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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On my podcast this week, I shared something with Mark Cole and our listeners that I don’t often share publicly. As I look around at our world today, there’s a certain feeling that comes over me, one that I don’t experience often, and I can’t help but bring it to you as we talk about…

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Earlier this week, a name from the past made headlines. Eastman Kodak saw their stock price surge by 1,200% after it was announced that they would receive a $765 million loan under the Defense Production Act. The loan to Kodak is the first from the new U.S. International Development Finance Corporation, a government agency that’s…

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Leadership is all about people; always has been, always will be. If you’re like me, you love to get things done. Maybe you tend to be task driven and action oriented. As I’ve traveled around the world with John Maxwell I’ve observed many leaders who share these characteristics. Which makes the most difficult thing about…

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I like people. When I get out of bed in the morning, one of the first thoughts to go through my head is “Who will I help today?” I am motivated by the interactions that I have with others, and I find great joy in meeting and helping people day after day. Is it because…

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Growing up, my mom tirelessly reminded me of a popular verse from the book of Proverbs: “Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall.” The longer I live, the more I understand why she made sure I learned this lesson. Pride is a big problem for any leader. Here’s why: Pride Leads…

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In my role as the leader of a leadership organization, I spend a lot of time studying other leaders around the world—both past and present. In my studies, I typically look for two different kinds of patterns: patterns that lead to success and patterns that lead to failure. Today, I want to share a pattern…

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One of the first lessons that John Maxwell taught me, many years ago, was the “30-Second Rule”. One night around a dinner table with several other colleagues, John leaned over to me and said, “Mark, if you really want to win with people, say something encouraging within the first thirty seconds of every conversation.” I’ve…

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Questions have power. Think about the power of simply asking, “Why?” Bernard Baruch said, “Millions saw the apple fall, but Newton was the only one who asked why.” Thank God for Isaac Newton! But what about the millions who saw the apples fall and never asked why? What kept them from asking the question? Have…

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