Art of Tremendous Blog - Tracey C. Jones – Tagged "growth"

Experience, Application, and the Tremendous Call to Grow

Tracey JonesNov 20, 2024

During my doctoral research, I asked participants to rate their need to be developed on a scale of 1 to 10, with 10 being the highest. It was discouraging to see so many leaders rank themselves at the lower end of the scale. Their reasons? “I’m a certain age and don’t need further certifications,” “I’m close to retirement,” or “I’m comfortable where I am.”

You can't fix stupid, but you can cure ignorance.

Tracey JonesAug 01, 2022

We live in a world full of stupidity. Stupid acts done by stupid people with stupid motives. Forrest Gump said it best, “Stupid is as stupid does.” People get very upset about this reality, but there's nothing we can do about it. What makes them stupid? Their willingness to be wise in their own eyes.

The Mighty Oak Within

Tracey JonesSep 29, 2021

An acorn’s destiny is to become a tree. The acorn has the potential inside of it to become a mighty oak. However, before that happens, the acorn must be buried in the ground and cracked open. In essence, the acorn must die to itself so that it can fulfill a higher and more glorious purpose.

Would You Rather be Bigger or Better?

Tracey JonesDec 01, 2020

Too often, humble beginnings yield to showers of prosperity via explosive growth. Suppose we are not vigilant in allowing only the best to take up a residential roost. In that case, we experience mission drift and impurity. Let this parable warn us that bigger isn’t always better, and growth has burdens associated with it as well.

Producing a Tremendous Harvest

Tracey JonesAug 26, 2019

Here comes my favorite season of the year—fall. I can see the day’s becoming slightly shorter; I watch for a leaf or two to begin transitioning to flames of gold and red; I hear and see the birds starting their migration to their new home. In South Central PA, the harvest is a sight to behold. This year's rain and sun ratio were magnificent. I have never seen fields of corn as high and green as the ones that fill our landscape. Autumn is the time of year when we look to the harvest and reap the products of our labor.

How to Change a Life in Five Words or Less

Tracey JonesJan 28, 2019

This past week I interviewed a Regional Manager at a large fitness chain as part of the field testing for my doctoral research. My questions focus on what brings out the best in employees and gets them excited about their work.

When I asked my participant what motivated him in his current role he responded that he could impact a person's life with a single "Hello" and a "Goodbye." Wow, how many of us understand the power of a single word spoken at a specific time.

The Abundance of Counselors

Tracey JonesOct 07, 2018

This week I have the honor of addressing a group of emerging leaders. The topic is ‘Nuts and Bolts’ and why we need a network. When I was younger, I kept hearing about mentors, mentors, mentors. I have had countless individuals pour into me throughout the years, but when I hit my 30’s and 40’s, I figured I was a big girl now and could do it on my own. So of course, that's what I did. After all, isn't adversity and mistakes all part of the process? Well, the correct answer is yes, and no.

Seeking an Organization that Turned Chaos into Opportunity

Tracey JonesSep 23, 2018

Tremendous tribe, I need your help! I am searching for an organization that has successfully navigated its way through a challenge as part of my doctoral research on the perceptions of leader effectiveness in an organizational crisis. My goal is to conduct a case study on follower motivation and engagement as the crisis unfolded, and the team emerged on the other side. At the core of the proposed research is the study of leader perceptions in the follower's mind.

Lead Like a Tree

Tracey JonesAug 19, 2018

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.

Five Years from Now....

Tracey JonesJun 17, 2018

Be intentional about interacting with everyone you cross paths with, even if it’s just making a comment to a fellow human being in a checkout line, or waving someone the go ahead to cross the street with a friendly smile. Yes, anything that impacts someone else counts as a meeting.