This week I sang for a funeral.  It was a B- on "performance".  Definitely missed a few notes, bad breath control, had some mic issues, and the whole time I was thinking, "Father D is going to be so disappointed.  He runs a tight ship and has high expectations."

My youngest just played her first club volleyball tournament. They won eight straight matches, made the finals, and finished second. It was intense, emotional (collective effervescence, anyone?) and the right outcome for where they are. 

Got a text from a loyal reader asking when my next newsletter was coming out. I said, "This week! What lesson has been on your mind lately?" He replied, "I'm learning that when I'm frustrated with someone I need to stop thinking about what they can do different and instead think about what I can do different. It all comes down to my leadership.”

My view on things is too simplistic.  It all comes down to people.  You've got a goal?  One part of the plan isn't working and it's causing other parts to break down?  I'm going to have a very direct question for you - who owns the broken part?  Who is driving that initiative?

In just 48 hours, my family lost three people we love. Add in cancer treatments, a calendar full of end-of-year kid chaos, work pressures, and the ripple of economic instability… and I hit a wall.

5 Dysfunctions of a Team by Patrick Lencioni talks about the hallmarks of a struggling business: absence of trust, fear of conflict, lack of commitment, avoidance of accountability, and inattention to results.  

Big growth is massively compounded by great leadership, not great do-ership.  Unfortunately, the stress that accompanies growth often creates chaos and causes most leaders to throw themselves back into the weeds to get things done.  

Patrick Lencioni has a fantastic (short) book called The 5 Dysfunctions of a Team.  The first dysfunction?  The absence of trust.

Leaders often think (mistakenly) that they're supposed to have all the answers.

Satya Nadella became Microsoft's CEO in 2014, and he inherited a company marked by stagnation and a rigid culture. Nadella knew he couldn't revitalize the company on his own. "The C in CEO stands for culture, and it defines the success of every organization." 

Think of your best team members and how effortless they make your life. Now, shift focus: who's consuming your time and energy? Having a few employees consume a large amount of your mental energy is a common leadership hurdle.

People will pay thousands of dollars to have facilitators lead their important meetings.  And it is absolutely worth it at the highest level.  Why?  Because there is an art to making meetings work, and not everyone is capable of it. 

Too often leaders go into the conversation and make a withdrawal from the bank account, not realizing they are bankrupt.  Go into every conversation assuming you're poor and you need to make a deposit. 

I’ve spent many years helping leaders hit their goals, and I’ve learned one very important lesson - accountability cannot happen without a specific goal.

To put it in sportsball language for my football fans - nailing my job is like handing people such a crystal clear playbook that it revolutionizes their entire communication game.

In 2005 I was stationed on the carrier to the right - the USS George Washington.  Last weekend we took our daughters on a "nostalgia tour" of Norfolk, VA, where we got to see her in port.  It was  a very special moment and it brought back a lot of intense memories.

I went to an event with 80+ business owners last week and I decided to lean into my uncomfortable super power - asking intense questions in a 1 on 1 setting.  

I was at Walmart this week and couldn't find a single cart inside.  I walked back out in the blazing heat to get one, and when I walked back into the store, I saw 5 team members standing around within view.  I asked them who was getting the carts refilled.  They said "The cart people all called out today.  We don't have anyone to do it."

Small choices + consistency + time = significant results.