Great post originally by Brad Lomenick http://bradlomenick.com/

Greatest Leaders from the past 100 years

Posted on June 24, 2008

Ran across an interesting list from Time (from 8 years ago) on who they ranked as the greatest 100 leaders of the last century (the list came out in 2000). So thought I would attempt to put together my own top ten greatest leaders list from the last 100 years. Here you go:

1. Martin Luther King

2. Ronald Reagan

3. Winston Churchill

4. Mother Teresa 

5. Billy Graham 

6. Franklin Roosevelt

7. Nelson Mandela 

8. Walt Disney 

9. Gandhi 

10. Oprah Winfrey 

Do you guys (and girls) agree? Who would you add or take off?

I read this week that Tiger Woods’ sets his alarm for 5:00am every morning. www.tigerwoods.com

I’ve had some interesting conversations this past month with a few friends who lead various organizations and ministries. A couple of these leader’s efforts are thriving while a couple are in the tank… These conversations are the reason I’m going to ask all of you a very simple question. This question is something that stirs inside my soul. It is a question that I’m ashamed to sometimes answer, often haunts me, and always motivates me. The question is this… When do you wake up?

The reason I ask is that I met recently with one ultra talented, intelligent, and truly gifted leader who just can’t figure out a way to grow his ministry. He looks the part, smells the part, acts the part, smiles the part, and speaks the part but for some reason things just aren’t happening for him. Meanwhile, I have another friend who is kind of a bozo (he’s my friend so it’s cool) because he laughs way too loud, dresses old school, and hasn’t figured out the facial hair thing. But, God is using him in huge ways.

Thing is, I love both dudes. They have both analyzed the same issues, set powerful goals, hand picked credible leaders, married beautiful wives, so on and so forth. However, the charismatic guy is struggling while the “bozo” is thriving. After weeks of prayer, coffee, talks, and journaling you all might think I’m crazy but I think there is one core issue that separates the two dudes. It’s the answer to my question… When do you wake up?

You see, my bozo friend wakes up every day when the sun rises and, even with an empty schedule, examines the best and most disciplined ways to utilize his time. Meanwhile, my charming inspirational friend has always enjoyed a 9am breakfast, coffee, pedicure (yep), or tee time. There are probably other factors involved but I am becoming more resolved that discipline (the art of best using every waking hour for a predetermined goal or objective) is the fundamental difference between success in these cases.

The reason I’ve chosen to ask about your “waking up” is because there is no better assessment of personal discipline. At the end of the day most people can lie to others or even themselves about what they did, meant to do, or pretended to do with their day. However, if you want to be honest with yourself than write down each of the times “you had to be somewhere this week” and then “the time you woke up” to be there each day.  For example, if you had work at 9am did you get up at 7am to spend time with God or roll out of bed at 8:43am? If you had school at 11am did you stay out until 2am and then hit the snooze until 10:30am?

If you’re in your twenties than you likely have about 9,999 mornings left in your life. Imagine if the first thing you did in each was spend time with God and ask him to plan out your day? We might never win the US Open but we can change this world for the better! So, what time DO YOU wake up and what time do you WANT to wake up?