Tremendous Tracey
Apply or Die: The Time to Act is Now!
I recently heard a powerful truth: If you don't put something into action within 72 hours, you likely never will. Research and countless conversations with successful people back this up. They call it the 72-hour rule—when you start within those first 72 hours, your chances of success skyrocket by 90%.
The Most Tremendous Transition of All
Today, we often avoid death, preferring clinical detachment. Yet the wisdom of the Greeks reminds us that when we allow death to reclaim its place in the circle of life, we gain a fuller understanding of our existence. Embracing death can lead us to live with greater purpose, gratitude, and connection to life's rhythms.
Retention: The Million Dollar Question
We can only get it right with the right people; retention is about keeping them. Why do people keep showing up for work after they've decided to join your organization? Kevin's question struck at the heart of what we all need to consider: Employees come to work for one of two reasons—to transact or to transform. They are there for a paycheck, or they are there for a payback, to grow and make an impact, to evolve themselves or the enterprise.
Persistence: The Key to Unyielding Success
In the face of adversity, the ability to persist distinguishes those who merely dream from those who achieve. Persistence is the cornerstone of enduring success and is vital to effective leadership. As my father, Charlie "Tremendous" Jones, wisely referred to it as STICKABILITY. Here's what he said:
"Stick by it, die by it, never give up. We need to burn the word "stackability" into our hearts. A plague is sweeping the world, reaching epidemic proportions. It's better known as the Quitters Disease.
The Heat of Preparation: Resilience in the Face of Adversity
Watching the events unfold in Butler, PA, this past week, I was struck by the crowd's reaction to the assassin's shots. Rather than panic, the crowd remained noticeably still, allowing those nearest to the injured to call for help and clear the way for the President's safe exit. It wasn't a scene of chaos; it was a testament to calmness under pressure.
14 Years Ago Today
The most important lesson these years has taught me is found in one of the Laws of Leadership in Life is Tremendous, Give to Get. In typical Charlie Tremendous fashion, these words are not what we’ve been taught. When we give to get something, we give with a motive. That's not giving; that's trading, and the problem with this perspective is that too often, 'it' gets you, not you get ‘it .' It's so easy in the economy of the world to make decisions based on ROI, the up-side, or future earnings. And I know as a business person, the importance of watching your resources. Stewardship is a Biblical principle. But the real leadership lesson behind Give to Get, according to Tremendous, is that we give regardless of whether we get anything back or not.
The Price of Doing the Right Thing
The type of leaders that I hang with are courageous. They have a keen sense of discernment, a compulsion to speak the truth professionally, and a sense of service over self. So why do these brave point people get vilified, sniped at, or even railroaded out of the very entity they are trying to help?
Are You Reason-Able?
To be reasonable, you must be able to reason. Our ability to reason is what makes humans humane. And when we abdicate our frontal lobe cortex’s responsibility to interact as adults with others, we devolve into our reptilian brains. And nothing good happens in the Jurassic Park parts of our perceptions.
Retention is Tremendous
“If a man doesn’t want to do something with his heart, there is no use paying him. If you don’t want this man because of what your agency can do for him with a tremendous spirit of obligation, I don’t believe you can bring him through. For the battles ahead, there has to be a bond, and usually, this will be mutual respect and appreciation between the manager and the agent.”
13 Years
This past week was a poignant one for me because I celebrated the second anniversary of my mother's homegoing on October 14th and the thirteen-year homegoing of my father on October 16th.
Celebrating Death
In a world that has literally ceased to function the last 13 months because of the fear of death from a global virus, celebrating it seems like an ...
From Scary to Merry
It's supposed to be the most wonderful time of the year, yet for many, Christmas 2020 is turning out to be the most frightening time of the year. Let’s alter our perspective on what’s swirling around in our heads. Christmas wasn’t always so merry and bright. If we go back to the first couple of Christmases, there was plenty of fear and angst there as well. Let’s look at our ancestors and see how they handled events.
The Contentment Journal
How often do we interrupt the counting of our blessings with a critical arrow? Our bellies are full, and yet we bellyache. Even when our cups runneth over, however, we mourn like they are running out. We thank God for our daily bread, yet the next words out of our mouth bemoan tomorrow's anticipated scarcity.
Couldn’t We All Use Some Therapy
Everyone should be in therapy. It’s good for the body, mind, and soul. It helps unpack baggage and enables us to deconstruct the mysteries that vex us in life. In The Three Therapies of Life, Charlie “Tremendous” Jones shares practical and applicable ways to heal yourself so you can continue to impact others and change lives. I uncovered this material from a DVD I found. It was recorded back in the ’90s when my father was in his heyday (which was technically every day). In this message, he spoke to an audience of fellow speakers and presenters at the National Speakers Association (NSA). His words rang truer to my ears and heart than they ever had before. I guess I needed some “Tremendous” therapy. Read more...
Make a Decision; Make It Yours; Die By It
A tremendous life is built on tremendous decisions. These life decisions have an integrative effect; the choices we make open or close the doors to other opportunities and future possibilities. So we need to make these cornerstone decisions well to build as solid a foundation as possible. We need to make these critical decisions the right way. My father said, “Decision making is a fact of life, just like breathing. That’s what decision making really is.” The key to making the right decisions in life is to make a decision, make it yours, and die by it. Getting these decisions right doesn't necessarily make life more manageable, but it does make it more real, and that's what it's all about. Read more...
