Blog
Read Blog Posts by Category:
Passion: Articles that deal with the inner drive that we all need to want to MOVE from where we currently are to where we dream to be.
Preparation: These posts reference articles, books, documentaries, speakers, quotes, and other inspirational and formative ideas that I have found that helped me and the people around me.
Practice: Articles in this category have a heavy sports and performance training lean.
Performance: These articles focus on how you go about your work. From networking to communications to finding a better way to do what you do.
Perseverance: Articles in this category speak to the mechanics that we go through both mentally and physically to stay on track and not get STUCK.
Respect Is Earned, Not Owed
Respect is one of those things we all want, but too often we spend more time expecting it than figuring out what we have done to earn it. We expect respect because of our position, our experience, our age, our accomplishments, or simply because we believe we deserve it. There may be legitimate reasons behind each of those expectations, but expectations exist inside of us. Respect exists in other people's minds. That means we don't get to decide when someone respects us. We can only decide whether our actions give them a reason to.
Control the Evidence: Perception Starts With You
Every time we walk into a room, we are giving people information about who we are. How we speak. How we listen. How we dress. How we respond when someone disagrees with us. Whether we smile and speak or keep our distance. Whether we show up prepared or scramble at the last minute. Whether our words today support the words we used yesterday. Long before someone knows us well enough to understand who we are, they begin forming an opinion based on the evidence we put in front of them day after day.
We spend a lot of time worrying about what other people think about us, but often fail to recognize how much information we provide to help them reach those conclusions. We cannot control another person's mind. Someone may misread confidence as arrogance, intensity as anger, kindness as weakness, or privacy as being antisocial. We don't get the final vote on what another person thinks about us, but we have tremendous influence over the evidence they use to make that decision.
Understanding Who You Are
Self-awareness is one of the least discussed leadership skills because it is difficult to measure. Usually you can tell whether someone is intelligent, decisive, or a gifted communicator. You can point to sales numbers, championships, promotions, and financial statements as evidence of their ability. But being self-aware has no analytical evidence. It operates quietly beneath the surface, influencing every decision a leader makes without ever demanding the spotlight. I really feel that it may be one of the greatest separators between leaders who improve over time and those who become prisoners of their own limited mindset.
Respect and Consistency: Foundation for Success
There’s a reason the elite seem unshaken. It’s not just talent. It’s not just titles. It’s because they’ve earned something that can’t be bought, inherited, or faked: RESPECT. And the foundation of that respect is one thing—CONSISTENCY.
Not loud consistency. Not look-at-me consistency. But the kind you can count on. The kind that always shows up at 6:00 a.m. on a Monday when the day doesn’t start until 7:00 a.m. The person who looks exactly the same no matter whether they are in the middle of a crisis, a record-breaking quarter, or a pink slip meeting. Prepared and organized with a 'Get To' mindset. That kind of consistency builds trust, and trust is the currency of leadership.