Dear Sadie (2023)
As my daughter celebrates her 7th birthday, I want to take a moment to recognize what she’s taught me in her young life: that we shouldn’t take life, or ourselves, too seriously. Happy birthday, Sadie.
Alex’s Unofficial Rules of Little League
As a veteran Little League parent, I’ve spent my fair share of time in the stands. And during that time, I’ve developed my own highly unofficial set of rules for Little League parents. For all of my fellow Little League moms and dads — did I leave anything out?
Ownership Mentality
Do you obsess over what’s best for your organization and its people? Here’s why I think having an ownership mentality is important for leaders.
July 4th and My Papa
Service. Work. Baseball. Family. What do all of these things have in common? They’re things that my Papa exemplified and enjoyed, and things that I think are worth celebrating on the day before his birthday.
A Message of Encouragement
Have you ever had one of those days that is just excruciating? The kind of work day that takes the wind out of your sails completely? On days like that, I think we could all use a big of encouragement. Here’s what I try to remind myself of on those types of days.
The Dad List 2023
Am I an parenting expert? Far from it. I’m just an extremely blessed 41-year-old dad doing my best (along with my wife) to raise three kids. I’ve been a dad for 11 years now. Here’s a sampling of things I’ve figured out. What would you add to this list?
“The Process is Fearless”
What can a leader of a plastics company learn from baseball manager Joe Maddon? As it turns out, quite a bit. One of Maddon’s famous catchphrases is “The process is fearless.” Here’s how I use Joe’s catchphrase to remind myself to stay in the moment during a time of year when things can feel like they’re going a bit off the rails.
The Identity Mall
How do you soothe yourself when you’re feeling low? If you’re like me, you end up “shopping” in the Identity Mall, where shops like “Success”, “Approval”, and “Pleasure” all offer their wares. But oftentimes, what you get costs far more than you actually pay.
Memorial Day Thoughts from a Veteran Who Made it Back Home
As we fire up the grill and enjoy the long holiday weekend, here’s a guest post about the REAL meaning of Memorial Day from my friend Captain Matthew Mason, United States Marine Corps.
The Leader Layer
Effective leaders are those who not only give feedback but also regularly solicit, listen to, and act on the feedback of others. Here’s why I think it’s important to develop your leader layer, and how a solid leader layer differs from a “thick skin”.