Appreciate everything your associates do. Nothing else can quite substitute for a few well-chosen, well-timed, sincere words of praise. They’re absolutely free and worth a fortune. – Sam Walton Today’s podcast is all about embracing a culture of appreciation in your leadership! People want to feel valued and appreciated, even if it is just a […]

Get the right people on the bus, the wrong people off the bus, and the right people in the right seats. – Jim Collins Through our work in economic development, we have heard over and over again that talent is the #1 thing organizations are looking for today. In a market where everyone is looking […]

If a person doesn’t feel like they are known by the people they work for, and I mean known on a personal level, in terms of their dreams, their aspirations, what’s going on in their lives, they cannot, absolutely cannot, be fulfilled in their work. – Patrick Lencioni at Catalyst University 2015 Today, we’re talking […]

Leaders goal: Remember why you do what you do and do not allow it to be blurred by fortune, fame, pride or discouragement!  – Brian Houston Today’s podcast is about dissecting some of the tough stuff that comes along with leadership like tension, conflict and how to deal with critics. If you’re in a leadership position […]

A rising tide lifts all boats. – John F. Kennedy Today, we’re taking a slight detour from the world of leadership to discuss my personal passion – economic development. I believe everyone should care about economic development, or at least understand what it is, and here’s why: if you make the world a better place, […]

Sometimes people call me an idealist. Well, that is the way I know I am an American. America is the only idealistic nation in the world. – Woodrow Wilson As you know, we just celebrated the 4th of July, also known as America’s Independence Day. In honor of this great holiday, today’s podcast is all […]

Tell me the company you keep and I’ll tell you who you are. – Miguel de Cervantes Several years ago, I had the opportunity to have a conversation with Buzz Aldrin – the second man to ever step foot on the moon. I asked him a specific question, and his answer is where today’s podcast […]

When leaders learn and live good values, they make themselves more valuable and lift the value of other people. – John Maxwell On today’s podcast, Amanda and I take you back through a talk I gave at Catalyst University 2015. If you were in attendance at our leadership conference, today will serve as a great […]

If we really want a better world, we all have to contribute. – Malala Yousafzai Today’s podcast is all about co-leading. This topic came about from a listener question that Kendra submitted to us via email. So yes – if you have a specific question that you’d like us to discuss in further detail, please […]

Real leaders are ordinary people with extraordinary determinations. – John Seaman Garns Today’s podcast is an open leadership interview. Let me explain… In addition to leading Southwest Michigan First, I am also the managing partner of Consultant Connect, an economic development consulting firm. This year, Consultant Connect named its list of North America’s Top 50 […]