Tremendous Tracey

Over the past two-and-a-half weeks, the assaults came fast and from every direction—family grief, friendly fire, institutional drift, and legacy threats. I have faced battles before, but never four fronts at once. Instead of frazzling, I felt the seriousness of the hour: if hell is throwing this much heat, heaven must be forging new steel in me.

As a lifelong student of leadership—and, more importantly, followership—I spend my days dissecting the complex, colorful, and sometimes combustible spectrum of follower behaviors. Most followers want to contribute, learn, and grow. Some struggle with alignment but still carry good intent.

But then there's a rare and toxic breed that carries something far more dangerous: a dark spirit wrapped in a smile.

These are the maliciously compliant followers.

And you better pray you don't have one in your organization.

As a young lieutenant in the United States Air Force, I served as an aircraft maintenance officer and later became a squadron commander. One of the first hard lessons I learned was this: jets don't fly without parts and fuel. You can have all the speed, firepower, and Top Gun swagger in the world, but Maverick and Goose are grounded without logistics.

There’s a reason the Bible remains the #1 bestselling book of all time, and Christianity is the largest faith on Earth. Yes, our founder is God incarnate—who literally conquered death through resurrection—but He also developed a core group of everyday people who carried His divine plan forward. They didn’t just witness miracles—they became messengers of them.

As Easter approaches, we are reminded of the most extraordinary act of leadership and love the world has ever known. Jesus Christ didn't just preach forgiveness—He embodied it. On the cross, He didn't demand payback. He gave His life. He nailed it—our sin, our shame, our pain—to the wood. He did it for you, for me, for all of us.

Leadership in crisis isn't about knowing the right thing to say—it's about being the right kind of person long before the crisis comes. It's about building a "bunker" of trust, truth, and training into the hearts of your people—not a shelter of fear but a system of faith.

As I left that underground hallway and stepped back into the sunlight, I didn't just feel grateful. I felt challenged. Am I building in others what the crisis will reveal?

The Ides of March is a historical marker of betrayal, a reminder that even the most powerful leaders are not immune to sabotage. At the peak of his leadership, Julius Caesar was undone by those he trusted most. But you don't have to be an emperor to experience your own Ides of March. If you're leading, at some point, the knives will come out.

DJ Daniel's embrace of Director Curran wasn't just a heartwarming moment—it was a leadership lesson. Like my father's legendary hugs, it showed us that real leadership is about making people feel seen, valued, and part of something greater than themselves.

These productivity hacks—the Hourglass Technique, the Ivy Lee Method, and Benjamin Franklin's disciplined scheduling—offer powerful ways to reclaim your time and maximize output. Productivity isn't about doing more random tasks; it's about focusing on what truly matters and making every moment count.

If you want a better leader, be a better follower. Leadership is not about standing alone at the top—it's about those who stand with you. Most leaders are subjected to relentless criticism, second-guessing, stress, political maneuvering, and even betrayals from their own ranks. The greatest gift you can give your leader is to tell them, "You have my support"—and then back it up with action. And if you can't do that, find a leader you can support wholeheartedly.

Love is not just a feeling—it is a choice. We make it every single day, not because it is always easy but because it is always worth it. Love is choosing to grow through adversity rather than be broken by it. As Charlie "Tremendous" Jones said, "Things don't go wrong and break your heart so you can become bitter and give up. They happen to break you down and build you up so you can be all that you were intended to be." True love isn't just about joy—it's about persevering, even when life shakes you to your core.

One of the biggest shifts in leadership happens when you graduate from directing people to developing them. True leaders don’t just give answers—they guide discovery. My father, Charlie “Tremendous” Jones, mastered this by leveraging the wisdom of books. Want to develop others? Park your smarts and let them do the discovering! 📚✨ #Leadership #PersonalGrowth #Mentorship

Hypocrisy isn't about doing the right thing; it's about maintaining power. Censorship, mandates, and lawfare aren't about justice; they're about control. And when control is threatened, hypocrisy goes into overdrive.