Monthly Archives: February 2026

This week, new author to The Maximum Standard, Jerel Foster takes us to the airport.

Have you ever watched someone attempt to board with their authorized one carry-on, but actually has an illegal four? This is representative of his ingenious “Carry-on Bag Theory,” where he highlights the importance of everyone playing by the rules, especially when left unchecked.

This clever narrative observes shoppers leaving carts in the parking lot and travelers making carry-on bag violations, and he argues why organizations must correct this by enforcing rules.

This is a lesson we all need to hear.

Be great today!

Steve

What’s your chronotype?

A chronotype is the natural inclination that we all have to sleep, eat, exercise, and engage best during certain parts of the day. There are generally four types: lion, bear, wolf, and dolphin.

If we know our type, we know when we’re most productive during the day. The real question is, are we ignoring this information or harnessing its power?

Read more to capitalize on this important concept.

Be great today!

Steve

RJ Johnson returns today with an incredible narrative on trust. He compares trust in an organization to a bucket that is filled and emptied. This metaphor is incredibly appropriate for any workplace.

My favorite line: “Here is the uncomfortable truth. Most organizations say they value trust but operate on fear.” He then goes on to help us improve.

Thanks, RJ!

Be great today!

Steve

I have a new rallying cry at work: Never eat lunch at your desk.

This past month, I’ve been inviting people to the common area to break bread, and we found that it builds relationships, increases happiness, and makes us more productive.

If you’re looking for a simple work hack to improve your day, this article is for you!

Be great today!

Steve

So what?

These two words are a powerful enabler that allows us to explore issues more deeply. When used right, it professionally challenges those around us to solve problems more effectively.

This morning, Alex Le joins us as a guest author to explain the question we all need to ask more. This exceptional leader with a background of military and educational experience delivers a strong narrative to use “So what” in a useful way.

Be great today!

Steve

Have you heard of Schrodinger’s Cat? I haven’t until this week. But what it taught me was profound!

I learned that we can live in a state of being both right and wrong, and not even know it. Often, it’s a communication problem. We explore some simple remedies in this article to help mitigate our issues.

If you haven’t yet, try the podcast version of this message in the car next time. Audio is at the top of the article.

Be great today!

Steve

How do we transform individual people with all their different backgrounds and biases into one cohesive team? Today, Sean Elwin and Jacob Pattison address this challenge.

Through the lens of basic training, recruitment techniques, and the Heterogeneity Dilemma, these two excellent authors help us all build teams by focusing on culture.

This is Sean’s third article and Jacob’s second. Send us a note if you want to write one as well – we have editors standing by.

Be great today!

Steve

Humans have a tendency to make snap judgments about others based on initial impressions. How do I know? Because I do it all the time.

There’s a scientific name for this: the halo and the horn effect. We assign halos to people based on perceived positive appearances, and devilish horns to those we judge as having negative appearances.

This is dangerous as a story from my initial military training will demonstrate. We all do this, and you won’t want to miss this article.

Be great today!

Steve