“A leader that won’t listen to others will eventually be surrounded by people that have nothing to say.” – Andy Stanley What’s the climate like at work? I believe that communication ought to be constant, transparent, and courageous.  The stage for those three things to happen is set by a leader who listens well. The best teams communicate constantly.  Encouragement flows.  Teaching and sharing are mainstays.  Total, constant communication means everyone takes their turn and […]

Our colleague Casey Fletcher sent me a Wall Street Journal article that describes several crises solved where “humility” was a key factor in the solution. Here’s the link: https://www.wsj.com/articles/in-a-life-or-death-crisis-humility-is-everything-11564133402?mod=mhp The article author Sam Walker describes the situations and how the heroes responded to resolve.  He points out four characteristics that existed to attain the best results possible.  Expertise – The leaders had solid, professional experience. They had logged many hours. Seen many things.  They were able […]

“When I consider the tremendous consequences from little things, I am tempted to think there are no little things.”  – Bruce Barton   As I reflect upon this statement, there is so much truth to it.    So much of our life is defined by little things.    When we study accidents in our plant, it’s usually a brief lapse or small details that aren’t attended to which cause the event.  So often we hear […]

I’m in Guatemala on a medical mission trip this week.  Rest assured, no one is counting on me for medical care. My team of 40 deliver surgical care to over 100 folks, to people who otherwise wouldn’t have care available to them. I’ve been accompanying my wife on this trip for a while.  This is her 14th year.  She’s a nurse and cares for the patients.  I run errands for the care givers and help […]

Did you hear that Tiger Woods won a golf tournament yesterday?  Good!  Just checking that all your gadgets work. I think Tiger winning ranks as one of the unlikeliest occurrences in sport. Think of it: He’s old.  Most guys his age are beginning to wind down their pro golf career.  Their strength is waning as well as their nerves.  It’s rare a man his age is competing at such a level. His body is fragile. […]

Jeralidine Williams is a prominent leader who lives in Tampa.  I was reading a feature about her in Forum, which is the magazine published by; The Florida Humanities Council, a group chaired by our CFO Casey Fletcher. She was asked in the interview what advice that she gives to younger people.  She said that she recommends to her 14-year-old grandson that he should “travel, study and listen so that he can learn about others.” Travelling […]

I was listening to Andy Stanley and his wife Sandra give parental advice.  They have 10 years of youth ministry and led their three kids to adulthood. They were describing teenagers and had one key piece of advice: “Don’t freak out.” In their eyes, “freaking out” had several looks.  “Over-coaching” from the stands.  “Stage mothering” from the seats. “Reacting” harshly to the turns a teenager can create. I could see it instantly.  I had a […]

Continuing with Dr. Jennings’ APD Triad. A is arriving. P is performing.  Some people see performing as “doing as much as necessary and as little as possible.” They regard meeting minimum expectations as adequate.  They work actively to understand where the line is drawn and work to stay within the borders. Jennings assumed one thinking about the APD Triad has ambition to keep moving.  One job was the means to the next.  For him, “performing” […]

“Every obstacle an opportunity to practice a virtue: patience, courage, humility, resourcefulness, reason, justice, creativity.”  Marcus Aurelius, emperor. Encountering obstacles successfully requires a certain mental heartiness.  The ancient emperor Marcus Aurelius described what that heart looked like with the quote. Is this you? What happens when you encounter trials? Do you blow up emotionally or do you exhibit a quiet patience? Do you cower at the challenge or take bold, courageous steps? Do you express […]

Jon Gordon is a speaker and author who focuses on leadership and team building.  His books are quick reads usually using story as a way to illustrate his teaching points. He tweeted yesterday 5 Ways to be a Positive Communicator.  His teaching corresponds with ours on leadership 1. Shout praise, whisper criticism We encourage praise to be used more often than correction.  We believe that public praise builds relationship and allows less frequent redirection to […]