Never Stop Learning.

Surround yourself with smart people. Quality not quantity. Remove negative people from your life. Have a flexible strategy. Avoid playing favorites.

Follow your passion. Never stand for dishonesty.

Believe in you. Do what you say you will do. Recognize the efforts of everyone on your team. Disconnect at least once a day. Don't pull rank. Take one think day every month. Pay it forward.

Read and seek knowledge daily. Imagine often.
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Bossorius Leadium

A document was discovered several years ago that wasn't dated and didn't have an author’s name on it but from the language, it seemed to be quite old. Recently, I discovered a second document with some additional information that seems to be related to the first one. These could be the earliest known documents on leadership.

Scaredycate Closedoorius | This is the manager who has an “open door policy” when no one is actually in her office. Once the meeting begins, doors are sealed. Anything discussed in meetings are translated to staff, customers, or clients as her ideas.

Likedbyallorus Neediad | Great guy who always has time for you but he deals with no real crises. Any actual staff conflict, culture concerns, or client issues are swept neatly under the finely appointed corporate non-answer area rug.

Speakius Nonactium | She seems to have great ideas that never see the light of day past the promise of will be and someday. The plan sounds promising enough so everyone involved think this time she may be on to something but the pattern of no follow through returns.

Unwantiate Inputarium | Embossed on the front is the phrase “Our People Are Our Strongest Asset”. Through the threshold of the lobby is where that mantra dies a rapid painful death to make room for his benevolent dictatorship.

Whathesaysits Collaboratorus | Employees are reminded the importance of teamwork when his ideas aren’t executed void of input from the team. Significant regular staff erosion is blamed on others.

Lackus Spinearia | She enjoys sitting in her corner office praising people when things are good but is unable to make one concrete decision of any substance that will actually move the company forward.

Perhaps you recognize someone.
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The Importance of People

I once worked for a "boss" who felt compelled to remind people his title and raised his voice every time he didn't get his way like a five year old who can't have ice cream. Perhaps you've met this guy.

A lot is said about the power of human connection but we need to mean it and dig deep on it and live it and embrace it for real. No stakeholder will believe a well-crafted mission statement that says people are important if it’s not proven through action. You can’t pretend to care simply to get someone to do their job. Yelling guy did't care about us.

The human network

If you have kids, you have experienced a time when they defied you, acted up against your direction or disobeyed you. Discipline can be a justified response but what is the real issue going on? In the enterprise, if an employee has a temper tantrum, they are often reprimanded and sometimes dismissed. It’s not tolerated. But why is it endured when "the boss" flips out?

Your team does not want a boss. They don’t want to fear you. They don’t want to walk on egg shells around you. They need you to lead and help them grow. People will mess up, because they are people just like you. Your team will make mistakes, just like you. Your company will have challenges, just like you.Your job title might be on the org chart and your email signature.

If you feel compelled to remind your team, you've lost the room.
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Self Worth

Self-doubt can be one of the most destructive and debilitating emotions we possess. It can be difficult to believe in yourself even when those around you believe in you. Something deep inside has convinced you that you aren’t worth it, can’t do it, won’t make it. It’s an emotion most of us feel at one point in our lives.

Some have it briefly from time to time or in certain situations while others feel the paralyzing fear that stops them from moving forward. As counter-intuitive as it may sound, it becomes their comfort zone.

Dr. BJ Davis was a two-time convict. He lived a world of drug abuse and despair. His life was going nowhere. Give yourself 14 minutes to watch this.


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More or Less

Fulfil more. Take less. Focus more. Talk less. Start more. Eat less. Laugh more. Work less. Give more. Regret less. See more. Ignore less. Progress more. Criticize less. Invent more. Renounce less. Embrace more. Spend less. Share more. Measure less.

Move more. Envy less. Sing more. Cling less. Accomplish more. Show less. Complain less. Live more. Compare less. Contribute more. Annoy less. Enjoy more. Worry less.

Listen more. Waste less. Smile more. Own less. Learn more. Say less. Help more. Use less. Connect more. Stop less. Play more. Hope less. Communicate more. Skim less.

Thank more. Fret less. View more. Reflect less. Originate more. Copy less.

Collaborate more. Upset less. Dream more. Irritate less. Write more. Doubt less. Read more. Whine less. Accomplish more. Drink less. Love more. Meet less.

Do less and enjoy more.
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Grandfather's Lesson

My grandfather used to love telling the story of his boyhood friend Campbell. One day, they were at my great grandmother’s house and she had just baked a delicious chocolate cake. She asked my grandfather if he’d like a slice and he replied; “Yes please!” and she gave him one.

She then turned to Campbell and asked him the same question and he said; “I don’t mind”. She replied; “I don’t mind either” and left the room. No cake for Campbell.

Real or Imagined

Whether this story happened or not isn’t the point. My grandfather was trying to teach his 9 year old grandson to say please and thank-you and if I wanted something someone had offered me, it was okay to accept it.

How often do we do that to ourselves? We send out confusing messages to the universe and wonder why more confusion returns. My grandfather didn’t teach his grandson to take what wasn’t his or be an arrogant self-centered person, he was showing me how to discover what I wanted and be okay with wanting it.

Say What You Mean

Now take the Campbell story into your life, your work, your company, and see how often basic communication breaks down to the point of confusion. We humans try our best but often we don’t communicate very well with each other.

In our relationships, if we aren’t clear, how on earth can we expect others around us to have a clear sense of what we want, mean, or say? So the next time someone offers you a piece of cake, simply say yes please or no thank-you. It’s all you would expect if you were doing the offering.

Thanks Gramps, you are still teaching me!
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Balancing Act

We’ve heard it for decades – we need a healthy balance between work and life. Family, sports, hobbies, down time, relaxing, all the stuff we enjoy doing outside of work are some of the reasons we go to work so we can afford such luxuries. Nigel Marsh shares some ideas of how we can tackle this critical issue.


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