A recent article by the New York Times suggests, “According to a 2014 Gallup poll, more than half of workers in the United States define themselves based on their job, and have been doing so consistently since 1989.” Identity placed in position or company can lead to feelings of depression when a change must be made. However, identity is not found in […]

At a staff meeting, we were discussing holiday time-off. I said, “Our landlord is taking an extra day off for the holidays. We can do that as well if you want. It doesn’t matter to me because I’ll probably work that day regardless.” Later, one of my staff called me out on my foolish statement. I was told, “You made us […]

One of Harvard Business Review’s management tips was about setting healthy standards of work for your team. Harvard highlighted three tips on how leaders can help their team have healthy boundaries. First, as the leader, set a good example. Remember the impact sending late night emails to staff or never taking a lunch break can have. Second, plan extra time […]

My wife, Kathy, is masterful at showing recognition and appreciation to others. It’s rare for me to go into a retail store or business with Kathy without seeing her stop to praise someone for a job well done or to appreciate their value. There’s a difference between recognition and appreciation. Recognition is when you give positive praise or feedback for someone’s […]

In the Bible, the qualities of a good shepherd are similar to six qualities identified of Level 5 Leaders in Jim Collins’ book, “Good to Great.” The final quality is “leading with passion.” Recently, some college students asked me for advice about starting a new business. I encouraged them to select a business for which they have a passion. As […]

In the Bible, the qualities of a good shepherd are similar to six qualities Jim Collins identified in Level 5 Leaders in his book, “Good to Great.” The fifth quality is “finding the right people.” When business is brisk and you’re overwhelmed, it’s easy to want to hire anyone who can fill a slot, especially in a tight job market. […]

In the Bible, the qualities of a good shepherd are similar to six qualities Jim Collins identified as Level 5 Leaders in his book, “Good to Great.” The fourth quality is to “develop discipline.” Jim Collins wrote about what he called an “indomitable will” in great leaders. These leaders were extremely disciplined and persevered through any trials in order to […]

The qualities of a good shepherd in the Bible are similar to six qualities Jim Collins identified as Level 5 Leaders in his book, “Good to Great.” The third quality is to “take responsibility.” One of my favorite TV series is Blue Bloods. In many episodes, one of the New York Police Commissioner’s police officers will get into trouble with […]

The qualities of a good shepherd in the Bible are similar to six qualities Jim Collins identified as Level 5 Leaders in his classic book, “Good to Great.” The second quality Collins identified is “Asking for help.” Unfortunately, many business leaders believe asking for help is a sign of weakness. When I was in banking, I respected one of my […]

The Bible speaks often about shepherds as a model for leadership, but few people have experienced being a shepherd. As I’ve studied the Bible, I’ve discovered that good shepherd qualities are similar to six qualities identified as a Level 5 Leader in Jim Collins’ classic book, “Good to Great.” The first quality Mr. Collins mentioned is humility. Collins discovered that […]