Home from school at last, the five-year-old boy ran up the stairs, bursting at the seams with excitement, anxious to tell his daddy what had happened in class today. “Guess what, Daddy? I got to be the Class Leader today!” Turning to greet his son, the father caught the contagious excitement of his preschooler and …
Jon Gordon recently published a listing of actionable, high-impact thoughts regarding teamwork. The article is titled, “11 Thoughts About Teamwork,” and was published in Jon Gordon’s Weekly Newsletter. As you know, leadership is not a solitary journey. Leaders, by the very definition of the term, work with other people all the time! So without a doubt, strong teamwork …
I recently read an excellent blog post by bestselling author and speaker Jon Acuff. Jon made a rather surprising list of all the good things that happen to you when you compare your success to someone else’s. That’s right—good things. Just wait until you see the list! Here it is—I just added a couple things …
I recently had the opportunity to conduct an in-depth interview with Dave Edwards, Vice President of Supplier Relations/Business Development at Premier, Inc. Dave is not only a thoughtful and articulate leader, he is unusually passionate and is definitely “all in” regarding his personal, professional, and organizational mission and role at Premier. Throughout the entire 65-minute interview, one …
Have you ever had one of those workdays (or maybe one of those work weeks) where you simply cannot focus on the task at hand? You re-read the same paragraph three times but can’t remember what it’s about. You sit at your computer for an hour and only get five sentences typed out. You zone …
Throughout his life, President Herbert Hoover demonstrated profound determination and perseverance. Born into poverty and orphaned as a young boy, Hoover was determined to create a better life. In his own words, Hoover’s boyhood ambition was “to be able to earn my own living, without the help of anybody, anywhere.” Raised a Quaker, he soon …
I have long been a believer in the incredible power of habits, and firmly believe there’s nothing else in your life that will influence your success more than your habits. Whether by intentional choice or subconscious pattern, habits almost completely dictate your daily routine, and it is your daily routine that grows to become your …
Leaders: Are You Teaching This Critical Reality? Excellent leaders know that if they influence and change the perceptions of those they lead, they will change the reality of those they lead. Excellent leaders clearly understand that perception is reality! Not only do they understand that perception is reality, they also clearly understand that they can …
I readily admit… I am not the most patient man in the world. I’m just not programmed to wait or sit still. I don’t even like to sit still for long in my favorite coffee shop or the comfort of my own home. My wife, friends, and colleagues can all attest to my tendency to …
In a recent interview with Dave Edwards, Vice President of Supplier Relations/Business Development at Premier, Inc., I asked him to describe his leadership role. As Dave enthusiastically described his leadership approach and specific responsibilities at Premier, I began thinking, “Dave is describing a guaranteed principle and formula for personal and professional leadership success.” From Dave’s comments …
This week’s article is a guest post by Emily Sirkel, my writing partner and the COO of the Dan Nielsen Company. The late Zig Ziglar once said, “You never know when one kind act, or one word of encouragement, can change a life forever.” What beautiful truth is wrapped up in that …
I recently recorded a 65-minute, high-energy interview with Dave Edwards, Vice President of Supplier Relations/Business Development at Premier. Over the next few weeks, we will publish several healthcare leadership articles as a result of that interview. As you will see over the next few weeks, Dave provided excellent perspectives regarding many important leadership questions and issues. …
Having just survived another hectic holiday season, I have been thinking about the commercial nature of Christmas—or really every holiday. Of course it’s understandable and inevitable, after all, businesses need to make a profit. But it’s amazing how ingrained that kind of materialism has become in our culture. It’s not just little kids who are …
There is new evidence that healthy-looking people are perceived as better leaders. Healthy people are perceived as better leaders, even over intelligent-looking people. A recent article on the Harvard Business Review blog states the following: “The evidence comes from a study led by Brian Spisak at VU University of Amsterdam and published in Frontiers in Human Neuroscience. The study asked …