I played bocce ball for the first time last week. It's hosted by the Italian Club of Dallas (Yes, there is one!). It was a blast. I learned a lot about life that night. We played at a country club. Somehow someone convinced a country club in Texas to convert their clay tennis courts to bocce ball courts. That's influence! We were playing with one of the members of the club. At some point, he asked if I was a member. I said no. He said, "We need to change that." So often we ask … [Read more...]
Remembering a friend
August 6, 2011 by
I lost a friend today. I walked in to the gym this afternoon. A placard was standing there. It had his picture in it. It was him. He lost a battle with cancer. He'd fought for 3 years. I met him once, 3 years ago. He came to my wedding. I don't remember saying more than 5 words to him. I remember his face. It shone with joy and kindness. I was planning on writing about the frustration, anger and disappointment we create for ourselves when we live in … [Read more...]
Redefine accountability
August 3, 2011 by
Early in our marriage, Jen told me that she wanted the truth about everything. I'd give her the truth. She'd get angry and react. I'd stop giving the truth. She'd get angry and react. I told her that if she wanted me to be committed to revealing the truth, I needed her to be committed to not giving a negative reaction. I'm human. I will take the path of least resistance. My wife being pissed at me is not that path. Lying is. An account is defined as a report or description of an … [Read more...]
Live for what’s at stake
August 2, 2011 by
I love steak. I wouldn't know I loved it if I hadn't ever smelled or tasted a steak. I wouldn't love steak because I wouldn't know steak. Jen was telling me about a girl she's friendly with. The friend comes off as aloof and distant. Jen's learning that the girl thinks that people won't want to talk to her if she talks. So she doesn't talk. People think she's aloof and distant. They don't talk to her. She gets what she expects. She doesn't get what she wants or needs. I'm that … [Read more...]
The Secret about Trust
August 1, 2011 by
Want to find out if you can trust someone? Trust them. You'll find out. Start off small. Build trust as they prove you right for trusting them in the first place. Related articles Improve Your Trust Building Odds (pt5.psychologytoday.com) Trust Issues at Work? Don't Be an Ostrich (leaderchat.org) … [Read more...]
How to build more powerful relationships.
July 28, 2011 by
Relationships. I read a lot about relationships. Apparently, they're important. In sales, people prefer to buy from those they trust. In leadership, people prefer to follow those they trust. Trust requires a relationship. The root of the word relationship is relate. The word 'relate' comes from a word that means "to bring". Are you bringing yourself to your relationships? Relationships are built on the cornerstone of revelation. We relate to what's revealed. The more that is … [Read more...]
“Like” is a four letter word
July 26, 2011 by
We live a "Like" button world. It's easy to sell ourselves short when our likability is more important than our integrity. Be careful what you do to be liked. You might fall short. … [Read more...]
Here’s A High Value Proposition
July 25, 2011 by
Thirty years ago we had 1 hour of national news a day. We had 3 stations to choose from. We watched either Cronkite, Chancellor or Reasoner at 7pm (East Coast) on ABC, CBS, or NBC. If you watched TV at 7pm, you were probably watching the news. Nothing else was on. There was competition between the national news organizations at 7pm. There weren't many outside competitive threats because the choice was news or news. The competition that existed drove up quality. The news outlets … [Read more...]
