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Leadership

“You first must touch the heart before you ask for the hand.” – John Maxwell  “Put your heart into it!” is an old directive we’ve all heard. As students, parents and teachers told us to put our heart into studying because grades and knowledge are important to success. As athletes, coaches encouraged us to play with heart because it makes us more skilled and therefore more competitive. Putting our heart into anything usually equated with a high...

Famous DJ, Les Brown once said, “It's better to be prepared for an opportunity and not haveone, than to have an opportunity and not be prepared.” Les Brown knows that this simple truth makes the difference between those who simply waitfor an opportunity to arrive—and those who see an opportunity, seize it, and are ready tomaximize it.  You may never know what high-level opportunity is going to come knocking on your door. Itmay come as a phone call...

I’ve written often in this blog about the importance of showing gratitude as leaders; its importance in cultivating a team culture that is respectful; how it can drive more productivity; retain good employees and the list goes on. I personally try and encourage others to grow in gratitude. Recently I came across a quote from Dolly Parton and my views on grateful leadership grew a bit more. She said: "I make a point to appreciate all the...

Explosive GrowthOrganizations that grow rapidly in size, money, or influence over a brief period of time are saidto be experiencing Explosive Growth. It especially refers to entrepreneurial efforts and happensrarely enough for people to talk about it as exceptional; a wonder; a lucky break. On a personal level, explosive growth happens not because of a lucky break, but by exercisingintention, dedication, and a desire to grow beyond self-imposed limitations. You’ve heard thesaying, “The harder I work, the...

Tearing Others Down…. Bernard C. Meltzer hosted the radio call-in show What’s Your Problem? from 1969 through the mid 1990’s. He would answer questions professional or personal and would often counsel his call-in guests to “Before you speak ask yourself if what you are going to say is true, is kind, is necessary, is helpful. If the answer is no, maybe what you are about to say should be left unsaid.” Good advice. And yet, at some point,...

Limitations What are your limitations? Are you the recent hire trying to prove yourself in a field of older, more experienced employees? Do you feel you will never learn as much as you should and therefore that promotion you want is off limits? Maybe you feel limited by organizational systems that were in place long before you got there and recognize that changing them is difficult…maybe too difficult? If, as Oliver Wendall Holmes, Sr. once said, “All limits...

January marks the start of a fresh chapter—a blank slate— and as Vern McLellan has said,“What the new year brings to you will depend a great deal on what you bring to the new year.”What will you bring? Over the years, I have found the following six action items can go a longway in preparing for a successful and productive year ahead. Reset Your Goals"Success doesn’t happen by chance. It happens by planning." — Benjamin FranklinWhat better...

Have you ever been fired, laid off, or demoted? Have you ever felt the sting of losing thesupport of your bosses or the respect of your peers? These moments can feel like a gutpunch, shaking your confidence and leaving you questioning your worth. Yet, as difficultas these experiences may be, they can also open doors to wonderful opportunities andpersonal growth. But in that moment, it simply hurts – making it easy to lose sight of thebig...

Recently, I went to see the play A Charlie Brown Christmas. It was a simple yetmeaningful way to get into the Christmas spirit and create new, joyful memories. There’ssomething comforting about revisiting the timeless message in that story: the gentlereminder of what truly matters during this season. At its core, Christmas celebrates the birth of Christ—a moment in history thatsymbolizes hope, love, and renewal. Whether you're religious or not, the story ofChristmas carries universal truths: the power...

Leaders Are ReadersAs Harry Truman once said, “Not all readers are leaders, but all leaders are readers.”But workdays are longer today, and time seems scarcer than ever. Add to that the riseof social media and we find that our attention spans are shrinking. If a story can't be toldin less than 60 seconds, we’re quick to scroll and move on. As a result, we find the actof reading novels, books, and articles for business or pleasure...