This past week, many people celebrated Dia de los Muertos and/or All Saints Day, remembering those who have gone before and brought us to today. When reflecting on what my ancestors mean to me I am reminded of this quote: “They did it and so will we.” 

According to a recent Gallup study, 62% of employees are NOT engaged. The lack of engagement is costing the world $8.9 trillion in lost productivity. This means having engaged employees directly impacts ROI.  

My coach and good friend, Steve Lounsberry, has continued to help me see the O.P.P.O.V. in life—that is the Other Person's Point Of View.  This is not our natural tendency as humans, but it certainly should be if we are to be effective leaders.  

Most of us have had one type of coach or another. Whether we call them teachers, mentors, or coaches, they are individuals who educate us and make us better. But how? Here are three reasons to consider having an executive coach.

Ethos, Pathos, and Logos are all considerations in influencing others. These should be top of mind when we get up in the morning and go about our daily routine whether that is selling, leading, speaking, or managing others. 

Simon Sinek revealed his Golden Circle TED Talk in 2010. Since that time, many of us have attempted to make a difference and define our own “why” in the world. As of today, b3 Remarkable is relaunching—full-time. My team and I are “all in” and looking ahead to develop Remarkable leaders so that people prosper, our planet thrives, and profits are responsibly maximized.

In any business, for-profit or not-for-profit, the ultimate goal is to have sufficient funds to support the organization's short and long-term goals. The challenge for all individuals is “how” do we do this, or “what” levers do we pull to improve financial performance?

I suspect most people are aware of the story of David and Goliath. As the story is traditionally interpreted, small David takes on much larger Goliath in a fight for his people. However, this interpretation is misguided. David may have been more average in stature and just out-maneuvered Goliath. It is possible to be brought down or even killed by a well-trained individual. Here are three takeaways that leaders may learn from this story. 

We have to learn to train for a career in new and better ways. A four-year degree learned from books that were written before stepping onto a college campus will not be sufficient. We have to train for the future.

Recently I was introduced to a TED Talk "How Boredom Can Lead to Your Most Brilliant Ideas" and it got me thinking (pun intended). When am I intentionally thinking? When do I do my best thinking? Here is my problem. I am an activator. I struggle to sit silent and allow thoughts and ideas to percolate. I will journal, run, or actively attempt to generate ideas through one of several brainstorming techniques I teach to other leaders. Maybe this is you?

According to John Hopkins University Press, 2018, there is a steep decline in college enrollment in the near future. Moreover, the hospitality industry is on the leading edge of this curve as enrolled students are being enticed to leave college and go to work full-time.

A recent Inc. article caught my attention. It describes four items that are vital for leaders and team members to be successful in their careers. Start today and it will be easier to become a leader that inspires, influences, and achieves amazing results tomorrow.

Loving others is about more than just politics or international boundaries.  It is not only about romance and organized religion (far be it for organized religion to teach us to love.  It does not have a great track record, I am sorry to say). It is about becoming better colleagues and global citizens. It is about an owner’s love for their employee, a manager’s love for those they supervise, and an employee’s love for their fellow co-laborers. There is ample opportunity for everyone to love. 

Leaders who move from “I will try” to “I will do” or “I will be,” and mean it, inspire others to do the same. Your teams will no longer “try,” they will confidently act and succeed. Helping a team identify specific goals that they “will do” is a key aspect of mentoring. We all want to be everything to everybody, but as Warren Buffet warns, what we say no to is often more important than what we say yes to. 

All too often leaders do not spend the requisite time determining how peers, supervisors, and employees improve their personal emotional wellness. We prescribe whatever works for us and expect everyone around to just “get well soon”. Emotional wellness is first and foremost about recognizing when our emotions are not in a good place.  Second, we must be able to manage those emotions in order to improve our performance. 

What have you learned today? This was a question I asked my children every day when they got home from school growing up. It was a way to check in, as well as force them to distill the knowledge of the classroom into retainable pieces. It is also a question I believe leaders should be asking themselves daily.

Environmental wellness has two distinct components that impact our overall health. The first is the natural environment—the air, water, and land in which all living things reside, including humans. The second is the micro-environment or the immediate space that surrounds you and me. This is our personal environment. Both environments are important for exceptional wellness; however, this blog will focus primarily on the second aspect.

Occupational wellness is the fourth in our series on holistic wellness. Occupational wellness is what we do either for a living, in retirement, or in preparation for employment, such as school. Exceptional occupational wellness is achieved when there is a “fit” between the individual and what is being done.

Spiritual wellness is often considered the glue that binds the other wellness dimensions together. It is a connection to someone or something larger than oneself—a “unifying force” if you will. For some of us spiritual wellness is a prayer life or a belief in God, Allah, Yahweh, or a deity of another name. For others, this dimension of wellness exists in a yoga pose on the beach or a walk on a mountain path. In reality, spirituality is a connection

“There isn't time. So brief is life for bickering, apologies, heartburning, calling to account. There is only time for loving. And but an instant, so to speak, for that…" —Mark Twain. Reach out to a friend you have not connected with in a while, or a family member that is distant and rekindle a friendship to make you and them healthier.