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Leadership

"Cheesy" Advice

On some recent trips, my wife was administering health screenings at two of the factories in the largest cheese-manufacturing company in the world, Leprino Foods has 5,500 employees in 19 locations around the globe. You've probably eaten their product without even knowing. Hang on to your organizational health hats! One of the leaders in this area, Patrick Lencioni, would be proud! Back to my wife's experience... Her time at their factories was very similar despite the locations being far...

Mental Resilience

Thought you might enjoy a Yogi Berra quote to start... "Baseball is 90% mental and the other half is physical." Too funny and makes a great point. Life is a constant mental challenge. And we know, heaven or hell, it's between our ears. As you ponder what it will take for you to become more mentally resilient, here are some things to consider. "I don't count my sit-ups; I only start counting when it starts hurting because they're the only ones that count." -Muhammad Ali When the going gets...

Plate full?

There has never been another person like you on the planet...ever. And, there won't ever be another person like you again...ever. Inherently then, everything you do is unique. So why do we fill our lives like a Thanksgiving plate? Yes, we have many responsibilities that all need looking after. What we're talking about is YOUR unique contribution to this world. If your "plate" is an inch deep and a mile wide (like your Thanksgiving plate) it's hard to know where your focus should go. You're...

Growth!

The hardest part of leadership development is behavior change. It's hard, not impossible. Haven't met a single person who isn't capable of interpersonal behavior change. We all can do it! Step #1 is awareness. If we're not aware we can't put efforts in place to make meaningful growth happen. Feedback is the breakfast of Champions! Step #2 is don't be so hard on yourself. We will all mess up. Great leadership is allowing people to fail but not allowing them to feel like a failure along the...

They showed up...

Veterans Day always falls on November 11 of each year. This date was chosen to commemorate the anniversary of the end of World War 1, which occured at the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month in 1918. Much of the world, especially Europe, recognized this date as Armistice Day. They Showed Up The veterans of the Revolutionary War showed up with flintlock hunting rifles. The day after Pearl Harbor, brave citizens showed up to wait in long lines at recruiting stations for World War II.

UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND: FCS Program Leader (Principal Agent and Assistant Director)

Job Post Here: https://ejobs.umd.edu/postings/113812 Colleagues and friends, I just want to float this job announcement to the top of your emails. The University of Maryland Extension (UME), within the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources (AGNR) seeks a nationally recognized leader in Extension, outreach, and scholarship to serve as Assistant Director and Program Leader (AD/PL) for Family & Consumer Sciences (FCS) . This position provides leadership and direction for UME’s FCS...

6-words

On a trip to Delhi, India we had the privilege to stay at a really nice hotel. A really impressive place where the experience began as soon as we arrived. They treated everyone very well and you could feel everyone loved their job. The staff interacted great with each other. The were a team! One evening during dinner I asked what made being at this place feel so special. Their reply was; "We all live by 6 words. People first, wow now, and excellence always." Curious, I asked them to explain...

How do you want to be remembered?

During a recent workshop we did a connection exercise where participants chose a question to discuss with others at their tables. When visiting the tables one of the folks was sharing their take on how they wanted to be remembered. It was very moving and inspirational. They asked me if I'd answer the same question. Here's the story I shared with them... When we were stationed in Japan my father's health was declining. Just a few years earlier he had recovered from an impossible amount of...

A T T I T U D E

During my senior year in High School, we were fortunate to play in the football state playoffs. Throughout the experience, at home or away games, signs hung up in our locker room with this saying... If you think you are beaten, you are. If you think you dare not, you don't. If you'd like to win but think you can't, it's almost certain you won't. Life's battles don't always go to the stronger or faster man, but sooner or later, the man who wins is the man who thinks he can. We made it to the...

2024 National Urban Extension Conference - Early Registration Ending Soon

Early Registration Ending Soon (October 31,2023) Register Now and don’t forget to book your room at https://book.passkey.com/e/50633971 . If you are planning on coming early or staying later that the conference dates, please call the hotel at 615-255-8400. The Call for Presentation Proposals are still open. More detailed info including draft schedule can be found under the Register Now link.

"Hot" for Change!

Imagine you're making popcorn on the stove. You heat the oil and put in the kernels. Too little heat and the kernels don't pop. Too much heat and the popcorn isn't edible because it's burned. Just the right amount of heat makes a yummy treat! Heat is the catalyst for change. It's the same for our teams and organizations. You're in the regular weekly update meeting and the boss checks in on how everyone is doing with the newly installed system-wide software. One team member speaks up and says...

Treat each other with L.O.V.E.

A team we worked with was doing well except for a couple of team members who didn't get along very well. At the end of their time with us, we asked how their relationship was going. Particularly we asked if they could trust the other person. One of them replied "yes". Initially, we were excited about their progress! They continued to say they could trust them to be a jerk. What?! After some follow-up questions, we learned the behaviors they exhibited to this team member supported predictive...

GUEST POST: How to Fix the Workplace Through a Culture of Voluntary Influence

By Don Shapiro President, First Concepts Consultants, Inc. University Extension faces the same challenges today as any organization where a group of people are working together to accomplish something significant. You’re challenged with issues such as retention, burnout, managing change, leadership, and collaboration. Each one of these has a huge impact on how well you carry out your mission and serve your communities and constituents. Leadership stands out on this list because it’s not just...

ICYMI: NTAE Year 4 "Showcase"!

The NTAE Year 4 "Showcase" was truly informative, and inspiring! We enjoyed celebrating the great partnership we have with Oklahoma State University and are also proud of all the project teams, catalysts, key informants, and mentors who made it so successful! We would like to thank all the teams who shared their experiences with us! If you were unable to join us you can watch the showcase video HERE . We would love to have anyone (especially project teams) who has been part of the success of...

How to be a leadership "boss"

My first real job where there was a paycheck was at 13 years old at a local pizza joint. It was "the" pizza joint in town run by a graduate of the college where my parents both taught. This meant it was okay to work there as they trusted him. Most of the kids in Branson, MO worked over the summer because it was (and still is) a huge tourist destination. Despite being busy with camps and sports we found a few hours to earn a little money each summer. If you could do it someplace that taught...

About the Extension Foundation

This website is supported in part by New Technologies for Ag Extension (funding opportunity no. USDA-NIFA-OP-010186), grant no. 2023-41595-41325 from the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture. Any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this publication are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the view of the U.S. Department of Agriculture or the Extension Foundation. For more information, please visit extension.org. You can view the terms of use at extension.org/about/terms.

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