Orrin Woodward and the LIFE leadership business should be commended for making ‘Friends’ as one of the 8F’s categories. The 8F’s are the categories of information that LIFE subscribers can receive to help them enhance their lives. Chris Brady remarked recently that while walking through book stores, he noticed that books about friendship are extremely rare. In an attempt to solve the friendship issue, social networking has made ‘friends’ the central focus. But what really are the important ingredients to making true friends?
People from around the country who come from a wide variety of social backgrounds are scratching their heads in wonder asking, “Just how the Team leadership community has stayed together for twelve years”? The infrastructure to develop friends and keep communities together is rooted in loyalty that comes from trust. But just how has this culture been created? I believe this environment was developed from 4 components:
- Integrity
- Servant leadership
- Vision
- Competency
These four components form the friendship that holds it all together. Friends start with having the right heart toward each other. They have joy in each other’s successes. This eliminates envy. Friends lend a hand when others are in need and distress. Acts of kindness builds trust. Friends say, “Thank you” because they appreciate you. Friends are genuinely interested in each other and they ask questions and listen intently. Friends demonstrate humility by honoring one another. Friends don’t just show the actions of love, they have the desire to love. Out of the desire to love comes forgiveness. Yes, even forgiveness of ones enemies who attempt harm. We must be the change in the world that we want to see.
Thousands attended the Sunday service at the Columbus Ohio leadership convention last week to see Pastor Davey. It easily could have been the largest Sunday service in the country. There, the secret of how the LIFE culture of friendship was revealed. Influence from the Team leadership community and theLIFE business comes from the top down. I have had a front row seat with Orrin Woodward and the Policy Counsel leaders and can testify that it is because they are committed to pursuing a relationship with Jesus Christ. Orrin Woodward and the leaders of LIFE have gone all the way to the top. That’s how friendship happens. God Bless, George Guzzardo
