It is at times of crisis and uncertainty that true leadership reveals itself. In the midst of our current crisis related to the Coronavirus, we are all looking to Washington, DC, community leaders, pastors, employers, etc…for confidence and leadership. Sir Ernest Shackleton has been referred to as, “The greatest leader that ever came on God’s…
As we start 2020, we have an amazing opportunity to clearly see our future. Did you see what I did there – with the “20/20” and “clearly see”? You will likely hear a lot of that as we enter the new year. For many of us during our early years, 20/20 was a term used…
Now is the time to address any desired change in your life. In just over a month, we will approach the day when more change is attempted than at any other time of the year – the time of New Years Resolutions. Research tells us that within three weeks, most changes that were attempted on…
This is my final segment on encounters/relationships that have impacted me. I hope you have enjoyed these and have been challenged by them. Elbert Shaw—I have written about Elbert before. If I ever had a mentor, it is he. Elbert was the person responsible for hiring me at Shaw, where I spent 25 years of…
In this blog, I continue to share about encounters that have influenced me… Mrs. Douglas—I would love to tell you her first name, but I was so intimidated by her that I never asked. Mrs. Douglas was my English literature teacher in high school. To this day, I still consider her the most difficult teacher…
As I noted in my last blog, through my travels, I have been blessed to meet with people from all walks of life. Each of these encounters had served to reaffirm my belief that the key ingredients to success at all levels is your willingness to learn and the relationships with which you surround yourself….
Let me frame this blog by saying that I have been blessed to meet and interact with people from all walks of life—from John Quinn, a talented and personable tufting machine operator with whom I worked with in 1988 during my early days in the Shaw sales training program, to Warren Buffet, who I was…
Fear is debilitating, yet most of us struggle with it at various points in our life. Even CEOs, managers, and leaders are not exempt. I once heard that “98% of the things we worry about never happen.” Of course I have also heard that 74.6% of all statistics are made up on the spot to…
I have just finished a second reading of the book 212 The Extra Degree by Sam Parker and Mac Anderson. In their book, the authors share the story of Jan Carlzon, who in 1981 was named the CEO of Scandinavian Airlines System. His company was in trouble. They had just been ranked by a consumer poll as the…
It’s that time of year again – the time of year when we make resolutions to change our lives, relationships, and leadership for the better. Unfortunately, this time is often followed by the annual failure known as the “breaking of the resolution”. This yearly “rite of passage” likely causes you to ask a couple of…
Recently I have become reacquainted with a story of amazing leadership. It is the story of Sir. Ernest Shackleton – a polar explorer from the early 1900s – a story of amazing challenges met by extraordinary leadership. It reminds me that during the good times, leadership is nice to have, but during times of crisis,…
I love this time of year. I am a fan of the leaves turning, the heat fading, and the grass slowing its growth. But the thing I love most about the Fall is college football. I do have a team I pull for, but if I tell you who it is, half of you will…