Reframing Performance to Controllable Measures
One of my concerns as a father is how much our children tie performance to the love Sarah and I have for them. For instance, do we still love them when they strike out in little league? Or do we love them when their teacher points out a flaw in their school work? Of course […]
Should “trust” be earned?
I recently heard Jerry Hurley say that at his organization trust is given, but it can be lost. This is 180 degrees reverse of the usual platitude that “trust is earned, never given.” From an organizational health perspective, this is a game-changer. If trust is given, the potential implications can be staggering: – The tone […]
Waning Daylight
I write these words after enjoying a 2 mile walk on a 50-degree sunny February day in Chicagoland. Not only is the sun out, there is not a cloud in the sky giving way to various shades of blue not seen in months around here. My walk reminded me of precious memories as a child. […]
Your Health. Your Organizational Health
Here are some 6 quick ideas to think about regarding your health, and organizational health. I jotted these down while reading, podcasting, and reviewing previous leadership content in January. (Note: I have also linked content that I recommend). Before Edison invented electricity, the average person slept 11 hours per night (Credit: John Mark Comer). There […]
George Washington On Stepping Down
September 19, 1796: Friends and Fellow Citizens: The period for a new election of a citizen to administer the executive government of the United States being not far distant, and the time actually arrived when your thoughts must be employed in designating the person who is to be clothed with that important trust, it appears […]
Playing the Background
I recently promoted someone on our team to becoming the new Vice President of Sales. What this means for me personally is that I am no longer going to be as active in the day-to-day activities of the sales team. Because of this new reality, here are three shareable leadership ideas – as it relates […]
A Leader’s Words
The day after noticing that one of our plants had too many parts on the floor, and mentioning that observation to our plant managers, I saw an entirely changed environment. The plants were organized, the parts were contained, and things were back to normal. One plant in particular had made significant progress. So, I decided […]
Special Post – Thoughts on Kobe, Grief, and Hope
Sometime during the spring of 1993 my dad took our French exchange student, the French exchange student’s girlfriend, and myself to a Bulls vs. Pistons game at the old Chicago Stadium. After a memorable three-hour dive downtown —thirty of which the two love birds “made out” in my dad’s back seat (priceless memory), we witnessed […]
3 “Pivots” for 2020
Pivot (v): To turn. Synonyms are “depend, hinge, turn, swivel.” This is not a post about resolutions. Rather, it is a post about becoming the kind of person I want to become. I am sharing how I am pivoting to encourage you to do likewise. The reason for the pivot is simple: Starting with the […]
What I learned from Solitude Yesterday (Subscribers Post)
In the cue of upcoming posts, I write about a few changes that I am making in 2020. One of the changes is adopting a “Rule of Life,” which I explain in more detail then. For now, think of it is a list of self-guidelines for your daily, weekly, monthly, quarterly, and yearly activities that […]