Making excuses is a favorite topic of mine when I speak to groups about leadership and character. I am often asked, “Aren’t there legitimate reasons for a failure? Shouldn’t that matter?” My reply: “Yes. It matters. As long as we know the difference between an excuse and a reason.”
Let’s face it. Some people are hard to like. Sometimes the best thing we can say about another person is “Thank God she’s not on my team, and I don’t have to work with her.” Spending time with her is not easy. The way she behaves, the way she talks, her attitude – everything […]
Very few people gravitate TOWARDS someone who is a ball of stress. Most of us like to be around the person who seems to have things under control or at least has a positive perspective on life. Yet many people walk around strung tighter than a piano wire.
Leaders are not supposed to be selfish. But, in my job, I spend a lot of time trying to correct the most selfish leadership move a leader can make. And it is not just the obviously self-centered leaders who make it!
Business crisis, family crisis, personal crisis – no matter who I am or how blessed a life I’ve led to this point, I will face a crisis sooner or later. How I respond in a crisis says a lot about who I am as a person and a leader. Do I run from a challenge […]
Give Courage! That is what it means to encourage someone. Some leaders often misinterpret the whole notion of encouragement. They believe that encouraging someone is a soft skill or skill that only bubbly personalities use. But it’s not that simple.
Temptation hits me everyday. I am tempted by a lot of things I wish I wasn’t: French fries, Buffalo wings, the SI Swimsuit issue, naps, and sarcasm are just a few. This is just a sub-set of a much larger list. But the most insidious temptation in my life is lying. What I used to […]
Unfortunately, many companies have values that no one can remember or understand. Even fewer companies have values that people actually live by. Some leaders believe that just because they have a list of lofty sounding words posted somewhere, they have done something important. But, what should values do besides take up space on a company […]
There is no reason to have sports at a school if character is not being developed through athletic participation. Sports provide the best labortory for teaching our kids about character. But, just because our sons or daughters play a sport, does not mean they are learning the lessons of character sports can teach.
“Have you been flossing?” What was I going to say? The truth was, “No.” But, I was struggling admitting that. So I said, “Some.” We all face daily tests of our Integrity. Each time we are tested we have a choice between choosing the harder right versus the easier wrong. So often we look at […]
