Archive for January 2019
True Power
Quote from Warren Buffett You will continue to suffer if you have an emotional reaction to everything that is said to you. True power is sitting back and observing things with logic. True power is restraint. If words control you that means everyone else can control you. Breathe and allow things to pass. …
Read MoreEat the Frog
Mark Twain once said that if the first thing you do each morning is to eat a live frog, you can go through the day with the satisfaction of knowing that that is probably the worse things that will happen to you all day long. Your “frog” is that task that you are dreading doing.…
Read MoreDo Less to Get More Done
Have you heard of the Pareto Principle? It is sometimes called the 80/20 Rule because it states that 20% of the effort brings 80% of the results. 80/20 spans industries, professions, hobbies, sport, everything. In today’s society we are driven to be busy, it is expected in fact. If you are a leader you are…
Read MorePlay With Your Team
It is impossible to be in work mode all the time. Make sure you take time to relax. Play a game. Get a coffee. Go to lunch. Do something that is fun with your people. Let them see that you are still human and approachable. Learn what brings them joy and go do it with…
Read MoreGive Infinite Freedom
Years ago, my friend and missions director at Churchome, Joanne Ramos, was speaking to a crowd on raising children when she said something that has stuck with me ever since. She said: Kids need infinite freedom within definite boundaries. This same idea can be applied to your team with powerful results. Provide the vision; provide…
Read MoreIf you want to be a better leader, shut up
World-renowned leadership expert, John Maxwell, says: Good leaders ask great questions. He even wrote of a book by that title that I highly recommend. As a leader, you have a big vision but only one brain. You may be highly skilled but there will always be areas you have not considered. Sharing your vision with…
Read MoreLeaders Let the Ideas Flow
Never shoot down an idea from your team! An idea may not make sense to you, but your team has boots on the ground. They are daily in the trenches. They see things you do not. The idea may not make sense at first but there is always a reason someone suggests a change. Instead…
Read MoreLeaders Persevere
The Oxford Dictionary defines “persevere” as “continue in a course of action even in the face of difficulty or with little or no prospect of success.” According to Google, usage of the word has declined dramatically in the past century, but make no mistake, the ability to persevere through trying circumstances is crucial to success…
Read MoreCharacter is Built in the Dark
“Our character is what we do when we think no one is looking.” – H. Jackson Brown, American author In the military, soldiers train hard for battle. During battle, their actions need to be finely honed and automatic. They must rely on their training to provide their response to the situation. If a soldier cheats…
Read MoreTake the High Road
The high road, the path less often traveled. Taking the high road with people requires acting in ways that may seem counterintuitive. We naturally want to be first, to be right, and for it to be easy. Taking the high road means allowing others to go first, let them take the credit; to swallow your…
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