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There is no more noble occupation in the world than to assist another human being — to help another succeed.   ~Alan Loy McGinnis  It is the end of the Christmas season, New Year's Eve is upon us and giving/getting gifts is still a big part of the culture. Did you give your team anything? Without knowing your team, I hope you did, but I don’t necessarily mean a material gift, although I am sure that would have been nice. What...

"God loves each of us as if there were only one of us." ~ Augustine  Friends, as we pause this time of year to reflect, rest and be with loved ones during the Christmas season, I want to share with you my gratitude for each of you and for our time together. I have had the opportunity to speak with many of you; I've opened your conferences and coached some amazing leaders. What you have given me is a...

In the early days of my management career, I remember a scheduled manager training session on weeding. It was the good ol’ get on your knees, bend over and clean out the bed without damaging the plants exercise. Back in the old days, it was not uncommon to assign a new person the task of weeding to see if he/she had what it took to make it on the team. Not long into this unpleasant task,...

“Carve your name on hearts and not on marble.” ~Charles Spurgeon  We had just started dating and one Sunday afternoon, I took my future wife to a local park to explore and have a get-to-know-you-better picnic. While enjoying our time together, my wife saw a dandelion “puffball” nearby. As a horticulturist and high-end resort landscape manager, I recognized this obnoxious weed immediately as a foe. In my world, dandelions are weeds, a menace that needs to be prevented...

"Your attitude is either your best friend or your worst enemy, your greatest asset or your greatest liability." ~John Maxwell  Last week on a wet, cold day, I took advantage of an opportunity to grow my team’s leadership abilities. I brought together all my landscape services employees and we discussed attitude and the role it plays when working on the front line. Is it important? Does attitude really matter and why?    We started the exercise by writing down the name...

“Feeling gratitude and not expressing it is like wrapping a present and not giving it.”  -William Arthur Ward  Recently, I was speaking with a leader who produces millions of dollars of revenue each year through his organization. He employs over 80 people, and his company creates an amazing product. In gratitude, he would give his team a lot of love at Christmas - a big company party, lots of food, gift cards, iPads, entertainment, trips. He really wanted...

Victoria and her husband Brian started their design/build construction business back in 2000. When the housing industry took a serious downturn in 2008, the business got hammered by the recession and they struggled to find work and had to let people go. They eventually had to close the business for good.    A few years later, they started a new construction business, Bear Creek Outdoor Living, that only focuses on delivering unique backyard structures that help inspire families...

“One day, I am going to do it.”   Have you ever been there? Maybe you felt like that, even said that out loud. “One day, I will invest in my team and not just our daily routine.” Maybe, deep down, you know it is time to get someone to coach some of your team leaders.   “One day, I am going to invest in myself as a person.” Maybe you would like to get some insights on a challenge...

I was speaking to a very engaged Grounds Manager recently about a situation he was privileged to be a part of. Each day at work, he purchases a cup of coffee for himself and for a young worker on his staff, who happens to have downs syndrome. He said the coffee is not that expensive and he really enjoys the daily ritual with his young worker. One day, however, he was surprised when the young worker...

1. Be honest  Zig Ziglar once said, “Honesty is not the best policy, it’s the only policy.” According to the book, The Leadership Challenge by James Kouzes and Barry Posner, honesty is the most admired trait in a leader. You don’t need a degree to model this.  2. Be inspiring  Most leaders don’t see themselves as inspiring, but what does it mean to inspire others? According to The Leadership Challenge, people expect leaders to be excited, energetic and positive about the future. As a leader, be excited to be...