“We cannot become what we need to be by remaining what we are.”
~ Max Dupree

What have you dreamed of doing your whole life, but haven’t done it yet?

For many years, I dreamed of speaking to and training others, but I didn’t do it. You see, I had this fear of showing up and forgetting my name like I did when I was 15 years old and was asked to speak in front of a bunch of my peers. This memory held me back for a long time. I would even take F’s in college on speaking projects because of this fear.

I was stuck, being who I was instead of becoming what I wanted to be.

When I joined the military, it was a perfect training ground for me. If you want to grow and get promoted in the military, you must be able to...

“One is too small a number to achieve greatness” -John Maxwell

 Are you a leader? Do you have a vision for your leadership? What is the legacy you want to leave behind after you leave this earth? Have you ever thought about these questions, or do you just show up to your work every day and do the same thing, the same old ways as you have been doing them for however long you have been doing them? 

Today in America we are faced with a choice. We have two “so-called” leaders running for the highest office in the land. Now, this is not a political message, but do you think either one of these candidates will fix your immediate problems?  

Are you Insane? 

We listen to the rhetoric from both...

"Without continual growth and progress, such words as improvement, achievement, and success have no meaning.” ~ Benjamin Franklin 

We either are “green and growing”, or we are “ripe and rotting”. Change is inescapable.

Since March of 2020, we have been in a state of massive and constant change. We do not know from day to day or even moment to moment what change we may face. We recently celebrated July 4th - Independence Day in America. I am reminded of the growth and many changes of this great country from its birth 244 years ago.

Summer in Arkansas means fresh tomatoes and hopefully a bacon and tomato sandwich. If you have never tried this, it is a must! I have had a few tomato plants in my...

 “Men are developed the same way gold is mined. Several tons of dirt must be moved to get an ounce of gold. But you don’t go into the mine looking for dirt. You go in looking for gold.” - Dale Carnegie 

There was a time (some of you will recall) when images were captured on this medium called “film”. Special events were captured on little rolls of plastic. And then we would take those little rolls of plastic to the neighborhood drug store to be “developed”. A few days later, we would finally be able to see those images and enjoy re-living those special events all over again. Over time, these images become our most treasured possessions. 

Today, we’re a more...

I lived the true American dream because I was able to pursue what I set as my goals at a very young age. -Mario Andretti

This past weekend, we celebrated one of my favorite holidays – Independence Day. It’s the day we celebrate the freedoms we enjoy as Americans, made possible for us by those leaders who went before us. It’s the day we celebrate the idea of the American dream.

What exactly is the “American dream”? It’s the idea that anyone can come to this country, work hard, make a difference in the world, and leave a legacy for those who follow.

You don’t hear the names of other countries associated with the word “dream” like you do with America.

Why is that? I believe it is because...

“Efficiency is doing things right. Effectiveness is doing the right things.” -Peter Drucker

The 80/20 rule sounds like a mathematical formula and in some ways, it is but don’t fret, this isn’t a lesson on statistics.  The rule came from an Italian economist, Vilfredo Pareto, who stated that 80% of the Italian income was earned by 20% of the Italian population.

What this means is that 80% of your outcomes come from 20% of your inputs.  To put this another way, 20% of your activities equate to 80% of your productivity, your happiness, or any other area you are seeking to improve as a leader.  Instead of focusing on your individual productivity or happiness, we will focus on the overall engagement or...

“By recording your dreams and goals on paper, you set in motion the process of becoming the person you most want to be. Put your future in good hands—your own.” —Mark Victor Hansen 

This is not the time of year when I purposely set goals for the year. This year has not really been one to be able to really focus on our goals with all the curve balls we have been thrown. This is all the more reason to reevaluate the goals you set at the beginning of the year. It is time to finish strong this year and time to get ready to go.

I encourage you to join me in setting YOUR goals now as well. Now…before the kids start school. Now…while you still have time to accomplish big things for this year.

...

“Keep your eyes on the stars and your feet on the ground.” ~ Theodore Roosevelt

Leaders can see farther than others see, dream higher than others dream, and climb faster than others climb. However, if we reach the top only to turn around and find ourselves alone with no one at our side, we are not a leader.

We simply took a walk alone.

John Maxwell taught me, "The bottom line in leadership isn't how far we advance ourselves but how far we advance others."

This can be the struggle of leadership sometimes. We want to go far, and we want to go fast. We are focused on the future, but we never bring our eyes back to the present. We often never create a flow of communication around the WHY of getting to this new and future goal.

“Clutter is stuck energy. The word ‘clutter’ derives from the Middle English word ‘clotter,’ which means to coagulate -and that's about as stuck as you can get."

Karen Kingston 

About this time of year, an annual tradition begins. The signs sprout up everywhere…yard sales. Yard sales are where you can go and buy your neighbor’s junk for pennies on the dollar and then sell it at your yard sale next year. 

The need for yard sales springs from the sudden realization that we just have too much stuff. Clearing it out is our way of re-establishing boundaries – of setting apart a garage, for instance, for the purpose of actually parking a vehicle in it!

There was a book...

Where do you want your passion to take you in life?

Legacy is not leaving something for people. It’s leaving something in people. —Peter Strople

I have often said, “Leadership is not only what happens while you are here; it is also what happens after you are gone.”

When I reflect on this thought, I am reminded of my grandmother. She was a great leader in our family, and when she left in 1998, there was a great void in my life. She is the one person who still inspires me to be a better man, husband, father, and leader. I talk about her frequently to my kids and only wish they would have met her.

I am sure you have someone in your life, too, who reminds you to be better. You are thinking of them right now. The...