OPTIMAL HEALTH Maximizing Organizational Capacity Through A Well Functioning Aerobic System
As a former competitive distance runner, I learned that there is a difference between health and fitness. Health is when all the systems in your body are functioning optimally, especially the aerobic system (your bodies capacity to use oxygen). Indicators of health are energy, endurance, and calmness. Fitness, on the other hand, is the ability […]
Nine Questions That Will Change Your Life
For the past twenty years my work has been devoted to helping leaders, at all levels and in all walks of life, realize and express their true greatness in the cultures where they work and serve. I have been fortunate to work with thousands of leaders from around the world and it has been a […]
Happiness: A Key To Success – Ten Ways To Live A Happier Life
We’re all interested in making our workplaces more productive and successful. Most people believe that success leads to happiness, but the truth is happiness is the precursor to success, not the result. When you are happier, your success rates increase, according to research done by Shawn Achor at Harvard University. Happy sales people outsell their […]
PEOPLE ARE WORTH IT – Connection As A Path To Leadership
Dad once looked down an assembly line of women employees and thought, “These are all like my own mom – they have kids, homes to take care of, people who need them.” It motivated him to work hard to give them a better life because he saw his mom in all of them. That’s how […]
Integrity: Be An Integrated Human Being
In my leadership development programs I teach that if you want to make a positive impact on the world, your most important goal as a leader is to be an integrated human being. Being integrated means living with integrity. Integrity comes from the word integer, which means wholeness, integration, and completeness. Integrity is about integrating your […]
The 80% Principle Of Leadership – Managing By Making Room
An astute executive once wisely told me, “The problem with leaders today is that they expect 100% from their good people, and not enough from their poor performers.” I was initially puzzled, but after his explanation, I was inspired. Let me illustrate the principle with an example. Not long ago I asked my sales manager […]
INTERCEPTING ENTROPY How Are You Infusing New Energy?
On the way home from a family reunion, my sister and I stopped to visit the old farm where we were raised. We hadn’t been back to our homestead since my parents sold it in 1984. What we found was twenty-eight years of neglect. Weeds were growing up to our waist. Pastures and fences were […]
My Top Ten Most Influential Books
Years ago, Zig Ziglar inspired me to create a “Wall of Influence” of the twenty-five most influential people in my life. I’ve been working on creating this wall over the past several months and it’s inspiring to reflect on who is on my list. As I reflect on these people, I am filled with gratitude […]
Leadership Lessons From A Gas Bar Manager
While preparing a leadership development program for a retail company that owns several gas bars, I spoke to some of their gas bar managers. Instead of merely gathering data on the company operations, the connections were significant and the conversations were quite inspiring. Some of the managers have never been to a formal leadership course. […]
Fostering Initiative – How To Get Someone To Take Out The Trash
As a young man, I learned a valuable lesson from my parents. Although it didn’t sink in until years after I left home and started assuming adult responsibilities, the importance of taking initiative was planted early in my life. Initiative is the willingness and ability to assess and take action on things independently. It’s the will […]
