Leadership

It’s true. A large percentage of foul ups in any organization occur because team members take their eye off the big picture. They get caught up in their own little department or task and fail to see how their work fits into a larger story. Years ago, an executive at Six Flags theme park heard repeated stories of how his staff

Education, Generation iY®

Last week, my teammate Jake and I spent two days on the campus of Louisiana Tech University.  I spoke to staff, faculty, administrators, student leaders and K-12 educators from the community. Immediately, I recognized the folks at LA Tech cared deeply about connecting with their Generation iY students. Case in point. I met with the key faculty in the Engineering Department

Parenting

One of the most important questions adults can ask themselves as they work with students is: Am I working for a reward now or later? In his book, Poke the Box, Seth Godin writes about a typical contest that takes place in towns across America every October. Stores in town hold a contest for kids to paint a Halloween picture on

Leadership

In the past I have blogged about the idea that good things can come from bad situations, when those situations force us to do something good we normally wouldn’t do. Whether it’s laziness or lack of motivation, our intentions are better than our actions. Today, we see millions of Americans getting rid of credit card debt and saving money because

Culture, Generation iY®, Parenting, Uncategorized

On Saturday, I spoke at a parent event hosted by Northridge Church in Plymouth, Michigan. I experienced amazing hosts and 550 receptive parents all day long. During the day, I was asked great questions by moms and dads that I plan to blog about this week. The question below came from a woman who is both a mother and a

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Education, Generation iY®, Leadership, Parenting

A few weeks ago, a story made its way across America about a small, private school football team in Grapevine, Texas that did something very unusual. They were scheduled to play a juvenile detention center in football, Gainesville State School the next Friday. They knew that those young inmates would have no one cheering for them in the stands, no

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Generation iY®, Parenting

I have worked with students for thirty years. Idistinctly remember when bullying became a topic of discussion across the American education landscape. It was around 1995, the same time social scientists began to measure bullying on the school campus. The issue of “no bullies” became vogue for a while. Then, for years, it seemed we didn’t hear about it. Now—it’s back

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Education, Generation iY®

Sometimes I get misunderstand as a guy who’s against kids. Since publishing my latest book, Generation iY—Our Last Chance to Save heir Future, some think I whine about how this generation of students are undisciplined and feel entitled. Actually, this couldn’t be further from the truth. I love this generation of students. But they’re in trouble. More than you may think. According

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Education

We hear folks lament our failing school systems every week. At least I do. My response is always the same—teachers are my biggest heroes but the system we’ve created over time is faltering. Let me unveil one of my biggest concerns which may just be the biggest danger we face in education. Students are cheating to get ahead. This may not

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Culture

I want to hear from you. This is a question that tens of thousands of people, young and old, are debating today: is technology helping or hurting our relationships? Fact: According to a nationwide survey by RSCG, 50% of Americans say they know someone whose relationship started with on-line interactions. 53% believe on-line is normal or mainstream. Fact: 64% say they believe

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Culture, Generation iY®

The revolts and protests we’re hearing about every day in the news have a few ingredients in common. Have you noticed them? - They are led by a swelling population of young adults. - They occur when youth have too much time on their hands. - They happen when established leaders don’t know how to lead them. “Young people without jobs, young people who

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Athletics, Habitudes, Leadership

I have been very encouraged over the last five days. Our team, at Growing Leaders, had the privilege of meeting with and/or training leaders in five professional baseball clubs: The Atlanta Braves, The Pittsburgh Pirates, the Kansas City Royals, the San Francisco Giants and the Cleveland Indians. Because I have loved baseball all of my life—I was in hog heaven. But even

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Culture, Generation iY®

All week, I’ve been blogging about what Generation Y is thinking. Today, I want to wrestle with a paradoxical reality they face every week: their obsession with both authenticity and appearance. Stop and think for a moment. Few would argue that teens today value authenticity. They want to “keep it real.” They love genuine, earthy stories, food, language and entertainment. (Note

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Culture, Generation iY®

This week, I’m blogging about what Generation Y is thinking. While no generation wants to be profiled or put in a box, this student generation thinks so much alike when it comes to social issues. You can tell they’re a connected generation, from California to Singapore. Today—I want to talk about a paradoxical reality among Gen Y. While they continue to

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Uncategorized

Last Wednesday, I posted a blog called "I Wish I Had Led My Kids Differently."  I was inspired by a blog post by Jim Daly, president of Focus on the Family, since we share similar views on this topic. In my excitement to share with you Jim's thoughts, I regretfully neglected to attribute the sharing of the blog post to

Culture, Generation iY®

The rest of this week, I plan to blog about what’s on the mind of young adults today, the ones from Generation Y (born 1984-2002). In addition to our research with college students, Pew Research and Barna Reports have given us the latest read on this emerging generation and their affect on our culture. If you’re a parent, teacher, coach

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