Any time you get kicked in the pants, especially in a case like we experienced in late ‘24 where it comes from behind but connects up front, there’s a temptation to decide “we’ve paid enough,” rather than make the harder choice to continue reflecting, keep serving, and keep your door open for everyo...

Granny passed away on August 3, 2020; not from Covid or from a lack of care. Had it not been for the family who cared for her in their home, I’m not sure either of those could have been said. What I am sure of is that we would not have had the time with her through the final weeks of her life that w...

Earlier, I shared what John Maxwell taught me (and a group of a few hundred others) in 2015 about how one door can lead to another - and then another. The relationships we build, especially when we’re willing to invest the necessary time and energy into nurturing them, do the same. And influence fol...

I don’t think anyone could have predicted all that unfolded globally from March 2020 through the end of 2021. To that end, I could make a strong case in saying we’re still experiencing many of the ripple effects from all that today. And as I’ve stressed so many other times to this point, I’m certain...

Even with our careers seemingly taking shape, realizing what Matt was dealing with and what he’d need our support to work through in the years that followed was a gut-punch. More than any other thing I’ve encountered, that forced me to learn what practicing empathy was all about. I had always been w...

Without experiencing some of the challenges and barriers I fought through during high school, regardless of how insignificant they seem now, I wouldn’t have had the foundation to navigate my early career stumbles in order to make the necessary pivots. Even minor adversities can play a tremendous rol...

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...

While I was never willing to sit still long enough to develop a comprehensive knowledge of our nation’s founding fathers when I was a kid in high school, I truly enjoy history. I was inducted into the Sons of the American Revolution in 2019, and even then I didn’t do the legwork for detailing how my...

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...

For me, measuring relational success at a high level is simple but would require a tremendous amount of time to list all the specifics detailing the who, how, and why behind it all. In fact, the examples I’ve provided to this point through each aspect of our look at leveraging leadership growth have...

I’ve based everything we’ve looked at to this point on the idea of Leveraging Leadership Growth and the strength you and I can each gain through great professional relationships. The framework for relational leadership is crucial, intentionally integrating humility and investing appropriately so we ...

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...