Priorities

My wife, Jamie, and I were thrilled about our weekend getaway to Chicago a few weeks ago. We had everything planned out perfectly—a hotel room in the city, tickets to a Cubs baseball game, and dinner reservations at fantastic restaurants for Friday and Saturday nights. We even squeezed in some shopping. It seemed like the…

Leadership is a topic that’s talked about extensively. From articles on what leaders should say to how they should act, there is no shortage of advice on what leaders should be. However, amidst all of this advice, one foundational habit is essential for great leadership: proactivity. Being proactive means taking responsibility, taking initiative, and acting…

Genuine and consistent gestures can make a significant impact on people’s lives.   I wanted to share a story with you about a barista named Conner. For the past few years, I have enjoyed seeing Conner at my local Starbucks once or twice each week. Rain or shine, good day or bad, Conner always greeted…

When your future self looks back on your career, odds are you will discover that you didn’t have a successful one. Why? Because you won’t have just one career, you will have multiple careers. When we think of a career, many envision a clear and linear path leading to success. However, the reality is much…

Last summer, my family and I set out to hike two mountains – Wheeler Peak in New Mexico and Elbert outside of Denver, Colorado. I was also keen to tack on Oklahoma’s high point, but my son Clay advised against it. He stressed that we needed to acclimatize, and if we tried to do too…

Giving your boss feedback can be challenging. Appear too critical of your boss, and you can come across as argumentative, unsupportive, or not a team player. You may have the right intention, but you appear to be a problem, not part of the solution. Effectively give your boss feedback by putting these seven ideas into…

Teams in your organization are like cells in your body. They both are where the action is. Where work gets done, energy is produced, and results are delivered. Unfortunately, organizations often put obstacles in the way of their own team success. Here are five potential obstacles to look out for if you are working to…

I pulled the map down for inspection from its perch at the top of the shelving unit. About an hour into our garage cleaning efforts, my wife, Jamie, and I had made steady progress in tidying, sorting, and cleansing the space of unwanted items. Choosing what to discard was a pretty straightforward endeavor. However, the…