Let’s Put a Bow On It!

Make no mistake, nothing I’ve shared here as we’ve looked at the strengths of these Founding Fathers - Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson, and James Madison - has been with the intention of suggesting they were perfect. Quite honestly, that’s why I included some of the...

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Better Through the Support of Others!

I sure can relate with James Madison on a few things, although his academic success and ability to achieve collaboration with even his fiercest opponents aren’t among them… I feel like I can get a good bit accomplished on any given day, but like Madison, the work I do is always much...

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Using the Tools He Had…

While some of James Madison’s physical attributes likely far more in the weakness column than the strengths column we’ll be looking at here, he overcame his small stature by effectively utilizing his strengths! An article called James Madison: Impact and Legacy from the Miller Center...

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Long Before There Was a Football Team…

Long before all the conversation slamming the NCAA for upholding rule barring the football team from competing for a conference championship or bowl game despite a remarkable start to just their second FBS season, our local university’s namesake was known for being “the Father of the...

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Strong Convictions, Questionable Approach…

“Although Jefferson left the cabinet voluntarily, Washington never forgave him for his actions, and never spoke to him again.” 

The wikipedia article on Jefferson, while detailing his time as Washington’s Secretary of State, shared how staunchly opposed he was to Alexander...

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Eloquence and Passion

I have no doubt that you could put together a list of Jefferson’s strengths that’s significantly longer than what I’ll touch on here - and that’s OK by me. My goal here isn’t to be complete and comprehensive but to highlight a few key attributes he brought to the...

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A Way With Words

Before we pick up by looking at a couple of Benjamin Franklin’s peers, and specifically their leadership characteristics that you and I still benefit from today, I’ll share one last invitation to join us on Friday, December 8 (likely around 3p or so on Zoom) to get the specifics on...

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Leadership Earned by "The First American"

As I mentioned before, Benjamin Franklin’s voice as a Founding Father didn’t carry such significant weight because of any particular position he held, although he did make a significant impact in several different roles. His influence was largely something he earned throughout the...

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A Foundation That’s Held Firm

Having worked through what felt like a fairly comprehensive list of ways ineffective leadership and poor communication kill profitability in far too many businesses over the last several months, let’s change gears a bit and revisit an idea I introduced in this series in early 2020 - one I...

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How to Build Company Culture

Core values matter in everything we do. Core values are the foundation of who you are - as an individual and as an organization.

A value is something you care enough about to lead from that place. 

Values influence and guide our behavior. 

Because company culture matters in everything...

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The Root of All Leadership

The Law of the Ladder is about growing your character to grow you. And says, character growth determines the height of your personal growth.

When you think of character what comes to mind? I (Cindy) think of honesty, integrity, accountability, being genuine, the same person on the inside as we...

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