Tremendous Tracey
Embracing Accountability: The Power of Repentance in Leadership
In moments of error or misjudgment, our response can define our character and the culture we cultivate within our teams. Do we meet criticism with denial, deflection, defiance, and derision? Or do we demonstrate remorse, repentance, restitution, and restoration? The difference lies in our willingness to turn our gaze inward, acknowledge our fallibility, and commit to growth.
The Great Realization
Throughout my leadership journey, I’ve heard one constant refrain--people are your greatest asset because they have within them the mind, heart, and spirit to do great things. Having worked with thousands of individuals over the past forty years of my professional life, I used to think, “well, that depends on which people you're talking about." Which brings us to the genuine question, is there an innate great encoded in every single human being? Do we have the seeds of success embedded into our DNA waiting patiently for the trigger that causes them to begin manifesting? I used to think the answer was ‘no,' but now I see it is ‘yes.'
Lead Like a Tree
As leaders, we wear many hats. We are optimists, encouragers, ethicists, decision-makers, saviors, and sense-makers. So just like the mighty forests, we must do the same for ourselves and our organization. We need to be intentional about who we allow in our forest. After all, you cannot get it right without the right people. We need to stay nourished as well because leading others, although incredibly uplifting, can also be unbelievably draining. We must deal with bureaucracies, laws, budgets, attitudes, and global issues. To stay above the fray, we need to make sure our roots go deep; so deep that when the winds of change or fires of crisis come into our forest, we can not only survive, but thrive.
You've Never Met a Wise Man With a Bald Chin
My point isn’t that you need to stop listening to men with bald chins. My point is that if you listen to what’s going on around you and become genuinely interested in others, you too become wiser. My point is also that you need to be intentional about surrounding yourself with those who can build you up and hold you accountable.
When Worlds Collide
Much of what living a tremendous life involves is deconstructing what is and reconstructing it to what can be. Life is like a jigsaw puzzle where you get to create the picture on the box as you go. There’s a timeless tension between where we are right now and where we want to be in the future. If there's one thing I've learned it's that intentionality trumps capability. There is no use in saying, "I can," unless you follow it up with an, “I will.”
Keeping Cool: 5 Habits to Develop Pressure Cooker Resistance
Even though the temperatures are colder than the dark side of the moon, there’s still plenty of things going on in our lives to get us hot under th...
Thank You Notes: A Letter to My Mentors
Thankfulness is the most reliable indicator of maturity. The older I get, the more people I realize I need to give thanks for because, without them, I wouldn't be who I am today. Heck, I’m even able to give thanks for the bad ones too! There are four strings of words that have profoundly impacted my life. Some were meant to encourage, others to correct. But in each instance, I can still hear the same dialogue as if it was happening now. In each case, it was only a single sentence, but its brevity did not diminish its power.
Accountability and The Ripple Effect
Have you ever noticed that when you attempt to focus on one area of your life, with an eye toward improvement, you tend to notice other areas that ...
Don’t Let Frustration Fester: Encouraging Accountability
The second law of thermodynamics states that the universe tends toward disorder. So does your workplace, unless strong leaders with integrity and ...
Hocus Pocus or Locus Focus
Hocus Pocus is meaningless talk or activity, often designed to draw attention away from and disguise what is actually happening. Locus Focus is a t...
x marks the spot
Why do so many people try to hold us back from moving forward in our lives? Didn’t we all learn early in life that we should celebrate the successe...
The Mystery of Self-Motivation
Consider how hard it is to change yourself and you’ll understand what little chance you have of trying to change others.
My father, Charlie “Tremen...
there’s nothing I can do for you
There really isn’t. Happiness, kindness, sacrifice—all the elements that make us good global citizens are inside jobs. They cannot be mandated or r...
the space between
The space between your ears defines the space between the words. Do you see your present existence as “opportunities nowhere” or as “opportunities...
Are you Slacktose Intolerant?
Offer the lazy an egg, and they'll want you to peel it for them.
- A Proverb
Slacktose intolerance, also called loser phobia and hypomalaisa, is ...
