Hot-air balloons were originally propelled, not by heating the air, but by releasing helium or hydrogen. The gases, being less dense than air, generated the lift to carry the balloons skyward. These gas balloon-aircrafts were outfitted with sandbags to provide ballast. When the pilot wanted to gain altitude, he would throw the sand overboard so…

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Teams don’t win by accident; they cannot simply rely on their talent to take them to the top. Winning teams display strong, durable commitment—both to a common cause and to one another. This commitment inspires them to persevere through setbacks and to make the sacrifices necessary to succeed. Commitment to a Common Cause Commitment to…

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Last month we focused on Gifts of Wisdom.  I wanted to blog about one of the wisest things John Maxwell has taught me.  “Invest in yourself more than others.”  Two things I have learned from John’s insight.  First, is one of capacity.  Spend more time, energy and resources developing yourself.  If you want to have…

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As a leader, have you ever avoided confrontation with a follower for what you labelled “good” reasons? I think most of us have. And if we’re honest with ourselves, we’ll admit that we sometimes give in to this temptation. Why do we do that? I believe the main reason well-intentioned leaders aren’t completely honest with…

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With Christmas right around the corner, it’s easy to let the busyness of the season take our focus off of what’s really important. For me, one of my favorite parts of celebrating God’s gift of our Savior, Jesus Christ, is the opportunity to give generously to the people I love. And I make it my…

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What kind of impact do you want to make in this world? Most of us desire to do something that matters, something important. I believe that people are more important than anything else on this earth. So impacting the lives of other people is one of the most significant things any one of us can…

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Adding Value. That’s what I set out to do every day with my blog and social media. It’s why I speak to thousands of people every year. It’s my reason for writing every one of my books. There is nothing I enjoy more than adding value to people – through my communication, giving them something…

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According to noted medical missionary Albert Schweitzer, “Example is not the main thing in influencing others … it is the only thing.” Part of creating an appealing climate to grow potential leaders is modeling leadership. people emulate what they see modeled. Positive model – positive response. Negative model – negative response. What leaders do, potential…

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Many years ago, I read about a survey of workers in the United States, who were asked if they could work harder on the job than they currently were. 85% of those surveyed said that they could. And more than half claimed that they could double their effectiveness “if I wanted to.” I don’t know…

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