Any 1 fist can break any 1 finger. Some hands have small fingers that easily come together as a fist. Other hands have very large fingers but, if they never come together as a fist, they probably won't be as powerful as the smaller hand that does. In other words, if 5 talented individuals don't perform as a team, they may not be as strong as 5 less talented individuals who do. Any one fist can break any one finger. Leaders develop teams to achieve what one person cannot accomplish alone. All of us alone are weaker, by far, than if all of us are together. As soon as the team achieves a group mentality, it can assume a group identity--and become a fist. Together, you will learn to think not as 5 fingers but as 1 fist. You, leader, will create a dominant team where all 5 fingers fit together into a powerful fist. There are five (5) fundamental qualities that make every team great: Communication, Trust, Collective Responsibility, Caring and Pride! Think of each of these 5 qualities as a separate finger on the fist. Any one individually is important. But all 5 of them together are unbeatable. When it comes to effective teamwork, the fist--with its 5 qualities of communication, trust, collective responsibility, caring and pride--is more important than anything, including more important than "technical" expertise. Many leaders concentrate on only the "technical" aspects of their profession. And that's important. A leader has to be sure all of the "skill building drills" peculiar to his/her profession are done. But all the "technical" aspects of whatever it is you're doing are better achieved if the fist is clenched tight! The fist is also more important than individual skill and talent. A small company with moderate talent that works together can outperform a medium-size company with great talent that acts separately. And a $4 billion company with a lot of talent acting individually can become a $10 billion company when that same talent acts collectively as a team. But leaders must be constantly monitoring the team's fist to make sure it's strong and tight. If that fist begins to open up--and then you get into the heat of battle--one of the fingers can be broken off and the team can lose the game. A leader should never assume that the fist is secure--because it's impacted by all the things that impact people. Somebody's wife may be having a baby or a miscarriage. A relative may be ill. There may be a death in the family. There's a fire. There are things that leaders may not normally think about. But they are just as important to be concerned about with as a person's skill at doing his job. When a team is working well together--when the members are clenched tight like a fist--a moment of weakness by any individual will be compensated for by the rest of the group. When one finger is weak, the other four stay firm and hold the weak link in tight. And we're not talking about only when you're in competitive situations, we're talking about all situations.

1. Because we value faithfulness, promise keeping and accountability, our culture is loyal. Our vision is a global group which values and respects one another. Great character is of greater value than great talent. Give your players the freedom to show their personal commitment to the organization. If people invest time in something, they are more likely to become valued members of the organization. If the leader is committed, there will be a greater chance for the followers to be committed. Where will the heart be? Leaders have to search for the heart on a team because the person who has it can bring out the best in everybody else--including the leader. And if you're fortunate enough to have more than one member with various aspects of heart at high levels, it simply lifts everybody up to that much higher a level of performance--including the leader. As a leader, you should ask yourself this question: "Where will the heart be?" Heart is not easily defined--nor is it obvious to everyone. Some people's hearts are easy to see because of their daring and/or their passion. But the quiet heart isn't seen or understood very often. And while the leader has to look for it, it's always known by the team members--always. People have to be given the freedom to show the heart they possess. It's a leader's responsibility to provide that type of freedom. It's done thru relationships and family. Because if a team is a real family, its members want to show you their hearts. The person with heart inspires the entire team. It's like chemistry. He's the one who makes the formula work--the one element that sets off the explosive reaction. The team member with heart will make you a better leader. S/he'll motivate you. S/he'll make you better by giving you the confidence to do what you feel. And you know that dark alley you may have to walk through on the way to your destination? You'll know that you won't have to walk it alone. You'll know that guy, or that gal, the person with the heart, is going with you. You know if you encourage their daring, their passion, their quiet courage, then they're going to bring out more of the daring and the passion and the courage in you, the leader--and in every single member of our team. Where will the heart be? 

2. Because we value counsel, optimization and outsourcing, our culture is productive and full of a craftsman's pride. Our vision is a global group exercising expertise and excellence in all that we do. Take the approach to your work as does a craftsman. A true craftsman creates their works to please themselves, because he takes pride in everything he does and because a true craftsman is about excellence. A craftsman has his own expectation levels and sets his own standards. And whether he's getting paid 1 dollar or 1 million dollars, he's going to do the same great job. He's going to put everything he has into it--every time out. That's excellence. That's pride. One of the worst things anybody can do is assume. Fools assume. If people have really got it together, they never assume anything. They believe, they work hard, and they prepare--but they don't assume! During critical moments, look closely for any potential chink in your armor. And then take action to fix it. If something isn't working, try something new and different. Innovate. Never give up. Never. Find or make a way to win. Leadership is ongoing, adjustable, flexible and dynamic. The cycle of leadership-driven-change keeps going--always active, always planning, moving and doing. It never stops. Every long-term strategy must be adjustable and members must be prepared accordingly. Teach them to adjust. Business is a game of adjustments. So be ready to adjust. You might have to throw out your well-crafted plan after only five minutes. It's important to have a long-term strategy, but no one should be a slave to their plan. If a leader is too structured, s/he'll be unable to adjust quickly--unable to seize the moment with decisiveness and creativity. And so, basically, a big part of leadership is winning the moment. Always tell your team that this is our time. This time. Not next time. Not next year. Now! Pack everything into the moment. The future should always be uncertain for you. Life changes when you least expect it to. The future is uncertain. So, seize this day, seize this moment, and make the most of it. But also remember that whatever a leader does now sets up what s/he does later. And there's always a later. Each team has to run its own race. The deal is that there are no deals. You're promised nothing. You have to earn everything. We'll be honest and fair. And you'll be rewarded according to your performance. This is our fair "but not equal" policy. Everyone is equal in human being value; performance value varies from person to person. Maintaining success can be more difficult in building it. Instill the mind-set that your team is going to win eventually--that our destination is winning. Winning means constantly improving to reach maximum potential--competing against only yourself. A real winning attitude is about standards of excellence--which vary from team to team and member to member. Being your best--and doing your best--are the constants. The leader has to assess the team quality, set the standard of excellence, and then work with the team to achieve that standard--not to be perfect but to be the best they can be every time. Leaders are ultimately responsible for how their teams perform. When things go wrong for you and your team, assume responsibility. Admit your mistakes and move on. If a leader is a stickler on high performance, on excellence, then winning will be a natural by-product. People look at things closer when they lose than when they win. When we win, everything isn't right. And when we lose, everything isn't wrong. Maximum effort is the winning standard. There are lots of people who want to win, but winners prepare to win. Make "game day" whenever that occurs in your endeavours your best day. Make sure you have a clear head when you go into a business situation. That way, you'll be more likely to react well to whatever unpredictable situation might occur. Focus intently on reviewing and renewing everything. Encourage every member of your team to be well rested and at a high level emotionally before every business outing. That way you'll be excited and reenergized. There are no magic wands--you have to succeed by working hard as a group. Let a 75 year old woman teach you about pride. One afternoon, Mom got off a bus in Chicago and was walking home when three teenage boys attacked her and tried to take away her purse. Now, in a situation like that, most women would let go and not risk a confrontation. "Here, take it all and leave me alone," they'd probably say. Not Mom. She held on to her purse with a vice grip--because it was hers. And after a few moments, those kids realized that this little old lady was not going to let go and they were not going to get that purse--so they ran off. What belongs to you? your God? your family? your church? your business? your prosperity, health and peace of mind? whatever belongs to you, you must have pride in not letting it go! When everyone on our team believes that our own personal signature is on everything our team does--then we have a chance to be a great team! You may have to put some of your own emotions aside if you are to help you team reach its goals. Anger is okay if it motivates you to do something good. During critical periods, a leader is not allowed to feel sorry for himself, to be down, to be angry, or to be weak. Leaders must beat back these emotions. A leader should strive to do his/her best 100% of the time. That's why we try to eliminate all obstacles, both personal and mental, that might prevent our team from doing its best. As a result, we always ask ourselves the important question: "Okay, what does this group need right now?" The people on your team expect you to be upbeat, positive, confident, and certain they can win. It doesn't matter if the whole world doesn't think that your team may win. All 7+ billion of them. All that matters is that your team thinks they can win! Leaders have to be positive about all things that happen to his/her team. Look at nothing in the past as failure. Failure is a part of success. Sometimes adversity can work in your favor. Instead of feeling sorry for yourself and using it as an excuse, accept the situation and try to make the most of it. That's how a team develops resilience and character. In order to be a winner, you have to look for ways of getting things done and not for reasons why things can't be done. People who live with excuses have things that can't be done hovering around them all the time. The only way we lose is if we don't try our best. There is always a way to win. Never say you cannot do it. Find the way to win. A little negative thing must be dealt with immediately--before it becomes a big negative thing. Don't worry about losing. Think about winning. You cannot win every time out. But you can learn every time out. In other words, even when you have a loss, you must ask yourself, "What is good about this? How can we turn a defeat into something that works for us?" Never forget a defeat. Defeat can be the key to victory. Leaders never look at anything in the past as a failure. They look at it as a great experience. Mistakes are part of the building process. Mistakes have to be made. They are necessary. How you act when you make mistakes is of paramount importance. That's how both teams and individuals grow and improve. Don't let a single outing break your heart. Hunger not for success, but for excellence. And don't let anyone else define excellence for you. If you're always striving to achieve success that is defined by someone else, you'll always be frustrated. Define your own success. Success should be whatever passion moves you deep in your heart. When our goal is to try to do our best, when our focus is on preparation and sacrifice and effort--instead of the scoreboard-we'll never lose. When our hunger is for excellence...success naturally follows! Our goal for each member and for the team is to function in a positive manner, utilizing our abilities and not being afraid to fail. Remind your team members of their past successes. Help them to replay them in their mind! Teach the principle that "your fifth try is your first try." And then make your last shot your best shot!

3. Because we value service, helping and teaching, our culture is charitable and demonstrates collective responsibility. Our vision is a global group of generous givers (of themselves). Put yourself in a situation where you can learn something new. Continual learning is a key to effective leadership because no one can know everything there is to know. In leadership, things change. Events change, circumstances change, people change. As a matter of fact, leadership is all about change. Leaders take people to places they've never been before. Because leaders are always encountering new situations, they have to learn how to meet new challenges, to adapt, to confront, to master, to win. A leader's job is ongoing. It's like a ring. There is no end. Leadership never stops. When you stop growing, you start to decay. If you teach it, you better be able to do it yourself. You must be able to teach "the game." To teach is to learn twice. The most important aspect of teaching is being able to translate your knowledge to enhance performance of the team. While we're teaching our members, we can also learn from them. You give to the group and it gives back to you. Go in fully prepared for every teaching. Create a lesson plan. But stay flexible. Use it only as a guide. When teaching, always remember this simple phrase: "You hear, you forget. You see, you remember. You do, you understand." A leader cannot just tell people what to do and then expect them to perform well. A leader has to work through the process with them so that s/he knows that they will perform their functions well during the real thing. It's not what you know, leader, that counts. It's what your team members do in the field that counts. A leader's job is to remove any obstacle that can negatively impact his team's performance. By playing hard in practice, under simulated "real thing" conditions, then you're just naturally going to perform better during the real thing. That's why your practice drills should be as "real world" simulated as possible. People are going to step in mud puddles (and get your shoes muddy and cause you problems). They are going to make mistakes. If you are going to have a great team, however, there should be no excuses and no finger-pointing when somebody else on your team is not perfect. Because when you point blame at someone else, one finger sticks out--and you no longer have a fist. Besides, that one finger can easily be broken off. Some people like to win individually and some like to lose selectively. They'll say, "It's someone else's responsibility," or "It's not my fault." But one of the key components of keeping that fist together is taking responsibility for your actions as a team. Every individual member has to realize that it's our job no matter what happens. This is the bottom line: We win or we lose together. Great teams embrace collective responsibility. It's that simple.

4. Because we value authority, obedience and compliance, our culture is cooperative. Our vision is a global group which plays well with others. A merely good player usually knows when s/he has talent. But a truly great player realizes that s/he can achieve greatness only if s/he has other good players around him/her. Two are better than one if two act as one. And if you believe that two acting as one are better than one, just imagine what an entire team acting as one can do. You're part of something bigger than yourself in Pure Hearts! In order to beat an overwhelming adversary, it takes unbelievable focus and concentration. At all times, we want our team to play hard, play smart and play together. Most groups don't play hard all the time--just like most people don't work hard all the time. But the single most intimidating element of competition, aside from raw talent, is a team working and playing hard for the entire game. "Here they come again! These guys just keep coming! What are they going to do this time? What are we going to do this time?"

5. Keeping in mind that there are some-timers, part-timers and full-timers in this industry with entirely different goals, objectives and levels of commitment, most of this paragraph is for the serious full-timer. Because we value honesty, winning, and candidness, our culture is transparent. Our vision is a global group which trusts one another. Look each other "in the eye," tell the truth and provide full disclosure. If your culture's properly developed, in a crucial moment, when you have to slam home a message, a member or team will respond well. They're ready to "soak up" the lesson. A crisis occurs when it means the most. And the worse the crisis, the more people tend to act as individuals rather than as members of a team. They just naturally think, "I'm dead," not "We're dead." And rather than looking for opportunities, the tendency is to deflate and say, "It's over, I'm going to have to find another job because the company won't be here in a couple of months. Time to look out for old number 1." In a crisis, it appears to most people that there are no opportunities. A leader's job is to create opportunities. A leader has to find a way to win--and believe we can win. So God gives us crises for a reason. A crisis can be a momentous time for a team to grow--if a leader handles it properly. Effective crisis leadership can help a community become closer, more tightly knit. In a crisis, a leader demonstrates that people need one another. And, all of a sudden, the team can rise to a whole different level of friendship and spirituality. How we handle each situation, what we do in such crisis moments, has a lot to do with our success or failure as a team. What is it that leaders do in a crisis situation? They stay calm, stay focused, stay positive, stay confident and utilize their best people. But success in handling a crisis situation depends to a very large extent on what has developed (or not developed) prior to the crisis ever taking place. Before you ever utter a word, the team sees your face, the look in your eyes, even your walk. Whether you completely believe it or not, you must have the expression on your face and the words in your mouth that the team is going to win. Luck and successfully handling crisis situations favors teams who trust one another and are truthful with one another--immediately. The leader has to have already established "instant belief" in his word. You do that by admitting when you're wrong, that you're real, that you can make a mistake too. Because if members are supposed to see themselves through the eyes of the leader, so does the leader have to see himself as others see him. When a leader makes a mistake and doesn't admit it, s/he's seen as arrogant or untrustworthy. And "untrustworthy" is the last thing a leader wants to be. Accordingly, a real leader will apologize to a member if they make a mistake. To admit a mistake is not a weakness, it's a strength. It shows confidence in the relationship. You say, "I messed up. I'm sorry. I won't do that again. Let's move on from here." But when facing an opponent, always show confidence and hide weakness. Believe in a handshake. In leadership, no word is more important than trust! Your Pure Hearts leaders are truth! At any time, they can and will tell you where you stand and how you're doing. We'll tell you what you're doing right and we'll tell you when you're screwing up. Additionally, every team member knows right up front that not only will we tell you the truth--but we'll do so as soon as possible. "Face to face" communication is not something that is practiced regularly in most organizations. It is often avoided--especially in business. Many managers don't like to deal with confrontation--which, unfortunately and falsely, has the same negative connotation as "discipline" or "work." People are not truthful and open with each other simply because the truth is often the most difficult pill to swallow for the person receiving it. It's also often difficult to express for the person delivering it. We believe, however, that confrontation is good. It simply means meeting the truth head on. Sometimes a leader has to draw a line in the sand. Straightforward "face to face" communication is usually done to overcome some sort of obstacle--a fear or lack of confidence, for example. A leader does not beat those things by just hugging them or letting them go. You do not necessarily beat fear with a hug. Sometimes you have to attack the blazes out of it. For leaders in a high-paced environment, it's absolutely critical to deal with any issue in a rapid manner--especially if the problem has the potential to bring down the level of performance of the team. If leaders don't deal with a slump in performance, or any other form of nonperformance, the organization is not going to achieve its goals. And in a case like that, it's the company beating the company--not the competition beating the company. But we're able to be successful at it only because we trust one another. We work hard to focus on the truth, look one another "in the eye" and then take action for the good of the team. And once the confrontation is done, it's done. The bond is not jeopardized, because ours is a relationship based on trust. True friends will tell each other tough things. Members of your team need to see themselves through your eyes--so that they may see how they really are, not how they think they are. When the member sees him/herself as they really are, as their team leader sees them, then they can internalize both their shortcomings and their strengths. And that helps not only individual performance, but overall team effectiveness. Never forget that each individual on your team needs to take responsibility for their own performance. For team members to see themselves thru their team leader's eyes is not always a pleasant thing. But always, it is a fact. Sometimes, however, the truth can be brutal. Integrity is nothing more than doing the right thing no matter who's watching you. In Pure Hearts, the truth is the basis of all that we do. There is nothing more important than the truth because there's nothing more powerful than the truth. We must be honest with one another. There is no other way. We can't always be polite. Because we have your best interests at heart, at times we must communicate very directly. At times there's no time to worry about hurt feelings. We do this by telling truth, trusting and knowing we're not trying to hurt each other--even if an outsider thinks our words are hurtful. It's "instant belief" in what we say to one another--especially what our leader(s) say(s). We will not lie, cheat or steal--or tolerate those that do. Distributors shouldn't take leader's words personally because we trust and respect authority and accept responsibility for our actions. We're here for a reason--to grow personally and professionally! Are leaders tough on members? Absolutely! If they don't show respect for leaders and each other, we're all over them. We don't want fear as a primary motivator. But members know that if they screw up, the hammer is going to come down. We don't accept mediocrity. We're not going to coach a member if they're not giving their best effort. Embrace personal and collective responsibility. No matter what, it's your team leader. You're responsible; no excuses. Each member must feel and act likewise. Leaders honestly taking responsibility for their own mistakes not only sets a good example but shows respect for members. If one of us is late, we're all late; if one of us fails, we all fail. Learn to depend on one another; it makes us all better. Letting each other down is unacceptable. A team learns discipline collectively and performs excellently at a moment's notice or they'll eventually fail.  We consider our biggest achievement as leaders to be any time a team member knows we've been honest with him/her.

6. Because we value caring, hearing and listening, our culture is compassionate. Our vision is a global group which sacrifices for one another. Part of being a leader is to have empathy for people. If, after a failure, a group of people are always able to look at one another and see compassion and empathy in one another's eyes, then they are going to be looking at a winning team. No matter how busy you are, or perceive yourself to be, you need to make time for personal attention for members of your team, leader. It reinforces that we're all part of a family. Nothing demonstrates that you care about people more than spending personal time with them. And the more it's a one-on-one encounter, the better. The concept of caring, however, is not singular in description. It's more than "I care about you as a person." It's also about "I care about the job I'm doing on the job." It's caring about the individual, about the team, caring about the team's performance, caring about high performance, about excellence. And it's caring about winning--about being the best you can be. That's also caring. And that kind of caring spurs people to take action. It causes people to work harder, to get off their duffs and move. "I'm going to do this because I care about my job and because I care about the people with whom I work." In no small way, caring can be a powerful motivation factor on any team. It's important for a leader to focus on the technical details of their biz. But it's vital to focus on your people details too! People talk in different ways--thru facial expressions, moods, mannerisms, body language, voice tone, the look in their eyes. As a leader, you must be able to read your members, to recognize those different things and then take appropriate action. To figure out what members are thinking, to determine who they are at one particular moment in time, is not only a necessity for a leader, it's a great challenge. Sometimes you may be wrong in your interpretation, but if you have built strong relationships and spent quite a bit of time observing and listening, you'll usually be pretty close to the truth. It's important to remember that every person is different and has to be motivated differently. A leader has to get into a person's head--and then know what button to push at any given moment. Try to be flexible and versatile. There's a time to get in someone's face and there's a time when you just put it on the line without yelling. There's also a time when you pat on the back. And there's a time when you hug. One player might respond to a pat on the rear, another might need to be kicked in the rear. And still another might need no attention at all. Some people respond when you challenge them, others when you encourage them. Some people respond when criticized. And some go into a shell with even the slightest bit of criticism. The only way to know what to do is to look at each situation differently. Each moment requires its own maneuver. The leader of the team is responsible for getting to know the players well enough to understand what methods are the most effective for each individual--as well as the team as a whole. And so we're back to relationships and communication again. Motivation has to be looked at both individually and as a team effort. It's the leader's challenge to motivate each team member in such a way that s/he performs at his/her best while helping the team perform at its best. The main job of a coach is to motivate. The main job of a leader is to inspire. Inspiration and motivation are ongoing concerns. Throughout the course of a year, give your team members motivational reading material occasionally. Motivate your team members regarding all aspects of their lives throughout the year. Set up a "buddy" system where your team members hold one another accountable for everything: attendance at chats, calls, everything. Make sure your team members have the telephone numbers of other team members and staff. Remind them to call somebody when they're in harm's way. You're not alone. What happens to you happens to all of us. Mutual commitment helps people overcome the fear of failure. But don't be a team of "I got'chas." Too many rules get in the way of leadership.

7. Because we value belief in God, reason, persuasion, no coercion and free agency, our culture is courageous and free. Our vision is a global group infused with spiritual peace and power. It takes courage not only to make decisions, but to live with those decisions afterward. A leader has to have the courage to make a key decision in a split second. Courage and confidence are what decision-making is all about. True bravery revolves around the degree to which you maintain courage of your convictions. Show up every day, even if you have to sweat it out. Courage takes persistence to keep believing in yourself and resilience to keep picking yourself up after every loss, stumble and fall. Following thru with your plans and commitments and dreams--even when others say you can't do it--that's courage. And why does a leader need courage? Because somebody is always trying to pull you down when you're a leader. And you cannot be vacillating back and forth. There can be a wind where you're successful and everyone agrees with you. Or there can be a wind where you're not successful and everybody disagrees with you. Courage gives a leader the ability to stand straight and not sway. When you stand strong in those vacillating winds for the 1st time, it's easier to have courage again. A strong gale might change a leader's strategy, but it should never change their core beliefs. A leader has to know who s/he is and what s/he stands for. And s/he also has to say it, demonstrate it and mean it if s/he ever hopes for people to follow him/her. As a leader, you have to have confidence in yourself. But you also want your members to have confidence in themselves. You want them to think that they're great! So how do you make sure s/he knows it? Well, it's important for you to tell them what you think. But simply telling them that they're great won't really accomplish all that much except that s/he knows how you feel. In order for them to know deep within themselves that s/he's really good, they have to prove it to themselves. So your job as a leader is to put them in the position where s/he can do so. Encourage members of your team to take the initiative and act on their own. People must have self-confidence before they can realize their full potential. With accomplishment comes confidence and with confidence comes belief. It has to be in that order. When people achieve something that they've really worked hard for, it makes them feel great. For some reason, "hard" and "work" have been associated with other four-letter words that have negative connotations. But we believe work is good. There is dignity in work. We also believe that a hard work ethic forges strong leaders. Work brings people joy, fulfillment and self-esteem. It's like the craftsman mentioned in the previous point. When s/he gets their work done, they surely feel great about it. They're proud of it. Their signature is on their work! Work brings people joy, fulfillment and self-esteem. The only way you lose is if you don't try your best.

8. Because we value belief in unity and peace, our culture is ecumenical. Our vision is a globally united group of believers, Christians, Muslims, Jews, Hindus and Buddhists, learning from one another's differences while resisting and opposing their common enemy, secular atheistic humanism. 

9. Because we value evangelism, reason and persuasion, our culture is communicative. Our vision is a global group that constantly talks to one another. Touch people's hearts with sincerity and eloquence. But the heat of battle is not a day for long, drawn-out speeches. It's a time for interaction. Demonstrate the principle "we're all important" by making sure that you are not the only one speaking at a meeting. It's important to begin using plural pronouns right away: "Our" instead of "my," "we" instead of "I," "us" instead of "me." Remember that leadership on a team is not singular, it's plural. This is our team. Almost everything comes back to relationships. And, naturally, the level of cooperation on any team increases tremendously as the level of trust rises. The only way you can possibly lead people is to understand people. And the best way to understand them is to get to know them. People learn how to think by communicating. Effective communication--the 1st quality of the fist--is manifested in talk. But people take talking for granted. Around the "water cooler" people are always talking. But a member is less likely to talk to another member when s/he's doing biz than when s/he's on break.  Leaders--remind people to talk! When people focus on biz, there's a tendency to think quietly and talk to themselves. We don't want you to be quiet! We want you to talk and think out loud! To think and concentrate and adjust and talk on the run is a key to success. Also, no BS in communication allowed--only truth can be spoken. If something's going wrong or something's going right, we need to talk immediately. That way, if things aren't going well, corrections are made immediately. Conversely, if someone's doing well they're complimented and encouraged by others--or they themselves share their success secrets. A confidence shared is better than a confidence only in yourself. Leaders have a different view than members. So leaders must allow members to make an adjustment, or call an "audible" if the need arises. It also pays for a leader to ask a member's advice. It's easier to do with more veteran teams because of their experience. But it works with young teams, too, because when a leader asks a member for advice, it gives that player immense credibility, which, in turn, makes the entire team stronger. Communication like this permeates through the entire group. It's not only the leader communicating, it's everybody communicating. Don't recruit solely on ability. Consider whether someone can work in a team setting. It's better to hire a less talented person who will communicate with members than a more talented person who's an island. In Pure Hearts, communication skills are just as important as recruiting/retailing skills. Always search for the team's communicator(s).

10. Because we value humility, meekness and obedience to headship and righteous dominion, our culture is honorable. Our vision is a global group that always chooses the right. Stress honor in all things. Teach good sportsmanship, patience, enthusiasm and energy always. Recruit individuals who are willing to be part of a team and who are coachable. When you first assemble a group, it's not a team immediately. It's only a collection of individual persons. Surround yourself with really good, smart people who want to be on your team. Make sure that they're not "yes" people as you want them to tell you what they really think, good or bad. Recruit people of strong character even though they may not have developed all the skills necessary for their position. It's unwise to force a person into a position description. Position descriptions should not be "ready made." Rather, they should be carved out to fit team members. Never let a person's weakness get in the way of their strength. No organization, no matter how good it is, is going to win on reputation alone. A moment of ecstasy might very well cause you to lose the next game. Put it behind you and move on. Get over yourself. When you cleanse yourself of a big victory, you may open yourself up to the opportunity for an even bigger victory. To stay successful, you have to stay hungry and humble. Don't cheat yourself with complacency. When you achieve a goal, you never defend that goal--you aggressively pursue a new, higher goal. Along with achieving a certain amount of fame and success comes a powerful forum to influence others. And people who find themselves in that situation have the responsibility to use that power wisely and humbly. We also have the responsibility to help people whenever we can, to provide a flicker of hope to someone who may be having a tough time, and to demonstrate with our actions that love and compassion are not meaningless or hollow words.

11. Because we value belief in prayer, renewal, and being moved by God, our culture is Apostolic. Our vision is revival.

12. Because we value belief in listening, effectiveness and cooperation, our culture is communal. Our vision is Godly order.

13. Because we value belief in family, unity and in never exercising unrighteous dominion, our culture is fun and harmonious. Our vision is a global group free from contention and focused solely upon the needs of the children of the future. Having fun helps reduce pressure. Maintain a good sense of humor. You don't always want your team to see you with furrows in your forehead. Bonds have to form among all members of the team. Make sure everybody's on board the train. When events beyond your control pull you away from your team, delegate as much as possible. Go through an appraisal and reevaluation process every year. Rotate some responsibilities. An architecture of leadership has to be created so that the wheel is sustained if something happens to the hub. Sometimes, when you're blinded by your emotions and your commitments, it's best for someone else to tell you what to do. Once in a while, you have to be committed to yourself--and yourself only--in order to avoid burnout. It's important for leaders to remember that there are always other people around who can lead--and that we should listen to them. Stop the "Success Express" once in a while to enjoy the journey. Otherwise, as the conductor on the train, leader, it will wear you down most of all. If you're inundated with requests that impact your time, have people who will say no for you--so no one will think you're a jerk, not realizing that you're only trying to protect your own health, sanity and family. Manage your time wisely. Regularly ask yourself the question: "What's your job, knucklehead?" Take care of your core. Listen to your health care practitioners and sources. Don't try to do too much yourself. Keep a balance with all the people and things that you love in your life. Be careful when you're dealing with extremes. They throw you off your normal rhythm and you begin to use singular pronouns like "I." Everybody doesn't just come together right away, and meet on a mountaintop, and embrace. That's not the way it happens. Leaders show respect for people by giving them time. Cut out anything that tends to put distance between you and members of your family. You have to work hard at staying in contact with your friends so that the relationships will continue and live on. Sometimes, all the good things you try to provide for your team members do not make a difference. Sometimes, people have to move on. Leaders have to learn to live with instability. When people leave, thank them for doing a great job and wish them well. You may feel sad, disappointed, possibly betrayed. But real leaders have to put all those feelings behind them. Hold no grudges. The way we want it to be for everyone who has participated in Pure Hearts: once a part of Pure Hearts, always a part of Pure Hearts. Family tradition helps to make that a reality. It also helps motivate people. It makes them want to come back. They desire to go on another journey. Tradition builds pride, fosters team unity, thirst for excellence and reinforces confidence by being part of a top notch group. It lets people know that they are part of something grand, something bigger than themselves, where they feel that they are doing something for the greater good. Also, if people are part of something with a lot of tradition, they will be less likely to be jealous of a teammate or do something detrimental to the organization. Thus, tradition makes it more difficult to bring out the negative aspects of human nature because people realize that they have to live up to the legacies of past and present leaders within the organization. Honor the "old timers" in your organization. You want to find ways to bind the glorious past to the even more glorious present and future. At the end of every shared goal period, thank your team for their effort and give your team a chance to celebrate the journey they just experienced. Make it fun for them. They deserve to have a night all their own. Cultivate relationships with the people who support and become a part of your family. Being part of a strong family makes a person achieve more, because the accomplishment can be shared. And it creates a built-in form of support when things go wrong. When you achieve something, there's a party with other members of the family. When you experience a loss, there's crying and sharing. If there's a setback, someone comes to your rescue. When your organization operates like a strong family, you can't be knocked out by one punch. Family is a fist--complete with communication, caring, trust, pride and collective responsibility. Commitment, integrity, toughness, honesty, collective responsibility, pride and love. After each word, you feel a different emotion. Those words and those emotions are Pure Hearts. But there's one word saved for last--because it means more than all the rest: friend. A person really doesn't become whole until he becomes a part of something that's bigger than himself. Family makes individuals part of something bigger. Friendships and family, along with love, make life worth living. What better place to learn about trust, teamwork, integrity, friendship, commitment, collective responsibility, and so many other values than in Pure Hearts? Where better to learn about handling success and failure? Where better to learn to work with other people to overcome the obstacles that can prevent all of us from reaching our true potential? Where better to learn to express enthusiasm appropriately, to develop discipline and to polish communication skills than Pure Hearts? I'll back you guys and gals all the way if you play hard together. Please, God, help me to do my best, help me to be myself, and help me lead with my heart!

14. Because we value belief in the saying: "all that glitters is not gold," passion, and never letting others down, our culture is inspiring. Our vision is heroic. Crass materialism, greed and corruption are not allowed here. We are the "anti-MLM" MLM.