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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I recently enjoyed a few days of rest with Margaret, my wife. We were able to spend time together doing the things that we love, right in the middle of the busy summer season. Now that COVID restrictions are changing, in-person events are coming back, which means my calendar is filling up again with incredible…

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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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I am extremely excited for today, because it’s the official release date for my newest book, How to Lead When Your Boss Can’t (or Won’t). It’s an abridgment of my book, The 360-Degree Leader, distilling my best teaching on the concept of leading up within an organization. I’ve been studying leadership for over fifty years,…

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Don Yaeger is a dear friend of mine. He’s joined me onstage for Live2Lead, Executive Circle, and together we produced The Mentor’s Guide to Building a Championship Team. His knowledge of sports is legendary, but his insight into the leadership lessons sports contains is greater. This week, I’ve asked Don to write a guest post…

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If your life in any way connects with other people, you are an influencer.  My good friend Tim Elmore shared an amazing statistic with me several years ago that I’ve never forgotten. Sociologists tell us that even the most introverted individual will influence 10,000 people during his or her lifetime. Everyone influences someone!   That means the question we…

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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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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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Imagine yourself inside a crowded movie theater. You’ve got your popcorn and soft drink, and you’ve settled into your seat to enjoy a new thriller. After the movie starts, you munch happily away as the story takes off and begins to build. Then, about halfway through the movie, the tension mounts. The main character keeps…

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Last week I wrote in The Limits of a One-Man Show that a leader who doesn’t share his or her vision, influence, and momentum with others will see all three diminish over time. I learned that lesson at Hillham, and it’s one I’ve never forgotten. It is absolutely essential for any leader to find capable women…

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