attitude – Page 5

Purpose

The Moments We Must Stand Alone

We walk through life with the people we love. We bring them along. They uphold us when we are weak. They carry us when we can?t go on anymore. They are there with us. Except in the moments we must stand alone. In these moments of truth, do we have the courage to stand on […]

Leadership

10 Point Leadership Diagnostic Tool

When patients come into my clinic with a medical complaint, I go through a mental checklist to diagnose their condition and provide treatment. If a 55-year-old male, who is a smoker with high blood pressure and diabetes, comes in with a complaint of chest pain, I first rule out a heart condition, then lung disease, […]

Personal Development

How Daring Have You Been?

At the end of June of this year, during my 2014 mid-year self-review, I uncovered something interesting. I had listed every activity, decision, or notable occurrence that had happened in the last six months. I listed people I met with, mentors I talked to, trips I took, and activities at work, among others. There were […]

Purpose

The Chapters of Life

Shortly after the end of the Civil War, the highly regarded commander of the defeated Confederacy, Robert E. Lee, was visiting a Kentucky woman at her estate. She commented on a beautiful old tree that was dying due to the Union?s bombardment. She asked the General what she should do with this ailing tree, alluding […]

Leadership

How To Take Advice

We all love to give advice. Taking advice?well, that’s a different story. It can be difficult to hear about areas in our lives that may not be exemplary. So while we intend to listen, we internally and sometimes vocally resist. We interrupt, defend, or protest. We explain our position and clarify our perception. Eventually the […]

Leadership

Don?t Let Your Hurt Poison Your Heart

Absorb your pain and transform it; don’t transmit it. Don’t let your hurt poison your heart.? I recently posted this statement on our?Aspire Facebook page, and one person commented, ?How do you do that?? Good question. Most people in prison come from broken homes with pasts full of misery. We see this often. The abused […]

Leadership

Are You a Moody Leader?

We don?t have the luxury as leaders to be overtaken by our emotions, to surrender to our feelings, or to let our moods dictate our thoughts and color our actions. People depend on us to be steady, to be of sound mind, to be calm and collected, to be reliable. Erratic leaders are poor leaders. […]

Purpose

Three Beautiful Words That Can Change Your Life

There are a few words that I absolutely cherish. Like a pearl oyster, these words contain a gem. They contain beauty and healing. Great leadership is born of the heart. ?And these three words are all heart. Magnanimity. Grace. Love.? At their core, these words paint a soothing portrait for the soul. I challenge you, […]

Productivity

How To Discuss?Not Argue?The Issues

Most discussions I see follow a traditionally confrontational approach, more akin to a wrestling match than a civil exchange of ideas. I believe there is a better way to talk with one another than to constantly battle and defend our positions. If you would like to have more productive verbal exchanges with others, you may […]

Leadership

How To Build a Second Mile Organization

You want your people to smile, welcome your customers, and be friendly and courteous, right? As the leader, I am sure you do. And you should. These gestures are what I call going the first mile. This is the basic treatment that customers expect. And there is a lot of competition in the first mile. […]