I frequently share how, through all the years I worked indirectly for Rod (Kevin was my immediate supervisor and Rod was his), there was always an expectation for me to focus on how any action I took would impact productivity in each business unit we supported. While safety and human resources are g...
Cindy and I recently adopted two (more) rescue dogs. Weā€™ve had dogs since we got married, all of which have been rescues for the last fifteen years. The one that has been our most heartwarming success story to date had been dealing with several health issues and we had to put him down. As tough as t...
Before we dive headfirst into the importance of (and steps for) taking ownership of the irreplaceable value we can each add to the people we serve, I want you to take time to consider a specific strength you have but are likely overlooking. Since so many of us struggle with this, you may want to see...
In wrapping up our look at fostering a mentorship culture, I shared how simple I believe creating a leadership legacy can truly be; itā€™s not at all out of reach when we focus on the impact we can have on those around us rather than how we may be remembered because of it. Thatā€™s where humility comes ...
When we can pair humility with confidence, regardless of our level of positional authority in any given situation, we have the opportunity to create authentic, impactful relationships. Those relationships are the ones where we can expect to see a measurable return on investment through the increased...
Letā€™s be clear, positional authority can get results - as long as the individual with that authority is present and willing to crack the proverbial whip. But the authentic influence we earn through humble leadership earns a level of discretionary effort that even the most demanding chain-of-command ...
In detailing the role mentors play in helping bridge our leadership gaps, I shared an example Terry provided in dozens of behavior-based safety training sessions explaining that influence, not authority defines leadership. The humility weā€™ve been looking at here not only has the power to overcome eg...
With that stark difference fresh in your mind, the difference in how a handful of managers in a completely foreign industry refused input from anyone and how Iā€™ve seen Mark Cole actively solicit thoughts from someone as removed from his companyā€™s bottom line as me, letā€™s consider the significant rol...
We started down this path with an emphasis on the reality that there is no such thing as a self-made leader. For someone like me with a highly DRIVEN behavioral style, it would be nearly impossible to get much value from anything resembling a candid conversation with someone who believes theyā€™ve bec...
I reported to Kevin for longer than any other supervisor Iā€™ve ever had (not counting Cindy). Praise God he was so patient! I was just shy of 25 years old when I accepted the role working directly with (as I mentioned before, he was very intentional about never making me feel like I worked for him). ...
I had been extremely consistent in completing the expected weekly observations, became a member of the steering committee, and got somewhat involved in the training sessions during the two years leading up to accepting responsibility for facilitating the behavior-based safety process at our plant in...
One common thread with each of the amazing mentors Iā€™ve interacted with to this point in my life has been that all of them have juggled incredibly busy schedules. Iā€™m always amazed at how theyā€™re all willing to block time to provide mentorship insight routinely - especially when theyā€™ve seen their p...
