The Many Hats We Wear
The many hats we wear can determine the versatility of our leadership. Hats are adaptive in nature. They can match a uniform, complete an outfit, represent our favorite team, or even cover up messy hair. They serve a variety of roles and fit a variety of situations. Leadership requires us to have a rack full of hats. Ones that can be switched out as needed to adapt to the situation at hand. Hats that help us meet the variety of roles and situations that are demanded of us as leaders. If your world is anything like mine, there are days that can leave you flat out exhausted. Days
You Can Count on Critics
You can count on critics all day, every day. They can be counted on to be consistent and relentless in their efforts. You always know where they stand…on the other side of whatever you do. Critics are simply Haters. Critics can be found everywhere. They can be found on the living room couches during college football season, the bleachers of any youth sports activity, in board rooms, in hallways, the backseats of vehicles, the editorial section of newspapers, and especially in the comments thread on a social media post. Sometimes they can even lie withing oneself. John Maxwell says that, “When you get kicked in the rear, you know
I Am A Winner
“I am a winner, he’s a loser” are the words I heard from the opposing team’s dugout this weekend. In taking my stroll from the third base dugout to position myself in the first base coach’s box, I heard the opposing coach in a heated conversation on his phone. Up until that point, I had heard him conversing with his assistant coach in the dugout. The conversation was regarding another team they were responsible for in their program that was playing at the same time. They were tracking that team’s progress on a live game feed. I’m not quite certain who he was talking to, but he wasn’t
Counting Down
There are moments in life in which the process of counting down can redirect our thoughts and emotions. Countdowns always start with bigger numbers and work downward. By the time the countdown is over, not much is left. Counting Down Every once in a while, I have moments that hit me like a ton of bricks. Where I come to the realization that I have only so much of something left. This weekend, it was while coaching first base in a 14U baseball game. It was late Friday night, it was drizzling rain, and it was forty degrees. Not exactly ideal baseball weather. After a long day’s work,
Window to the World
There is a window to the world for each of us. A small opening to a bigger picture. A viewing pane from what things ARE into what COULD be. Creating Experiences Prior to Christmas, it hit me. Our daughter Ashtyn is a junior in high school, she is more than halfway through this school year. That means in less than a year and a half, she graduates. I decided that instead of a bunch of stuff for Christmas that I would surprise her and Shannon with a trip to New York City, New York. The time in which we have to create experiences is dwindling. Window to the
Wrestling With Questions
Wrestling with questions is a productive use of time for a leader. Questions lead us in the direction of answers. Towards a better place to make good decisions. Wrestling Several of the last few blog posts have been anchored in the sport of wrestling. As my son Grant wrapped up his freshman season, it created a lot of connections between the sport and leadership. While wrestling is in the title this week, this one has nothing to do with the sport. Women’s Leadership Summit I had the unique experience this week to speak at the Georgia Recreation and Parks Association’s Women’s Leadership Summit in Kennesaw, Georgia. Two
End of Seasons
End of seasons are inevitable. In life and leadership, all seasons come to an end. Someday, somehow, all seasons are certain to end. End of Seasons My son, Grant, wrapped up his freshman high school wrestling season this weekend. He and seven of his Allatoona High School teammates placed at their regional championships which earned them an opportunity to compete at the Georgia High School Association’s sectional tournament this past weekend. To advance to the state tournament, they would have to place in the top six at sectionals. Those that didn’t, would experience their end of season. For four of them, more was on the line. They were
A Cup of Coffee
A cup of coffee is a small cost to invest BIG in our leadership journeys. Coffee is a starter of the day and a starter of conversation. It can be the great connector of people. First Cup of Coffee I did not start drinking coffee until I was twenty-seven years old. Loved the smell of it, didn’t care much for the taste of it. On Saturday, August 8, 2009 that all changed. See…two days prior to that…our son Grant was born. He didn’t sleep worth a flip! We were sent home from the hospital late Friday afternoon. I had a game to coach early that Saturday. With
Place vs Potential
What is more important when selecting a team member, place or potential? Think about it this way. Place is where a person is currently AT, potential is where a person could GO. I find this a regular dilemma in the process of selecting team members. Does experience, i.e. where you are at, outweigh potential of where someone can go? It is a critically important question to ask oneself. Selecting a Team Your heart is pounding, beads of sweat appear on your face, hand on forehead, foot tapping, and clock ticking. All eyes are on you, it’s your pick. This single selection bearing down on you could make or
Creating Extraordinary Experiences
Creating extraordinary experiences should be an important focus for any organization. The ability to create experiences is something universal to any organization. The question is, does the organization aim to create ordinary or extraordinary experiences? Media Play My working career began at the age of 17 at Media Play. The company is no longer in business. It featured four major offerings: toys, CD’s, computers, and books. If you know me or have followed this blog for any period of time, it would not surprise you that I landed in the book section. But, if you knew me then, it would have been a shocker. I can honestly say