ReMarkable Pursuit
Being a leader requires a remarkable pursuit of three things: content, wisdom, and people. The journey to being a great leader demands that we relentlessly and consistently pursue these three things. This past Wednesday, I had a conversation with a friend and fellow leadership blogger Brian Dodd. We were in casual conversation prior to the start of a men’s group that we are in. He asked me about a tablet that I have called a ReMarkable 2. I would describe it as an electronic notebook that looks and feels like you are writing on paper. I am a rigorous note taker and have found the device to be
In The Arena
Leadership takes place in the arena, not outside of it. For the last several weeks, I have been tuning into a Jon Meacham Podcast called, It was said. On the podcast, he analyzes notable speeches from some of history’s greatest leaders. In The Arena There was a particular speech that struck me. It was President Teddy Roosevelt’s Man in the Arena speech. He delivered the speech in Paris, France in April of 1910. He shares his perspective regarding the difference between the person that is in the arena, those in the fight, and those who are outside of the arena, watching the fight. Here is a small
The Benefits of Being Stubborn
Are there actual benefits of being stubborn? I could be biased on the topic, but I think being stubborn can be an undervalued quality of a leader. For far too long stubbornness has been portrayed as a negative characteristic. That changes today! None of us are exempt from the stubborn gene. We inherit it, we distribute it. It lies within all of us, some of us more than others! Maybe it’s because I can relate to stubborn people, because I am one, but I love stubborn people. I have been worked with them, coached them, been friends with them, and raised them. Benefits of Being Stubborn Nearly three
Emergency Hugs 2.0
Emergency Hugs is a concept exclusive to Leadership and Main. I would like to tell you that I drafted this one just for World Kindness Day, but I can’t. What I can tell you is that between a crazy week at the office, some work-related travel, and the kid’s extra-curricular activities, this week necessitated a remastering of a previous post. Of the 149 posts to date, post number 34 was one of my favorites, Emergency Hugs. I hope you enjoy version 2.0 of it. The Emergency Hugs Concept I remember it like it was just yesterday. It was a brisk, Fall evening in 2019 during a youth football
Me, My, and I
Me, my, and I are words that speak loudly about the identity of a leader. The frequency of their use in a leader’s vocabulary can be an identifying mark of their leadership style. Generally, I envy those people that can rattle off the year, the day, and the time of a moment that impacted their journey. I cannot remember the specific year, date, or time, but I distinctly remember this moment. My best guess is that it happened about fifteen years ago. I have served on the Acworth Business Association for more than eighteen years. We hold monthly luncheons and invite speakers to come in to address the
Delayed Dividends
Delayed dividends are received well after the initial investment. Dividends are one of the ways an investor receives a return on their Initial Investment. In life and leadership, delayed dividends are paid out through the person that was initially invested in. Financial investment dividends are returned to the original investor. People investment dividends are paid out through those who were invested in, to benefit others. Young People Investments This past Saturday, I had the opportunity to go watch a couple of eight grade football games. The two games I attended featured more than fifteen kids that I had the privilege of coaching in baseball, football, and wrestling over
Filling the Gap
Filling the gap is what great leaders do. No matter how far, how wide, or how deep…they fill it. Those who lack the necessary leadership ignore the gap, run from it, and/or consider it someone else’s responsibility. Murphy-Harpst This past Saturday, I had the opportunity to speak at a fundraising event for Murphy-Harpst, hosted by the Due West United Methodist Church. Murphy-Harpst is an amazing organization located in Cedartown, Georgia who provides housing, therapeutic, recreational, and educational programs for abused and neglected young people. The invitation to speak came from a friend who attends a men’s group I am in. A few months prior to the event, he
Falling Short
Falling short comes with the territory of high expectations. The higher the expectations, the longer the fall to reality. Falls to reality hurt, are sudden, generally are unexpected, and create future fears of repeating them. Raising Expectations As a life-long Georgian, I am a die-hard Atlanta Braves fan. I grew up in a generation that watched Greg Maddox, John Smoltz, Tom Glavine, and Chipper Jones. I remember the days prior to their arrival where the franchise was not competitive, expectations were extremely low. Then, in 1991 that changed when the Braves went from worst to first. From that point forward, they would go on to win fourteen
Bad Advice
Want to hear bad advice? Hang around the batting cages at a youth baseball tournament. You will find an abundance there! “Elbow up, swing harder, swing level.” All bad, extremely bad advice. I have coached youth baseball at various competitive levels since my son Grant was five years old. He plays on the team I help coach, the 14U Acworth Warriors. We played a Sunday only tournament this past weekend in Woodstock, Georgia. Our team was scheduled to play the first game of the day. Grant and I were the first to the ballpark. We got set up in the cages and started our team’s batting practice routine.
The Yo-Yo Effect
The yo-yo effect of leadership is a concept reflective of the ups and downs of leadership. A leader is subject to the upest of ups and the downest of downs, every minute of every day. As most of us are aware, a yo-yo is a toy, basically a wound-up spool of string. It moves as far down as it can go, then rebounds back up. When it returns to the top, back down it goes. Up and down, up and down. The Super Bowl I spent twenty-one years developing young men in the sport of football. I vividly remember one game that particularly sticks out to me that