Grow Great - A City Government Leadership Podcast

  You’ll either find a way…or an excuse. Lisa and I were discussing understanding. Mostly, we were considering this quote from an unknown author… If only we fought just as hard to understand as we do to disagree. It morphed into a conversation about the difference between high and low performers. Not that there’s only

  From childhood until this present moment…I suffer from high empathy. When recently describing my empathy I reiterated how the depth of my empathy wasn’t some universal brush used to paint everybody or every situation. I’m discriminating. Selective. Because I know I’m a finite resource with only so much to give, only so much time

  Be scared and do it anyway. Be under-qualified, and get in the room anyway. Be messy, imperfect, and unsure and show up anyway. Comfort is the enemy of growth. Get uncomfortable. Growth requires learning. Learning requires us to attempt things we’ve not tried before. Along the way, there will be missteps, mistakes, and failures.

  Today, I ask Lisa to pull the curtain back and share a part of her journey as a new Managing Director, being part of the City Manager’s Office, that involves earning the trust of your boss(es). For her, it’s a new role, but it still speaks to our need (and opportunity) to show our

  This version was first published in Punch, April 10, 1875, and ran as follows. There was an owl liv’d in an oak The more he heard, the less he spoke The less he spoke, the more he heard. O, if men were all like that wise bird. We saw this posted on social media some

  You don’t always have to tell your side of the story because time will. Leaders can be honest without being completely open with all the details. Sometimes we must deliver a deeper service by protecting others. It’s part of the loneliness of leadership – the knowledge we have that would serve no useful purpose

  Cowardice takes a toll on effective leadership. It robs us of opportunities to perform better, to serve well and to make a positive difference.  It’s hard, but necessary at times if we’re going to do the “right” thing.  Join us today as we discuss courage, cowardice, competence and credibility. See if you can apply

  Two recent physical ailments provoked me to think about how I might improve a third problem. Honestly, had it not been for the first two I may have avoided getting too serious about figuring out the other one.  Join me and Lisa today as we talk about self-awareness and self-improvement in our leadership and

  Being present is becoming more challenging. Our meeting culture of jumping from one meeting to another contributes to the challenge. So does the Internet, social media and the iPhone. All of our lives are filled with distractions that beckon for our attention.  Simon Sinek and many others have talked about how phones are negatively

  Do you have behaviors that drive you crazy? Of course. We all do. Join me and Lisa as we discuss overcoming the things about ourselves that drives us crazy (and probably drives others crazy, too). Be well. Do good. Grow great! Check out the Hosts page for our profiles. Connect With Lisa On Linkedin •

  High performers are the most coachable people on the planet. They’re driven to get better. Always improving.  High performers want to shoulder high expectations. They crave the responsibility and accountability.  They remain curious – wondering how they might get better. It never crosses their mind to stop learning because all of life is an

  Proverbs 16:18 Pride goes before destruction, And a haughty spirit before a fall. Lisa and I both agree that our leadership failures have always had one thing in common: pride.  After almost 15 years of coaching executives I’ve discovered that we’re not alone. Every leader I know confesses their own failures stemmed from moments

  May 7, 1957. My birthday.  I was officially old years ago. Now I’m really old. Lisa and I talk about our age, being married, being empty nesters and more.  Thank you for being part of our lives. We hope we’re having a positive impact on your leadership journey.  Be well. Do good. Grow great!

  They’re always down and out. They complain incessantly. They’re adept at seeing the dark side of every challenge. Or opportunity. You don’t dare ask them how they’re doing because they’ll tell you. Complaining is their main source of vibrancy. Eeyore wasn’t a leader. That behavior won’t help us become leaders either. Be well. Do

  “It shouldn’t be this hard,” said the young bride speaking about her first year of married life. “What makes you think so?” I asked. “Because we’re in love.” Whether it’s love, life or work…many people are confused about how much work is required to achieve greatness. It’s hard, but it’s worth it. Be well.

  “You get what you inspect.”  – a trite management maxim “You get what you expect.” – a slightly less trite maxim “You see where you focus.” – the topic of today’s show Ask yourself these questions: a. What am I constantly looking at? b. What am I constantly looking for? c. Why? Optimism pays

  People love to use business or industry jargon. And many of us enjoy hearing ourselves. Is it helpful in stating and solving problems? Does it help us seize opportunities better? Simplify Your Way To Better Solutions – putting in the work to be succinct in stating a problem clearly in the simplest terms to

  Lisa texted me the following anonymous quote: No matter what knocks you down in life, get back up and keep going. Never give up. Great blessings are a result of great perservance. I was born in Oklahoma, historically Indian territory. I can’t remember when I first heard the story of how buffalo react to