Be as powerful as you can be. “Power” can carry a bad reputation. Power can be abused. It can be a goal that is unhealthily sought. Power feeds ego. However, a mentor taught me years ago that I should want to be aware of my power and be ready to use it whenever I can to influence the circumstances I encounter for good. That’s the spirit of the daily questions we have been reviewing. Improve.

“There are two kinds of people: those who believe they make things happen and those who believe things happen to them.” – Travis Bradberry, Forbes Sound familiar? Bradberry cites a study by Dr. Tim Judge at the University of Florida stating that those who “happen to the world” sell more, serve customers better, adjust faster to change, and get paid more. Particularly distinctive is how “happening to the world” people respond to complex, challenging times. They

Michigan State basketball coach Tom Izzo said, “A player-coached team is better than a coach-coached team.” A powerful insight about great teams! The “players” have a huge role in leadership. The eyes of the team aren’t only for the coach. The players step up. They set standards. They model the fulfillment of the standards. They hold each other accountable to adhere to them. Looking at me now, you may not believe it, but basketball was

Leaders create environments bound and energized by loyalty, affection, and mutual support. One of the best ways to “happen to the world” is to be intentional about having an impact on your environment. Environments come in all shapes and sizes. We work in small groups. We all have families. If you lead, you’re always involved in the state of your environment. If you are the leader and don’t work on your environment, it will be

My music genre of choice is Country. Lyrics are frequently laugh-out-loud funny but sometimes they’re poignant. I heard performer and writer Billy Currington sing a song yesterday. The refrain went like this: Walk a little straighter, daddy You’re swaying side to side. Your footsteps make me dizzy And no matter how I try, I keep tripping and stumbling. If you’d look down here, you’d see. Walk a little straighter, daddy You’re leading me. We have

“Whenever we get tied down to anything – a name, a body, a lifestyle – that’s the road to ruination.” – Prince I’m not a Prince fan. I missed that bus somehow, but I was impressed with the outpouring of tributes at his death in 2016. I started jotting down some of his quotes and texting them to my kids. He had some profound thoughts. The one above seems like an “anything goes” mindset that

In a word, what is a veteran? Selfless – A soldier sacrifices his individuality to become one of the troops. He wears the uniform. He follows commands. He embraces the mission. A war is only won when the soldier values the cause and his comrades more than himself. Courageous – To join the troop is to step into courage. The risk is high. The mission is daunting. The soldier’s life, as well as all colleagues,

I shared this quote from Ronald Reagan, 40th President of the United States, with my children this weekend: “Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction. We didn’t pass it to our children in the bloodstream. It must be fought for, protected and handed on for them to do the same, or one day we will spend our sunset years telling our children and our children’s children what it was once like in the United States where men were free.” There are

What is your “attitude’s” reputation? How would the people close to you describe your attitude? Take a few minutes and reflect on it. Jot down the words that come to mind, such as: Positive Caring Service-oriented Friendly Adventuresome Fun-loving It could go the other way: Bad Lazy Negative Scared The lists can be long and varied. But the people who influence outcomes and lead most effectively are aware of their attitudes. They are aware because somewhere in their

I’m reading a book by Pete Carroll. He says one of the great strategies for good leaders is to “learn your learner.” Here’s the concept.  Everyone is different so everyone learns differently.  He teaches his coaching staff to expect differently.  He expects his coaching staff to be flexible in accordance with the styles of their learners. In other words, he believes that coaches who believe there is only one way or style to coach will always fall short