Category: Personal Development
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If You Want to Be a Great Leader, Act Like You Are Arthritic
Leadership discipline means staying consistent with what works—even when it’s hard. I’m not being flippant with this title. This is a real lesson from my life that any leader can use to improve performance and build consistency. I’m 58 as of this writing… ooof. Aches and pains come with the territory. So does arthritis. Most…
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The Failure of Failure: Why Great Leaders Must Embrace Setbacks to Succeed
The more you try to do, the more you will fail. Actually, let me rephrase: the more you try to do great things, the more you will fail. Pursuing greatness means progress will be slow. It will take longer than you want, and along the way, it will often feel like failure. No matter how…
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The Leadership Lessons Every Parent Must Know
As parents, we often overlook a fundamental truth: Parenting is your most important leadership role. It’s a role that doesn’t end. From the day you become a parent, you are a leader for life. And the way you lead at home will have a lasting impact on your children. Leadership Starts from Within The foundation…
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How Leaders Can Boost Productivity by Breaking Social Media Habits
When you do something over and over again, it becomes a habit. Eventually, these habits become second nature—we often don’t even realize we’re doing them. Depending on the habit, this can be good or bad. Some habits make us healthy, productive, and wealthy, while others do the opposite. For many business owners, executives, and leaders,…
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How Navy SEALs Foster Independent Thinkers, Not Robots
Do you work with a team of independent thinkers? Before a Navy SEAL Platoon deploys overseas, they undergo an intense pre-deployment workup period lasting anywhere from 12 to 24 months. This training prepares them for all aspects of warfare as a platoon, ensuring they are ready for any situation. Sometimes, this preparation leads to combat,…
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It’s Election Season: Control Your Own Space
I believe in a very basic premise of leadership and the pursuit of personal excellence; Great leaders, and extraordinary people, solve problems and have a positive influence on their environment while doing so. Many can do neither, some can do one without the other. The extraordinary do both at the same time. These people have…
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Anniversary Lessons
Being a Navy SEAL and an FBI special agent were exciting jobs that taught me many lessons of leadership and personal excellence that I now share with people around the world. There is nothing quite like a dangerous Navy SEAL operation or FBI investigation story to capture someone’s attention and bring home, with complete clarity,…
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It’s All About the Transition
I talk a lot about my time in the SEAL teams, FBI, combat situations and all the leadership lessons I’ve learned a lot, having been in the very stressful situations these professions present. But remember, I’m a yogi as well and I can hug a tree with the best of them. This past week I’ve…
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Carpe diem! Seize the day!
It sounds a little too aggressive for Mental Health Awareness Month, doesn’t it? But it’s not, if we change our framing around the term and bring it directly to mental health, which we are going to do. But first, a story. I spent over 20 years suffering from a traumatic brain injury that I didn’t…
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The Hard Gifts of Giving
The season of giving is here! It’s my favorite time of year, the time when even people who don’t feel quite up to it do their level best to put on a happy face, say hello, merry Christmas and happy holidays. It’s also a time for people to give. They give gifts, money and even…