A few years ago I had my first skydiving experience. Yep, that's me in the photo free-falling at 14,000 feet. I don't like heights at all, and would not be disappointed if I never rode another tall roller coaster again. So, it was an adventure in overcoming my fears. The keys for me were feeling comfortable with…
With Independence Day right in front of us, I wanted to share this video from a visit to the Statue of Liberty to illustrate how passion enables us to perform ordinary tasks in extraordinary ways. https://youtu.be/86ad8SmgkiU You can inspire your team to deliver passionate performance by fulfilling six universal needs: 3 Intellectual needs: Achievement, Autonomy,…
With a milder-than-usual winter (here in Dallas at least), Spring is starting to rear her head. It heightens my awareness of the natural laws that govern our physical lives. The "Law of the Harvest" is easiest to see at work in agriculture. If you plant 40 acres of corn, you will not reap 40…
Although it’s an ambitious goal to change the world, we often underestimate our singular power to change the world of those around us. We don’t have to be a billionaire giving away cars or houses to positively change someone’s world. We each have that same power. We don’t even have to do anything! We only have…
https://youtu.be/a3sx7KktGkE William James, the father of psychology, stated that a fundamental human need is to be appreciated. This idea is supported by many studies that show the number one need expressed by employees is to feel fully appreciated for their work. The bottom line: We do more for those who appreciate us. Although leaders…
We had a 22-year family ritual of going to the circus when Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey came to town (and yes, we would buy the hokey photo to mark each year). We have seen some amazing acts in 22 different shows – if it can be balanced, juggled, jumped over, walked on, ridden,…
A few years back I had the privilege of interviewing Colleen Barrett, President Emeritus at Southwest Airlines and chief nurturer of their famed culture. She has since become a treasured friend. You can watch that interview here. Colleen has mentioned that she is as good a follower as she is a leader. During our interview,…
When I spoke at an Inc. magazine-sponsored Build LIVE event in Boston, a very talented graphic facilitator, Kelvy Bird, captured my 10,000+ word presentation in this picture. Kelvy had never heard my presentation before, so she was listening, organizing, capturing, and creating this in real-time ... impressive! So, for those of you who don’t like…
For years, Julie and I had a date night each Wednesday night while our children were young. We would often go to dinner at a local TexMex restaurant. An experience during one of our visits helped me see the direct, positive business impact of passionately performing employees. An energetic waiter came charging up to our table…
We have worked with thousands of leaders since co-founding The L Group in 1999. Here is what we have observed as the top 10 derailers of leadership success. Have all the answers. (instead of asking all the questions)Not connecting with the person behind the employee. (view employees as a means to an end)Slow decision-making. (underutilizing…
