We have another message from Jim Davis this week. Jim is not only a trusted colleague and talented facilitator, he has also had some truly great experiences in life that he is able to draw on and learn from. I always look forward to sharing his stories and hearing his messages. ~ Todd Last time we met I shared aRead More →

Our post this week is written by Jim Davis.  Jim is a trusted colleague whom I have worked with for nearly ten years creating and delivering leadership development training programs.  He draws from a wealth of unique experience, and has a passion to inspire people to be confident and authentic leaders. ~ Todd During the second half of my 20’s,Read More →

“Twenty-eight, twenty-nine, thirty – Ready-or-not, here I come!” I was playing hide-and-seek with my kids the other day. It was a joyful time of trying to find the elusive spot that no one would find, and surprising a child tucked in a cabinet or under a blanket that would erupt into giggles. I have many fond memories playing hide-and-seek asRead More →

Influence In John Maxwell’s book, “Developing the Leader Within You,” he defines leadership simply as influence. John writes, “Leadership is influence. That’s it. Nothing more; nothing less.” While influence is at the core of understanding leadership, it is important to dig deeper into what we influence and how we influence in order to gain followers. Influence is defined as “theRead More →

The message, voice, and confidence of a leader are critical in influencing people. Your team, family, organization, company, church, non-profit, and community need you to put on your Leadership CAP and speak up. Martin Luther King’s “I Have a Dream” speech is one of the most famous and inspirational presentations in the history of the United States. There can beRead More →

The culture of a team is defined by the behaviors of that team. Identify the behaviors and you will know the culture. It is that simple.   I have had the opportunity to work with thousands of teams over the past twenty years. There is one clear behavior that tells me if a team is functional or dysfunctional. I canRead More →

In January, I took time for a full-day retreat. It was a time for me to get focused for the year. One of the first action items was to put vacation dates on my calendar. In 2013, I didn’t do this, and I felt it. I did get a little time off. But, as a business owner, it’s easy toRead More →

In a February 2014, Harvard Business Review Blog, Dan Pallotta, wrote:   “A 2013 study by cognitive psychologist Lorenza Colzato from Leiden University found that people who go for a walk or ride a bike four times a week are able to think more creatively than people who lead a sedentary life.”   I was puzzled by this statement. DoesRead More →

My Grandpa McCracken passed away last week. He was 94 years old, living in a memory care unit about a half-mile from our house.   I often told people, “He lives in the moment.” We always walked together when I would visit him with my young children. Grandpa would slowly take steps with the aid of his walker and my kidsRead More →

It’s official! Cerner has been recognized as holding the number 5 position in leadership excellence by the Leadership 500 Excellence Awards for 2014! We received this email last week: Hi Todd and Jim!   I wanted to let you know that our Leadership Development Programs have just been ranked as #5 for our outstanding achievements in leadership development. For theRead More →