Blog
-
Be a Better Leader Have a Richer Life!
One of the reasons I would never run for office is because I would likely never know when to stop. I mean, if you are the president, you have no days off, no vacation time. As long as you are breathing, you are working. So how do they manage? If they still have families, they may have stopped juggling work and personal life. Maybe they took a page out of ‘Total Leadership: Be a Better Leader Have a Richer Life’ by Stewart D. Friedman. Possibly, they found a way to enhance their personal lives while being good leaders. But even if they didn’t, you can. The concept of ‘total leadership’…
-
What I Learned About Never Giving Up Over Coffee
As I sat down with Eric over coffee, I asked him what message he hopes his story communicates. Without hesitation he said “Never give up, I want to inspire people to never give up”. You see, Eric was diagnosed with a rare eye disorder as a child. Doctors didn’t expect him to make it out of the hospital. He’s now 59. At one point he was completely blind. He suffered a massive stroke and wasn’t expected to be able to speak again, yet here we are talking over coffee. He understands what “Never giving up” means. He understands struggle. Yet, Eric is one of the most optimistic people I’ve ever…
-
I Can’t Forget This One Conversation
It was a simple conversation. One that I’ve had many times, and one I’ve heard other people have. However, this one was different. It was brief, fleeting in fact, but I still remember it. It was a conversation I witnessed between two elderly gentlemen as I made a routine run to the grocery store. It’s interesting to me how oblivious we can be to the impact of our conversations. They didn’t know I heard them, likely will never know I’m writing this now. It was one in a million conversations they had that week. The gentlemen were obviously acquaintances, perhaps even dear friends. However, the first gentlemen spoke with a…
-
Everyday Strategies to Lead by Example at Work
I cannot tell you how many times I heard the phrase ‘lead by example’ from my teachers, family, and friends growing up. It would always come in a teaching moment, I think when I would go along with what others said. I was never sure if they told me this to inspire me to be a leader or to reduce the number of kids getting into trouble. Even now, whenever I hear ‘lead by example at work, too,’ I’m still not sure if it’s inspiration to lead or keep the peace at work. Despite this, I’m going to focus on this phrase from the leadership perspective. Leading by example at…
-
How to Volunteer for Charity Work: Servant Leadership in the Community
In a world where kindness and compassion seem to be lacking, volunteering for charity is a great way to spread some hope. Whether it’s coaching youth sports, organizing a church event, or aiding in disaster relief efforts, the act of giving back enriches not only the lives of those being helped but also the hearts of those doing the helping. At the core of this noble endeavor lies the principle of servant leadership – a philosophy that emphasizes serving others as a core tenant of a good leader. In this article, we’ll explore how you can uplift those around you and serve your community with some tips on how to…
-
The Friday Before Easter
As I start to write this, it’s a little after 5am on the Friday before Easter. Often in the past it seems I have hurried through this day. Certainly I know the symbolism this day brings within Christianity, but it can still be easy to internalize it as “This is just the Friday before Easter”. I got up a little earlier today partly because it’s a busy day, but also because I wanted to have enough time to get through a book I’ve been reading. Bear with me here, I’ll get to the point. It’s a book by Jordan Peterson titled “12 Rules for Life an Antidote to Chaos”. If…
-
The Impact of a Stepfather in the Family
I was once a divorced, single mother with two young sons. I met a man on a dating site, after a series of roller coaster dating scenarios I would rather not relive…..ever. This man seemed different. He knew I was a package deal. I had two sons under the age of 10, when we met. He claimed to fall just as much in love with my sons as he did me. I anxiously warned him, “My life is A LOT, are you sure you are up for it?” He wholeheartedly accepted the challenge and dove in, head-first….or possibly, looking back, heart-first. This man befriended my sons with ease. He took…
-
Building A Strong Relationship: Dealing With Challenges as a Team
What makes a relationship strong? Before you answer that, consider Mexican artists Diego Rivera and Frida Kahlo. A passionate love story that started when the two met and discovered shared ideals about Mexican identity. Even better, they were both artists with strong personalities. Their marriage? Well, it was marked by fiery arguments, infidelity, and intense artistic collaboration. Diego was involved with other women through their marriage, while Frida took several lovers. The couple would fight rather publicly– through art. Frida once painted a portrait of herself crying with Diego’s face as a third eye, symbolizing the pain from their rough relationship. It came as no surprise that they divorced. Then,…
-
Workplace Wellness: Simple Habits Every Man Can Adopt
-
Stress Management Techniques for Men in High-Pressure Work Environments
High-pressure situations are challenging, especially at work. It can cause the strongest of men to break down. Take the story of the Challenger Space Shuttle disaster in 1986. I’ve heard this story thousands of times, sometimes from motivational speakers, other times from friends and family. Seems the story has many lessons. So, I’ll share one of my own! On January 28, 1986, the Challenger came apart. It happened just 73 seconds into its flight…horrible; even the Titanic managed to sail 4 days before disaster hit. When the Challenger broke apart, it resulted in the tragic deaths of all seven team members. The disaster was caused by the failure of something…
