking company. A final aspect is contentment, the fruit of God’s gift of a joy within that increases all life’s pleasures, stays with him whatever is present or lacking in his outward circumstances, and enables him to accept without bitterness the most acute forms of suffering and pain. In short, this person is free for holiness, humanness and happiness — a freedom which surely merits its name.

I Peter 2:16
The New International Version
Live as free men, but do not use your freedom as a cover-up for evil; live as servants of God.

Dan Miller
48 Days to the Work You Love , (p. 44), B&H Publishing Group, 2010
The Bible gives dignity to any work. All occupations are sacred. “Called to ministry” or “full time service” are simply cultural misrepresentations of God’s view of meaningful work. We need to eliminate the artificial ranking of the godliness of work. There are no second-class citizens in the workplace. I thank God for the talents of our lawn maintenance man and greatly appreciate and admire the beauty he creates in the grass, flowers, and trees around our house.

And I am worn out by getting one more letter from someone who suddenly discovered he was “called into full-time service.” That immediately creates the false dichotomy of those who are called and those who are not. I might also add that it’s interesting how many people discover their call to ministry (meaning they need those who are still just working to support them) after a long period of unemployment. Is God’s call a last resort? Should it not be a first choice?

Colossians 3:22
The New International Version
Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men

“Sixty-seven percent of the statistical variance accounted for on the climate for creativity in organizations is directly attributed to the behavior of the leader.”

Lund identified nine factors that directly affect the climate for innovation in an organization.  Think about the following questions and develop a fresh personal leadership agenda to lead your company toward an innovative future.  As you will see, each of these nine factors is directly affected by you, the leader.

1. Challenge
   • How challenged, emotionally involved, and committed are we to the purpose of the company?
   • Is the environment inspiring or is there indifference and apathy?
   • Do we find meaning in their work?
2. Freedom
   • Do we have autonomy to define much of their work?
   • Can we take initiative?  Do we take initiative?
   • Are there so many regulations and rules to define the work that people have little room to make it their own?
3. Idea Time
   • Do we have time to think before they act?
   • Is there time to think about new ideas, discuss new ideas and approaches, test new ideas?
   • Is everyone too busy to step back, get perspective, and think?
4. Idea Support
   • Are new and fresh ideas welcomed, considered, and nurtured?
   • Do we build upon new ideas constructively?
   • Do we automatically reject new ideas?
   • Resources are tight, but do we find ways to invest in new ideas because we believe the future depends on it?
5. Trust & Openness
   • Is there an openness to hear out opposite or conflicting points of view?
   • Is there emotional safety in the working relationships so that honest communication can occur?
   • Is there respect for one another even when we disagree?
   • Do we trust one another and count on one another for support?
   • Do we steal one another’s ideas?
   • Are we suspicious and guarded toward one another?
6. Playfulness and Humor
   • Are we relaxed and is it okay to have a little fun?
   • Do we have a sense of humor?
   • Is spontaneity permitted?
   • Do we take ourselves too seriously?
7. Conflicts
   • Is there high interpersonal and emotional tension present?
   • Is there gossip and slander?
   • Do we fight and struggle with each other?
   • Are there power-plays and plots happening?
8. Debates
   • Are diverse opinions and points of view respected, sought out, and heard?
   • Do we succumb to group-think?
   • Do a few dominant voices prevail?
   • Do we hear the voice of the new, the young, the quiet?
9. Risk-Taking
   • Do we tolerate and welcome risk taking and new initiatives?
   • How do we view failure when trying new things?
   • Do we over-think new ideas and hesitate to make decisions?
   • How do we handle uncertainty, ambiguity, chaos?
   • Can we make decisions knowing that the outcome may not be certain?
   • How courageous are we?

After you’ve reflected on these questions, ask yourself, “What am I doing as a leader to kill the creativity in my organization?”

Uncertain about how to answer that?  Then here’s something you can do, if you have the courage to do so.  Ask the people in  your organization how they would answer the above questions.  And then really listen.

Daniel Coyle
The Talent Code – Greatness Isn’t Born. It’s Grown. Here’s How. , (p. 135-136), Bantam Books, 2009
…Dweck did (a series of experiments) with four hundred new York fifth graders…It’s goal was to see how much a tiny signal – a single sentence of praise – can affect performance and effort, and what kind of signal is most effective.

First, Dweck have every child a test that consisted of fairly easy puzzles. Afterward the researcher informed all the children of their scores, adding a single six-word sentence of praise. Half of the kids were praised for their intelligence (“You must be smart at this.”), and half were praised for their effort (“You must have worked really hard”).

The kids were tested a second time, but this time they were offered a choice between a harder test and an easier test. Ninety percent of the kids who’d been praised for their effort chose the harder test. A majority of the kids who’d been praised for their intelligence…chose the easy test. Why? “When we praise children for their intelligence,” Dweck wrote, “we tell them that’s the name of the game: look smart, don’t take risk making mistakes.”

The third level of tests was uniformly harder; none of the kids did well. However, the two groups of kids — the praised-for-effort group and the praised-for-intelligence group — responded very differently to the situation. “(The effort group) dug in and grew very involved with the test, trying solutions, testing strategies,” Dweck said. “They later said they liked it. But the group praised for its intelligence hated the harder test. They took it as proof they weren’t smart.

The experiment then came full circle, returning to a test of the same difficulty as the initial test. The praised-for-effort group improved their initial score by 30 percent, while the praised-for-intelligence group’s score declined by 20 percent. All because of six short words. Dweck was so surprised at the results that she reran the study five times. Each time the result was the same.

Proverbs 25:11
The Message
The right word at the right time
is like a custom-made piece of jewelry,