Stress: The Pathway to Growth, Renewal, and Success
To live stress-free would be to deny our responsibility as leaders. Stress accompanies growth. We have to accept that all worthwhile change, every amazing transformation and renewal, brings about temporary stress. For example, think about an expectant mother. Her pregnancy begins with morning sickness, and queasiness lingers throughout the first trimester. Her nose becomes keenly…
Read MoreIn Praise of Climate Change
“It is winter in Narnia, and it has been for ever so long…and we both shall catch cold if we stand here talking in the snow.” ~ Mr. Tumnus In C.S. Lewis’, The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, a young girl, Lucy, wanders through a magical wardrobe and into another world. She meets one of…
Read MoreAre You Driven by Character or Emotion?
“The greatest gap in life is the one between knowing and doing.”– Dick Biggs Life would certainly be easier – and success more simple – if all it took to achieve was to KNOW the right things and DECIDE to do them, right? But I think it’s more accurate to say that a decision is…
Read MoreTime Flies!
It seems that everyone’s busy these days. And life shows no sign of slowing down. Are your efforts effective? Or do you sometimes feel like you’re spinning your wheels? Now more than ever, we seem to have more work than time to do it. But time, according to Denis Waitley, “is an equal opportunity employer.…
Read MoreReviving Vulnerable Values
A people that values its privileges above its principles soon loses both.~ Dwight D. Eisenhower Values are the principles that influence and guide a team’s behavior. When and where they’re absent, self-interest reigns supreme. People begin to protect their own turf, putting their own power and privileges ahead of the well being of the team.…
Read MoreMy Growth Journey So Far This Year
I love growth. I love growing both personally and professionally. I love seeing growth in people. I love seeing growth in organizations. In fact, growth is one of my values as well as one of The John Maxwell Company values. Did I mention that I LOVE growth?? My growth goal is 1 percent daily improvement.…
Read MoreThe Head and the Heart: Leaders Aim to Hit Both
Vision determines the direction of the team. When a leader communicates a vision clearly and contagiously, team members gain confidence because they know where they’re going and why it’s important to get there. Casting vision successfully requires both emotional and logical transference. What is needed to transfer a vision emotionally? 1. Credibility A leader’s actions…
Read MoreWinning IS Everything
To say that winning is in my blood is an understatement. From my 85-year-old mother who plays a mean game of ping pong to my 7 year-old daughter, Maci, who loves to win at everything, including who can get to the mail box first. The Cole name is spelled C O M P E T…
Read MoreWinning at Everything…Except Relationships
Confined to the sideline, coaches can’t play in the games, but that doesn’t mean they aren’t fiercely competitive. Muffet McGraw, head coach of Notre Dame’s women’s basketball team, has an intense will to win—and her teams seldom do anything else. Entering this year’s NCAA tournament, Notre Dame owned a perfect record of 32-0. McGraw has…
Read MoreLoyalty: The Key to Consistent Victory
March Madness got its name because the NCAA basketball tournament provides stunning upsets each season. Unpredictability is big part of the tournament’s appeal. At any point in the competition, an unknown squad can suddenly catch fire, hitting shot after shot, to knock off a heavily favored opponent. However, if you were filling out an NCAA…
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