Passionate about leadership development to help others realize their full potential and on a journey to learn and grow more every day
The 2026 NCAA March Madness tournament has narrowed from the 68 teams that started to the Final Four. It has been amazing to watch, knowing that any team, on any given day, can win one of these games. Life is a lot like that. Sometimes we just have to put ourselves out there and try things in which we may not succeed.
This week, we talk about the three big lessons from this year’s tournament, and impress the need for us all to get out on that court and play!
Be great today!
Steve
Last weekend, I wandered the hallowed grounds of Gettysburg. What struck me as I learned more about the battle was how the past informs the future.
Dwight Eisenhower understood this. He came to Gettysburg as a Cadet in 1915, then faced the same challenges during D-Day as some of the 1863 commanders faced.
This week we explore how Pickett’s Charge and D-Day were eerily similar, and how we need to be students of the past to help in future decisions.
Be great today!
Steve
A Nazi guard ripped out the lining of his coat, seized his manuscript, and threw years of intellectual labor into the fire. In that moment, Viktor Frankl had a choice. He could mentally give up on living or choose to wake every day to recreate his life’s work.
Frankl’s Man’s Search for Meaning is a glimpse into both the best and worst of human behavior. After reading the book (highly recommend), this week we contemplate our purpose in life, why to get out of bed in the morning, and link Frankl’s experience to the Stoics.
Be great today!
Steve
Would you want to sit next to yourself on a bus? That’s the question we ask ourselves today, or to phrase it differently: Are you likable?
Pulling from a social scientist, a podcaster, and Dale Carnegie, we take a look at what makes people exceptionally likable, and how we can be more that way as well.
Being likable is a superpower that we all have the ability to influence. We just have to want it.
Be great today!
Steve
There are countless books on how to lead when we’re in charge… how about when we’re not?
Guest author, Joe McAlarnen, joins us today to talk about leading through “the squish,” the ambiguous middle where leadership is required, but we aren’t officially in charge.
We’ve all been there, and his three categories on mastering the squish are a must for all of us with all the responsibility yet none of the authority.
Be great today!
Steve
Raise your hand if you love meetings. Hmmm, no takers I see.
I agree. It’s never fun to sit in a meeting when we could be productive, but when done right, meetings are a powerful tool to move the organization in a positive direction.
This week we look at the four types of meetings that every organization needs. When we use them right, they are a force for good, instead of a point of frustration.
Be great today!
Steve
The Maximum Standard