Let me ask you a question. What makes you strong?

Is it in avoiding challenges, or is it in facing them head-on?

The Resilience Pattern

I’ve read countless books and thousands of stories. In doing so, I’ve stumbled on one common pattern for those that achieve success. Everyone's story of strength is coupled by enduring a season of struggle. The secret to success is not in avoiding failure, but in getting back up when you do.

Think of the stories of Nelson Mandela, Mahatma Gandhi, and Susan B. Anthony. All three changed their nations for the better – they didn’t just find success, they found significance. Part of that journey was enduring challenges along the way.

You may be familiar with the story of Mandela and Gandhi, but have you ever peeked at the real-life story of Susan B. Anthony?

Susan B. Anthony

I remember being curious about Susan B. Anthony as a young child in the late 70s when the U.S. Mint fashioned a new coin with her likeness. When it came out, her coin replaced t...

Let me ask you a question.  Would you drive your car if it wasn't properly aligned? 

Let's say it pulls hard to the left.  Are you okay with taking it on the road knowing that it could swerve into oncoming traffic?  I bet not.

So, if you wouldn't drive a car with proper alignment, then why do people live their life without proper alignment?  

It's a fascinating question. I think the reason is that most people don't even know that they are out of alignment. They live life with off kilter and wander. Eventually those who wander are those who get lost. 

There's perhaps an even better word picture to describe the challenge.

The Challenge

Every six weeks or so, I drive about a hundred miles from my home to see Dr. Mike, a chiropractor in Charlottesville.  Dr. Mike is one of the best in the country when it comes to physiological alignment. When I arrive, he measures me to see how far I'm off, and then gently adjustments my alignment based on those readings. Afterwords, he measures me a...

This past week Barry Smith and Paul Gustavson had a chance to talk about the importance of Boundaries for Leaders.  Let's face it, we get distracted.  In all the noise it can be hard to lead.  The noises come from external voices all around us, but also our own internal thoughts too.

Almost ten years ago, best-selling author and psychologist Dr. Henry Cloud wrote a revolutionary book that is still one of the top leadership reads.  He talked about the importance Attending to What Matters, Inhibiting what doesn't matter, and Maintaining Your Working Memory. 

Paul and Barry talk about some of these ideas on their recent podcast, which you can watch on YouTube or listen to wherever you go to find Top Podcasts.

Paul also shared from his new book a filter tool to help you manage the distractions.  Here's the graphic he described.

The video below reflects the discussion that Paul and Barry had on the show.  Enjoy! Let us know what you think by commenting below.

Barry Smith and I had a chance to sit down with best-selling author Jason Turbow recently for the Breaking Average Podcast. We talked about baseball and what it was like to help Kenny Loggins share his incredible story in the recently published book, Still Alright.

Check out the podcast on your favorite podcast platform of choice, or watch the two part interview on our YouTube channel below. 

Part 1

Part 2

Twitter Follows:

• Jason Turbow = @JasonTurbow
• Kenny Loggins = @KennyLogins
• Barry Smith =  @BLDWhatMatters 
• Paul Gustavson =  @PaulGustavson 

Also be sure to buy Kenny Loggins book on Amazon or wherever fine books are sold.  (You'll love this book!)

There is a great scene in the movie Remember the Titans where two teammates are in a huge disagreement. The Captain, Gary Bertier is arguing one point, and Julius Campbell counters with points of his own.  After hearing his argument, Bertier tells Julius, "that's the worst attitude I have ever heard.  Julius responds candidly.  "Attitude Reflects Leadership, Captain."  

It turns out to be a powerful pivot in the movie.  And from that conflict you begin to see an attitude shift in both these leaders that, in turn, changes the character for themselves and the whole team!

Attitude is without a doubt is a difference maker.  I truly believe it.  I could spin a whole blog to share my personal thoughts on it.  But today, I thought why not just share what I think are the 12 greatest attitude quotes of all time.   I hope these 12 quotes impact you as much as they have me.  Enjoy!

(1) "Our attitude toward life determines life’s attitude towards us." – John Mitchell

(2) "The only disability i...

For as he thinks in his heart, so is he

– Proverbs 23:7

In an early post we talked about the importance about “being transformed by the renewing of your mind.”   That effort is not a “one in a done” exercise. It takes daily commitment.  The key is to eliminate our misbeliefs and unfounded self-limitations is to think the truth.

One of the things that helps me the most is to create a set of “I am” statements about yourself, about your beliefs.  These are affirmations.  Here are a few straight from the Word about you. Scriptural truth — what God thinks about you — is the most powerful truth there is.

• I am a child of God, and He is with me. – Galatians 4:6
• I am a leader of others – 2 Timothy 2:2
• I am a prophetic voice for God – 1 Corinthians 14:3
• I am a temple of the Holy Spirit, and He is in me. – 1 Corinthians 6:19
• I am able share God’s truths with others. – Colossians 1:28-29
• I am able to ask God to direct me. –  Psalm 139:23-24
• I am able to enjoy life and discover peace.
...

It's been a while since I've written a blog - but that's not say that I haven't been writing.  I just came off a writing season for the forthcoming book IMAGINE.  I'll post more about the new book in a future blog.

What I want to focus in on today is something that affects us all. It's falling short, and overcoming that feeling of defeat.

Let's face it, we are all human.  We all fall short.

The Bible even says for all have sin and fallen short.  If you look back at every successful leader, you'll find that they could tell you a story of defeat.

Falling short can be the most discouraging thing ever.  What starts as optimism, and resolute hope, can sometimes come up a yard short of the end-zone, or the feeling that we didn't deliver, or worse the feeling you failed. When this happens you feel deflated.

The question is -- how do you deal the agony of defeat?

If you are like me, I usually need some time to rebound.  I can't automatically jump up,  brush it off and say, "oh well."  Th...

This is an excerpt from the forthcoming book Imagine. It's from a chapter focused on the Power of Resilience

What has life thrown your way? Are there challenges and moments of crisis that have tested you? What if you could just be 10% more resilient? What would that look like? How might you handle things differently?

Resilience is “the process of adapting well in the face of adversity, trauma, tragedy, threats, or stress.” [i] It’s about bouncing back after you face defeat or discouragement. The Power of Resilience is not easy to attain. It takes some work, but it’s possible.

Imagine if you lost sight in one eye, or you received the news you never want to hear. How would you respond?  

Leading Bulletproof

I want to explore with you how you can develop a resilient mindset. A mindset where, not matter what life throws your way, you instinctively know how to bounce back.  I call this leading bulletproof. 

Leading bulletproof is a choice centered on a need to pursue life with clari...

Just a few years ago, I sat in an auditorium at the Orlando World Marriott Center and witnessed one of the most profound speeches the world has ever heard.  The orator was a gentleman named Stephon Ferguson. He is a Martin Luther King Jr. impersonator, and in this bright auditorium, Stephon stepped up to the podium as if he was on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial.  Instantly he captivated the room, and in that next six minutes, it was if we were transported to 1963. I was moved to tears.

The words of a great leader can inspire us to a renewed vision. When you think about it, MLK’s speech is the perfect example. Take a moment to reflect on what he eloquently shared. The words are eternal.

“Even though we face the difficulties of today and tomorrow, I still have a dream. It is a dream deeply rooted in the American dream. I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equ...

Here it -- is the final top book that we picked and wanted to share with you. It's book #16, which is The Alchemist, by Paulo Coelho. This epic adventure centers on a character named Santiago who represents you and me. It's a powerful tale, that will help you you live and lead. Tune in and capture take aways from this incredible episode.