Mark Cole: Three Lessons for Living
Two weeks ago today, I lost a very good friend. A great friend. A brother. On Friday, November 22, 2019 around 4:00pm, my friend Richard Chancy suffered a sudden and unexpected heart attack and went home to heaven. He finished his race, leaving behind his wife, Kristy, his seventeen-year-old daughter, Jordan, and countless other people…
Read MoreWhat Are You Reflecting On?
What will you remember about 2019? As the last days of this year trickle by and your thoughts turn towards presents and parties and preparations for 2020, I wonder what your memories of this year will be. What will spring to mind when you think back over the year’s-worth of days you’ve lived? I ask…
Read MoreA Word On Gratitude (and a Thanksgiving Gift)
Thanksgiving is this week, and while you’re preparing your dishes and driving routes, I want to offer you a word on gratitude. This post was originally shared on my blog in 2016, but I think it’s the right message for this year, so I hope you’ll read and enjoy. As a bonus, my team and…
Read MoreMark Cole: Find Your Sweet Spot
One of the greatest coaches of all time, John Wooden, was famous for getting the most out of his players. Coach Wooden would spend the first few weeks of practice watching his players closely to see where they performed best. He believed that each player had a sweet spot on the court, and once he…
Read MoreLift Your Lid
Somewhere today a young person is working hard at their desk, hoping to be considered for a promotion. Somewhere today an older person thinks about their looming retirement and hopes to find something productive to do with their next phase of life. Somewhere today, hundreds of thousands of people, young and old, dream of a…
Read MoreMark Cole: Five Tools for Communicating Vision
One of my favorite lessons John Maxwell teaches is, “A leader is one who knows the way, goes the way, and shows the way.” The most important point is the first one—“A leader knows the way”—because if the leader doesn’t know the way it will be impossible to go the way and show the way.…
Read MoreAn Open Letter to Veterans on Veterans Day
I want to take a moment and write to the women and men who make up the 18.2 million veterans in the United States of America. Today is Veterans Day, set aside to honor those who have worn the uniforms of the Air Force, Army, Coast Guard, Navy and Marine Corps while serving our country…
Read MoreMark Cole: Everything Big Starts Small
What’s your dream? Think about it—what is the one thing that you would love to see accomplished in your lifetime? If I had to guess, it’s probably pretty big. And that’s a good thing—as long as what I say next doesn’t discourage you: Everything big started small. I’m sure you remember those famous first words…
Read MoreLook Back to Look Ahead
I’m in London this week for an event, and while my focus is on the people I’m serving, my thoughts are turning towards the remaining weeks of this year. Thanksgiving is right around the corner, Christmas is close, and 2019 will soon end as we enter the third decade of this millennium. Put that all…
Read MoreMark Cole: Leading People to Accept Change
Change is challenging. One of the things I’ve heard John Maxwell teach about change is that no one really likes to change, not even leaders—unless the change is their idea! As John says, “Most people are more comfortable with old problems than new solutions, because the new represents the unknown.” It’s awkward to do something…
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