“What is the one thing I really need to know about leadership?” I’ve heard this question dozens of times from people eager to be influential but impatient with the slow road of diligent study and personal growth. My response never quite seems to satisfy them: “The one thing you need to know to become a…

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I think a lot of the time we take relationships for granted. Because of that, we don’t always give them the attention they deserve or require. But good relationships require a lot of effort. To keep me on track in my relationships so that I’m investing in them as I must to make them successful,…

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I love curious people and enjoy spending time with them, conversing with them. Their excitement for knowledge and learning is contagious. I often wonder why more people aren’t curious. So many people seem to be indifferent. Why don’t they ask why? Are some people simply born without the desire to learn? Are some people just…

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As a communicator, perhaps nothing is worse than scanning the audience halfway through a presentation only to see people fiddling with smartphones, fidgeting in their chairs, or—worst of all—falling asleep in a puddle of drool. If someone had filmed my life, my communication blunders and mistakes could be turned into hours of humorous outtakes. Learning…

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After another masterful performance in Lincoln, Daniel-Day Lewis has an opportunity to capture his third Academy Award for Best Actor. He has been hailed as the greatest actor alive, and his peculiar style of method-acting has become somewhat legendary. The charisma he brings to the screen instantly transports moviegoers into his character’s world. The manner…

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Greek philosopher Aristotle said, “Criticism is something you can avoid easily—by saying nothing, doing nothing, and being nothing.” Obviously, that isn’t an option for anyone who wants to be successful as a leader. Good leaders are active, and their actions often put them out front. That often draws criticism. When spectators watch a race, where…

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Hello from the beautiful country of Guatemala! I’m excited to be writing from here this week, because this trip represents the start of a new global initiative for my nonprofit organization, EQUIP. Beginning in Guatemala, EQUIP is focusing on the idea of leadership transformation in countries, states, cities, and communities worldwide. And so far in…

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In 1978, unemployed sportscaster Bill Rasmussen hatched an idea to launch the world’s first around-the-clock television station and to devote its programming entirely to sports. Roughly a year later, the Entertainment and Sports Network (ESPN) made its initial broadcast, and in just a few years the station rapidly transformed the way Americans watch athletics. Whereas…

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