Fired Up!
I was enjoying dinner on an outdoor patio at a busy downtown restaurant, when it began to sprinkle rain from a fast-moving cloud. At that moment, a waiter who was visiting with patrons at another table looked up at the sky and then came racing down the patio, loudly exclaiming “PLEASE, NO!!”. I appreciated his […]
Leading: Details, Always
The third crucial leadership skill is paying attention to the details, always. Once you’ve assembled the right team (People First) and galvanized them into a cohesive group focused on your shared vision (Purpose Second), the key to achieving success is embedded in paying attention to the daily details that add up to make a huge […]
Maximize the Moment
We have perfect clarity on the past, if we choose to see it. We have no way to know what awaits us just ahead, whether or not we are ready for it. So make your plans, because you may need them, but always maximize the moment. The “here and now” is where we build relationships […]
Leading: Purpose Second
Once you’ve put People First and have assembled the right core team, a leader must assure that he or she is working in sync with other team members toward shared goals. This depends on having a crystal clear vision of what you’re seeking to accomplish. Purpose Second. It’s not enough for an owner or business […]
Intentions, or Actions?
We all face a daily challenge of managing myriad activities to required or desired outcomes. It becomes even more complicated when many of these activities are delegated to us at the request of others. All of this leads to a growing execution gap. Trouble begins with our own view of these activities. Are they simply […]
More Than a Pay Check
Your work matters. It’s important to those you serve or for whom you build things, to family members who depend upon you, and for your own sense of well-being. If your work is in sync with these things, you’ll know that what you do is about more than a pay check. When you feel this […]
Create Something Special
How good do you want to be? Is average good enough? Or do you have higher aspirations for your life and career? How about becoming Great, World Class, or One-of-a-kind? Each level requires more: more skill, greater experience, enhanced training, boundless energy and, most of all, unyielding commitment and gritty determination. One need not look […]
Rejuvenation
I’m a grower at heart. After working for many years in horticultural production and marketing “in my prior life”, I always enjoy an opportunity to return to those green industry roots. (Pun intended!). Yesterday was such an experience. I first knew this rural Flagler County land as a working cattle ranch in the late 1970’s […]
Gotcha!
This slang expression has two distinct meanings, one positive and the other decidedly not. Literally, it’s the abbreviated version of “I got you!” When someone’s “gotcha” in a good way, it means they understand what you’re saying. They “know where you’re coming from”, “catch your drift”, are “on the same wavelength” or have “got your […]
On the Wall
Where do you go to observe the world? Do you have a quiet place from which the view is clear and you’re not bombarded with life’s intrusions, at least for the moment? My Welsh Springer Spaniel does; it’s atop his wall. You might not think it from this regal pose, but Rhys is seldom still […]