To Serve well

Serving with Excellence for a Life of Excellence

Leadership

I want to be the best

blog_716543_2773928_1441318920“I wanted to be the best, not the best female.”  Another great quote from the Women Who Mean Business luncheon last Friday.   Isn’t that great? Isn’t that how we should be thinking?  We want to be the best person God designed us to be, using OUR GIFTS, OUR CONTRIBUTIONS…

It’s so interesting to me, that no matter what your age, our society wants to compare and contrast against others. This happens in the school yard, the work place and even the nursing home.   My mom can tell you stories!

While there may be some merit in comparisons to some degree, the truth is, we all have unique passions and interests that drive us to achieve our personal best.

Today, I wanted to give my readers this simple thought.

How can I use my passions and talent to be MY BEST to serve others? 

Leadership Lessons from the SANDLOT Part 3

blog_714367_2769883_1440557299FOR-EV-ER is a long time!  How do you want the “movie of your life” to be remembered?  It’s Sunday- a great day to evaluate that-  Like Sandlot,  I’m sure your life is loaded with memories of feeling like “Smalls” and moments where you were on top of your game like “Benny” – I hope that you’ve had a lot of laughs along the way and that you can look back and smile and that your “team or tribe” like the Sandlot team,  has made you a better person.

So what does your life’s movie look like SO FAR?   I like the idea of “a few easy steps” or something I can easily walk through without taking a day off and locking myself in a room to get my thoughts quiet and come up with a good plan.  So, at the risk of making this far too simplistic, here is some thinking around that to get you thinking about your life as a movie….

  1. Who are characters that are worthy of being in your story?
  2. What is the main plot? The gifts you’ve been given that make up YOUR STORY- How is the dialogue playing out?  Is it offering the maximum emotional impact?  Drawing in the audience you want?  Connecting with those you hope to connect with?
  3. What is the one thing – “the climax” – you want to be known for?

BONUS- We can’t forget a great movie, has great music!  What does your soundtrack look like?  I love me a bit of ABBA, Kenny Chesney, Sugarland, Lionel Richie and of course Rick Springfield, Kid Rock, and Bon Jovi.  (So much pressure to this list, I’M MISSING SO MANY!)

DOUBLE BONUS- EDITING!  A movie CANNOT be great without AMAZING EDITING!  Get that proverbial red pen out and edit out all of those memories, moments, and embarrassing decisions (including bad hair and clothing decisions…)- that DO NOT BELONG on the BIG SCREEN and possibly not even in your memory bank! They can make the bloopers reel, for the purposes of laughing only!

My prayer is that you all have a terrific week.  Make it count!  I count you among my blessings!

Leadership Lessons from the SANDLOT Part 2

blog_714365_2769877_1440554380Does everyone remember “Smalls”?   Smalls was the new kid on the block and he was trying to find his way into this new world, and it’s obvious he’s lived a sheltered life until now.  In this clip, “Ham” is frustrated with “Smalls” for his lack of knowledge of what tobacco is- What’s great about it, is that we all feel like Ham, probably a few times a week- heck, maybe even a few times a day- It goes like this:

Lori: “Hey Chris, can you check out this blog I found on the new consumer?”
Chris: “What’s a blog?  I’m not on social media.”
Lori: “You’re killing me smalls!”  (seriously, you are going to admit that?)

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Frustration is perfectly normal and a natural part of our world, but with all that’s going on in our lives, it sometimes pushes us over the edge.  Today, I’ve focused a few key leadership and life lessons on frustration and how to best deal with the “Smalls” in our life:

Leadership and Life

Lesson 1: You can learn something from everyone!
This is one thing I have found to be a highlight of my life.  It seems to make no difference if you are talking to a street cleaner, an older sunday school teacher, a taxi cab driver, or a physician, there is something to learn.  We all have been given gifts and if you listen and are open, everyone will teach you something.

Lesson 2: People can be UNKIND, love them anyway!
The infamous quote about “walking in someone elses moccasins” is really true.  We have to remember that everyone we encounter in a day has their own set of challenges they are dealing with – We usually won’t know what they are, but remember that and BE KIND despite the fact that people can sometimes truly not make any sense to us and in general seem to be out to get us or at minimum ruin our day… Love them anyway.

Lesson 3: It’s not personal!
When the people and situations around us don’t make sense and heighten our frustration, get our heart beating faster than it should when you aren’t working out….remember it’s not usually personal.  When I was younger, I would always think it was something I did.  I have learned in my middle-age  (haha) that almost 100 percent of the time I was not the genesis of their frusration and problem.  So, take a deep breath and move on.

After all… you can’t be the Sultant of Swat, or the Colossus of CLOUT if you are letting frustrations overwhelm you! I hope you all have an amazing day!

blog_714365_2769451_1440554380

Leadership Lessons from the SANDLOT

blog_714055_2769450_1440462539
“HE STARED DOWN THE BEAST!
BENNY “THE JET” RODRIGUEZ- COURAGEOUS and KIND! MY KIND OF LEADER!

This has to be one of the best movies of all time…period!  The boys and I had this series on VCR and then DVD and unfortunately now I think those are scratched beyond repair. (NO AMOUNT OF TOOTHPASTE to undo the scratches-  Scratches mean a DVD was LOVED A LOT ALONG THE WAY!)

What’s not to love?  Right?  The movie meets all of my requirements:

  • Hysterical with a touch of drama
  • Diverse characters who don’t take themselves too seriously
  • Leadership lessons galore hidden in the plot
I love this excerpt, because it gives us a great view of BENNY’S courage!

He stared down The Beast. HE STARED DOWN THE BEAST. He could’ve died. The rest of the team begged him not to hop the fence. They called it a suicide mission, and it really was, and even if it actually wasn’t, it was to them, and that’s all that matters. They begged him and they begged him. No matter. Greatness can’t be begged into being ordinary any easier than you can beg the sun not to go down. It had to happen. And so it did. Benny will never die.

Before I go into a few lessons for us to pick up and use on our journey today, let’s just say that BEFORE THERE WAS COURAGE and a team that had this level of support for their leader, there was a lot of KINDNESS SHOWN!

Benny Rodriguez befriended Scottie and gave him his old glove, his old hat, some advice, and an invitation to play at the sandlot with all of the neighborhood guys.  What could have been a miserable summer for the new and slightly awkward Scottie, became more than likely one of his top memories.

With such a simple message really, what can we take away TODAY that MATTERS:

Some cool leadership lessons:

  1. BE KIND– Really, go out of your way to be kind- Benny took the time to welcome the new kid- to make him feel a part of the team.  Who can you do this for today?  I am 100 percent sure that each of us can step out of our “zone” and be kind. As a result, you will become a better leader and if you do it often enough, you will likely become appreciated and respected as Benny was. BE KIND.
  2. DO THE EXTRAORDINARY– Benny and the SANDLOT team PUT IN THE HOURS-day after day-  They took their “motley crew” and built a team that pushed each other and cared for each other.  Their team was diverse with all skill levels welcome and appreciated, I might add. DO THE EXTRAORDINARY BY PUTTING IN THE TIME NEEDED FACE TO FACE TO BUILD YOUR TEAM. LEARN THEIR SKILLSETS, GIFTS, OFFERINGS, and MAXIMIZE THOSE!
  3. HAVE COURAGE–  Follow Benny’s lead-  Show UP and STARE DOWN THE BEAST.  With or without your team watching, take the tough decisions HEAD ON!  YOU CAN DO IT!

The Capabilities of Wonder Woman

What blog_682074_2730034_1435426377are your greatest capabilities?  What DOES that even mean?  What do you bring to the table? Do you you know what your personal value proposition is?

I know my number one – Culture Building.  Yours may be financial genius or being an operational master, or even being the Wonder Woman of customer service.  Whatever it is, how can you use your God given capability to improve our world?
What one idea can you start today that would point in the direction of maximizing that skill?

For me, I need to reach out to others today and offer encouragement so that our project can gain some ground and those involved will continue to engage well.  

Mentor someone you may learn something.

blog_682060_2730030_1435427500I love learning from young professionals!

One of the advantages of mentoring is that you are often the one who learns a thing or two. I know I have. I have had the opportunity to connect with several professionals over the years, but these young professionals are special.

Jacob Wayman
Boldness- Step out of your comfort zone and create your path.  TAKE ACTION.

Diana Chaloux
WOW- Passion- You are NOT too young to publish, to create, to inspire-SHARE your STORY early and often. 

Take some time today to dial up one of those you mentor. If you don’t mentor someone, stop what you are doing and create that opportunity.  It will change your life. 

Relational Leadership

I love building relationships with those I serve.  I count those I serve as anyone I engage with — Fellow Colleagues, Community Partners, the Janitor, and even the Taxi Driver.

Today I spent the day with one of our leaders who gets this in a BIG WAY even as he has risen quickly through the ranks into an important role. On the way to our meeting he placed numerous follow up calls.

With each, he spent time to ask about their family.  He stopped to have a short conversation with everyone we encountered, including the individual that happened to stop by the front desk.  He demonstrated that he genuinely cared… And guess what… He really does.

Leadership reminder — Genuinely engage and build relationships. 

The Brilliant Minds of an Artist, a Corporate Leader turned Entrepreneur, and a Millennial.

I love hearing the stories of everyday people.  Today I would like to highlight a few remarkable folks that remind me of why it is so valuable in life to savor the moments.  These moments are easy to gloss over, but if we listen, we will improve our lives and add true joy.

An Artist – Phil Epp www.philepp.com
This guy is seriously cool.  A homegrown Kansas boy from Newton Kansas who started to paint on his farm as a creative outlet.  He is down to earth as you might expect, and when you pull into his long winding driveway, you realize he’s truly “everybody’s favorite uncle.”

Although some of his contemporary work is hauntingly cool, Phil’s paintings primarily depict a version of the breathtaking Kansas sky and serene farmland shots. Two favorites of mine include an old fashioned train box car and a large gathering tent under a falling night sky. They both illicit thoughts that stray in many directions.

I love people like Phil. He is kind, gentle and his contribution to society is downright remarkable.  His kindred spirit demonstrates that he truly cares deeply about his work. If you are in Kansas City, I recommend you take in his work is at the Overland Park Convention Center and the Leopold Gallery in Brookside.

A Corporate Guy turned Entrepreneur – Mike Miller – www.beforte.com
Mike is a brilliant mind, a solid Christian, an amazing family man and husband, and a great contributor to the community.

Mike and I met this morning so that I could extract some of his BRILLIANT “mind” and learn.  Have you ever left a meeting feeling energized and refreshed?  You wonder why did that happen when so many times you just feel drained.

Mike left a corporate career and has transitioned into an entrepreneur who is using the gifts God gave him to “spread his brilliance.”  Honestly, Mike doesn’t care about his brilliance, he cares deeply about youspreading YOUR BRILLIANCE.  That my friend is his gift and why I left ENERGIZED.  We need more Mikes.

A Millennial – Jacob Wayman – www.jacobwayman.com
I love Millennials, especially Jacob.  I hired Jacob as an intern for FREE when I was the CEO of Kansas City Internal Medicine.  Jacob gets it now and he definitely got it then (when he accepted a job that paid zero in cash, but led to an endless supply of guidance and inspiration.)

Often in life you have to put in “sweat equity”- which means you have to put in the time, the energy, and sometimes the tears to learn and learn well. Those periods in our lives prepare us for WORK THAT IS MEANINGFUL and fulfilling.

The time spent investing our minds and hours into learning is time well spent.  The younger generation that “gets this” will be the ones who RISE TO THE TOP. I am confident Jacob will. You should follow him onLinkedIn!

Engage Well

blog_682038_2730023_1432573319Many employers focus on employee engagement as a measure of their success.  If you are a leader, employee engagement requires some effort as teams are becoming more and more diverse and unpredictable.

So how well do you engage? What steps should you be taking to engage well?

  1. Know your team. Know them well and let them know you.
  2. Exercise your follow up skills. Your team needs to be heard and they often need you to move their work forward.
  3. Share the ‘whys.’ It’s a basic human need to know why we are moving in a certain direction.  Paint the big picture and they are more likely to move forward with you.