Category Archives: inspiration

In Memory of Bret Montague

“As I grow to understand life less and less, I learn to love it more and more.” – Jules Renard

“Life isn’t a matter of milestones, but of moments.” – Rose Kennedy

“Difficult times have helped me to understand better than before, how infinitely rich and beautiful life is in every way, and that so many things that one goes worrying about are of no importance whatsoever.” – Isak Dinesen

“And in the end, it’s not the years in your life that count. It’s the life in your years.” – Abraham Lincoln

Life.  What a beautiful thing…only darkened by the tragedy that is often ends far too soon.  How does it go?  The good die young.  Those we love most are often taken from us at the most inappropriate time.  Life is fleeting.  Life is short.  It gives, and it takes away. Continue reading →

Drivers, and Danica, Start Your Engines!

Daytona500“You spend a lot of time thinking about what to do when the time comes. I kept asking up above what was working. You needed a hole, you needed people to help you out.”

[Danica Patrick – comments from her Daytona 500 post race interview when asked about her strategy on the last lap]

Unless you haven’t picked up a paper or watched the TV this last week, you no doubt heard the headlines about this year’s Daytona 500.  It was the first time in history that a female driver won the pole position for any NASCAR race.  But this wasn’t just any NASCAR race – it was the Daytona 500, their most coveted event.  Because of this, the hype for this year’s race was bigger than any other in history. Continue reading →

Are You Sure You’re Not a Bad Boss?

worst boss“… take the time to consider not just what kind of a leader you are, but what kind you’re not” – Jack Zenger and Joseph Folkman

I found this interesting study from a pair of researchers (Jack Zenger and Joseph Folkman) in a recent issue of Harvard Business Review (http://blogs.hbr.org/cs/2012/08/are_you_sure_youre_not_a_bad_b.html).  They analyzed over 30,000 managers and reports from 300,000 of their peers, employees, and executives.  What they found is quite interesting.  It’s more about what they don’t do than what they do that makes them bad bosses.  It wasn’t ‘taking credit for others work’ or the ‘hypocritical’ bosses who said one thing but did another that topped the list.  It was something quite different

And the number one offense?  Failure to inspire, owing to a lack of energy and enthusiasm.  Again and again, these leaders were described as unenthusiastic and passive. Continue reading →

Losing Your Way

“If you’ve been successful {with your company}, I want you to be completely terrified.” – Jim Collins, well-known author and expert on business leadership

Recently I had the opportunity to attend the American Staffing Association’s annual 2012 Staffing World Conference as a guest speaker.  The keynote speaker for this conference was none other than Jim Collins, one of THE leading experts on business leadership.  He’s written a number of notable books, including “Good to Great”, “Built to Last”, “Great by Choice”, and “How the Mighty Fall”.  I would venture to guess that a fair number of you have read his works and are big fans.  If you have not, and if there is only one leadership book you should read, it is his first book – “Good to Great”. Continue reading →

2012 Summer Olympics

Goodbye 2012 Olympics

Well, it’s finally over.  The 2012 Olympics in London finished last night, with one of the most memorable closing ceremonies I’ve ever seen.  As I sat and watched that ceremony, I couldn’t help but be struck by the power and beauty of the Olympic games.  For one small moment in time a collection of athletes from around the world come together to represent the best in what their country has to offer.  They do it for the pride.  The pride that comes in working hard to achieve something.   The pride that comes in succeeding where others can’t.  And the pride that comes from overcoming obstacles, setbacks, and hardships to accomplish something great.

If you were like me, you spent several nights these past few weeks watching the games.  It didn’t matter that the airing was time delayed, that the events had already been decided.  It was just as dramatic to watch as if it was live.  I found myself watching late into the night – Swimming, Gymnastics, Volleyball, Rowing, Diving – none of these sports I have ever participated in, but all of them captivating my attention. Continue reading →

Balancing Work with Life

balance“I believe that being successful means having a balance of success stories across the many areas of your life. You can’t truly be considered successful in your business life if your home life is in shambles.”  [Zig Zigler]

I often stress the importance of work/life balance to my fellow team mates. So for this leadership thought posting, I thought I would feature that concept. And, given that we are deep in the middle of the summer holiday season and now in the middle of a holiday week (July 4th) whose Wednesday calendar placement seems to have given many of us the opportunity for a very long weekend break, this quote is perfect. And of all of the quotes I’ve seen about work/life balance, this one seems to put it all in the right perspective.

I’ve often used my leadership thought posting to impart some wisdom around how to be a better leader in all aspects of life. Clearly many of my past entries have focused around the importance of leadership in managing your teams, in working with your teammates, and in servicing your clients. Make no mistake, it is important for you to build a company of leaders that are known for the quality of their work and the character of their team.

But it is also important to seek a balance in the order of things. Much like the Tao religion/philosophy that seeks harmony with the yin and yang in all things, we aren’t going to be productive or effective in work if we aren’t at harmony with the other aspects of our life. Our health. Our family. Our friends. Our interests. These are all important as well.

OK, maybe that’s getting a little too deep for this week’s message, but you get the picture.

Words of Wisdom

“Now my little eaglet, stand on the edge of the nest, take a deep breath, and soar.  I want to watch you fly!”

[Linda H. Tumlinson – 1945-2012]

I hope I am not out of line with this week’s quote, as it touches on a rather personal note.  But since I believe in personalizing my messages, I’m taking a chance and sharing it.  This week’s quote comes from my mother, Linda H. Tumlinson.  It’s an excerpt from a letter she wrote me on the day I graduated from college.  Please bear with me as I share the wisdom behind this quote, while paying a small tribute to the person who most shaped my life.

As some of you are aware, I lost my mother this past week after a long and lengthy battle with Lupus.  She was an amazing woman.  After serving as a parole officer for 25 years, she went on to found one of the first shelters for battered and drug addicted women in Houston (The Shoulder) and served as a key executive with Prison Fellowship Ministries.

A truly selfless person, she had a gift for seeing the very best in a person, and for believing in them when others may not have.  She knew the character of a man (or woman), and was willing to take risks to give them the chance to let that character shine through.  She was not judgmental, but she did expect you to be accountable for your actions.  But most of all, she could see potential in every single person and would push you to achieve it regardless of the circumstances.

I’ve carried this quote in my head for over 22 years now.  It is such an amazing quote.  So full of hope.  So full of anticipation.  And so full of promise.  It shows faith, trust, and belief.  How can you not strive to be your absolute best when you’ve been given such words of encouragement?

I am sharing this quote for two reasons.  One, I believe it is a fitting tribute to a wonderful person.  Two, I want you to have it.  I want you to own it.  And I hope it inspires you to achieve more than you ever thought possible simply because someone believes in you that much.

PS – thank you so much for all of the support you’ve given me through this tough time.  You will never know how important it was in helping me through it.  As was sharing this quote, so I appreciate you allowing me the latitude to do so.

Managing by Objective

“It is direction that determines destination, not intention”

[Andy Andrews]

Since we are at the beginning of the calendar year, and for many organizations, the beginning of their fiscal year, I thought I would focus on the importance of organizational vision, alignment and a plan to win as this posting’s leadership message.

One of the cultural leadership traits I have always tried to develop in organizations I manage is the concept of “Manage By Objective.”  This cultural principle essentially highlights the importance of knowing your destination, developing a plan to get there, and creating the focus that ensures you reach those objectives.

But as this week’s leadership quote notes, “it is direction that determines the destination, not intention.”  In order to achieve that destination, you must ensure the proper direction and have the right focus to ensure continued to progress toward that destination.

Most organizations have not figured this out.  Surprisingly, many slumber along thinking that the same old approach will work year in and year out.  They think to themselves, “as long as we keep doing what we do the future will happen as it should”.  They don’t have a plan.  And when they do, its ill-conceived and much more aspirational than practical.

For an organization to succeed, it must build a culture of direction.  It must be aligned.  It must know where it is going, and it must have a plan to get there.  And I’m not talking about a financial plan, I’m talking about a plan that lays out very specifically what the key objectives and priorities are, and what will constitute success.

How do you lead your organization?  Have you created a vision, a strategy, and a plan of how to get there?  Or do you simply hope that through motivation and encouragement the organization will somehow find its way?