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It Takes Clear Vision to Create a Masterpiece
In 1882, construction began on Barcelona’s Sagrada Familia. 129 years later, the cathedral remains unfinished! The church has already been named a UNESCO World Heritage site and attracts more than 2 million visitors each year. Yet, officials estimate another 15 years will be needed to complete it. That the project has attracted the interest of…
Read MoreChoosing to Cheat
Rubber bands are made to stretch. They’re flexible to a point, but expand them too far and SNAP! They break. There’s a limit to their elasticity. Many times our lives feel like rubber bands. We’re pulled in different directions by two primary commitments: work and family. As we stretch ourselves to meet expectations on each…
Read MoreA Case Study in Influence : Hyundai
Everyone wants to be the best. If you aren’t the best, then chances are you’re looking to see who is and trying to emulate them. Put simply, influencers attract imitators.Lately, Hyundai has proved to be a leader in the auto industry. While sales of competitors have slowed to a crawl, Hyundai has been cruising in…
Read MoreFrom Gold Medal Winner to Biggest Loser
In 2000, Rulon Gardner experienced the thrill of his life when he stepped onto an Olympic podium to receive his gold medal. These days, the most thrilling moments for Gardner happen when he steps onto a scale to weigh himself. As a contestant on Biggest Loser, the former wrestler is grappling with the toughest foe…
Read MoreThe Four Letter Word that Makes You and Your Work Irresistible
LOVE is a four-letter word in the business world. It makes us uncomfortable. It seems inappropriate or even taboo. It can also make you and your work irresistible. Let me explain: Some years ago I wrote a book about an extraordinary individual who loves his work. My editor at the time deleted the word love…
Read MoreOperating with 20/20 Vision in Areas that Matter Most
An excerpt from The Six Disciplines of Personal Sustainability by Dr. Stephen R. Graves, co-founder of GiANT Leaders Executive Coaching A father and son were traveling home from a college football game late one night in the 1970s when the dad pulled the car onto the shoulder of the rural, desolate highway and asked his…
Read MoreHow a Blind Boy’s Vision Changed the World
At the age of three, Louis Braille suffered a tragic accident in his father’s saddle making workshop. The young boy had taken hold of a stitching awl, which slipped from his grasp and pierced his eye. Within days he could not see out of the eye. Sadly, Louis was completely blinded shortly thereafter when an…
Read MoreThe Value of a Good System
Almost nightly, the fate of the American health care system headlines the evening news. With costly inefficiencies plaguing the system, employers and workers alike have felt the pain of skyrocketing premiums. Politicians on opposite ends of the political spectrum disagree on the best policies for the future, but there seems to be consensus that the…
Read MorePersonal Accountability
Personal Accountability: Putting the Brakes on Moral Breakdown On April 10th Bobby Petrino, still red-faced from road rash and embarrassment, was fired as head football coach at the University of Arkansas. Ten days earlier Petrino had wrecked both his motorcycle and his career while on a drive with his mistress and co-worker, Jessica Dorrell. Petrino,…
Read MoreThe Influence Question: Will You Grow or Plateau?
Seldom does someone consciously choose to stop growing. Yet we all know people whose influence has leveled off or gone into decline. Why do hard-working, well-intentioned leaders plateau? How can people ascend the levels of influence throughout their careers, but then suddenly stop climbing? About five years ago I facilitated an all-day roundtable with 15…
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