Posted on Thursday, May 21, 2020

New Research: There Is an “I” in Team

Mathew McConaughey is known more as a movie star than a philosopher. Yet in an interview with Jon Gordon, I listened to Mathew respond to the question of what drives his standard of performance, rising to an Oscar-winning actor. His response caught me off guard when he replied “embarrassment”. Matthew went on to explain that the question “‘did I bring my best to the table?’ drives a fear of being embarrassed. Not failing. Simply bringing my best to the table. Not stopping until I have delivered all I’m capable of.” He drove his point home by stating people have been mistaken for years; when they stated: “there is no I in team.” Click here for video link

There is an I in team. The team centers around the question

Posted on Wednesday, May 20, 2020

45 Days to Ignite

Over the past few weeks I’ve been flashing back to a comment made by the CEO of the company I worked for right out of college. He boldly stood at the lectern during an awards program and proclaimed “there is a recession going on and we choose not to participate.” While his energetic proclamation fired up the room, what happened next began a destructive cycle the company never recovered from.

Nothing.

He did nothing,

Posted on Thursday, April 16, 2020

Tips to Rock Virtual Interviews

By Mike Lejeune, President of Lighting the Path & Tiffany Wallace, President of Dagen Personnel

With today’s travel restrictions and social distancing, 90% of interviews are being conducted online with Zoom, GoToMeeting, BlueJeans, or some form of video broadcast. So, have the rules of interviewing changed?

The good news is much of it is the same. You still have to be prepared, now more so than before. Company Information is only a finger tap away. Showing up without knowing details on the company has rapidly become a knockout factor, at a minimum moving you down the rating scale. Since shaking hands (hugging at the beginning of an interview has always been frowned upon) has been eliminated as a greeting or way to connect with someone, we have to think about coming through a computer screen with as strong of a presence as possible.

You need to help the interviewer create connection, to have a conversation. Interviews should always be

Posted on Tuesday, March 17, 2020

How Do You Battle Turmoil?

Today’s news cycle offers minimal clarity, only a future of chaotic uncertainty. Cascading stock market. Plummeting oil prices. Political attacks from all quarters creating an atmosphere of descension. And near pandemonium caused by the spread of the COVID-19 virus. (I wish someone had the foresight to advise me to short toilet paper).

My first draft of this blog was a week ago. I didn’t immediately post it, hoping the news and atmosphere about going to the grocery store would settle down.

So, what are our options as we battle this climate of fear? I’ve

Posted on Wednesday, January 8, 2020

Shaping Culture Like a Professional Sports Team

Podcast - Episode 14

Standing on the steps waiting for my car, I turned to my left and found myself standing next to Jamey Rootes, President of the Houston Texans. I summed up the courage to introduce myself and ask if he would be open to sharing his thoughts on what it took to engage top-performing people. I figured that someone leading a professional sports organization would have insight on leading exceptional talent. Jamey smiled and graciously invited me to visit his office. That was the first C Suite leadership interview I conducted, and one that I have referred to most often in programs I’ve conducted on developing world-class leadership strategies.

The Houston Texans organization embraces the word IMPACT:

Posted on Wednesday, August 28, 2019

How Do You Unlock Success?

Podcast - Episode 11 & Blog

No matter what your productivity has been year-to-date, the last months of 2019 will define your productivity. It can be filled with great achievement, momentum-building activities to finish the year strong and lay groundwork for launching 2020. Are you focused on the key results you want to achieve? Are you committed to making them a reality? Are you willing to grade how successful you were? That was one of the biggest steps I have hesitantly taken. Looking at my top five objectives then rating whether I would give myself an A, B, C… you get the point. Now at the end of the day, my wife Tommie will sometimes ask

Posted on Thursday, February 28, 2019

The Power of “What If”

What if has had both a paralyzing and catapulting effect on my life. At the age of 23, I began the battle of severe panic attacks. The first attacked happened on an elevator, then an airplane. Their existence manifested into driving across bridges, movie theatres, spreading to standing in lines at grocery stores. I found myself removing the possibility or What if they were to happen by withdrawing from any event where they might raise their head.

What if was a question that began to freeze me into non-action. It became my worst enemy. Through counseling, medication, and prayer, the dread has been lifted. Today What if has become my best friend. Here is the change…

Posted on Saturday, October 20, 2018

A Conversation with Scott Eblin: “Leaders Control the Weather!”

Podcast: Episode 5 & Blog

It’s been fun researching best practices of world-class leaders. When I spoke to Scott Eblin, President of the Eblin Group, I was stunned when he challenged me with this statement:

Leaders control the weather!

After letting it sink in, he continued that in the office the leader literally throws a switch on the atmosphere the team functions in. Is it