The Enemies of Empathy
There are enemies of empathy that lurk within each of us. They lie deep within all of us and can significantly impede our ability to connect with other human beings. Most people could not articulate the difference between the words sympathy and empathy. While they align in some ways, there are a few degrees of separation that drastically change the intended impacts of their use. Sympathy vs Empathy I have always believed that sympathy is when we have actually walked in someone else’s shoes. We can connect with them based on shared physical and emotional experiences in life. Connecting on that level is instantaneous and requires minimal effort
Kindness Always Wins
Kindness always wins. Twice a year we bring in a speaker to spend time with our customer facing team members at the city. This time, my friend and pastor Mike Linch delivered the message. Mike has had a profound influence on my journey in both life and leadership. He exemplifies kindness. I had intended to make some opening comments, introduce Mike, and get back over to City Hall for a meeting I needed to be at. Thankfully, I was able to push the meeting back so that I could sit in for the majority of his talk. My biggest takeaway from his presentation…“kindness always wins.” Simple, yet memorable.
All In A Day’s Work
We can easily underestimate what we can accomplish in a day’s work. Often, we focus on the limitations of the day, not the possibilities of it. Our heads are filled with reminders about how quickly time passes, not the potential to fend off the hands of time for just one day. A Day’s Work Earlier last week, I received a call from the mother of a former football player of mine. Mrs. Rose, who all of us at the ballpark affectionately referred to her as, asked if my son Grant and I would be interested in traveling to Knoxville, Tennessee to see her son Joshua play football on
Staying On Offense
Staying on offense is a winning strategy in both football and leadership. In football, the team with more time of possession has a greater opportunity to win the game. In leadership, staying on offense is a winning game plan as well. Staying On Offense I spent twenty-one years of my adult life coaching youth football. I was the head coach, but was also responsible for Calling Plays. As a coaching staff, we understood that the more we were on offense, the less the other team was. It was a pretty simple strategy, especially when the other team had a high-powered offense. In the spirit of the football
Preparing for the Worst
The Southeast United States spent last week preparing for the worst. Hurricane Helene started to form in the Gulf of Mexico early in the week. Its formation initiated the exercise of preparedness by residents, communities, and all levels of government. Preparing for the Worst The exercise was no different in Acworth, Georgia. As the forecast started to solidify Tuesday, most models showed the eye of the storm going right through us. In talking with one of our leaders, we decided to move our scheduled preparedness briefing up from Thursday afternoon to Wednesday morning in anticipation. The briefing was an opportunity for each department to showcase their preparedness. We
Too Connected
How often are we too connected to things that don’t matter? More importantly how often are we too connected to the things that matter most? It is the great struggle of imbalance each one of us face today. The scales constantly teeter from one side to the other. In Georgia, this time of year means Fall Break. It’s everyone’s last chance to enjoy summer temperatures before the coolness of fall creeps in. For most, that means “disconnecting.” Disconnecting from the distractions of life. The things that separate what we ARE too connected to from the things that we SHOULD BE too connected to. In life and leadership, there
Limited Vision
In life, some people have great vision, some have limited vision. In leadership, vision is the ability to see further. Great leaders have this ability. The best leaders have the ability to inspire those they lead to run towards that vision without the ability to see the final destination. It is not limited. Miracle on Ice We generally kick off our team meetings at work with a leadership video. It could be something as simple as a speech, leadership lecture, inspirational story, or a movie clip. This past Friday, we led a meeting off with a clip from the movie Miracle. It’s the story of the 1980 United
Crossing the Line
Crossing the line into leadership is a decision that every person has or will be faced with. It is a critical point in the journey of a person’s life, whether to step across the line or stay behind it. One step across that line forever aligns us as a leader. Field of Dreams One of my favorite movies of all time is Field of Dreams. In the movie, Kevin Costner plays the star role as Ray Kinsella. Ray begins to hear voices that tell him, “If you build it, they will come.” He begins to pursue this voice that leads him to build a baseball field in the
Jerseys Tell A Story
Jerseys tell a story. One of the greatest opportunities an individual has in life is to be part of a team. In the world of sports, that spot on the team comes with a jersey. The jersey traditionally contains the team’s name, the player’s last name, player’s number, and a patch on the sleeve. Four unique chapters in the story that the jersey tries to tell us. In the world of leadership, we wake up each morning and put a jersey on. It may be a dress shirt, blouse, apron, coveralls, or a uniform. Whatever the attire, it tells the story of who we are and what we
The Spoils of Fear
What are the spoils of fear? The things that become rotten in our lives when fear consumes us. When it dominates our hearts, minds, and spirits. Bearing Fruit I have an opportunity to lead a men’s group at our church. We have met every single Wednesday, at 7:00 a.m. for as long as I can remember. It’s a group that consists of all ages, experiences, and backgrounds. Those Wednesday discussions are full of life, leadership, and faith. This past Wednesday, we had an interesting discussion. The devotional that we read talked about the need for love in this world. Love is one of the fruits of the spirit