Wally Blume did pretty well for himself after college. The discipline and solid work ethic ingrained in him by his parents served him well, and for two decades he enjoyed a comfortable career in the grocery business with the Kroger Company. Starting out as a store co-manager, by the age of thirty he was promoted …
Maria Ninfa Rodriquez—who went by her middle name, Ninfa—was born in 1924 in Harlingen, Texas, along the Mexico border. One of twelve children, she grew up in a humble Catholic family who grew and raised their own food, living modestly but happily. In 1945 Ninfa married the love of her life, “D.T.” Laurenzo, and …
Dorothy Winn grew up in the 1950s as the eldest of twelve children. A family of migrant workers, the Winns traveled from crop to crop, everyone working to put food on the table. Life was a bitter struggle to survive each day in order to work the next. To make their situation even worse, …
What Can You Learn from Presidential Leadership? Tune in for the third video in my series 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 man who, after his dream career came to an abrupt halt, chose to channel his focus, drive, and determination in a new direction. Click to watch the video!
...Many leaders continually endeavor to “force-fit” their definitions of personal and professional success on the people who follow them and the organizations they lead. Inevitably, every such leader fails! These leaders fail to acknowledge, understand, and properly leverage the powerful, inevitable, and everlasting truth regarding success. Author Kristin Kaufman addresses this critically important subject in her recent …
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 …
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 …
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 …
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 …
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 …
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 …