(Ed. Note: John Maxwell tells about the time a new minister on his staff walked right past a group of people in the church lobby one morning without speaking to them. He evidently wanted to get right to work. "These people are our work, Dan," John said, confronting him later. "We're in the people business." Here, Dan Reiland picks up the story of learning people skills from a master.)

I wish the stories of my early leadership at Skyline Wesleyan Church were only as bad as John said. I'll tell you another one. Upon arriving at our first church after graduating from seminary, the engine on our 1970 240Z hadn't yet cooled before the first conflict set in. Patti and I returned to San Diego in 1982 to take our first post on John Maxwell's staff. My kindest one word description of myself as a leader was "green."

I remember my first meeting with the Sunday School board, led by Marte Phillippee. She and 16 volunteers awaited their first meeting with the "new guy." Armed with my briefcase full of ...