Posts with the ‘Habits’ tag
If I only do the right thing when it is easy, is that truly integrity? There were times in my life I considered myself a man of integrity, but I truly only did the right thing when I had nothing to lose. Doing the right thing is easy if I have nothing at risk, but […]
“What’s the difference between a leader and a manager?” she asked. I was sitting in front of this executive because this was the crux of the issue going on in her company. I was unprepared for the question and therefore rambled on WAY too long. I was sure I did not get her business. Fortunately, […]
Small Test = “This is not a big deal.” In a nutshell: There are no small decisions when my character is involved. For a leader, the magnitude of the decision should not determine my approach. If my moral compass is involved, then the decision is a big deal. Too many times we make decisions based […]
What is the definition of character? Character is our habitual way of operating. HOW we are is WHO we are. Our character is ultimately determined by our habits. If I am in the habit of doing what is moral and right, I am a person of high character. If I am in the habit of […]
Business magazines publish article after article discussing a company’s culture. The articles often focus on perks, the color of the office walls, or the fact there is a ping pong table where the conference table used to be. Who cares! I don’t care that I get to play ping pong at work if I can’t […]
Imagine a company that truly lived by its values. Imagine a company where Trust was a core value. What would it be like to work for a company that habitually operated like the values they espouse?
I am an optimist. If you have read my blogs in the past, you know this. Few people follow pessimists anywhere. Pessimists usually keep themselves and those around them from making any progress or experiencing growth. I understand that past experiences may cause some people to be pessimists. But I do believe being an optimist […]
What if we did not allow early failure to become enduring failure? We all try. But do we try long enough? Do we persevere? What makes some persevere and others quit? For a lot of us, it is the habit of making excuses. The willingness to make excuses stops many people from going past Plan […]
Ownership or excuses. One is the mark of a leader. The other is a sign that I am bound for mediocrity and failure. In the long run, people who make excuses stall out. Making excuses is a habit. I wrote about how West Point deals with this habit in West Point: How Leaders Seize Accountability. […]
Lying, cheating, and cowardice, are all habits that can become addictions in the same way smoking, drinking, pornography and drugs can become addictions. I have often used the latter to explain how our character habits are formed. But last week I heard Pete Hinojosa (www.petehinojosa.com) speak on leading and coaching people. As he discussed a […]
