Posted: March 4, 2026 | Categories: Customer service, Leadership, Self-Improvement

We’ve heard the expression, “I’m living a dream”.  Having an exciting vision and making it happen can keep our spirit alive.  One characteristic I have always found in a great vision:  The fulfillment of a great vision leaves the world a better place.

In 1949 (the year I was born), Gerry Lerner invented “Mr. Potato Head”.  Before you could play with Mr. Potato head, you needed to buy a real potato.  It was a popular toy, and the kids liked it.  Parents didn’t like it as much.  You see, playing with real potatoes is a mess!

In 1964, someone came up with the idea of making the torso of Mr. Potato Head out of plastic instead of a real potato.  Hygiene and child safety were key issues.  The change to plastic was a success, and sales increased dramatically.

Fast forward to two weeks ago.  My wife and I were playing with our grandchildren (ages 1-5).  The activity was each person designing their own Mr. Potato Head.  The kids imagination went wild.  We role played.  We laughed.  It was silly fun and we were so connected with the little ones.  Playing with Mr. Potato Head is our favorite activity with the grandchildren.  77 years ago Gerry Lerner had a vision.  62 years ago someone improved on his vision.  Today, Mr. Potato Head lives on, and without a mess to clean up!

Whatever your vision or purpose, think in terms of what you will leave behind.  Knowing and believing in our legacy can give us more energy, enthusiasm, and desire to stick with it.  We can live with a daily sense of purpose and make a difference!

Posted: December 11, 2025 | Categories: Leadership, Management, Self-Improvement, Team Building, Uncategorized

Jim Rohn was an entrepreneur, author, and motivational speaker who became a world-wide expert on personal development.  He started as a high-school dropout.  In his early 20’s he hired a mentor, Earl Shoaff.  One of the first questions Mr.Shoaff asked him was how many books he read a year. The truth was, he read very little.  “That’s not a good answer!”, Shoaff said.  From that point on, Jim Rohn decided that he would be an avid reader.  His mentor knew the truth:  High achiever’s read a lot!

Over and over again I find this to be true.  Think of the most successful people you know in this business world:  Most likely they read whenever they get the chance.  When they are driving, they are listening to books or some other form of audio education.

I was reminded of this truth just this week.  A client of mine reads constantly.  While reading in a spare half hour while waiting for his car to be serviced, he re-acquainted himself with an important management practice that he was falling short on.  After further thought, he realized that his management practice of holding a 15-minute team meeting each morning needed to be revived. He remembered that his team was most productive during the COVID outbreak. This daily habit was a critical factor. He began this week with absolute confidence that bringing these meetings back will help lead them back to peak performance.

Bob is an avid reader and he knows the payoff of keeping up with his reading.  Are you keeping up with your reading?  Are you reading enough?  With the New Year about to be started, what is your reading commitment?

Posted: November 19, 2025 | Categories: Leadership, Self-Improvement, Uncategorized

It may not surprise you to hear that an estimated 60% of workers do not enjoy their job. When I think of that, it makes me sad. It also reminds me that we are all unique individuals right down to every cell in our bodies. It is quite likely that every day there is an opportunity to use one of our gifts. The problem is sometimes we can get lazy and we say, “I don’t see my name on it.”

Many decades ago, Brian Tracy, professional trainer and author, identified these criteria to help us uncover and cultivate our special talents. Here are his key points:

8 Ways for you to identify and determine your special talent and what you are uniquely suited to do:

1. You will always be the best at something that you love to do. If you could afford it, you would do it without pay. It brings out the very best in you, and you get a tremendous amount of satisfaction and enjoyment when you are engaged in that particular work.
2. You do it well. You seem to have a natural ability to perform in that area.
3. This talent has been responsible for most of your success and happiness in life up to now. From an early age, it is something you enjoyed to do and you got the greatest rewards and compliments from other people.
4. It is something that was easy for you to learn, and easy to do. In fact, it was so easy to do, you forgot when and how you learned it. You just found yourself doing it easy and well one day.
5. It holds your attention. It absorbs you and fascinates you. You like to read about it, talk about it, and learn about it. It seems to attract you like a moth to a flame.
6. You love to learn about it, and become better at it all your life. You have a deep inner desire to really excel in this particular area.
7. When you do what you are ideally suited to do, time stands still. You can often work in your area of special talent for long periods without eating or sleeping hour after hour because you get so involved in it.
8. You really admire and respect other people who are good at what you are most suited to do. You want to be like them and be around them, and emulate them in every way.

If you can take time to answer these questions, this should lead you to the things you do naturally well, and enjoy doing. Find a way to weave your strengths into your work. Then go through the same exercise with those who report to you.

Posted: November 19, 2025 | Categories: Leadership, Management, Team Building

I was 19, and it was a hot summer day in Southeastern Kansas.  I was working a summer job in a bottling plant and I was finishing up a long day.  My final duty for the day was helping the route drivers empty and refill their trucks.  All of the drivers had been working hard since 5am, and often, when they drove in, they weren’t always in the best mood.  There was one exception:  His name was Tim.  No matter how hot the day had been or how sore his muscles were, Tim came in with a smile thaat brightened our day.  He would call us by name, had a great sense of humor, and was kind and respectful.  He was the kind of person that inspires good will in others, and me and the loading team would always go the extra mile for him.  He inspired us to do our best.  You may wonder what happened to this young 21-year old as time went on.  I know what happened to him:  He married my sister and they were married for 51 years until her death in 2019.

When I think back to that day in the bottling plant nearly 60 years ago, I realize that every fine leader I have coached has those same qualities that Tim had.  He was positive, friendly, helpful, respectful, and genuinely interested in others.  It is no surprise that he spent his entire career in high-level leadership positions in major corporations.  Tim knew how to “start by starting”, work hard, and work well with others.  Wherever he was planted, he knew how to bloom, and take others along with him.

Posted: October 17, 2025 | Categories: Leadership, Management, Presentation skills, Self-Improvement

 “Hope for the best…prepare for the worst” – Chris Bradford

A prominent leader was once asked what the most important advice he could give someone to have a successful career. He replied, “Prepare relentlessly”

Have you ever found yourself getting jittery about an upcoming presentation or event?  If you are, my question to you is: “How prepared are you?”

Several years ago, I experienced a cheap lesson in the value of being over-prepared.  I was scheduled to facilitate some training at the headquarters of a major corporation.  I had put together a PowerPoint presentation and I was assured by the event coordinator that all I needed to do was bring the presentation downloaded on a thumb drive.  As a backup, I decided to bring my laptop.  It is a good thing that I did!  When we began setting up for the session, the tech set-up person ran into some difficulties.  The system would not work.  He began to panic.  I didn’t.  Instead I pulled out my laptop and it saved the day.  The session went smoothly, and I felt good about it afterwards.

When you are anticipating a future event, here are two questions I have:

1. What are you concerned or stressed about?
2. What can you do about it?

Answering that second question can lead to some additional research or rehearsal.  I will leave you one of my favorite quotes from Dale Carnegie:

“When you go through life unprepared,, you won’t go alone…FEAR will be your constant companion”