Do I believe the best in others? This is a question that I’ve been asking myself a lot lately. Because believing the best in others is not something to be assumed; you must be intentional in checking the lens you’re looking through when viewing others. John Maxwell teaches a simple exercise to help cultivate the…

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As I stumbled for my alarm at 3:00 a.m. on my first day on the job as a street washer, I wondered what I was getting myself into. CBS had asked my company to participate in its hit reality show Undercover Boss. As the CEO of Herschend Family Entertainment (HFE) at that time, I’d agreed…

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This week’s blog post is a modified lesson on team success from Leader Core, a program designed specifically for leaders of teams. If you’re leading a group of three or more people and want to join a community of other leaders who are living out leadership while being mentored monthly by me, then I encourage…

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The other day, Mark Cole, the CEO of all our companies, asked a question to our leadership team that I thought was powerful. Looking around the room at our executive vice presidents, he asked, “Who would fill your chair if you weren’t here?” Mark is one of the best and most capable leaders I know,…

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I recently finished reading two of the best books I’ve ever read, and I read them back to back. The first is The Infinite Game by my friend, Simon Sinek, and the second is Atomic Habits by James Clear. Two different concepts, but two similar impacts in terms of how they inform my approach to…

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One of the greatest coaches of all time, John Wooden, was famous for getting the most out of his players. Coach Wooden would spend the first few weeks of practice watching his players closely to see where they performed best. He believed that each player had a sweet spot on the court, and once he…

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Somewhere today a young person is working hard at their desk, hoping to be considered for a promotion. Somewhere today an older person thinks about their looming retirement and hopes to find something productive to do with their next phase of life. Somewhere today, hundreds of thousands of people, young and old, dream of a…

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What’s your dream? Think about it—what is the one thing that you would love to see accomplished in your lifetime? If I had to guess, it’s probably pretty big. And that’s a good thing—as long as what I say next doesn’t discourage you: Everything big started small. I’m sure you remember those famous first words…

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I’m in London this week for an event, and while my focus is on the people I’m serving, my thoughts are turning towards the remaining weeks of this year. Thanksgiving is right around the corner, Christmas is close, and 2019 will soon end as we enter the third decade of this millennium. Put that all…

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Change is challenging. One of the things I’ve heard John Maxwell teach about change is that no one really likes to change, not even leaders—unless the change is their idea! As John says, “Most people are more comfortable with old problems than new solutions, because the new represents the unknown.” It’s awkward to do something…

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