What Happens When the Pause Button Is Hit on Your Life?
Our life has some momentum. The direction and intensity of the motion will vary by person, but we are people on the move. We choose. We act. We defer. So, what happens when the big “Pause” button is hit? This question has been jingling in my mind since my brother’s accident, and it kindled again…
Lead from the Middle: The 9 New, New Leadership Principles
There are several solid leadership chats and discussions that happen through social media. Tuesday nights, there are two tweet chats that bring people together — #leadershipchat and #leadfromwithin. Earlier this week, I participated in both. It was leadership conversations in stereo, streaming continuously in 140 characters! Perseverance was the topic in one, and next generation…
Leadership Principles Refreshed
More thinking. More wrestling. All good. It is necessary to think through what you learn and see what rises to the top. When the scattered work days return, the quiet absorption of a leadership summit slips away, almost un-noticed. But, we need to take another break and determine what will be different going forward. For…
Winklevoss v. Shawshank: The Real Test Case
Going back to court again… This time, it is the Supreme Court. The twin Winklevoss brothers just won’t give up. The real court case should be Winklevoss v. Shawshank to answer the question – when do you give up when pursuing a principle? It is a matter of principle and reputation, right? Most of you…
Cheap Shots During Challenging Times: A Question of Character
The Dallas Mavericks swept the LA Lakers in four games. One of the unfortunate things about this series was the number of players ejected from the games, and they were all from the LA Lakers. Both Lamar Odom and Andrew Bynum were ejected from Game 4 alone. If you want to gain an insight into…
What Are Your Core Beliefs?
Last summer, my nephew stopped through as he was returning from an interview for medical school. We were discussing his interviews, and he told me about a question one of the doctors asked. The interview question was: What are your core beliefs? While my nephew thought it was a somewhat odd question, I thought it…
Being Liked Versus Doing the Right Thing
Sometimes, we try too hard to be liked, to be known by crazy antics. Instead, we need to rise up and do better, be better. We need to be like the King in The King’s Speech, not like Captain Honors on the USS Enterprise.
You Are Not Really Down, Keep Moving Forward
Michael Dyer proved in the Oregon Ducks and Auburn Tigers game that you are not really down when everyone thinks you may be. Keep moving forward.
It’s a Walk-On World
Collegiate sports have walk-on players. When they succeed, we love their story of grit and ability. We enjoy it so much that there is now a trophy for it in football – the Burlsworth Trophy. We live in a walk-on world, and we need to embrace it.
NCAA Rules Deliver Second Chance Opportunity
Getting a second chance, especially in a leadership position, is rare. Jeremiah Masoli is getting such an opportunity. Using the think-engage-decide model may facilitate his meeting the high standard of a second chance.
8 Lessons Learned on the School Bus
Growing up, riding the school bus meant learning many life lessons. Some were practical in nature and others invaluable in establishing a great foundation in which to build character.
Lessons from the Past Week in Sports
This past week has provided several character lessons from three sports figures – Michael Vick, Tiger Woods, and LeBron James. The lessons involve having the right life recipe, remembering the importance of humility, and remaining well-grounded in the quality of our character.