What do you think of when you hear the word, “neighbor”? Depending on your age, you’re likely to think of Fred Rogers. Or, more accurately, Mister Rogers. That’s because Mister Rogers is one of the most iconic television personalities in American history. A mild-mannered Pennsylvania man with a passion for encouraging children, Mister Rogers became…

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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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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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Not long ago I was signing books after speaking to a large crowd at a convention center. Whenever I speak, I try to make myself available to sign books, shake hands, and chat with people. This particular day the line was long, and I was signing as quickly as I could to try to get…

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“Who you attract is not determined by what you want. It’s determined by who you are.”1 It is likely as a leader that you have a picture of the perfect employee in your head. For some organizations, the next hire maybe in the C-Suite. For others, it may be an entry-level person with a drive…

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Just because you assemble great players does not mean you have automatically have a great team. I have always loved basketball, and I played throughout high school. Entering my junior year, our team was loaded with talent, and we were projected to contend for the state title. I was one of two juniors in our…

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Almost two years ago, on a trip to the African continent, I was privileged to speak in Cape Town, South Africa. While there, I received a very meaningful gift from my friend Shaun Battleman: a visit and private tour of Robben Island. If you haven’t heard of Robben Island and the prison that used to…

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“A life is not [significant] except in the impact it has on other lives.”~ Jackie Robinson The recent film, 42, tells the story of Jackie Robinson becoming the first African-American to play Major League Baseball. The talent, bravery, and poise he displayed helped to bring about the desegregation of professional sports in the United States.…

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