Leadership
Your Top Responsibility as a Leader
Facebook Twitter Google+ Pinterest LinkedIn Abraham Lincoln once said, “Give me six hours to chop down a tree—and I will spend the first four sharpening my axe.” President Lincoln understood something that few leaders buy into and even fewer practice today. It’s the art of development. Even in his day, when change happened more slowly…
Continue ReadingOne Surprise I Got from My Time at West Point
Facebook Twitter Google+ Pinterest LinkedIn Recently, I had the privilege of spending a day at the United States Military Academy. You know it as West Point. From the initial formation and flag salute in the morning, to the classes I attended that day—I got to tour an institution that is quite literally an incubator for…
Continue ReadingWhy Every Team Needs a Four-Point Line
Facebook Twitter Google+ Pinterest LinkedIn Not long ago, my teammate, Cody Braun, told me about the strategy the Philadelphia 76ers have used to get to where they are today. Years ago, they began playing for the future—not so much for the moment. They sacrificed wins at the time, losing many games during those seasons to…
Continue ReadingWhy Empathy Is Not Wimpy
Facebook Twitter Google+ Pinterest LinkedIn I recently spoke to an employer who hired several recent college graduates. After 90 days, he met with each of the new team members to assess how they were doing. In a meeting with a 23-year-old young man, the employer reviewed his positive qualities, then proceeded to challenge him to…
Continue ReadingWhat Does It Mean To Be a Life-Giving Leader?
Facebook Twitter Google+ Pinterest LinkedIn I’m not sure if you’ve heard the rumblings, but people in almost every context are demanding a new kind of leader. I see it in our homes, in our schools, in government, in non-profit work and in the marketplace. In 2001, I began speaking on this “new kind of leader.”…
Continue ReadingA Lesson on Engaging Students from Southwest Flight 1380
Facebook Twitter Google+ Pinterest LinkedIn We all heard about the Southwest Airlines, Flight 1380—the flight that had an engine fail two weeks ago and was forced to make an emergency landing in Philadelphia. One woman was killed as shrapnel flew through a window into the plane after the engine exploded. It had to be a…
Continue ReadingMy Favorite Book This Year
Facebook Twitter Google+ Pinterest LinkedIn I know, I know. We are less than four months into 2018. But I have already enjoyed several books that have marked me. One of them—I’d like to talk about today. Daniel Pink just released his latest book called, When: The Scientific Secrets of Perfect Timing. I’ve enjoyed each of…
Continue ReadingOur Gift to You to Celebrate 15 Years
Facebook Twitter Google+ Pinterest LinkedIn It’s stunning to remember what the world looked like fifteen years ago. It was in 2003, I launched “Growing Leaders”–a not-for-profit that partners with schools and organizations to resource them in building emerging leaders who are ready for life. Reflect on 2003. The Internet was only about 10 years old…
Continue ReadingLeadership Lessons from an NBA Champion Coach: Podcast #57
Facebook Twitter Google+ Pinterest LinkedIn Today, I’m excited to share with you a conversation with Brendan Suhr. Brendan is a former NBA basketball coach with several teams—including the Detroit Pistons—where he won two NBA Championships. He was also a coach at the University of Central Florida, Louisiana State University and more. Currently, he is the…
Continue ReadingOne Secret to Bringing Out the Best in Students
Facebook Twitter Google+ Pinterest LinkedIn I recently met with my friend, Zach Thomas, to talk about his story. Not long ago, he released a book called, Leader Farming. He compares good leaders to farmers who constantly cultivate the people under their care as potential leaders. He reminded me that much of what he does he…
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