It was one of the worst days of my life. I had to lay off over half of my landscaping team.We had overextended our reach, and the business couldn't sustain it. I had over hiredfor the contracts we maintained. It wasn't just numbers on a spreadsheet — it wasfamilies, stories, and lives. Failure forced me to look deeper. I began asking myself, what kind of leader do I want tobe? This painful moment became the soil where something...
Last month, I led a group through the benefits of collaboration. As a leader, you can dominate and dictate, or you can collaborate and facilitate your team’s success. Building influence isn’t about controlling outcomes; it’s about creating an environment where everyone feels they have a stake in achieving goals. Collaborative teamwork benefits both the team and leadership. Here are the top five I value most: Self-AwarenessCollaboration requires actively listening and engaging with others’ perspectives. This feedback helps you...
Last week, I led our team through a session focused on the word: sacrifice. There’simmense power in taking a few moments to dive deep into a single word. I encouragedour team to share their thoughts on what sacrifice means in the context of our dailywork. We discussed various trade-offs: time, money, patience, opportunities, weekends, andhobbies. Each team member contributed valuable insights, highlighting how thesesacrifices shape our professional lives. Then, we explored the rewards of sacrifice. Many noted how...
I was taken aback when I realized that not everyone aspires to be a leader. It became clear tome that not everyone wants to direct others or take on the responsibilities that come withleading a project. I’m always on the lookout for potential leaders—individuals who are eager to learn, open tocoaching, competent, trustworthy, and capable of building strong relationships with others.Let’s be honest: perfection is rare. Perfection is not even a realistic goal. Instead, true leadersembrace the...
I rarely use the word freedom in the workplace. It is a 4th of July word. It works well when I talk about our founding fathers, not so much in the workplace. If you have a weak team player, freedom may mean they will goof off, not work or, worse yet, hide. I have a friend who often jokes about weak team players in this way: “Why aren’t you working?” “Because I didn’t see you coming.” But autonomy (a.k.a....
Recently I spoke at the 2022 Tennessee SHRM Convention and Expo. They were an engaged group of Human Resource (HR) professionals representing many top organizations across the southeast. Speaking there reminded me that HR does so much behind the scenes for organizations. HR tasks include legal matters, maintaining forms reflecting government compliance, organizing/executing the hiring of qualified people, designing benefits packages, people development, counseling, and so much more. Lee Cockerell, former executive vice president, operations, Walt Disney...
Every time I see “No Regrets” written I think of the guy who got “No Regerts” tattooed on his body. Of course, it is implied that when he learns of the misspelled tattoo, he will indeed regret it. In high school, my coaches would tell us players, don’t leave anything on the field, give it your all, have no regrets at the end of the game when you come back into the locker room. This usually...
When I was sixteen years old my parents and I drove, in their 1979 Toyota Corolla Station Wagon, from our home in Georgia to Yellowstone National Park. My older sister was working around the Old Faithful Inn area. She booked us a week-long stay there. As a teenager it was my first experience witnessing the Old Faithful Geyser. It was right outside our lodge. It was an experience I never forgot. An Old Faithful eruption can last...
"Adaptability is about the powerful difference between adapting to cope and adapting to win." ~Max McKeown We all know the stress and frustration of having to adapt our personal and professional schedules due to an unexpected occurrence. Your team is no different. In our industry change is inevitable and happens at a moment's notice. During a typical workday how does your team deal with unexpected change or roadblocks, a.k.a. “zingers?” Did it come with a lot of...
If you’re like me, you looked at the title of this blog and said, “What in the world does that even mean?" What comes to mind when you read that phrase? It means I am wanting and needing to grow each day. Sometimes, I get comfortable and complacent where I am. I must look for ways to improve what I do and how I do it. I saw a tweet recently that said, “If you don’t like change,...