Momentum
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My guest today is long-time friend Pastor Rick Linamen. Rick currently serves as the Executive Team Pastor at Generation Church in Mesa, Arizona. Rick is also the Founder and President of Unleash God’s Dream, an organization dedicated to helping leaders unlock and activate their life potential. I’m privileged to be working alongside him now in that organization.
by Rick Linamen
On April 21st, 1973, my college baseball team became the textbook definition of “momentum swing.” Our team picture is in somebody’s sports dictionary as an illustration.
We were playing a baseball game in northern Indiana. We were close to finalizing a spot in the league playoffs. But – it was not going well for us.
For 8 plus innings we got hammered. We couldn’t get a runner on base. We couldn’t keep their runners off base. Nothing went our way. Even the umps were dogpiling us. We were losing 9-0. Our bench was silent. Our heads were hanging. Maybe you have been there. We had 2 outs in the bottom of the 9th inning. The last out seemed to be a formality.
Then something happened.
Our next batter – and we thought our last – drew a walk. The next batter reached base on an error. The next batter – another walk. Bases loaded, two outs, still down 9-0 in the bottom of the 9th. We were still in a big hole.
But… momentum began to stir on our bench. Our next three batters got hits, and then suddenly we could do no wrong. And they could do no right. The transfer of momentum from their bench to ours, from their fans to ours, was palpable. Our next 6 batters reached base. We won the game.
Crazy. Against all odds. Against reason. Except for the fact that “MO” had joined our team.
On that day each of us learned something: life is better with momentum on your side.
- Momentum builds movement
- Momentum is contagious
- Momentum accelerates outcomes
- Momentum captures people’s vision
- Momentum causes people to believe
- Momentum brings strategy to life
- Momentum builds teams
- Momentum causes outcomes that defy reason
- Momentum creates memorable moments
A smart leader understands momentum. A smart leader can become a “steward” of momentum.
A smart leader knows:
- Momentum builds in a person’s life when they are living out God’s purpose for their life
- Momentum builds in an organization’s life when its team members successfully live out their life purpose in the context of the vision and strategies of their organization
A smart leader puts priority on at least two things to help build momentum:
- Know God’s purpose for each of their team members, the assignment God has given to each one to fulfill during their life
- Participate with their team at a level where they can help weave their team member’s life purposes into the fabric of the goals and strategies of the organization
This leadership practice is guaranteed to build movement. It is guaranteed to be contagious. Guaranteed to accelerate outcomes. Guaranteed to capture your team’s vision. Guaranteed to cause people to believe. Guaranteed to bring strategy to life. Guaranteed to build your team. Guaranteed to cause outcomes that defy reason.
Momentum creates memorable moments. My team still talks about this game 50 years later.
Helping people live out their life purpose while at the same time creating momentum towards the mission of the organization is a smart leadership strategy.
