It’s okay to let those you lead outshine you, for if they shine brightly enough, they reflect positively on you. – Billy Hornsby Last year MarketTools, Inc. conducted a survey on employee satisfaction. The results revealed that most employees may not feel appreciated. Nearly 50 percent of employees surveyed have considered leaving their jobs. And…
Leadership is the capacity to translate vision into reality – Warren G. Bennis One of the emerging stars of the 2012 London Olympic Games is Gabby Douglas. If you missed her performances with her teammates, the Fab Five, you missed quite a show. Douglas won the gold medal in the all-around contest and in the…
It is not necessary for all men to be great in action. The greatest and sublimest power is often simple patience. – Horace Bushnell A recent story in Business Management Daily about the success of online shoe retailer Zappos brought my attention back to one of leadership’s most needed and personally challenging virtues – patience.…
Most people go to their grave with their music still inside them – George Bernard Shaw In Bits & Pieces a story is told of Antonio; an Italian boy who loved music, but whenever he tried to sing the music that was in his heart, it came out so badly that all his friends laughed…
Oft expectations fails, and most oft there where it promises – William Shakespeare A story is told of a young psychology student serving in the Army who one day decided to test a theory. Drawing kitchen duty, he was given the job of passing out apricots at the end of the chow line. He asked…
Barney! You beat everythin’… you know that? – Sheriff Andy Taylor Last week we lost a beloved television icon – Andy Griffith passed at the age of 86. Griffith starred in numerous television shows over the years but is best remembered for his role as the folksy Sheriff Andy Taylor of Mayberry on The Andy…
The happy Union of these States is a wonder; their Constitution a miracle; their example the hope of Liberty throughout the world – James Madison In the book, Resources, by Kenneth L Dodge, he writes of the experiences of the Founding Fathers after the Declaration of Independence was signed. As…
Even a mistake may turn out to be the one thing necessary to a worthwhile achievement. – Henry Ford I came across some interesting statistics recently that underscored what could happen if 99% were good enough: 12 newborns will be given the wrong parents daily 2.5 million books will be shipped with wrong covers 315…
Always treat your employees exactly as you want them to treat your best customers – Stephen Covey In Reader’ Digest a story is told of a factory worker who refused to sign up for group insurance. The problem was no policy could be issued until all employees signed up. Yet he held out stubbornly. The…
So much of what we call management consists in making it difficult for people to work. – Peter Drucker A story is told of a man flying in a hot air balloon who realizes he is lost. He reduces height and spots a man down below. He lowers the balloon and shouts, “Excuse me, can…
A good measure of leadership is to help those who are doing poorly to do well and to help those who are doing well to do even better. – Jim Rohn Chronicled in countless newspapers across the country including ESPN, we were all inspired by the recent act of kindness of high school junior Meghan…
The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others – Mahatma Gandhi Perhaps you never heard of him and chances are you never saw him play ball. Last week at the age of 78, he passed away. Jack Twyman enjoyed an 11 year career in the NBA and saw…
For every minute you are angry you lose 60 seconds of happiness – Ralph Waldo Emerson A story is told of Abraham Lincoln’s secretary of war, Edwin Stanton, and how he was angered by an army officer who accused him of favoritism. Stanton complained to Lincoln, who suggested that Stanton write the officer a sharp…
Encourage v: to inspire with courage, spirit, or confidence- Random House Dictionary A story is told about the Duke of Wellington, the British military leader who defeated Napoleon at Waterloo. He was not an easy man to serve under. He was brilliant, demanding, and not one to shower subordinates with compliments. Yet even Wellington realized…
Anyone who stops learning is old, whether at twenty or eighty. Anyone who keeps learning stays young – Henry Ford In a recent Sports Illustrated article, Lars Anderson writes of the learning curve and challenges of rookie NASCAR driver Danica Patrick. A former IndyCar driver, Patrick is not new to racing but is new to…
A good objective of leadership is to help those who are doing poorly to do well and to help those who are doing well to do even better. – Jim Rohn Last week, for the seventh year, the Hay Group released their findings that identify which organizations have the best leadership practices and what we…
Influence – “the action or process of producing effects on the actions, behavior, opinions, etc., of another or others.” – Random House Dictionary Jeremy Lin, Hillary Clinton, Warren Buffet, Adele, Justice Anthony Kennedy, Tim Tebow, Cardinal Timothy Dolan, and Stephen Colbert; what do these people share in common? These individuals are on the Time magazine…
You can start right where you stand and apply the habit of going the extra mile by rendering more service and better service that you are now being paid for. – Napoleon Hill In his book, Waking the American Dream, Don McCullough relates a story about Winston Churchill during World War II. England decided to…
A hero is an ordinary individual who finds the strength to persevere and endure in spite of overwhelming obstacles. – Christopher Reeve Sports Illustrated columnist Kostya Kennedy wrote a moving tribute recently in honor of Rachael Robinson, the widow of the late baseball Hall of Famer Jackie Robinson. Now 93-years old, Rachael Robinson remains very…
The deepest principle in human nature is the craving to be appreciated. – William James A story is told that Napoleon’s genius had been attributed to many things, but above all, he was a superb natural leader of men. Like any wise leader he was aware that his own success would have been nothing had…