Passionate about leadership development to help others realize their full potential and on a journey to learn and grow more every day
Giving encouragement is a lot like qualifying on a military rifle range. Targets pop up quickly, and we have only seconds to hit them.
Every day, people around us do great things. This week we look at learning how to spot opportunities, take aim, and lift others up in a way that truly matters.
Be great today!
Steve
Discipline. A term we throw around a lot but one hard to define.
This Thursday guest author Benji Patton expertly explains discipline and how two Medal of Honor recipients embody the word and how we can too.
An incredible narrative from another young, up-and-coming future Army officer!
Be great today!
Steve
A key quality is project completion. We all need people around us who are going to close out a task and move to the next one, not leave uncompleted projects in their wake.
This week, we look at closing from the perspective of a Major League pitcher, and work through the four pitfalls of incompleteness.
Be great today!
Steve
Does your team “get it?” Do they truly understand the organizational vision and values?
This was a problem two-time Maximum Standard author Jon Hodgin struggled with. But with a great plan centered around process of repetition, he and his boss turned it around.
If you want to improve your culture, this article is for you!
Be great today!
Steve
Ever managed a team during chaos—or calm? From toasting hamburger buns to leading high-stakes missions, this piece explores how leadership styles shift with the environment.
Learn how the Managerial Grid can help us balance care for people with mission success—and why knowing when to flex our style truly matters.
Be great today!
Steve
This week we welcome guest author Michael Posey with an exceptional narrative on life prioritization:
We all feel stressed at times. Often, this comes from the pressure we impose on ourselves, wishing to conquer the world by taking on multiple tasks and showcasing our talents.
When I feel overwhelmed, I remember the straightforward advice given to me by Retired Vice Admiral Barry Costello…
Read more below.
According to a 2024 Gallup poll, only 21% of employees feel passionate about their work.
This week we look at a theory called the Passion Pyramid and ways to unlock motivation in employees as they go through five stages of engagement.
Be great today!
Steve
Leadership is a lifelong journey that transcends our profession’s environments and borders. No longer confined solely to work life, we need leadership skills in our families, communities, and relationships. It must be cultivated from the time we leave our childhood homes and passed on to the next generation as we practice it for decades. While this concept applies across many professions…
Keep reading about the blending of profession and life below from guest Author Evan Corman, first time writer to The Maximum Standard.
It’s one thing to read about something—it’s another thing to do it. How often do we study up on a topic but never actually experience it? In contrast, the concept of experiential learning uses studying and doing to develop increased understanding, knowledge, and skills. We learn best by performing an activity, reflecting on it, analyzing the results, and doing it again.
Last weekend, I went on a 12-mile hike. It made me realize the difference between studying something and doing something
Read more at the link below.
The Maximum Standard