Monday, November 19, 2012

Tim Redmond Interview (with Mary Nichelson)


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Tim Redmond is a successful speaker, coach and author whose name alone is synonymous with ideals such as power, growth, innovation and wealth. That was not accomplished through hard work alone, though.  “(He) grew a leading high-tech company from 2 employees to over 450, and generated more than $120 million dollars in pre-tax profits. After the sale of the business to a Fortune 1000 company, Redmond founded Redmond Growth and dedicated his life to helping people discover their God-given path to personal purpose, passion and meaning in life.”  

His program works not only because of his strong business leadership skills, but by incorporating faith-based guidelines as well. It takes the foundation of education, knowledge, and yes, hard work to a new level. Or could a strong foundation in God-given truths alone insure success?  It all depends on how you define success-especially as it relates to wealth.

MN-You have been a leadership coach for over 25 years within churches, businesses and government venues. With so many coaches now available, what is your niche that has kept you in such demand all of these years?

TR-Though coaching is highly competitive with scores of people pouring into this profession every year, it is also highly relational. Success hinges on the ability to connect with the heart and mind of the organization and individuals you are helping. That has been my focus and has allowed me to enjoy a level of success in the business coaching arena (helping leaders of all kinds of organizations create personal and organizational success). When I can connect deeply with my clients and unleash their God-given creativity and confidence resident within them, positive change begins to happen.

Please note in the first 18 years, I coached leaders within the organization I worked and mentored selected leaders (I live to mentor and be mentored!). This provided me with a solid foundation of practical and extensive experience with which to build my current coaching business/ministry.

MN-Congratulations on the release of your new book, The Power to Create. Critics may say that you promise too much according to the wording on the back cover as it guarantees that your book is "a revolutionary way to redefine wealth, creativity, and your amazing purpose." However, unlike just another get rich quick book, you really do delve into truth regarding wealth. You say that from God's perspective, "there is much more to wealth than just obtaining possessions and pursuing money. Money is a result; it should never be our pursuit." Can you elaborate on that affirmation?

TR-“Guarantees” sounds like too strong of a word but that line on the back cover of the book was worded to grab the attention of the reader and reflect the heart and intent of the book. In light of the manipulation, wickedness and abuse commonly connected with “wealth,” it is a radioactive, dangerous word to many Christians. Yet if Deuteronomy 8:18 NIV (But remember the Lord your God, for it is he who gives you the ability to produce wealth…) applies in any way to us today, we need to look at “wealth” from a different, more positive perspective.

Whatever one pursues, she serves it in some way. I saw in the name of need, greed, and even what some felt was a divine destiny, people justifying their pursuit of more money and possessions. Where is God and our intimate relationship with Him in all of this? Shouldn’t our primary pursuit be God and his kingdom? What did God have in mind when he gave us the power to create wealth? Instead of allowing the world and its tendency towards corruption to define wealth, what if we could redefine wealth from a Biblical perspective? Answering these questions is the focus of the book.

MN-If no other statement in your book qualifies you as a successful leader, this will become your calling card. "Relationships are God's obsession."  Only someone that sees the value of money-or lack of-can make such a claim. The most valuable possession a leader has is the group of people working with him, but there are some leaders who refuse to see this particular worth in their employees, or church congregation, or civic group. They will not work at making that connection because they do not see the association between the two. Where is the starting point, the launching pad, for someone who might not understand this concept?

TR-I am so glad this line stood out to you and like you naming it my calling card! Nurturing life-giving relationships IS the key to success in any endeavor. God’s kingdom is built on his nature of love and abundance (notice in the Gospels how Jesus responded to needs with abundance). God’s nature in us releases us to be other-centered rather than self-centered. It is the only way we can enjoy life in a deep and lasting way.

It is through the collaboration and cooperation of people that value is created (which is the heart of any business). Whatever you appreciate, appreciates, especially people.

For those who look at people (especially their employees) at objects to buy, use, and throw away, they are probably missing the peace, and joy commonly associated with success. I have observed with these people, the productivity, excellence and loyalty of their organization are shallow at best. I would ask them to honestly evaluate their inside and outside world. Are they enjoying life and their work? Are they connected with people they work with or do they feel isolated and empty? Is their work and organization a reflection and avenue to express their God-given purpose? Sometimes the pain of the present acts as a friend who nudges (or shoves!) us to see what is working and what isn’t and make changes as needed.

MN-Hypothetically speaking, someone walks up to you in the grocery store and states, "Help me identify my purpose because I don't know what I am here for." What do you tell them?

TR-Most people think of purpose as a “what” and a “where.” They feel pressured to have to know what their exact vocation and where they are going to do it. Some have known exactly what and where of their purpose since the seventh grade. The rest of us either celebrate or are jealous of them while condemning ourselves for not having a clue of our “what” and “where.”

What if purpose had more to do with how and for whom we worked? The advice I would give to my fellow shopper is to bloom where you are planted. Even if you are unclear about your future and your purpose-related desires, be present where you are. Define your purpose in 3 simple words, “to help others” and get busy doing so!

Do your work heartily (how) as unto the Lord (for whom). Let your work be an expression of your purpose right now. Pour all of your heart into your current assignment instead of half-heartedly working while wondering where you’d rather be. Doors of opportunity and promotion usually follow someone who is fully engaged.

As your desires of the “what” and “where” become clearer, continue to fully engage in your current work while taking some of your free time to begin learning and moving in the direction of your desires. With your God-given power to create (e.g., creating value to serve others) and excellent work habits you have developed where you currently are, you will be in a much better position to move on to your next assignment.

MN-I am a perfectionist and appreciated the section on procrastination due to perfectionism. It's hard to jump right in sometimes when the weight of your decision affects several people; for some leaders, thousands of employees. What is the secret to making an informed decision on the spot when it's your nature to think-or over think-the situation?

TR-Decision making can be daunting even for the best of leaders. To help make better decisions and enjoy the process of doing so, I recommend leaders create a system for making decisions. Gather the facts and perspectives from various people. Evaluate their recommendations. Take time to pray about and weigh the options. Create a multitude of counselors including people not involved or benefitting from the decision to give you feedback. Make the decision and evaluate the results (not honestly evaluating the results is one of the most common mistakes leaders make). Make adjustments as needed.

Sometimes, decisions are demanding a response “right now” and don’t give you the time to go through your decision-making system.

Realize decision making is a process. In most cases, it is not final but can be adjusted, if needed, along the way. Decision making gets stalled when we equate decision making to failure “if we don’t the perfect decision.” Perfect is an illusion that generates paralyzing fear and distracts us from the process. Decision-making is like a muscle you develop (and don’t develop if you avoid making decisions). Start conditioning your decision-making muscles out by celebrating progress rather than demanding perfection.

MN-What would be your recommendation for someone needing to get out of debt?

TR-Read Chapter 14 – Start Creating Now, in the Power to Create book; especially Principle #7 that outlines how and why to get out of debt. It begins with a strong, clearly defined and emotionally held “why” you want to get and stay out of debt and setting up a system that you and your spouse (or an accountability partner) can know if you are on or off course. 

MN-Let's talk politics for a moment. Whether President Obama assumes the position for another four years, or Republican nominee Mitt Romney is elected into office for his first term, I am sure you would have at least one nugget of leadership advice you could offer either candidate for their impending four year term.

TR-Realize that each and every person you are entrusted to lead has a God-given power to create that needs to be encouraged, developed and activated. Use this premise as a guideline in making decisions, establishing policies, and creating programs, especially when helping those in the harshest conditions. Countless studies have shown that unless people get involved in playing an active role in creating their solution, the desired results don’t last or are never achieved.

MN-I would love to see a whole library of books written by you on the topic of leadership. Are you just beginning your writing career, or will Power To Create be a stand alone?

TR-Thank you, Mary! I have written a few books already (Discovering Your Greatness and compiled theWords of Promise for Men & Words of Promise for Leaders). I also wrote the Power to Create Interactive Workbook and Journal along with the DVD/CD sessions for the Power to Create Curriculum (available here at my website – RedmondGrowth.com). At this time, I am in the beginning stages of writing books related to the Power to Create and the Power to Lead. I am excited about the current book I am writing which will be my foundational book regarding leadership.

Author Bio-Using over 25 years of experience in growing multi-million dollar organizations, coaching leaders, and intensely studying leadership, business, and the wealth creation process, Tim Redmond brings powerful, positive change to individuals and organizations through his innovative, insightful and entertaining training approach. He earned his CPA while working at PriceWaterhouseCoopers before joining Tax and Accounting Software Corporation and Intuit, where he served for over 15 years.

A gifted author and speaker, Tim has published a multi-media curriculum, numerous books and training program designed to strengthen and expand the leadership and wealth creation capacities of leaders and teams worldwide.

Tim with his wife Sandy, founded Redmond Growth Initiatives to focus on coaching leaders to significantly grow their organizations and fulfill their amazing purpose without sacrificing relationships that matter most to them. Tim and Sandy also operate the Redmond Leadership Institute (RLI), the NGO/non-profit aspect of their work which is focused on reaching, restoring and releasing leaders in via seminars, conferences, and providing training materials in the US and overseas; particularly in developing nations with huge potential.

Tim and Sandy are raising 4 "leaders in training" - Matthew, Robert, Joshua, and Andrea.

For more information, please visit Tim's Website, the books website or connect with Tim on FaceBook!


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About Mary Nichelson:  http://www.marysworld411.com/

This interview is courtesy of The Wordsmith Journal Magazine
Author interviews also featured in the November issue: William Burt, Karen Kilby, and Liz Curtis  Higgs.
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