Sometimes I Just Ramble

·         One bucket list item for me would be to visit where the American forces invaded Normandy.

·         In my career, I have seen a lot of kids get out of a car for summer camp with a Mountain Dew and a Snicker Bar for breakfast. We should exhaust all resources to get our kids healthy.

·         20 years ago, people said soccer would take over. I think soccer is on the decline and lacrosse is climbing.

·         Alice from the Brady Bunch was like part of my family.

·         I challenged my son to not watch any stupid movies for a year – Hangover, 22 Jump Street, etc. Watch movies with an actual story line. He just laughed.

·         I wonder what history will say about Edward Snowden and Bowe Bergdahl in 50 years?

·         I am not sure that today’s NBA players could play if referees truly called walking and carrying the ball.

·         As crazy as I think my dad and father in law are, I have a great appreciation for them on father’s day!

·         I like bourbon, and I would love to taste the ultra-expensive Pappy Van Winkles, but I am not sure my palate is good enough to taste the dollar difference. I’ll just stick with Makers Mark. (I do want to taste the $40 bottle of Defiant Whiskey made in Rutherford County.)

·         The Spurs are proving that TEAM BALL wins. When they pass 5 times they always get an open shot.

·         Dwayne Wade =Tonto or Robin

·         Our country has some serious mental health issues that we need to address. I have no earthly idea how to start, but I do know putting our head in the sand is not the answer.

·         I miss Maya Angelou.

·         Are you a Mentor or a Mentee?

·         There is never an easy way to deliver the bad news.

·         If you are young and you want to be successful, spend time around successful people and find out where they made mistakes.

·         Technology is supposed to help us, but it still takes too long to join the Y or sign up for a program!

·         Do you ever feel that things are going so good that something bad is about to happen just too even things out?

·         I can’t remember how long ago it was but I said I would never pay for bottled water. Pppsssshh.

·         I love a quiet and clear night, small fire and just looking at airplanes and stars.

·         In order to be a better father, we need to understand that we are sons first.

Leadership is Hard

I heard a group of people talking about their boss this week and this is what they said:

“He is a caring and compassionate man.”

“He loves his family, he loves his staff and he thinks of his staff like they are family.”

“He wakes up every day wanting to inspire people and do great things”

“His people are so loyal. They would do anything to protect him.”

“He provides the right balance of idealism and reality.”

“He personally takes on all of the weight of problems”

“He has a great sense of humor and keeps the work place upbeat.”

“He is a consummate professional and seems to always be prepared”

“He doesn’t want to disappoint people and his people really don’t want to disappoint him.”

These comments almost sounds too good to be true. It is hard being the leader. It is especially hard balancing the role of being a cheerleader while also stoking the flames of excellence. Balancing the needs of millennials and also the Gen X’ers can drive a leader “bonkers.”

I really like the first three comments – If you are a caring and compassionate leader, who loves and treats his staff like family and you wake up every day wanting to inspire and do great work…then I think the rest falls into place.

What are the positive attributes about the person that leads you?

MARCH MADNESS LEADERSHIP LESSONS

So many great leadership lessons come from sports. This is why I am such a huge advocate for keeping our kids active in team sports. Team sports provide such a wonderful opportunity for parents to lean in a little closer to the kids and whisper something profound on the car ride home. That whisper can impact a life time!

During the course of the last 3 to 4 weeks, which are the best 4 weeks in sports, I noticed there became a few obvious leadership qualities to high light.

1. Bad calls are part of life. It felt like the refs missed every block / charge call. And in almost every game a key player got into early foul trouble. The media has had a field day replaying not only the missed calls from this year but dredging up most of the significantly bad calls from the last 25 years.

What I didn't see the great coaches doing was letting the negative emotion of a bad call to affect their team much past the next play. Oh, I saw a few coaches get their point across to a referee but for the most part they went to the next play. And at the end of the game, they made no excuses.

Referees, coaches, teachers, parents, bosses, friends and almost everyone else we come in contact with will make a mistake. Great coaches tell their players to "forget it and play on." Sometimes players can use that emotion as fuel to overcome. Brooks and Ryanne Corder have heard 1000 times, "Bad Calls are Part of Life!"

2. Believe in your team and give them something to believe in: We had a recent discussion in a bible study, did Peter start sinking after walking on the water because he doubted Jesus or because he doubted himself? What amazing power we have on our children, our staff teams, our classrooms, our sports teams, etc when we can say with conviction, "I know you can do it! I believe in you."

Kevin Ollie has noted 100 times how he has told his team, even after the losses that he believed in them. The powerful message that is flowing in and around today's leadership research is that people want to work for something they believe in. The key for the coach - boss - leader is helping the player - employee draw a line between the work they are doing and the mission/goal.

The big outcome of this leadership style is I have noticed unwavering devotion and loyalty to the coach. The players seem to all be motivated to win for the coach!

3. Great things come out of a culture that combines experience with youth and enthusiasm: Of course unbelievable athleticism doesn't hurt. I must admit I am not a fan of the Freshman led teams. I like the fact that many of the early upsets came from experienced mid major programs.

Our YMCA staff team has gotten younger in the last year. Early on that gave me some angst, but the outcome has created some new energy. Especially since the younger staff are such high performers. Maybe it's the excitement around developing new leaders, I am not sure. I hear coaches talk about freshman being a blank canvas and molding them into greater players.

Increased talent, regardless of age or experience raises the productivity bar. Competition is good and sometimes that wakes up and rejuvenates some of the veterans. I think it also creates a dynamic where youth and enthusiasm meets mature and experienced role models and mentors.

You can't consistently win with an all young team and maybe a team of all veterans gets stuck in complacency and a jaded reality of success. A good combination is the recipe for wins!

New Year's Resolutions

I have laughed this week at the many videos on Facebook about crazy members. Click to see video. January and New Years Resolutions bring them out! The long term members of the Y always grumble this time of year about all the new members that join in January but drop by March. They have a name for them, “Tourists.” 

I think we need to stop making fun of the “Tourists” and take a different approach with them : 

We need to INSPIRE THEM.

One of the top issues facing our country, our states and our communities is the health of our citizens. It’s hard to pick up a magazine or newspaper today and not read about childhood obesity, diabetes, or cancer. It truly is an epidemic for our country.

So the next time you’re at the Y or where ever you choose to exercise, when you see a new face on the treadmill next to you, here are some things you can do:

1.       Smile

2.       Introduce yourself

3.       Introduce them to other members

4.       Encourage them

5.       Compliment them

6.       Let them know you miss them if they miss a few days

7.       Invite them to a class they may be too intimidated to take

      My hope is that you can be relational enough, to engage the new members about living a healthier lifestyle. Invest yourself for the sake of a healthy life. This could have an impact on the health of our communities in monumental proportions. It may also impact your life with a new relationship!

“Don’t wait until you care to start investing in someone’s life. You invest in someone’s life in order to care.”