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I have been participating in The Global Leadership Summit at Willow Creek in Chicago. 
Last night at a pre-conference dinner, the program was primarily on Willow Creek's international leadership development work. With the exception of Bill Hybels, the speakers were all from other countries except one. This gentleman is a business analyst of some renown who is frequently on the major news network making financial projections. I wish I could report a good economic forecast, but at least he predicted a 1-3% growth for the coming year--maybe that is good after all!

Nevertheless, the best part of his speech was when Bill asked him to share something about his walk with Jesus. His whole demeanor changed from exuding self-confidence to a more humble spirit as he shared a discovery that he made recently. In May he lost his job with a leading finance company, and he hit the bottom. He was so focused on making money and being successful that he forgot about the most important things in life--relationships.

WinShape International teaches the business principles of Chick-fil-A to audiences around the world and one thing is consistent. The fourth principle in the acronym SERVE is the hardest for our audiences in any country to capture in their hearts. That principle is "Value Results and Relationships." Every business person values results because at the end of the day it is about results in your business. If you don't make enough money to pay the bills, then your business has a very limited life expectancy.

The key work in that principle is "and." It is about results AND relationships. I have been leading groups to teach this principle for years, and I still have to work hard every day to remind myself of the importance of relationships. Those of us who are results-oriented have to be slapped on the head from time to time to practice the art of valuing relationships.

I just pray that the generation coming after mine isn't so involved in social media and whatever impersonal mode of relating to one another that comes along to remember that the best way of relating to people is to spend time with them. Technology helps us maintain friendships but nothing replaces face time for building friendships--and that is not face time on the smart phone either!!