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.
I Need Help
The three most utilized words in a leader’s vocabulary are, “I need help.” As a leader, it is easy to subscribe to the false narrative that we should always have it all together. We can be expected to be all things, to solve all things, and be available to all things. The pressure to perform can be a heavy burden to bear. I Need Help Leaders are a magnet for everything. Problems, decisions, tasks, conflict,
The Cheapest Seats
Baseball legend Babe Ruth once said, “the loudest boos always come from the cheapest seats.” Those seats are occupied by the best of the best at critiquing others. They are miserable people whose game plan is to drag everyone else into the abyss of misery they dwell in. I love sports, I love developing young athletes even more. The first twenty or so years of my life, I spent participating in sports. Twenty-four years of
The Man in the Red Bandana
With every passing September 11 anniversary, I cannot help but to think about the story of the Man in the Red Bandana. “What would you do in the last hour of your life? Where would you be? Who would remember you? What would it look like?” are the questions that the narrator led off with in an ESPN Sports Center (SC) Featured that I watched several years go. The story was about one of the
Happy Places
Leaders need “Happy Places.” These places are escapes for all of us. In the movie Happy Gilmore, Adam Sandler plays a character named Happy. Happy is a hockey player turned professional golfer. Whenever things got tough on the course, Happy’s caddie “Chub” encouraged him to go to his happy place. It settled him down and he played better. For me, my specific Happy Places are Ellijay, Georgia and Saint George Island, Florida, mountains, rivers, and
The Intersections Ahead
The intersections ahead will define our life and leadership. Too often, the rear-view mirror distracts us from all that the windshield has to offer in this world. Learning from our experiences is an extremely valuable tool, but can also leave us stuck at an intersection in life. The windshield offers all the excitement, potential, and possibilities that lie ahead of us. Whenever I speak to groups about leadership, I generally tell the audience that life
Connected Leaders
Connected leaders have the pulse of an organization and its people. In the medical world, your pulse determines your heart rate. According to the Mayo Clinic, a healthy resting heart rate should be between sixty and one hundred beats per minute. Heart rates consistently too high are not good, consistently too low are not good, and irregular ones are certainly not good. To be considered healthy, we need to regularly be within a good range.
The Gratitude Gap
Deep within all of us we can find a gratitude gap. It first appears as a little bitty crack and can quickly widen with enough neglect. Gaps are formed by the absence of gratitude. Whenever gaps exist, they always get filled with something. It is our decision on what fills it. Gratitude is an outward expression of our appreciation and thankfulness for things and others. It is nearly impossible for us to experience anything negative
Experience or Inexperience
Experience or inexperience, which one is the most valuable? Most people would probably quickly respond with experience, and rightfully so. If we take just a minute to wrestle with this question, maybe it is not as easy to answer as we think. My son Grant turned fourteen this weekend. We celebrated it by heading to Blue Ridge, Georgia for a day of trout fishing. My brother Steven and my nephew Tucker joined Grant and I
The Path to the Top
The path to the top is full of many different characters. Most people with any level of ambition desire to get to the pinnacle of their careers. Whether it is the head of an organization, leading a division within the organization, or being a senior person on the team, we all have/had aspirations to get to the top. If you have followed Leadership and Main for any period of time, one of my escapes is
Gritty People
Gritty people earn the admiration of others. That admiration is earned through their ability to arrive at their desired destination regardless of the twists, turns, roadblocks, and detours that laid in the path of their journeys. It was a far cry from a straight path to be the person they are today. My Friend Ronnie One of the grittiest people I know passed away on Thursday. Ronald (Ronnie) Eugene Thomas retired from our city team
Driver’s Education
Driver’s education is a necessary step in obtaining one’s license. It teaches you the ins and outs of how to operate a vehicle. In a short period of time, you learn the necessities of performing something that you will do for a long period of time. This past weekend, I took my fifteen year, eleven month old daughter to a unique driver’s education experience. It’s a program called Drive Strong that is located at Atlanta
The Five W’s of Leadership
Who, what, when, where, and why? This is an extremely common phrase when asking someone to simplify something complicated. The question demands a simplistic, nuts and bolts response. It requires boiling things down to their most basic level. In that spirit, let’s take a commonly overcomplicated concept of leadership and break it down. Here are the five W’s of leadership: Who I still find it fascinating that when I speak to groups and poll the
End of Seasons
In life and leadership, we experience end of seasons. One thing that is certain, seasons are never wasted. We are better for the experience, good or bad. There is always something to be learned as we wrap up a season. This past weekend we traveled to Destin, Florida to experience an, “end of season,” a baseball season. I serve as an Assistant Coach for the 13U Warrior Baseball Academy, my son Grant is a player
The Person People Want to Follow
How do we become the person that people want to follow? This past week, I had the opportunity to speak on this critical question at the American Public Power Association’s National Conference in Seattle, Washington. Prior to the pandemic, people needed organizations more than organizations needed people. COVID-19 flipped that script. Now, organizations need people more than people need organizations. Prior to the pandemic, things were booming. Projects and numbers were greater than people. COVID-19
A Rhythm of Rest
It is critical for leaders to have a rhythm of rest. I can remember when this blog was just an idea inside of James’ heart and mind. Now it is something that I look forward to reading every Monday morning because it helps me to get my week started off with a leadership principle to help me lead at a higher level. Today, I get the opportunity to be a guest blogger and invest in
Sometimes You Are The Cow
Sometimes you are the cow. Bear with me… There is a great story I heard from speaker and author Kevin Paul Scott about A Cow and a Buffalo. Basically, the story goes that a cow and buffalo both have the instinctive ability to detect an approaching storm. What they do in reaction to those instincts is totally different. The cow moves away from the storm. Editorial note, a cow is slow! So it ends up
Stuck at Intersections
It is easy for leaders to get Stuck at intersections. For drivers, intersections serve as points of decisions in our travels. Most intersections provide us with several options in the decision-making process. We can decide to turn left, turn right, or continue down the same road. The one option we cannot afford, is to get stuck at the intersection. Leadership Intersections For leaders, our journeys are a series of critical intersections that continually present themselves.
Unfinished Stories
Memorial Day should be a time to reflect on unfinished stories. It is an opportunity to wrestle with the sobering thought that so many individual stories were cut way too short, so that ours can reach final publication. British Prime Minister Winston Churchill once said that, “Never was so much owed by so many to so few.” That quote embodies the spirit of Memorial Day, a day in which we honor those who made the
Looking the Part, Being the Part
There is a drastic difference between looking the part and being the part in leadership. We can easily put on the facade of the leader we desire to be, while at the same time falling short of being that leader. Looking the part means nothing without being the part. This time of year, I spend most weekends at the ballpark. In the world of travel baseball, looking the part is a big deal. Teams and
Reverse Customer Service
Ever heard of the concept of “reverse customer service?” Me neither, until it popped into my head yesterday. Between shopping for a Mother’s Day card and some garden items, I spent most of my morning experiencing customer service, or lack thereof. I watched a store open late, a cashier failed to greet me, and a customer service representative walk away from the counter when most of us had already been standing in line for a
The Human Advantage
There has been a rapid advancement of artificial intelligence (AI) in this world. I strongly believe that people still hold a distinct advantage, the human advantage. This past week our city team participated in a simulcast of a world-wide leadership event called Leadercast. The daylong event features some of the best leadership communicators in the world. Each year has a theme, this year’s was Human Intelligence. The central message was the value of humans in
Spring Clearing
All of us are due for a good spring clearing occasionally. Spring is a perfect time for renewal of a leader’s mind. Most people get a good spring cleaning in this time of year, whether it’s in the yard, the garage, or the basement. We filter through the clutter, organizing the things that are still good, and ridding ourselves of useless junk. The final product…a nice, neat, and organized space. So, why would we not
Chasing Paper in the Wind
Have you ever caught yourself chasing paper in the wind? In a weird way, it is a fear of mine. Let me explain… Here is the scenario. Join me in imagining that you are getting back in your vehicle after doing your grocery shopping. It’s the day before a big holiday, you name it, the place is a zoo. On top of the chaos, it is an extremely windy day. After an hour of wrestling
Chief Wayne Dennard
Wayne Dennard retired as our Chief of Police in Acworth, Georgia this past week. Through his twenty years of service, he epitomized what it means to be a Community Leader. He is someone who uses his influence to better others and the world he lives in. We held his retirement ceremony on Wednesday afternoon to honor him. It was an hour-long celebration of his accomplishments and service, but more importantly him as a human being.
The Presumptive Chair
A beach chair turned into a presumptive chair for me this week. My family and I just got back from our spring break trip to Panama City Beach, Florida. On Vacations, I am generally the first one to wake in the morning. Instead of shuffling around the condo and stirring others on this particular trip, each day I would drive to McDonald’s, grab a cup of coffee, go the beach, set up my beach chair,
Don’t Bounce It
“Don’t bounce it” are not words of encouragement in a big moment. This past Thursday was opening day for Major League Baseball. It is baseball tradition to have an honoree throw out the first pitch of the game. One of the greatest first pitches of all time was the one that President George W. Bush threw out in game three of the 2001 World Series between the New York Yankees and the Arizona Diamondbacks. The
Leaders are the Glue
Leaders are the glue that hold things together. Often when developing a topic, I find something random and explore its application to leadership. This week…it’s glue. Glue is a fundamental adhesive that we have learned to utilize since kindergarten. The creative possibilities were limitless then, with one critical exception, DO NOT EAT THE GLUE! We first learned to use it to produce visual masterpieces that would stand the test of time, stored away in our
Perplexing Perspective
I came across what I would call a “perplexing perspective” this weekend. Sometimes I need mindless activities, which may include scrolling through reels, shorts, and other video sources. As the algorithms have learned me, they produce a lot of content filled with thought provocation, emotion, and laughter. Three things I need. In the face of terminal cancer, Coach Jimmy Valvano delivered one the most inspirational messages I have ever heard at the 1993 ESPY Awards.
The Molding of a Leader
The molding of a leader parallels to the process of making pottery. I am far from artistic, but do understand and can appreciate that a piece of pottery doesn’t just end up that way. It starts off in its raw form as a block of clay, placed on a spinning wheel, where it is shaped and molded. In this week’s post, we look at the three correlations between making pottery and the molding of a
The Silent Killer of Organizational Culture
Cultural Monoxide is the silent killer of organizational culture. This is not a scientific phenomenon, just a looming threat to our abilities to build quality culture in the workplace. It will suffocate and interrupt the heartbeat of who we are as an organization. What is Carbon Monoxide? The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) defines its counterpart in the science world as carbon monoxide, “an odorless gas that can kill you.” Pretty straightforward…right? Science isn’t my strong
The Five Elements of Intentionality
Understanding the five elements of intentionality can drastically impact the potential influence that we have on others. Intentionality is an art, one that can easily differentiate between ordinary and extraordinary leaders. It allows leaders to be different, counteracting what the world expects of us. I will share this confession with you, I strongly desire to be an intentional person. In all aspects of my work life, volunteer life, and personal life, I want to be
Counting Down Time
Counting Down Time Counting down time can cause deep reflection in oneself. Countdowns are meaningful because they let us know how much of something we have left. They never increase numerically, they always decrease. Countdowns always end. The Bridge For me, the concept of counting down time came in a moment on a bridge. A moment that drastically changed my perception of time. My family and I enjoy vacationing in St. George Island, Florida. It
Mean and Nasty People
There are mean and nasty people in this world. These individuals are impatient, harsh, rude, and cruel. Their objective is to impart their misery on everyone they come in contact with. The Big Game Let me set the stage for you. It’s late on a Saturday night, a trip to the championship game is on the line. Two undefeated teams clash, vying for one of two spots in the final game. The score remains scoreless
If A Mirror Could Talk
If a mirror could talk, what would it say? Each and every day we roll out of bed and face the reality of what the mirror possesses. It stares right back at us and through us. One of my favorite songs of all time is Man in the Mirror by Michael Jackson. The song can generate emotions and stir souls. Its lyrics challenge us to start with us, change our ways, and make the world
Surrounded by Better
Great leaders are surrounded by better. Early in my career I was told by many others, “hire people smarter than me.” Like most advice I received at the time, I heard it…but didn’t always put it into action. As I have grown in my leadership journey, this concept become one of the greatest pieces of advice I have ever received. The college football season just came to an end. The Georgia Bulldogs won their second
Redirect Journeys
There are people and moments in life that redirect journeys. Good, bad, or indifferent the person or the experience meets you at a critical intersection of your life. I call these people and moments Interceders…someone or something that has redirected our journeys. Intersections I operate in the world of government for a career. Roads are a critical piece to the public infrastructure system that gets people from one place to another. There are critical
The Whole Staircase
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. famously said, “Faith is taking the first step, even when you don’t see the whole staircase.” As humans, we tend to want to know what awaits us at the end of a long, dark staircase. The unknown of what awaits us creates uncertainty in our worlds’ leading to impatience and impulsivity. Both can lead to a costly stumble and fall. This week, we draw four observations between a staircase and
Fundamentals are Foundational
Fundamentals are foundational to leadership. They are the basis of which big ideas and dreams are built on. Lack of fundamentals can build shallow Foundations where those same big ideas and dreams fail to get traction. I have had the pleasure of coaching youth sports my entire adult life. Football, baseball, basketball, and wrestling. Regardless of the sport, everything starts with the Fundamentals. They do not always shine brightest, but they are the foundation
Earning Our Wings
Earning our wings in leadership has one fundamental requirement, to serve others well. Each of us have had the awesome responsibility of leading people bestowed upon us. We have been entrusted to be the person that gets them where they need to go. My favorite movie of all time is It’s a Wonderful Life. I watch it at the turn of every new year and anytime I need an adjustment in my perspective. If you
Wonder in Awe
With the passage of time, it is easy to lose our wonder in awe. Christmas morning is a great reminder of this. It produces Unexpected Moments, Unforgettable Memories. As a child, we eagerly anticipate the arrival of Christmas morning. I distinctly remember waking up throughout the night, intensely focused on the clock. Trying to will the minutes to pass one by one. When the time came, I would rush out of the bedroom and
Grappling with Time
Grappling with time is a never-ending battle. Time is our most valuable, yet limited resource we have. We never can, nor will know how much of it we have left. This past Sunday, I took my son to compete in his first wrestling tournament. Wrestling is a form of grappling. Oddly enough, his first tournament took place at a school only a few miles away from where I wrestled my final high school match
Grow In Giving
“Gratitude is not only the greatest of virtues, but the parent of all others.” – Marcus Tullius Cicero Grow in Giving On January 1st when you look back at the holidays, what will you be glad that you prioritized? For our family, the holidays are a time of traditions and family time, but also a wonderful time to prepare our hearts and minds for being grateful and giving back to others. Our children
The Recipe for Community
The recipe for community starts with one key ingredient…its people. Without that ingredient, the recipe just doesn’t work. The end product is bland, lacking in flavor. A community is simply a group of people that exist together. In an ideal community, everyone in a leadership position desires to better others and the world they live in. They want the people in their communities to have a great quality of life and will do what it
Gratitude List
Every Leader should have a gratitude list, comprising of the people and things we are grateful for. One of the key differentiators between ordinary and extraordinary leaders is gratitude. GREAT leaders are GRATEful. In Last week’s post (Giving Away of Oneself) , we talked about the giving part of Thanksgiving. This week we dive into the other portion, gratitude. For me, I desire to be a grateful person. That desire does not always lead to
Giving Away of Oneself
Giving away of oneself is what great leaders do. Leadership is about bettering others and the world we live in. In order to lead well, giving away of oneself is a necessary function. Thanksgiving is rapidly approaching. The season makes me think of two things, one is gratitude, the other is giving. Today, we settle into the latter…giving. The Struggle I don’t know about you, but leadership can be extremely rewarding while at the same
Making Regular Deposits
Making regular deposits into relationships is one of the most valuable investments a leader can make. In the world of banking, there are two types of transactions that can be made, a deposit and a withdrawal. The same is true for people transactions in leadership. Financial deposits need to be made on a regular basis in order to pay the bills. For example, your paycheck is deposited on a regular basis. Your home’s mortgage or
Leaders are Losers
Leaders are losers. Odd concept, huh? While it seems contrary to everything that we are taught about leadership, it’s true. Leaders are fully capable of being losers. In fact, it is a requirement of leadership. It is worth noting that this post is being written by one of the most competitive people you will ever meet. I like to win, hate to lose, always have. All my life I have participated in sports as a
Hidden Foundations
All building structures contain hidden foundations. Foundations are the base of anything that is built vertically. They bear the weight of keeping everything on top of it structurally sound while being out of site, out of mind. This past week, we said goodbye to our Chief Building Official at the City of Acworth. Loyd Fasselt retired after twenty-six years of faithful service to our organization. He made a career out of reviewing designs for and
Crunch Time
Sometimes our best work can be accomplished in crunch time. It’s nothing more than a pressure filled opportunity to do something great! Crunch time separates ordinary people from extraordinary ones. Ninety-four weeks ago I wrote the first Leadership and Main post. After years of staring at a vision that was going nowhere, it was time to buckle down and start writing. Since then, every Monday morning at 7:15 a.m., the subscriber email has gone out
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
That’s My Bad
“That’s my bad” can be commonly said when a person declares to others that they have made a mistake . Being able to willingly admit that we made a mistake is a mark of a great leader. The National Football League and Major League Baseball are all in full swing right now. The guys who play these games are the elite of the elite in their professions. As you tune into the games, watch what
Lowering Your Level
Lowering your level is an effective form of leadership. President Abraham Lincoln once said, “No man stands so tall as when he stoops to help a child.” This is such a powerful statement. I have spent my entire adult life coaching youth sports. Whenever I felt it was necessary to connect with a player from a communication standpoint, I would always physically get down on their level to deliver the message. It was a strategy
Your Final Message
What would your final message be to those you love? This conclusive message is the greatest piece of work that you will ever have the opportunity to produce. It is a culmination of every decision, every experience, and the result of every single moment of your life. Your entire existence on earth, summed up in only thirty minutes. Imagine this scenario for just one moment with me. The stage is set, the big moment has
The 3 Enemies of Empathy
There are three enemies of empathy that lie deep within all of us that can significantly impair our ability to connect with other human beings. If asked, 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 you have
Unforeseen Conditions
Unforeseen conditions are unexpected and unavoidable. They happen without our permission. Every leader WILL experience these conditions at some point in their journeys. I was Nineteen years old, a sophomore in college, working parks maintenance for the city, and venturing into adulthood when the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001 happened. It was the most notable of unforeseen conditions in my lifetime. I got up that morning like every other American, got prepared for my
Eight Qualities of Human Leaders
There are eight qualities of human leaders that separate ordinary leaders from extraordinary ones. There are countless books, podcasts, videos, and articles on the subject of leadership. The key component to any leadership style is the human element. The human element may be the easiest to look over, but the most important overall. When I think about those individuals that taught me true, genuine leadership, I first think about the quality human beings they are.
Clarity Above the Fog
There is always clarity above the fog. In the world of meteorology, fog is a collection of dense water particles that accumulates near the ground. The word fog can also be associated with a state of mind, one that leads to confusion and disorientation. Either way you look at it, fog makes it difficult to see and think clearly. Recently, I was headed for my weekend hike at Kennesaw Mountain. As I drove towards the
Unlikeliest of Friendships
We can develop the unlikeliest of friendships in our lives. These are people that intercede our journeys. We connect with them, not because of our similarities, but mostly our differences. A unique arrangement that can develop the strongest of bonds. My friend Shirley passed away almost a year ago today at the age of eight-seven. The memorial service was delayed due to COVD-19. This past Saturday, her family honored her and her husband Red
The Gravitational Pull Towards Ordinary
Every leader faces a constant gravitational pull towards ordinary. The existence of these opposing forces is undeniable and at times unstoppable. These daily forces can actively work against our ability to be extraordinary. The pull towards ordinary disrupts our intentions to do more and be more. Intention vs Direction I’ve heard it said two ways. Andy Stanley said, “Direction, not intention determines your destination” and Kyle Idleman said, “intention doesn’t determine direction.” Both statements draw
The Full Story Helps
Whenever a leader receives information, the full story helps. Receiving a portion of the story, missing an underlying point, or being communicated to vaguely does not help a leader in their decision making. Having the full story helps, always. The Big Game The scene is a highly anticipated first round matchup between the defending Super Bowl Champion Acworth Warriors and the undefeated Hillgrove Hawks. An early season loss had impacted our seeding headed into the
A Willingness to Better Others
Difference makers in local communities display the ability and willingness to better others and the worlds they live in. Everyone has the ABILITY TO, the key differentiator is WILLINGNESS. A select group of the willing are about to take the stage and assume their starring role in making their communities better. Their stage is the classroom. A Front Row Seat While I am not an educator, I have a solid perspective on the work they
Every Jersey Tells A Story
On the sports field, every jersey tells a story. I grew up playing America’s past time, the great sport of baseball. The rules of the game required us to wear jerseys. The jersey usually had to contain the team’s name, the player’s last name, and the player’s number. The contents of a jersey can tell you a lot about the player. The stories are told through each meticulous stitch of fabric that displays their name,
No Rain, No Flowers
Where there is no rain, no flowers grow, pretty simple. Water is a necessary nutrient for any plant to grow. When it comes to certain varieties of plants, their flower sets them apart. My family and I are at Universal Studios in Orlando, Florida this week. Sometimes, I will head into writing days with no topic. I either pick one from a list in my Evernote or something comes to me that day. While I
Little Known Heroes
Little known heroes are hidden in the fabric of communities throughout this world. They operate in the smallest places and make the biggest difference. These little known heroes are the backbone of a community’s success…past, present, and future. The world would look a lot different if they didn’t exist. I Planted the Flag on my writing journey on January 6, 2021. Seventy-eight weekly posts and more than 100,000 words later, I can easily find myself
Unexpected Moments, Unforgettable Memories
Unexpected moments, unforgettable memories. All of us work so hard in life to plan for those perfect moments with our favorite people. We spend extensive time and large amounts of money planning vacations, cruises, camping trips, and other memorable experiences just to fall short of unforgettable. The unforgettable memories are created in those experiences which are unplanned and unexpected. Last Tuesday, I decided to text the kids towards the end of my workday and told
Square Peg, Round Hole
Square peg, round hole is one of my go to phrases in moments of frustration. It enters my mind and accelerates to the tip of my tongue in those moments. I am grateful that it tends to stay there…most of the time! There was a toy that most of us played with in our infancy. It was a simple, wooden toy. The toy set included a wooden mallet, three different shaped pegs, and three correlating
Shortcuts Can Bypass
Shortcuts can bypass so many valuable lessons in a leader’s journey. One of my Father’s Day gifts to myself was a little solitude in the form of exercise. I got up early before the rest of the fam did and hiked Kennesaw Mountain. I hadn’t made the climb in a while, but it didn’t take long to see a new feature to the trail. Shortly into the hike I saw a newly installed split rail fence.
Growing Tomatoes and People
The process of growing tomatoes and people have a lot in common. Yes, tomatoes and leadership! A gardener tends to the growth of plant, a leader tends to the growth of people. The intentions of a gardener and a leader are the same, growth of what they care for. There are nine and a half acres in Canton, Georgia that are extremely special to me. It is a piece of property that my Maw Maw
The Dark Seasons of Leadership
No leader is exempt from dark seasons of leadership. There are only two types of leaders, the ones who have walked through a dark season and the ones who are about to. That doesn’t sound very inspirational, does it? No matter how strong of a leader you are, consistently great is not realistic. There will be speed bumps and hurdles that create dark periods in our leadership journey. Darkness can invoke a lot of emotions: fear,
Would I Give My Life for Others?
Would I give my life for others? That is a question I wrestle with internally every Memorial Day. In a weekend that can be dominated by sports tournaments, cookouts, and vacations it can be difficult to find the space and solitude to adequately reflect on the magnitude of this question. If you asked this question to most people regarding their immediate family and dear friends, the answer would be yes. But what if it was
The Great Gift of Grace
We tend to lack the willingness to give the great gift of grace in this world. People are tired, stressed, and burned out. They are leaving the workforce in record numbers. Energy, patience, and resilience are depleted with no time for replenishment. This concept was placed on my heart through a discussion with our leadership team recently. We had just watched an episode of the Craig Groeschel Leadership Podcast titled Leading Out of a Crisis.
Playing the Long Game
Playing the long game is a good leadership strategy. My entire adult life has been spent coaching youth sports. Over those twenty-two years, I have learned that it’s not about winning early, it’s about winning later. I coach my son Grant’s 12U recreation baseball team. We just wrapped up our spring baseball season this past Saturday by winning the Acworth Baseball League Championship. We made an impressive run in the end of season tournament outscoring
Fear Less
Throughout our lives we are told to be fearless, but isn’t it more attainable to fear less? When I think of fearless, I think of the complete absence of fear. That just doesn’t exist. Regardless of how strong we may think we are, we will never be absent of it. When I think of fear less, I think of minimizing it in our lives. The same eight letters form each of these concepts, but one
Aim or Fire?
Aim or fire? Which one is it? Back in 2010, I served as the President of the Acworth Business Association. As President, you are responsible for the recruitment of board members to serve during your presidency. Networking is a critical piece to the success of any local business association or chamber of commerce. So, during the process of recruitment I reached out to a friend of mine, Parnick Jennings. He is a master networker. Parnick
Our Initial Investors
People who are the initial investors in something new are always positioned for a higher rate of return. Imagine what it would have been like to be an initial investor in Coca-Cola, Amazon, Google, Tesla, or any other company that has done extremely well in the stock market. You would probably be reading this post from your own island somewhere and not preparing to go to work! I think I would be a professional beach
Sustainable, Competitive Advantage
What is your sustainable, competitive advantage? That is a question I have been wrestling with for the last several days. Last Tuesday, we had the privilege of hosting Chick-fil-A Chairman Dan Cathy in Acworth, Georgia. He was gracious enough to come speak to our community as a part of a “Lunch and Learn” to raise funds for our Expanding Horizons Program. Thanks to the efforts of some community leaders in Ira and Kim Blumenthal, our
Playing Catch
Playing catch can tell us more about leadership than one could ever imagine. There really isn’t anything in sports like a good old-fashioned game of catch. I have had the opportunity to experience the process as a player, coach, and now a father. Out of the three, the position of father is by far the best vantage point. Yesterday, our family wrapped up our spring break vacation in St. George Island, Florida. I believe whole
Building Leaders
Building leaders is what I will be doing this week. Lots and lots of them. Leaders of fluorocarbon complete with floats, beads, swivels, and circle hooks. Fishing leaders! My family and I will be visiting our favorite vacation spot, St. George Island, Florida. Direct subscribers to the blog received this post in their inbox at 7:15 a.m. Monday morning. About that time, I will be watching the sun rise over the Gulf of Mexico
The Vantage Points of Mountains
The vantage points of mountains are comparable to those along our leadership journeys. Here in Georgia, we are experiencing the transition from winter to spring. That transition signifies warmer weather and the ability to get outdoors more often I tend to be a creature of habit. The same person, Katianne White, has cut my hair for around fourteen years. I prefer to schedule my haircuts early on Saturday mornings. Floyd’s Barber Shop is conveniently located
What if Leadership
What if leadership leads to endless possibilities. A sentence beginning with these two simple words, “what if,” can change the trajectory of a leader and an organization. There are many great questions that can guide a discussion, but this may be the greatest of all. You do not need me to explain how divided we are in the political world. Watching the news or hanging out on social media for a few minutes can provide
A Seat at the Table
All people desire a seat at the table. When I think about this concept, I cannot help but think about a conference room table and the seats surrounding it. There can be deep meanings behind the seats and characteristics of those that occupy them. First Things First Start with earning a seat, any seat. I firmly believe that if you want a seat at the table, you must position yourself to be essential to the
Burdened By Others
Great leaders are burdened by others. At first glance, that appears negative, but in fact it is positive. When it comes to people, great leaders have a sixth sense for others. They have an innate ability to read people, produce gut feelings, and just plain “get it” when it comes to people. Here is the thing about these gifted leaders, they put the needs of others above their own. They place themselves second. In a
The Currency of Freedom
What is the currency of freedom? Webster’s Dictionary defines currency as, “a medium of exchange.” For freedom to exist, the medium of exchange is courage, sacrifice, and fight. I have always considered myself someone who is incredibly grateful for the freedoms we have in this country. While I do not want to believe that I could possibly take freedom for granted, this week has caused me to reflect and question how deep that gratitude truly
Unproductive Behaviors of a Leader
Unproductive behaviors waste yours and everyone else’s time and energy. So why do we continue to exhibit these poor behaviors? Most of the time, I try to write about the positive and inspiring leadership qualities we should possess. The qualities that produce productive behaviors that help us effectively lead our teams. Today we dive in nine behaviors that impede our ability to move forward in our leadership journeys. Before we dive in though, let’s set
The Visitation Line
The words spoken in a visitation line can sum up a person’s entire life’s work. Every year, every month, every day, every hour, and every single minute of the impact of one’s life reduced to a single conversation. The words used can tell a significant story to a grieving family about the impact that their lost loved one had on others. Andy Stanley says, “the measure of someone’s life is what they gave away.” Great
Great Leaders are Attractive
Great leaders are attractive. No, not attractive as in eye candy! Attractive as in magnetic. Magnetic leaders create attractive organizations that people are drawn to and want to be a part of. Have you ever walked into a room and been drawn to someone? In the magnetic way, not romantic. Focus! Like during a meeting when someone’s presence is just impressive. You know nothing about them, yet there something special. They are magnetic and you
The Great Retention
Leaders can either accept the “Great Resignation” or create the “Great Retention” movement. The Great Resignation is grabbing headlines everywhere you look. Media outlets pounce on the opportunity to increase the weight of the heavy burden already being carried by so many leaders today. I had the opportunity to hear Dr. Tim Elmore of Growing Leaders speak a couple of months ago. He shared a staggering statistic that 10,000 people a day are leaving the
The Walk-On
On college campuses across the nation there are dreamers who desire to be, “the walk-on.” High school athletes who may have failed to draw the necessary attention or flew under the radar. They may have lacked the natural abilities or tools the recruiters desired, but were gifted with the grit and determination to prove people wrong. Their ambitions are buried in a dream of playing for a school they always desired to play for.
What is in Your Life’s Blueprint
What is in your life’s blueprint? One of the greatest orators to ever walk this earth, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., asked this critically important question to a group of junior high students from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in October of 1967, a few months before his life would be taken way too soon. I can’t help but think about what it would have been like to be a teenager sitting in the room that day. To
Winning the Pregame
Winning the pregame is a necessary step in positioning a team to win the actual game. Pregames are won through routines. Behind every great coach, there is a pregame routine. The same goes for our leadership world. “Straight line, look straight ahead, helmets in your right hand, not a word.” That was how our pregame routine started when I coached football. That is when the switch flipped from unstructured to structured, from a regular day
Plant the Flag On Your Dream
Have a dream, plant the flag, go! Planting the flag is a necessary step in making a dream a reality. Too often we have dreams, but never get traction. We spin our wheels in a mud pit of excuses. Then we get stuck, and go nowhere. My writing time is on Sunday evenings. When I positioned myself at the laptop, fully prepared to go in a completely different direction, it hit me. Exactly one year
The Tale of Two Mornings
Christmas can create the tale of two mornings for us. I heard it said that there are four phases of our lives. One, we believe in Santa. Two, we stop believing. Three, we become Santa. Four, we start to look like Santa! Growing up, every Christmas Eve we would visit my grandparents’ house. As a child, I vividly remember the ride home. My brother and I would gaze out the window looking into the sky
If I Disappeared Tomorrow
If I disappeared tomorrow, would anyone notice? Pretty deep question, right? This is the most important question you can ask yourself to measure your essentialness as a leader. Actually, probably as a human being. It may seem like oversimplification, but it is such a critically important one. This is a question that should burden us and stir our emotions daily. I first heard this in the context of how it applies to a civic club.
Commitment Towards Growth
Every leader must make a commitment towards growth. There’s no middle ground in leadership. You are either growing or not. Living or dying. Plain and simple. When a leader feels as though they have reached the point that they do not need to grow, that is called complacency. Complacency is coasting. Rick Warren says, “the problem with coasting is that you’re headed downhill.” The only direction complacent leaders can go. On December 17, 2019, I
Even A Superhero’s Cape Gets Tattered
You may have to look closely, but even a superhero’s cape gets tattered. A quick Google search of the word tattered produces the result, “old and torn; in poor condition.” Synonyms include worn, ragged, run down, and frayed. In the movies, a cape can be an identifying mark of a superhero. It can represent one of many superpowers such as the ability to fly. Some of the most legendary superheroes of all time wore capes.
The Ungratefulness of Leadership
A blog post title of Ungratefulness of Leadership could be misleading to the reader. When you first read it, your mind will go one of two ways. It may go in the direction of ungratefulness you feel from the people you lead or the ungratefulness from those we follow. Neither of these apply to the direction we are going to go. A few years back, we were studying a book with our leadership team. I
The Power of Stories
We can easily underestimate the power of stories in leadership. We all have a story, they just read differently. Our stories are written in different fonts, sentence structures, and lengths. Some are written in blogs, told in front of audiences, or shared over a campfire. Our stories are one of the most powerful tools we have in connecting with another human being. My first job was at Media Play. Media Play was a retail store
Stewardship of the Seat
Leaders are responsible for the stewardship of the seat they sit in. Every leader currently occupies a seat in their leadership journey in the form of a position. Stewardship in leadership is taking good care of the people and the organization while you are serving in that seat. Do not confuse it for ownership. Ownership is more permanent and possessive. We do not own the seat, we are simply stewards of it. My first seat
What Champions Are Made Of
Ever wanted to know what champions are made of? Look no further than the 2021 Atlanta Braves who just won the Major League Baseball World Series. If you are a fan of one of the twenty-nine other teams who did not win it, just bear with me. There are plenty of lessons packed into the Braves championship run that will benefit you in your season of leadership. Being a Georgia native, I have been a
What Is Serendipity?
What is serendipity? I would venture to bet that most people cannot rattle off the definition of this word without looking it up or using the Google. My vocabulary may not be the most expansive, but I have known this definition by heart since the age of sixteen. In the rare circumstance the word comes up in conversation, I end up seeming smarter than I really am for knowing it! I started playing football and
Unconditional Service
Unconditional service is the mark of a great leader. According to Webster’s Dictionary the word unconditional is defined as, “not conditional or limited.” Therefore, the concept of unconditional service comes with no strings attached. Nothing is expected in return. Serving others who can do nothing at all for you in return is the ultimate form of unconditional service. A few weeks ago, I got to attend one of my favorite events of the year, the
Landscaping and Leadership
Landscaping and leadership both require growth. I had the opportunity to connect over Coffee with Reagan Hines last week. Reagan owns Lakewood Landscape Management in the community and has followed Leadership and Main since the beginning. We share a mutual interest in landscaping. His business is landscaping. My career started in that world with the maintenance of parks and sports fields. That experience gave me a decent understanding of what goes into landscaping. It grew
How Great Coaches Win
Want to know how great coaches win? Styles vary, but they all have several things in common. Key factors that separate good coaches and great ones. One thing has been consistent in my thirty-nine years of existence on planet earth, sports. Either as a player or a coach, sports has always been a part of my life. As a player and coach, our teams played against great teams which were led by great coaches.
Driving While Influencing
Great leaders could get busted driving while influencing every day. I caught my grandfather doing this in one of the most influential car rides in my life. The moment took place as a nine-year-old in the back of his extended cab Ford Ranger. I don’t mean the spacious crew cabs of today, but where the seats faced each other and shoulder room was limited! Paw Paw and his friend Billy were having a conversation in
Leaders Should Vacation Well
Leaders should vacation well. I regularly write about a group I am in with some leaders in our local community. In one of our discussions over lunch, we talked about this concept that leaders should vacation well. We work hard to perform well in our career, but do we apply the same effort to vacation well? Our work worlds move fast. We run ourselves in the ground to a point where we desire and look
Breakfast, Lunch, and Coffee
Great leaders invest in breakfast, lunch, and coffee with others. These three meeting opportunities are a minimal financial investment with a high potential for rate of return. What if I told you that for $20 you could spend one hour with someone who has walked through the season of struggle you are currently in and came out on the other side? Would you pay $15 to be able to learn all the secrets of
Where Were You When
Where were you when? Depending on your generation, we all have an answer or answers to this question. Moments that intersected history that stopped the world in its tracks. Maybe it was a shuttle explosion, an assassination, the death of a prominent figure. Most of these moments are grounded in tragedy. For me and my generation, it was September 11, 2001. My friend since Middle School, Steven Oser and I were driving North on
Extemporaneous Creates Memorable Experiences
Extemporaneous creates memorable experiences. My preference is to be planned and prepared in life. While these qualities have served me well in leadership, it can also restrict opportunities for adventure. When you Google the word extemporaneous it defines it as, “done without preparation.” That goes against my natural inclination. My buddy Todd Lollis shot me a text last Saturday to see if I wanted to go to the Duke’s Mayo Bowl Classic featuring the number
Emergency Hugs
Emergency hugs can change the world. I remember it like it was just yesterday. It was a brisk, fall evening in 2019 when the concept of emergency hugs came into existence. We were wrapping up football practice with conditioning as we usually did. As a result of their inability to follow instructions set forth by the coaching staff that fateful evening, the boys made the decision to participate in additional conditioning! Typically additional conditioning under
Don’t Walk Past Trash
Leaders do not walk past trash in their worlds. There are two people in my world that have set this example for me. Through their actions, not their words, they inspired me to emulate their behavior. I watched my pastor Mike Linch and good friend Andy Duncan do this. Whether they knew I was watching or not. From their vehicle to the front door of the office, they collect trash on the way. This week
Calling Plays
The art of calling plays in football can translate to leadership. High school football kicked off this past Friday in Georgia. That means college football is not far behind! Up until this year, it meant coaching youth football for me. For twenty-one years I coached at the youth level. Nineteen of these were as a head coach. When I served as the head coach, I was the offensive coordinator and called the plays. There is
Choices Are Everything
Choices are everything in life. Do you desire to be more successful? Yes? Then, let’s share a not very well-kept secret: successful people generally make better choices than not so successful people. Duh … But now for some hopeful insight. I contend that there are only four choices in life: I choose my attitude. I choose between short-term gratification and longer-term development. I choose whether or not to take a risk. I choose my associates.
Teachers Are Rock Stars
Teachers are rock stars, plain and simple. As students head back to school, we want to take an opportunity to celebrate one of our favorite community leaders, teachers. Their summers are winding down, classrooms are getting prepared, sneak-a-peeks are taking place, and the first day of school is staring down at them. Teachers hold a special place in my heart for two reasons. One, my amazing wife is a second grade teacher. She is a
How We Wait Matters
How we wait matters. Waiting is inevitable in our worlds. It may be for your future spouse, your first child, a position, test results, or anything in between. One of the most problematic things for us as human beings is that we are not wired to wait. One thing that Shannon and I strive to do for our kids is to create experiences. A couple of weeks ago, we took the kids to Universal Studios