Leadership

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...

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...

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...

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.

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

The day started out as any other. A pretty normal Tuesday in fact. Put my uniform on, drove through the front gate of the Air Force base where we were assigned, and got to work. After a few minutes, it was apparent this wasn't going to be just another Tuesday... In our military, readiness exercises happen all the time to prepare for events involving natural disasters and domestic/international threats. Awareness of these exercises occurs from internal communication and is posted at the base...

So often when we think about "leadership" it becomes such a big concept we can't imagine how it might apply to us. It is easier to think that it applies only to people with bigger positions, titles, and more responsibility than we have. As a coach of mine once said: "That's stinkin' thinkin'." When we think leadership is just for those "other people" we've unconsciously decided it's not for us. That we don't have to do it. We've told ourselves what we do every day doesn't really matter. In...

In some leadership sessions recently we asked the participants what they were experiencing that might be holding back their teams. Without much hesitation, they said there was something keeping them stuck. Keeping them from collaborating the way they hoped. It's probably not what you expect. They said it was not asking for help . Seriously? Yes! This one thing reveals a number of things that work against effective collaboration. Here are two... Fear exists Poor psychological safety Fear is...