Kye "K" Chung

On the surface, it appears Jeremy Lin became an overnight sensation. The reality, however, is quite a different story. His journey to stardom began years ago with no fanfare. Let me share a handful of observations about his career:

1. This young star began getting ready when no one was watching. Jeremy Lin was an un-recruited high school player who attended Harvard University. He wanted to get a good education and prepare for what came next.
2. Jeremy Lin played basketball at Harvard, but again, no one really wanted him after college. He was disappointed, but knew he’d just have to keep working. He did not give up on his dream, however, when no one drafted him.
3. Jeremy Lin continued playing in the face of two NBA rejections. After being acquired by two franchises, both let him go, not seeing any potential for play in the NBA. One might think that after two experiences like this, you’d begin to get the idea.
4. When the Knicks finally signed Jeremy Lin and kept him, he was willing to sit on the bench and sleep on his brother’s sofa. He continued to practice and wait for his opportunity to come one day.
5. When his day came—probably sooner than he expected with his teammates injuries—Jeremy Lin was ready. At 23 years old, he came of the bench and held a clinic on the court for everyone to see.

I believe Jeremy Lin is a living example of one of our Habitudes. It’s called: “Pop Quiz.”The truth of this principle is simple—On the journey to leadership, life gives you pop quizzes. Effective people have prepared and are ready for such tests. They embrace them as friends not foes, and rise to the challenge. Just like a pop quiz comes unannounced and only the prepared do well, leaders—like Jeremy Lin—have been preparing all their lives for such quizzes. Most of it has been in solitude. Hmmm. And people call him an overnight sensation. I beg to differ. Jeremy Lin has done his homework.

Let’s see if he can do it again with JC Penney!

Everyone in the retail world wants to see if Ron Johnson can work his magic a third time.

For 15 years, he helped shape Target’s cheap chic image. Then, he spent about a decade changing the way Americans shop for electronic gadgets at Apple.

Now, Johnson faces perhaps his biggest challenge yet as CEO of J.C. Penney: dust off one of the dowdiest brands in retailing to make it cool again. To do that, he’s borrowing from Apple’s uber-successful playbook.

During an hour-long interview in which he talked about how he planned to transform Penney, the 52-year-old mentioned Apple 19 times. Like he did at Apple, the 30-year retail industry veteran says he plans to change the shopping experience, shun heavy discounting and sell services along with products.

In an industry where the bargain is king, what’s raising the most eyebrows is his plan to do away with the 590 sales Penney had last year. Johnson says the sales turn off customers who must play a waiting game to get deals. So, instead Penney will offer everyday pricing and much fewer sales.

The retailer also is shaking up its stores, adding areas in the middle of each location that will offer services much like the popular Apple Genius Bars that Johnson created. Penney is tight-lipped about what services will be offered, some industry watchers say food demonstrations or haircuts could be among them. The rest of the store will be divided into 100 specialty shops that will replace endless racks of clothes.

Despite his impressive resume and innovative ideas, overhauling Penney won’t be easy. Department stores, as a whole, have lost market share to specialty retailers like H&M and Zara whose stores have “wow” factor. The group’s market share in clothing and other areas fell to 31 percent last year from 57 percent in 1992.

And Penney, in particular, has struggled. The retailer’s sales have slipped as its core middle-class customers have been among the hardest hit by the economic downturn, it has failed to attract younger customers with its stodgy image and its stores increasingly look uninviting compared to competitors.

Here are some excerpts from the interview at Penney’s Plano, Texas, headquarters, in which Johnson talked about everything from the challenges Penney faces to what stores he shops at:

Q. Why Penney?

A. I chose J.C. Penney because I think it’s the single biggest opportunity in American retailing. Inherently, department stores have significant advantages compared to all other retailers. Yet, our productivity is at the low end, and that just doesn’t make sense.

Q. What was your first impression of Penney?

A. I would describe J.C. Penney as one of a handful of great American brands that seemed like it was dormant, that had been a great part of the fabric of America for almost a century but it just wasn’t modern. It wasn’t top of mind. Everybody can tell a story about their mom or their grandma or the old catalog days. But they don’t have modern stories. Because we haven’t been creative enough so we have to rethink everything.

Q. Who are the chain’s competitors?

A. Our number one competitor is ourselves and our way of thinking, which is informed by decades of experience. It’s not another store; it’s not another format like the Internet. Our competition is ourselves and our best friend is our imagination.

Q. How did you come up with the new pricing strategy?

A. Pricing is actually a pretty simple and straight forward thing. Customers will not pay literally a penny more than the true value of the product. And as I have been watching the department stores for the past decade, I have been struck by the extraordinary amount of promotional activity, which to me, didn’t feel like it was appropriate for a department store. My instinct was that it wasn’t a good thing.

Q. Won’t shoppers be turned off because they won’t see the big markdowns?

A. I wouldn’t assume they like the pricing strategy. I think they’re insulted by it.

Q. Who are you targeting?

A. We are going after all Americans. We would like to be the store for everyone.

Q. What are your plans to make the shopping experience more exciting?

A. We are going to make the store a place people love to come- just to come. Because they can get support before they’re ready to buy. They can get great support when they want to buy and they can come in after they buy. We’ll transform the buying experience not unlike what we did at Apple.

Q. When will we start to see improvements?

A. You’ll start to see the experience change month by month. Everyone thinks it’s an overnight success but it never is. I was at Apple from 2000 to 2011, but it wasn’t until 2004 that the iPod became an important part of people’s lives. It wasn’t until 2007 that Apple reinvented the phone. It wasn’t until 2009 that Apple launched the iPad. But we look at it today and we feel Apple had always been beloved. It took time and this will take time as well.

Q. What ideals have you embraced from Steve Jobs?

A. The importance of doing everything you do to your very best. And that the journey is the reward. If you do things well one at a time, you end up in a really good place. Don’t get ahead of yourself. Control the things you can.

Q. Other than Apple, which stores do you admire?

A. I admire lots of stores. Whole Foods is a great store. I just like their passion for food. It shows up in everything they do. It shows up in their packaging, their presentation and their employees. Starbucks. It truly has created a community. As I travel around the world, I just know that if I go to Starbucks I will have a great experience.

Q. You’re dressed casually. Where do you shop?

A. I just dress to be comfortable. I shop at lots of stores. These are Levi 514s. I bought them at a Levi’s store. I have a T-shirt. That’s from Lacoste. I have a cashmere sweater. It came from Zegna. My socks are from Target. My shoes are from Tod’s. We shop multiple places. But we do have a favorite store. That’s what we’re going to become.

I kind of like technology. You might say I’m a bit addicted.

Three people live in our house–me, my wife, and our teenage son. Ten years ago, we had one family computer that sat in the living room, and I had a laptop for work. Today, between the three of us, we have nine computer-ish devices–three smart phones, two tablets, two laptops, a PC and an iMac. Throw a couple of TVs and a gaming system into the mix and it’s, well, ridiculous.

Or is it? It is the 21^st Century after all. This scene gets played out all over North America. After dinner, your daughter is Facebooking her friends. Your son is gaming, obsessively trying to get to the next level. You’re on your laptop and your spouse is texting a friend while the two of you are watching TV.

The challenge this poses is simple: Everyone is connecting with someone—just not with the people in the room.

So, who’s to blame? It’s easy to finger technology for creating a relational disconnect. According to a recent study, only 35 percent of tweens and teens feel emotionally close to their dads, and only 59 percent feel emotionally close to their moms.

We can pretend that life was simpler back in the day before WIFI left no room unconnected. When you’re struggling to have a conversation with your kids, and between the Wii and YouTube you can’t get a word in edge-wise, it’s natural to think technology has killed your family.

I’m not sure it’s that simple. Here’s a question to wrestle with: What if technology isn’t good or evil, but simply reveals and amplifies what’s already there?

There may indeed be a relational disconnect, but many of us grew up in a home where the primary activity we shared decades ago was watching TV. (Ironically, that’s still the number one activity parents and teens engage in together today.) And more than a few of us grew up in homes where relationship was hard to come by. Many children of the sixties, seventies and eighties had parents who worked long hours, moms who were busy with friends, distracted by book clubs or endless housework, or dads who came home only to disappear to the golf course or to the garage to tinker all night. Distraction and disconnection aren’t new.

Maybe technology is simply revealing and amplifying a problem that’s been with us for awhile.

Which is why I’m so glad you’re with us this week on the blog: relationships within families areworth fighting for and technology doesn’t have to kill your family. In fact, technology gives us incredible opportunities and the potential for unprecedented connectedness. But like all things, it needs to be managed so it becomes a servant of what matters most–our relationship with God and each other.

Something else to think about: there’s a reasonable likelihood technology is here to stay. So, this week we’ll explore ways to approach technology that might help your family manage it well.

In the meantime, take some time to evaluate the state of relationship in your home. To get started, ask yourself this question:

If all the technology in your home was removed tomorrow, what would be left of your relationship with your family?

I realize that can be a tough question, but tough questions can lead us to great places relationally. Especially if, like me, you like technology.

So, if the power went out and the WIFI and cable went down, what would be left of the relationships in your home?

The blogosphere is abuzz with advice for the new year. We’re being given tricks and tips on getting ahead, becoming more efficient and so forth. But as a guy who helps people live better stories, I have to tell you the best advice I’ve ever heard is simple: Work on your character and a good life will come to you.

Of course we have to define “good life” and we also have to acknowledge this is far from a “biblical law” that is destined for success. To be sure, nothing is for sure. But I like the idea and find it comforting. I like the idea that I can stop trying to control the people around me and just work on myself, just work on being a slightly better Don.

Does it mean everything will be great? No, not really. Conflict is part of every good life. No meaningful story is void of conflict. But what it does mean is that in every context, I can always control what I can control, and that’s me. Just because there’s a storm on the ocean doesn’t mean there has to be a storm within me.

Here are some interesting camera angles I’ve found on the topic of good character. Or here are some reasons I’m going to focus more on character:

1. I’m tired of tricks and tips. I just want to be. And I want to be better. And I am being drawn to slow-growth metaphors rather than quick-fix solutions.

2. I don’t want to go getanything anymore. I don’t want to stand in line at the “discount good life shop.” I just want to enjoy a sunset or sunrise of drive in the country or book. I think having good character IS the good life, in a way. Practicing good character has a way of stabilizing us and keeps us from pining for the things we don’t have. Having good character means cleaning up our inside world, rather than filling it with more stuff like an emotional pack rat.

In the end, having character is about settling. And I firmly believe one key to the happy life is settling. By settling I mean it’s a decision to no longer be gluttonous. I’m gluttonous in so many ways. Not just with food, but with relationships and praise and money and so many other things. Having good character means settling for what little I have, and participating in life rather than trying to conquer life.

3. I think it’s true that character attracts character. When we find ourselves surrounded by people who lack character, it’s probably because our lack of character created compatibility. It’s not always true, but like people often find each other. When we have good character, we have better, more easy conversation with others who have good character and our relationships soon become networks of good people. This is comforting to me.

4. Having good character means having fewer regrets. I hate regrets. I hate sitting around thinking of the crappy things I’ve said to people, or the crappier things I’ve done. I want to build in a few years without regrets to look back on.

5. Having good character is better than making people think you have integrity. It’s fine to have integrity, but it’s a waste of time to convince others that you do. Working on my character seems more Godward and inward focussed than outward focussed on what other humans think. Having good character feels more like having good weather inside you. I want good weather inside me.

I’m going to think about this for a while. Work on your character and a good life will com to you. Will you test it out with me? Lets see if it’s true.

What a great idea!

Introducing our new game called:

Don’t Be A Di*k During Meals With Friends.”

The first person to crack and look at their phone picks up the check.

Our (initial) purpose of the game was to get everyone off the phones free from twitter/fb/texting and to encourage conversations.

Rules:

1) The game starts after everyone has ordered.

2) Everybody places their phone on the table face down.

3) The first person to flip over their phone loses the game.

4) Loser of the game pays for the bill.

5) If the bill comes before anyone has flipped over their phone everybody is declared a winner and pays for their own meal.

Variations/house rules:

-Starting the game after everyone is seated.

-In the rare event that multiple people flip their phones simultaneously, the bill is split between said players.

– Feel free to invoke penalties/strikes systems.

Notes:

– No touching or messing with anybody else’s phones.

– You don’t have to stack the phones. This was done for picture taking purposes.

– I realize I should perhaps think of a different name for this awesome game. Because I don’t mean to imply that everyone who checks their phone during meals is a di*k.

– I recommend not being such a stickler or hardass on people about the rules and even initiation of the game. Basic premise is to just get people open to the idea of staying active and attentive to one another. But if someone has to take a call; they have to take a call =).

– Have fun! It’s really more of a fun concept in this new age high tech life of ours. Conversation is the spice of life.

I have recently noticed a trend of churches giving up on the notion that community is an essential component of church life.

Many are deciding that community is an optional experience that is helpful but not elemental to being a healthy disciple of Jesus.

I think this is a significant mistake. There is no biblical support for personal, autonomous Christianity. If we want to truly make disciples who advance the gospel, we must not only see the importance of community, but we must understand it to be essential to the church.

Community is a gift of God’s grace and essential for the Christian life. Community is not a peripheral ministry. Our communities should be the most palpable expression of the gospel within the church. As culture reflects the values of its citizens, Community Groups reflect the values of the church.

If our church does not place a high value on community, then we are already disconnected from the gospel convictions related to community.

My experience has been that most churches consider community a value, but many have a hard time living out that value in a way that is visible and recognizable. The church is constantly pulled to do so many things that it can be easy to neglect or devalue Community Groups within the sea of programs churches provide.

If, however, we are going to breathe life back into the community of the church and see it function as God designed, we need to start thinking differently. Social justice, overseas missions, youth programs, food banks, sports ministries, and so on are acceptable programs, but they are not the center of God’s mission. They are support tools through which a gospel-saturated community can intentionally engage the world.

If we put all our energy into the tangential and neglect the center, we have no fertile ground where people can land and grow. I have heard such tangential ministries described as a funnel, drawing people into the church as they swirl toward the center.

Ignoring the visual similarity to being flushed, the problem with a funnel is that it has a hole in the center.

Similarly, this has also been my experience when we neglect building the body of Christ. In order to breathe life back into your small group ministry, you must have a clear sense of its value and importance to your church.

You cannot hope to gain momentum and life in such a ministry while simultaneously marginalizing it through resource allocation or ministry dilution. Elevating Community Groups to the proper (and balanced) level of significance is critical for breathing life back into your small group ministry.