Courage and Self-Control Emerge

Consistency nurtures seeds from bad situations, turning quiet efforts into visible growth and preparation for bigger roles. During my second year as a second shift manufacturing employee, I applied the same persistence I was developing during my shift to my new found love for working out. Throughout...

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Daily Choices That Court Disaster

Through the midpoint of my freshman year in high school, I remember very few report cards that so much as a C - and I don’t think I ever got anything lower. While I never did a ton of studying, I did carry books home as needed and completed homework assignments. When the second semester of my freshm...

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The Real Harvest from Bad Situations

Before I go on, I need to be very transparent with you. As I began noodling around the idea of listing and sharing leadership lessons I’ve learned through my adversities, I was more than a little conflicted; I’m nothing special and I’ve certainly seen people face far more difficult circumstances tha...

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Living the Relational Framework Daily

As Cindy and I built the “FRAMEWORK for Applying The Values Advantage”, a comprehensive program designed to guidance organizations through the process of putting their core values into practice at every level, we wanted to be sure that it provided practical steps for defining and implementing specif...

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Adapting the Framework

The foundation we establish in every professional relationship supports the structure it’s based on. But without an allowance for adapting the framework as needed, that foundation won’t hold. In fact, construction standards in earthquake prone areas detail this specifically. An article called “Stren...

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Investing in the Framework

Assuming we’ve taken the time to establish a relational foundation, the most effective way we can integrate humility into the structure is by continuously investing in the framework. In most cases, the idea of investments ties to finances. For a long-lasting framework that truly leverages leadership...

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Integrating Humility into Structure

I’ve referenced humility multiple times throughout our look at leveraging leadership growth; that hasn’t been accidental. Without intentionally building a humble approach into each, we can’t reasonably expect to develop real strength through great professional relationships - if we can establish tho...

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Celebrating Diverse Contributions

We wrap up the first half day session of our Recruitment, Retention, & Culture course with a lesson called “An Ethical Culture with Real Diversity & Inclusion.” The terms diversity, equity, & inclusion have been smeared through the headlines over the last several years, with both praise and condemna...

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Building a Qualified Network

I’ve often heard the phrase, “Your network is your net worth.” While I haven’t spoken to that from a financial perspective to this point, the strength we can each develop through great professional relationships will definitely yield success in just about any aspect of our lives that we’re willing t...

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Influence Over Credentials

Throughout this look at the strength we can each gain by building great professional relationships, I’ve referenced several of the amazing leaders I’ve had the privilege of learning from. I’ve also worked with some absolutely brilliant people over the years. That said, those two traits didn’t always...

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Qualified, Not Just Certified: Beyond the Certificate

One of the biggest roadblocks I’ve had to navigate throughout my professional career has indeed been knowing my worth. Far too often, I’ve struggled with the self-imposed limits of not completing a college degree. Sometimes, though, the companies I was employed by actually had those limits built fir...

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Asserting Your Value with Courage

Uncovering our hidden strengths so we can get to a point where we begin to comprehend our true worth can be a grueling process. Without overcoming the self-imposed limits we’ve placed on our own value, often for years or even decades, there’s little chance of genuine modesty being involved in situat...

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