Do me a favor. Take just a moment and watch this video. Isn’t that amazing? I love what they say at the end of the video about the cheetah’s legs and feet—it’s almost an afterthought, but it’s such a good lesson. “These modifications provide the cheetah with increased traction and fast, sharp turns.” When we…

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In The Contrarian’s Guide to Leadership, I read that “the average person suffers from three delusions: 1) that he/she is a good driver, 2) that he/she has a good sense of humor, and 3) that he/she is a good listener.” Although that is mostly true, it is meant to make light of a very real…

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What does it mean to serve? It’s a question worth asking yourself, especially if you’re a leader. Recent research has revealed that the younger generation of workers wants to work at a company with high potential AND a high purpose. They want to make as much of a difference to profit margins as they do…

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In my previous blog post, I wrote about the difference between conflict and tension, and how many leaders fail to grasp the difference. This week, I want to help make the distinction a little clearer. Tension is something leaders and teams live with every day. It’s the daily challenge of working with a diverse group…

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Conflict. It’s one of the most requested subjects for the John Maxwell Company to address, and it’s something familiar to every leader. In fact, if you’re not familiar with the subject, chances are you’re not leading very well. No matter where you go or what team you assemble, you’re inevitably going to have to lead…

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Do you know anyone who likes being busy? Someone who enjoys nothing more than juggling items on their to-do list? I’ve met people like that before, people who connect their self-worth to the number of items in their calendar or the different hats they may wear. And while all of them were busy, not all…

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As a leader, you’re already aware that your ability to positively influence another person is the central component of your leadership. So you understand that influence matters to leaders. But how do you measure your influence? By the number of people who work for you? By the number of followers you have on Twitter? By…

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This past weekend, millions of Americans celebrated the 4th of July. The holiday, often referred to as America’s birthday, is usually filled with cookouts, fireworks and flags, all in the name of celebrating freedom. Because America is founded on the idea of freedom. Freedom is so ingrained in America’s DNA that it’s woven into our…

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An elderly man sat nervously on the bench in his doctor’s waiting room. A younger fellow came in and took a seat next to him, and couldn’t help but notice the older man’s poor posture. When the nurse called the old man back, the younger man noticed he stooped over, his legs shook, and he…

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What would you do to win? Not too long after I graduated from college, I was invited back to my high school to play in an alumni basketball game. I was thrilled to be asked back, and as we were warming up before the game, I noticed that the player I’d been assigned to guard…

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