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 […] The post Are You Courageous Eno…

More specifically maybe…false assumptions about my (our) retirement… That you must have at least a million dollars to retire. That you really need three million dollars to retire with security. That you should delay collecting Social Security until at least 65, and preferably until 70. That you should travel. That you should do all the things you’v…

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 The post Self-Improvement For City Governm…

Happy Father’s Day 2024! My dad enjoying the sunshine The what was crystal clear. The how was no where in sight. Casey Neistat is the OG of YouTube, vlogging and social media creation. He’s associated with New York, but it wasn’t always so. Casey set his sights on NYC knowing he wanted to make it there. Without any idea or plan on how to do it. But…

Shiny object syndrome. Dogs (or cats) chasing laser pointers. Running around like squirrels. Chasing our tails. We use all kinds of language to describe being distracted. It’s increasingly easy to be distracted. Electronically. Physically. Emotionally. Mentally. What if we could discipline ourselves to limit the distractions? What if we were in bet…

Kenneth Aronoff is a drummer for John Mellencamp. He’s also part of a documentary, The Untold Stories Of Your Favorite Musicians. He talks about the early days with Mellencamp when he was asked to come up with a drum solo of sorts for a new song, Jack & Diane. When I first heard him say it my mind went into a few different directions. One, being go…

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 The post Focus: B…

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 • The post Wrestling With Ourselves appeared first…

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 The post …

On Chris Williamson’s Modern Wisdom YouTube show with Tim Kennedy, a Special Forces master sergeant and author, Kennedy was recounting the extensive training of special forces. In the fog of war there is no time to think when bullets start flying. It’s all reaction. He details the many micro movements of firing a weapon during a fire fight, emptyin…

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 The post Pride Destr…

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! The post Randy Is Circling The Drain appeared first on GROW …

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 The post Don’t Be L…

Note: The picture in the featured image is my 100-year-old dad holding my 92-year-old mother’s hand as she lay dying. She passed from this life on April 4, 2024. They were married for 73 years, a testimony to the power of companionship. Companion / Companionship a person or animal with whom one spends a lot of time a feeling of fellowship or friend…

“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. The post Great Leaders Know It’s Hard, But…

In 1982 I stood in front of a group of employees of the retail company I was running to tell them, “Who would have thought we’d reach a time when saying “please” and “thank you,” “sir” and “ma’am” would be a competitive edge?” That was then. This is now. Superior customer service is rare. That means the opportunities are extraordinary! Seize the da…

“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 The post Where’s Your Focus? appeared first on GROW GREAT.…

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 The post Great Leaders Can Make It Simple …

Sloping seems more gentle than stumbling. And graceful. But when it comes to growing older it can be inaccurate. We don’t slope toward a face plant. We stumble. We fall. Face-first into the ground. “Everywhere I look I see opportunities,” I said. The conversation was about how we see the world and our place. Me? I have lived life trying to take var…

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 The post I May Quit, But Not Today appeared f…

I’m a lifelong insomniac who doesn’t require much sleep. Occasionally I go on spurts of sleeping even less (which normally results in sleeping 12 hours at some point in the future). Lisa knows this about me, recently prompting her to ask, “Have you been getting sleep?” I responded sarcastically with the title used for The post We’ll Sleep When We’r…

Today we discuss the damage done by bosses who throw their own team members under the bus. The Holy Grail of leadership is a person’s ability (and willingness) to assemble a team, train a team, grow and develop a team to high performance standards consistently. That requires trust. Which requires self-sacrifice and a commitment The post Leaders Go …

February 1974, Baton Rouge. Near the entrance to Louisiana State University. A record store, my favorite hang out. Leisure Landing. I enter the store and a record is playing. It’s alt-country. Weird. Because the guy’s name is Ian Matthews. Ian isn’t a southern United States name. I grab the album cover and begin to read the back. Two players who I …

A wise man speaks because he has something to say, a fool speaks because he has to say something. Listening has a direct correlation with leadership. Be well. Do good. Grow great! Check out the Hosts page for our profiles. Connect With Lisa On Linkedin • Connect With Randy On Linkedin We encourage you to contact The post Listening Your Way To Bette…

“Shake it up, baby. Twist and shout.” Sometimes our lives have to be completely shaken up, changed and rearranged to relocate us to the place we’re meant to be. Most often our changes – which includes our growth and improvement – result from some shake up in our life. If we respond well, The post Twist & Shout Your Way To Growth appeared first on G…

“The only way to learn how many plates you can spin is to break some plates. The question of capacity guarantees failure.” – T.S. Elliot He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose. – Jim Elliot (no relation to T.S. that I’m aware of) I’m not a plate-spinner. I am able to multi-task, but it’s not actually multi-tasking a…

For things to change for you…you must change! Work harder on yourself than your job. These wise words speaks to our topic today – improving ourselves so we can garner the highest return possible on our careers and our leadership. Be well. Do good. Grow great! Check out the Hosts page for our profiles. The post Improving Ourselves For The Highest Re…

Perspective. If one is lucky, a solitary fantasy can totally transform one million realities. —Maya Angelou Viewpoint. Outlook. Philosophy. That all refer to similar things when it comes to those inner drivers behind our leadership journey. How do you see the world? How do you view your part in it? Mostly, I have found The post Perspective’s Role I…

Galatians 6:7-9 “Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. For he that soweth unto his own flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth unto the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap eternal life. And let us not be weary in well-doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.” Show …

John Sebastian wrote the classic song that’s been covered by the likes of Tom Petty, Jimmy Buffet and others. Today, join me and Lisa as we discuss narrative and the stories we can – and often should – tell. Be well. Do good. Grow great! Check out the Hosts page for our profiles. Connect The post The Stories We Can (and should) Tell appeared first …

Trust. It’s the bedrock foundation for all high performing teams. Excellent leaders figure out how to form it, grow and foster it. Today, we discuss the necessity to insure trust is always highly prized in our organizations. Be well. Do good. Grow great! Check out the Hosts page for our profiles. Connect With The post Developing & Increasing Trust …

About 15 years into my podcasting journey I recorded an episode entitled, A Virtual Tour Of My Podcasting Studio. I published it 9 years ago today, January 25, 2015. In 2019 I published an update, Welcome Inside The Yellow Studio (This Is How I Podcast Now). Since then I've tried to keep a page on my personal website updated - Inside The Yellow Stu…

“Everyone has a plan, until they get punched in the face.” – Mike Tyson Plans are valuable. Effective execution of a plan is priceless. Today, Lisa and I talk about the importance of proper planning and execution. It’s the practice of high-performing teams. Be well. Do good. Grow great! Check out the Hosts page The post High Performing Teams Know H…

Promotions come to us because we’re good at our job. We’re able to accomplish things in a specific area like HR, public works, finance or economic development. The skill to operate well in micro areas doesn’t mean we’re equipped to operate well in macro areas. The higher up the food chain we ascend, the The post Becoming A More Strategic Leader app…

Adult children often find themselves needing to take care of their aging parents. It’s a responsibility we take on because it’s the right thing to do. But there’s more. Today, join me and Lisa as we talk about the responsibility of leadership. Be well. Do good. Grow great! Check out the Hosts page for The post The Responsibility Of Leadership appea…

Thank you for giving us your time and attention. We appreciate it. Lisa and I hope you and your family enjoy a safe, happy, and fun holiday season. Be well. Do good. Grow great! Check out the Hosts page for our profiles. Connect With Lisa On Linkedin • Connect With Randy On Linkedin We encourage The post Happy Holidays 2023! appeared first on GROW …

Leadership is: A focus on others A positive influence Doing for others what they may be unable to do for themselves The true measurement of effective leadership is how well we serve others. Be well. Do good. Grow great! Check out the Hosts page for our profiles. Connect With Lisa On Linkedin • Connect With The post Leadership Is Measured In How Wel…

ShamelessAn adjective meaning insensible to disgraceRetirementA noun meaning a withdrawal from one's position or occupation or from active working life or the age at which one normally retiresThe United States adopted an initial retirement age of 65 with the Social Security Act of 1935. By the mid-20th century, almost all countries had adopted a re…

The only magical thing about the end of one year and the beginning of a new one is in our heads. Well, okay, it’s not all in our heads. It’s also in our body because we’re another year older. But we can establish and pursue new goals at any time. We can make up The post Do You Have Leadership Growth Goals For 2024? appeared first on GROW GREAT.…

Sorry. My usual show notes don't exist. And I was too lazy this time of year to write them. But I do have a couple of calls to action.One, join us over in the Facebook group if you care. I'd love to have you in the group.Two, support my efforts to lean hard into video in 2024. My goal is to crowd-fund $1000. I'm about 50% there so it's coming along…

Lisa texted me this the other day. She and I have spent hours discussing the value of leaning hard into being ourselves. As a leadership and executive coach, it’s less about being happy and more about being effective, productive, and highly impactful. Happiness feels too temporary for me, but contentment seems more sustainable. But The post Be The …

I appreciate you all very much. Thank you.Please tell a friend about the podcast!• Join our private Facebook group• Email meHelp Me Reach My $1,000 GoalI plan to start vlogging from Hot Springs Village, Arkansas because the place is spectacular.The scenery will make for a great backdrop. Plus, there are many places I'd like you to see.To help, clic…

From me and Lisa to all of you, HAPPY THANKSGIVING. Be well. Do good. Grow great! Check out the Hosts page for our profiles. Connect With Lisa On Linkedin • Connect With Randy On Linkedin We encourage you to contact us. Feedback, suggestions, criticisms, insights, and experiences are welcomed. Thank you for watching and listening! The post Happy Th…

The Reality Distortion Field. Guy "Bud" Tribble was Vice President of Software Technology at Apple Inc. As Apple was developing the first Macintosh computer in 1981, Bud used the term to describe Apple's founder Steve Jobs. The term seems to have originated in a 1966 episode of Star Trek when it was used to describe how the aliens encountered by th…

Today Lisa and I finish up our conversation on FOCUS and LEVERAGE – the notion that high-performance requires saying “no” to some things so we can say “yes” to other things. Be well. Do good. Grow great! Check out the Hosts page for our profiles. Connect With Lisa On Linkedin • Connect With Randy On The post If Everything Is Important, Then Nothing…

There's a Chinese proverb that declares owning two houses is a path toward madness. That's probably true, but I wouldn't know. I've never owned two houses 'cause I've never been part of the rich and famous. ;)I'm practical. And I'm not rich by American standards, but I'm extremely wealthy by global standards (and by my own measurements). I'm conten…

Transitions are part of our lives. Professionally and personally. Because nothing remains the same. If we neglect to maintain our houses, they fall into disrepair. Entropy happens. So we must maintain a focus on taking care of things. That means doing things to improve, fix or accomplish our desired outcomes. Some of us focus The post Are You A Tor…

To get the full value of joy you must have someone to divide it with. —Mark TwainRhonda and I went on our first date on July 2, 1975. On January 2, 1978 we were married. This coming January 2, 2024 will mark our 46th anniversary.Today, let's talk about marriage. More accurately, let's just dip our toe in the water of conversation about marriage.Enj…

So we can take full advantage of what they know. Their insights, experience and wisdom need to be more easily passed on.Please tell a friend about the podcast!• Join our private Facebook group• Email meHelp Me Reach My $1,000 GoalI plan to start vlogging from Hot Springs Village, Arkansas because the place is spectacular.The scenery will make for a…

… when your boots don’t match the map, trust your boots. Many years ago I heard a military officer say that. It stuck with me because it was such a pointed and insightful way of saying a couple of wise things. One, that where we think we are versus where we actually are…may not be The post When Your Boots Don’t Match The Map, Trust Your Boots appea…