John Maxwell said “A leader is great, not because of his or her power, but because of his or her ability to empower others.” 

What does that mean?      

We’re so glad you asked.   

We often hear that effective leadership requires bold decisions and behavior.  However, servant leadership principles tend to illustrate a very different type of leader from what most people are accustomed to.  While we don’t disagree with the premise that leaders need to be bold, we want to look at the term through a different lens in this episode.   

Why are we still so afraid of conflict? Why do we assume the mere presence of conflict is always negative?

When it comes to addressing conflict, there is an immediate assumption that the conversation/interaction will go poorly and possibly lead to something much worse.

Nothing describes a late summer day in Central Pennsylvania better than the three H’s…hazy, hot and humid.  But what do the three H’s have to do with leadership? 

When is the last time you paused and gave thanks for the things in your life that you know to be true and good?   

There is growing research on the multitude of benefits associated with gratitude.  From physical benefits such as the ability to lower stress and create better sleep habits, to psychological benefits like increased satisfaction and resilience; implementing a regular practice of gratitude can have a significant impact on our lives.  

When is the last time you paused and gave thanks for the things in your life that you know to be true and good?   

There is growing research on the multitude of benefits associated with gratitude.  From physical benefits such as the ability to lower stress and create better sleep habits, to psychological benefits like increased satisfaction and resilience; implementing a regular practice of gratitude can have a significant impact on our lives.  

“We have found that by reaching for what appears to be the impossible, we often actually do the impossible; and even when we don’t quite make it, we inevitably wind up doing much better than we would have done.” -Jack Welch

Author and professor, Adam Grant, recently wrote an article in the New York Times. In the article, Grant discusses a concept which centers on the “stagnation and emptiness” that many are feeling as a result of the pandemic and other current stressors. He refers to this aimless feeling as languishing. (You can find a link to the article below.)

As more people become vaccinated and states continue to ease restrictions, many businesses are formulating a plan for how to bring employees back to the office, make work from home permanent, or adopt some type of hybrid model as their new normal.

Does love have a valid place in leadership? We say, absolutely yes! In fact, effective servant leadership cannot exist without love. Then why does the term not hold its rightful place in the leadership vernacular alongside concepts like compassion, empathy and respect? Well, it starts with how the word love is defined in this case.

A great thinker, Ferris Bueller, once said “Life moves pretty fast. If you don’t stop and look around once in a while you could miss it.” If only Ferris knew how fast life would move in 2021 compared to 1986.

While the world continues to get faster and faster, we are submitting a campaign for slowing down. One of the problems we as humans face is an inability to react both quickly and rationally….consistently.

Would you like your compliment sandwich on white, wheat, or rye? 

We’ll politely decline the sandwich overall and instead ask for a slow-cooked plate of relationship building, a side of trust, and we’ll finish it off with a tall glass of praise.

How well do leaders really know themselves? Many like to think they are excellent communicators or attentive listeners. Yet, the true numbers are usually much lower when leaders are pressed for additional insights and examples. So why the disconnect between those who think they are and those who actually are?