A Rough Start In 1896, when he was six years old, Harland’s father died unexpectedly from a sudden illness. His mother was left no recourse but to go work long shifts in a local factory in order to provide for Harland and his two younger siblings. Despite his youth, Harland quickly fell into the role …
Recently, I once again found myself reading and learning from the incredible leadership and success of Ray Kroc. As you may know, Ray Kroc was the driving force behind the establishment of the McDonald’s Corporation, and the huge, worldwide success of McDonald’s restaurants—and the fast food industry in general. If you have forgotten or are unfamiliar with …
Anna Mary was well versed in life’s hardships. Born in 1860 as the third of ten children, she left home at the age of twelve to work on a neighboring farm as a hired girl. She labored for her wealthier neighbors for fifteen years before meeting and marrying the love of her life, Thomas. The …
Most leaders have heard of Rotary International’s four-way test. Many leaders have heard the four-way test repeated over and over as they nod their head in agreement and support. Unfortunately, many leaders do not model, respect, live, and lead in accordance with the four-way test. Oh how this world desperately needs men and women who …
Tune in for the first in a series of videos highlighting select strengths of some of the most successful and influential people in the world—presidents of the United States of America. In this week’s video I share a story about a young West Point cadet and an ordinary yet significant event that impacted the rest of his life. Click to hear how one young man learned a valuable lesson, and how what he learned grew to become one of his greatest strengths.
...One Simple Strategy of the Highly Successful Highly successful people are creators. Now before you protest, “I’m not a creative person!” let me explain. To be creative doesn’t mean you have to be skilled with a paintbrush, play an instrument, or have an eye for interior design. Creative instinct takes many forms. Whether they create …
How the Greats Master the Art of Conversation: We have conversations with other people every day. Depending on the day and our line of work, we might speak with dozens of people throughout the day. But out of all those appointments, meetings, phone calls, and hallway greetings, we might have just one or two really genuine, one-on-one conversations that last more than a few minutes. Those are our chances to really influence others.
...Laura Ingalls Wilder, author of a best-selling series of books that chronicled her pioneer childhood in the late 1800s, proved that it is never too late to accomplish great things and to become a highly successful, influential leader. Wilder left a literary legacy that has positively influenced millions of people—both young and old—for generations. Her books …
I love to walk. When the weather is nice, I walk for miles around my neighborhood. When the weather is not so nice, I do the same inside my gym. Whether I’m listening to a podcast, dictating an article, or having a phone meeting, my brain is always engaged and the wheels are turning with …
I am currently reading what I consider to be an excellent book. It is titled Is This Seat Taken? It’s Never Too Late To Find The Right Seat by Kristin S. Kaufman. The book was written for people who find themselves in circumstances not planned, not expected, not necessarily desired, and they are asking themselves, “What am I going …
I, like many people, believe in the priceless value of maintaining good health and physical strength through exercise. Throughout my life I have reaped many benefits from staying active and engaging in strength-training exercises. But no matter how faithful I am to an exercise regime, the inevitable reality is that my strength will eventually …
I have long believed in the wisdom of learning from highly successful, world-class leaders and achievers. If you really want to achieve greater success, why not study and learn from those who’ve gone before? Why not look at their habits and glean insight from their experiences? One such world-class achiever is internet entrepreneur Jeff Walker. …
I was recently reminded of one of the most powerful leadership principles ever encountered: “If you have a big enough why, the how becomes easy.” Most leaders, organizations, and people focus on the “how.” Take a look at the titles and focus of millions of books, articles, and blogs. Take a look at the titles and focus of thousands of …