I’m always keeping my eye open for potential student leaders on our campus. I find that most students can do the tasks associated with various positions (they’re smart people), but anticipating their leadership abilities can be trickier. I tend to look for students who have already developed some level of influence with their peers. With that in mind, here are …
Pay It Backward
This morning, I enjoyed my morning ritual of grabbing a cup of coffee at Starbucks on the way to work. I pulled into the drive thru and got in line with the other cars. Once I got up to the speaker, I ordered my drink along with a scone. There was nothing out of the ordinary in this process until …
Responsibility Is Not A Gift
If you don’t have much time to read this post, remember this: The first question isn’t “do you want to be a leader?” The first question is “do you want to be responsible?” Responsibility is a choice. If you’re going to serve others in a leadership role, you will have the choice to accept it or to take it. …
Don’t Beat Yourself
We live in a society that is obsessed with winning. If you’re like me, you’d rather be on the winning side of things than the losing side. Winning is fun. In order to win most any competition, you must beat your opponent. That much is obvious. Yet there’s another opponent to be mindful of. This one doesn’t stand across the …
Book Review – Getting Ahead
I have spent the last few weeks working through the pages of Joel A. Garfinkle’s latest book, Getting Ahead – Three Steps to Take Your Career To The Next Level. I say “working” because this book is full of great insights, stories, and practical action steps one can take to move forward. Garfinkle’s model is simple and is divided into …
The Invisible Act That Makes You A Better Leader
Had a conversation with a student leader this last week. His team is functioning well and he’s experienced a good number of successes so far in his leadership year. With everything humming along nicely, he wondered what else he should be doing. Love questions like this. But even more, I love the student leaders who ask questions like this. Your …
How Running Helped Me Be A Better Writer
Last summer, I made a decision to get in better shape through a phenomenal program called P90X (you can read about my results here). With a new found focus on fitness, I chose to do something a little different this summer. I wanted to challenge myself with something I’ve always resisted doing – I took up running. If you know …
Video: Set The Example
I recently shared a five minute lesson with our current group of student leaders. The format followed the Ignite Seminar template – a speaker gets five minutes with 20 slides that transition every 15 seconds. It’s a fantastic way to engage those who lack the attention span. My lesson hit home on the power of “setting the example” as the …