Jon Gordon, a successful leadership author, thought leader, and speaker, recently visited West Point Military Academy to speak and to interact with cadets, coaches, and the military brass. Following his visit, Jon wrote an article titled 9 Leadership Lessons from my Visit to West Point. He explains that although he was there to teach, he ended …
Have you ever run a marathon? I personally have not, but I know people who have. But of those I know who have run a marathon, not one of them has ever won a marathon. However, if you know anything about marathons and race culture, then you probably know that you don’t have to win …
I It was my honor recently to serve as facilitator for a day of important discussion among a group of 10 hospital and health system CEOs. Over the years, these CEOs have developed significant trust. They clearly understand the immense and enduring power of partnership, alignment, and working together for the greater success of all. …
As nice as it is to receive a gift or be the recipient of a favor, I really think there is no greater joy than being the one serving others. And the benefits of serving others go far beyond receiving a heartfelt ‘Thank you.’ Simply knowing I’ve helped someone or surprised them with something special …
I learn a lot by watching the people around me. I have long been a people-watcher, and I’ve discovered that not only do I learn something about each person I watch, but I also learn something about the people around them. And often, I even learn something about myself. Today as I walked laps around …
I have always considered every person to be a leader. Not in the sense of a senior leader of a company, with direct reports and senior leadership responsibility, but in the sense of influencing others. For me, leadership is all about influence. We all influence others at home, in our family, in our …
In his book The Little Book Of Talent: 52 Tips For Improving Your Skills, Daniel Coyle discusses ‘hard, high-precision skills’ versus ‘soft, high-flexibility skills.’ According to Coyle, hard, high-precision skills “have one path to an ideal result; skills that you could imagine being performed by a reliable robot.” Soft, high-flexibility skills “have many paths to a good …
It has been many years since I’ve had young children living in my home, and many more since I was a child myself. Even my grandchildren aren’t that little anymore. But one of my colleagues recently had her first child, and I’ve had the privilege of interacting with her little girl a few times in …
Tip number six in Daniel Coyle’s book, The Little Book of Talent, is “Choose Spartan Over Luxurious.” Coyle correctly explains that we love comfort—state-of-the-art practice facilities, oak-paneled corner offices, expensive fluffy towels, and all kinds of other luxurious creature comforts and statements of status. Coyle asserts that “luxury is a motivational narcotic: It signals our unconscious minds to give …
You’ve probably heard the phrase, “Excuses are like armpits… everyone has them, and they all stink!” I’m not sure who first coined this amusing analogy, but it does have some truth in it. Of course some excuses really are valid, but many just plain ‘stink.’ Whether it’s to explain why someone is late or …
As a leader, your job, your responsibility, your priority is not to manage nor accept the status quo. Your job, your responsibility, your priority is to personally exemplify continuous improvement and to create and maintain a culture that encourages and supports continuous improvement. That means a culture that encourages, accepts, supports and learns from mistakes. In the chapter …
Do you have a high-definition mental blueprint of what you consider to be ultimate success for your life? Personal success? Professional success? Even organizational success? In his book titled The Little Book of Talent, Daniel Coyle presents 52 tips for improving the skills you select that will lead to your vision and your definition of …
A couple of years out of high school, I had a job that I absolutely hated. The environment was everything a personal, professional, and organizational development and growth environment should not be! I did not stay long, but long enough to never, ever forget the terrible, degrading, negative-driven environment in which I worked. Even though I absolutely …
Have you ever had a boss that you simply couldn’t stand? I’m sure we’ve all been there—unfortunately, “I hate my boss” is a far too common sentiment! But what about the opposite—have you ever had a boss whom you found it a pleasure to work for? Sandy Morford, CEO of Renovo Solutions, has …