I have learned from my mentor, John Maxwell, that great leaders know the way and show the way.  He goes on to say that, "The smallest action is better than the biggest intention. No one ever intended their way into greatness." 

As a leader, your first step is being able to see the big picture, the overall vision for the organization, initiative or product.

Have ever heard the quote, Without vision, the people will perish?

This doesn't mean that people will actually perish. It means that because people do not see where we are going. As a result, I am not going to put forth much of an effort. Creating not just a lack of productivity, but a lack of effort. 

The leader must have the ability to effectively communicate this vision to his or her team, collaborating with their team to systematically get the steps and plans down.

They must see the challenges ahead and chart a course that everyone can follow. This is the Law of Navigation, which says "anyone can steer the...

I believe when you do what you love, it is NOT really work. 

Seven years ago this was my last week of “real work.”  I mean a place where I had to report every day, be somewhere at a certain time and oh yeah, had a boss. 

I still remember finishing up my last day as a consultant for the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction to start my own consulting, training and coaching business specifically schools and school leaders.

It was July 3rd of 2014.

I walked out of DPI with nothing but a cardboard box of "stuff" and a crazy vision of being the difference-maker in the leadership development of individuals and organizations.

To be honest, I had NO IDEA WHAT I was doing, but I was a little angry. 

I was angry and frustrated with seeing SO many outstanding people, leading charter schools across the state, who were NOT meeting their potential. School leaders that were stressed to the max, working late hours, feeling under-appreciated, failing in...

I believe that when it comes to improvement (personal or school) consistency is more important than intensity. 

One school that exemplifies this principle is Piedmont Community Charter School in Gaston County North Carolina.

In 2015, Piedmont was in the middle of a leadership transition and was underperforming in the areas of academics and student enrollment. It did not have a reputation for being a school or rigorous academics, especially in high school.  

The new Head of School at the time, Jennifer Killen, had an incredible challenge ahead of her. She knew that she would have to work diligently not just on her own leadership capacity, but the skills and the quality of her team. 

Fast forward to this past year and Piedmont Community Charter School was recognized as one of the “Best High Schools” by U.S. News & World Report. They also moved into a state of the art new facility. Piedmont Charter’s new campus...

If I were to ask the question: “Do you want to grow?” How would YOU respond?

I believe it would be a resounding yes, I want to grow! But the truth of the matter is that for most of us, we avoid any form of pressure because we don’t want to feel uncomfortable. You see, we have been taught that comfort is a place to be desired and strived for. 

I would like to introduce a new thought today. 

All living things grow and that growth requires stretching. 

In John Maxwell’s 15 Laws of Growth, the Law of the Rubber Band, he says: “True life begins at the end of our comfort zone and we arrive there by stretching.”

When it comes to tension and stretching, a rubber band is a great example.

Rubber bands are ONLY useful when they are stretched. You would not be where you are professionally, and who you are personally, without some form of tension or stretching taking place. 

For many, the thought is, when I graduate from college and...

I believe that consistency wins over intensity.

Here is what I mean.

Ever jump into a project, diet or other life-changing program with incredible determination and intensity; but after 5-10 days we find that it is more difficult than anticipated and we end up quitting. Allowing our previous habits to win out and overwhelm our new found passion? 

Ever say as a principal, I am going to get all of my observations (10) done this week. Then on Friday realizing you barely completed two. 

The feeling of guilt, disappointment or blame overwhelms the need for true reflection and growth. 

“Well, I got a lot done.” “Well, we had those issues with the angry parents.” “We had two birthdays, I couldn’t not eat the cake!” “It was a long week, exercise just didn’t fit in the schedule.”

We blame everything from the program to our genetics. 

At the end, choosing what is comfortable or easy over the change we so...

“I am overwhelmed,” they shared. “I am just...I have a lot to do. I’ll be working all summer, which is fine, I can cancel my vacation and go next year.”

As a coach and thinking partner for hundreds of school leaders, I hear comments like this every week. School leaders that are too busy, too overwhelmed, too engaged in everything to participate in a training session or prepare for their coaching session.

When the truth is, their feelings and emotions are not being overwhelmed. Their feelings and emotions are coming from being under-purposed. From not having clarity in their purpose, vision and goals. 

Your purpose is why you do what you do. The filter through which you direct your creative power and how you make decisions. Think of your purpose as the sun and everything revolves around it. From your purpose, you begin to see and create vision. I teach Purpose, Vision and Goals in our Empowerment Mentoring program. 

When you are not...

I don't believe people quit organizations. 

I believe people quit people. 

Here are some examples of why I quit jobs in the past. 

When I was a teacher I did not see a path for professional advancement from my principal and district. So I left for a charter school that showed me a two year plan to be the Director of Exceptional Children during my interview as a Special Education teacher. 

When I was a Grants and Special Projects Leader at a University I wanted to travel to local school systems and assist principals and utilize my skills as a trainer, I left because the Dean shut down all travel and asked me to "just do research".

When I was a middle school director of a charter school I wanted to was not considered for the head of school position by my superintendent, I left to become a state wide consultant for the Department of Public Instruction (DPI) that provided me a platform to be more and do more. 

When I was at DPI after three years my boss said to...

Recently I was leading a governance strategic retreat, which is one of my favorite professional training services I offer, and I asked a question to the board about how many board members does your bylaws allow.

A member replied, “nine”.

I counted the members in front of me, looked at the board and said, “Well there are 10 of you here, so I hope not. When was the last time you reviewed the bylaws?”

We pulled the bylaws and identified that seven was the max! They had been out of compliance for years based on their own bylaws.

This is just one of the many common mistakes I see in governance bylaws...many were written so long ago they are out of touch with the school's current structure. 

Here are some other common mistakes you might find in your bylaws.

• Bylaws having policies embedded: The bylaws should be structure in which the board operates. This includes number of members, terms, term limits, definition of quorum, and officers responsibilities....

Many people in our world feel devalued instead of valued by others, and it harms them deeply. It keeps them from enjoying life and reaching their potential.

Most of you know my story as a recovering gambling addict. It wasn't until I got a round a table, with other like-minded people, that I began to study and discuss words like honesty, humility, trust, accountable, loyal just to name a few from this little yellow combo book that fit in your pocket. I was 30 years old and had never been asked a question like, what are your values? What does it mean to be honest, to be trusted, to be trustworthy? It was a powerful experience. 

There is an old saying, a paper bag doesn't stand up straight. Without values a person is empty and weak. 

I had no idea that my lack of values was not just causing me pain internally, it was showing up in ALL of my results. My inability to advance in my career. My failing relationships. My failing finances, personal health and...