Everyone has an idea of how they would like to lead. While similar to others, your personal leadership philosophy may differ from others. And that’s okay. But how do you develop or create a personal leadership philosophy? I’m glad you’re thinking about that. In this article, we’ll discuss what a personal leadership philosophy is, why it matters, and how to create one. Photo by Jehyun Sung on Unsplash What Is A Personal Leadership Philosophy? Think about your personal beliefs, thoughts, and ideas. These things all relate to how you lead and take charge of your organization. You may not think ..read more

A Reel Leadership Article My latest book, Reel Leadership, is now available on Amazon. If you love movies and leadership, you will love this book. IF may be one of the year’s most heartfelt, enjoyable movies. The movie tells the story of a young girl, Bea (Cailey Fleming). Bea has been through a lot, including the loss of her mother (Catharine Daddario) due to cancer. Fast-forward to now. Her father (John Krasinski) is ill and in the hospital. He’s undergoing an unspecified surgery that could go wrong. Because of this, Bea has moved in with her grandmother (Fiona Shaw). She sees somethin ..read more

I’ve never met a leader who will verbally come out and say that they want their team members to fail. That would be like shooting yourself in the foot. Yet, leaders put their team members in positions to fail every single day. It’s not intentional. Most of the time they don’t even know they’re doing it. Photo by Sarah Cervantes on Unsplash But leaders are stripping power away from their people to get the job done. You can change this. You can make it so that the people in your organization can succeed and thrive. It’s easier than most leaders think. So, what does it take to empower your ..read more

A Reel Leadership Article My latest book, Reel Leadership, is now available on Amazon. If you love movies and leadership, you will love this book. This weekend, moviegoers returned to the world of the Planet Of The Apes. Kingdom Of The Planet Of The Apes is the fourth film in the rebooted series. However, it is the tenth film in the overall Planet Of The Apes series. The film picks up shortly after Caesar’s death. Caesar was the leader of the apes in the earlier films. Generations after Caesar’s death, there are many different clans of apes. Most shockingly, the humans have become feral ..read more

Guarding our time is important. We only have 24 hours to the day, with a third of those hours devoted to sleep. We then have to consider what to do with the remaining 16 hours of our day. That includes at least 8 hours in the office for many of us. Then there’s the commute.  The hours in our day go quickly. Be guarded about them. But also be open to saying yes to using them. Photo by Nimi Diffa on Unsplash We will miss out on so many opportunities and life events if we constantly say no. Today, I want to encourage you to say yes to the following 10 things. 10 Things To Say Yes ..read more

We’ve seen multi-million dollar organizations fall because of a failure of integrity and ethical decisions. Think back on organizations such as: Enron Valeant Pharmaceuticals  Kobe Steel Even the mighty Apple has made unethical decisions with battery-gate Some of the above organizations made it through their unethical choices. Others failed and closed their doors. Photo by Samson on Unsplash As a leader, you must be aware of your decisions and understand that unethical decisions will lead to major consequences. You also have the power to change them. But how do you make ethical decisi ..read more

A Reel Leadership Article My latest book, Reel Leadership, is now available on Amazon. If you love movies and leadership, you will love this book. The Fall Guy is a funny, likable movie about stuntman Colt Seavers (Ryan Gosling) and the love of his life, Jody Moreno (Emily Blunt). They drifted apart after Colt was injured performing a stunt for the leading actor, Tom Ryder (Aaron Taylor-Johnson). Tom is an unlikable, big-shot movie star. He doesn’t care about others or whose path he crosses; it’s all about him. As the movie progresses, we discover just how much he thinks of himself. It’s ..read more

Five years ago, I ran my first marathon. It was the Grand Rapids Marathon in Grand Rapids, Michigan. After this marathon, I said I would never run another marathon again. Fast forward to 2024… I ran my second full marathon. This time, in London, England. Photo by Pamela Lalonde Running the London Marathon wasn’t a dream come true. It wasn’t something I’d longed to do. Yet, when the invitation from Team World Vision came to run the London Marathon and change kids’ lives, I couldn’t say no. Pamela and I spent nine full days in London. We got to see so much and experience so much. You may hear ..read more

All of us want to live a life that is authentic. We also want to live a life full of integrity. Then there’s living a life full of purpose. We know these three things can be guiding lights for us personally and professionally.  However, I’ve seen many leaders side-step these areas of their personal and professional lives. They see a shortcut and they take it. No one will know, they think.  It may be true. No one may ever discover what you did under the cover of darkness. You may never be exposed for taking advantage of your employees, organization, or friends.  But those things ..read more

Margaret Fuller once said: Today a reader, tomorrow a leader. Mary Ann Shaffer said: That’s what I love about reading: one tiny thing will interest you in a book, and that tiny thing will lead you to another book, and another bit there will lead you onto a third book. It’s geometrically progressive–all with no end in sight, and for no other reason than sheer enjoyment. Both of these people have one thing in common: They know the power a book has to change your life.  Photo by Nick Fewings on Unsplash Every book you pick up will open a door into the world of someone who has been ther ..read more