Hi there!

My name is Samson…

Fancy seeing you here! 
It is no accident that you have ended up here on my first blog post.  Whether you are looking for inspiration or just perusing around, I welcome you!  I am currently completing my Masters of Arts in Leadership at Trinity Western University.  Even though my age puts me in the Millennial category,  I have very little blogging experience so this is all very new to me.   Yes, I enjoy reading blogs online but never compelled to write one of my own.  Perhaps this is the beginning of something greater than just fulfilling a course requirement.

I love coffee.  They say “a yawn is just a silent scream for coffee” and I truly believe that! Until I have my first sip of coffee in the morning, I will not be able to have an intelligent conversation with anyone.  So for the love of coffee, just give me a minute!  I live in The Greater Vancouver Region (Port Coquitlam to be exact) and Vancouver is full of great coffee roasters.  The coffee culture is huge here and there is no shortage of good coffee around. The occasional fast food coffee is not bad and very convenient, but if you want the good stuff, be sure to ask me where a great place for a good cup of joe.

I am married to my beautiful wife, Rosanna, and have two children, Matthias (4) and Abigail (1).  Both Rosanna and I have full-time careers in the health sector and both of us actively serve at our local church in various capacities.  In terms of my professional career, after graduation from UBC in 2006 (BSc. Life and Earth Sciences) then BCIT in 2008 (BTech. Environmental Health), I immediately joined Vancouver Coastal Health as an Environmental Health Officer, conducting inspections in places such as restaurants, pools, and various personal service facilities (yes, I have many stories to tell).  Three years ago, I was promoted to the position of Systems Specialist within the same department, responsible for overseeing the regional information systems for our inspection program as well as participating in our Quality Assurance program.

I have a second degree (ni-dan) Blackbelt in Kendo, which is the Japanese martial arts of the sword or more commonly referred to as “Japanese fencing”.  The picture on the right was taken a few years ago when I took my grading exam at Steveston, BC (I am the person on the left).  As a young boy, I was always drawn to samurais, ninjas, and swordplay.  But I never have taken up the actual practice until I was in university.  If you never experienced a kendo match before, you should know that it is LOUD with shouting, stomping, and the impact of swords on body armour.  I have included one of the exciting matches from this year’s World Kendo Championships which took place in Korea at the end of this post.

…Chief Analyzer of Things…

I tend to overthink many things.  Not so much in a way of being worried or anxious all the time but, I always consider my all my options and outcomes before taking action.  For example, even on some of the most mundane of things like buying a mop could take me a long time before making a decision.  I will stand around the cleaning aisle of the grocery store and check out all the mops available.  Then I would go online to do additional research and check out any reviews (I am not kidding, I will check reviews of mops) then compare prices on different retail sites.  I’ll probably visit another 2 or 3 stores that may carry different types of mops before finally making a purchase.  While some may think there is nothing wrong with that, but I am keenly aware sometimes, the over-analysis of things can paralyze actions.  This is evident in many of my staff meetings where I tend to sit quietly, attempting to gather all the facts from the discussion around the table and formulating the “perfect” response.  By the time I ready to provide a response, the discussion is over and the group moved on to the next topic.  I sense that my inaction can sometimes cost me great opportunities.  What does all this have to do with leadership?  I invite you to read on.

…Learner of Strategic Leadership

Jesus Christ is the greatest strategic leader of all time.  I truly believe this and it is one of the reasons why I decided to complete my Master’s program at TWU.  There are many leadership traits that Jesus demonstrates while He walked this Earth, here are just a few of them that I want to emphasize here:

• Jesus communicated strategically.  Jesus used stories (or parables) that are relatable when sharing with people who are illiterate and lower class while referencing other scriptures and the law when rebuking the Pharisees.
• Jesus formed groups strategically.  Jesus never intended for His mission to be done alone.  Jesus formed specific groups of supporters for his missions.  He preached to larger groups of thousands and healed many who were ill individually or within their family group.  When it comes down training and discipleship, Jesus strategically formed a small group of 12 disciples would be the most effective. We later see that Jesus passed the mission to his disciples as the Great Commision.
• Jesus used His time strategically.  Jesus knew His time on Earth was limited so how He spent it was important.  He spent time teaching to large crowds, training in small groups, and created time for Himself devoted to prayer and meditation.

One of the key things that I learned from Jesus is a strategic leader is intentional in achieving their success.  Whether the intent is to grow a company financially or serve patients more effectively, success does not happen by accident.  Iterations of plans and systems are put in place in order to see the carefully, crafted vision come to fruition.

As to my self-proclaimed title, Chief Analyzer of Things, I often see this as a hindrance to my leadership strategy.  However, it is not the analytical mind that is causing the hindrance, but the lack of balance in thought and action that leads to it.  One of my personal goals, as a embark on my Master’s journey, is to find the balance between action and inaction, listening and doing.  I look forward to this new course that I am starting on Strategic Leadership and how that will help equip me to be a better leader.

– Samson

And now to our Kendo match….enjoy!