As a leader, I don’t just want everyone on my team to be an expert in their area, I wantthem to want to be an expert in their area. Mastery is a powerful motivator, and it’s goodfor them and our organization. Being an expert – a master at something – opens the door to my employees growingbetter at what they do. Daniel Pink in his book Drive: The Surprising Truth About WhatMotivates Us says mastery is a...
“It’s about learning… to win, you have to learn. And learning takesprecedence over winning.”— Kobe Bryant Last month, I shared a Kobe Bryant interview video with my Grounds andLandscape team. The 11-minute clip was packed with practical lessons forleaders who want their teams to perform at the highest level. Kobe was curious — could he ever be as great as Magic, Jordan, or Bird?Learning became his secret weapon. He studied basketball in every detail— how to move quicker,...
Let’s get back to basics. Every so often, we all need a little brush-up to remindourselves how to do what we do best. Like reading, these are the fundamentals — thethings the daily grind can wear down. First things first. As Simon Sinek puts it, “Leaders aren’t responsible for results; they’reresponsible for the people who are responsible for the results.” At the core, people need three things to thrive: purpose, connection, and progress.Pretty simple, right? But easy...
Before a meal hits your table in a top-notch restaurant, the chef isn’t just looking at howit tastes — they’re checking for consistency. How does it look? How does it feel? Is it thesame as the last plate they served? In the green industry, one of my team members calls it the "credit card slot" — thatperfect, clean line of edging along the turf and sidewalk. It gives the turf that pop oftightness and being manicured. Using...
Michael Jordan’s talent was so strong that even his own teammatessometimes froze—passing him the ball when it wasn’t the best move. Notbecause he demanded it, but because they didn’t want to look bad next tohim. That’s the intimidation factor: when someone’s skill or presence makesothers hesitate, even unintentionally. In the workplace, the same thing happens. A new leader, expert, or strongpersonality walks in and suddenly people step back. Ideas slow down,contributions shrink, and teams underperform—not because people...
In 1976, Steve Jobs, Steve Wozniak, and Ronald Wayne founded Apple. Almost ten years later, just after the launch of the first Mac computer, Jobs, who had been the face and voice of the company, was forced out. In true Jobs fashion, he connected with, not a computer firm as you might expect, but a movie studio called PIXAR. He found himself suddenly having to adapt to a totally different environment, way of communicating, and creating. As you might guess, Steve Jobs...
Over the past eight months of moving into a new job, state, and community, I’ve beenreminded of just how difficult—and rewarding—change can be. Harvard BusinessReview notes that transition in today’s workplace is tougher than ever. Promotions, rolechanges, or entirely new ventures demand hyper-collaboration and constant speed,leaving even the best-prepared professionals struggling to find their footing. Fortunately, I spend much of my time around plants—planting, transplanting, pruning.Their process for surviving and thriving offers powerful lessons. If you’ve ever...
Humor is one of those things that’s tough to explain without ruining it. As E.B. White wisely put it, “Humor can be dissected, as a frog can, but the thing dies in the process.” So, let’s skip the science and talk about the real value of bringing humor to work. A recent survey found that 84% of executives believe those with a good sense of humor do better work. While humor won’t erase challenges, sharing a laugh makes the workday feel...
“Strong relationships are built on difficult conversations.” – Simon Sinek Last week, we explored the real costs of workplace conflict—financial, collaborative, and personal. While both leaders and employees share the responsibility to address conflict, it’s the leader’s role to set the tone and model conflict resolution effectively. The good news? With a few key strategies, leaders can handle conflict productively and use it as a chance to grow. What NOT to do: Many leaders default to avoiding conflict, which only makes things worse....
Conflict among and with those you lead is inevitable. According to the Conflict Resolution Center, leaders spend at least 30-40% of their day trying to resolve conflict. Here are some examples: Last week, I offered an online seminar on conflict management in the workplace – specifically around the difficult conversations that start/stop the conflict. Titled, Stop Dodging, Start Dialoguing: Mastering Difficult Workplace Conversations, the goal of the online seminar was to encourage constructive dialogue and introduce strategies...