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What The Pothole Kid From Muskegon Heights Can Teach Us About Leadership

You're never too young to lead

You may have heard of a young man named Monte Scott. If you haven’t heard of Monte, you may have heard of him referred to by a different name: The Pothole Kid.

Man standing over water-filled pothole

Photo by Marc Oliver Jodoin

His nickname is a strange one. The Pothole Kid? Why would anyone want to be called that name? After hearing Monte’s story, I think you’ll understand. You may even want to carry the moniker as well.

Monte Scott’s Story

Monte is a 12-year old boy who lives in Muskegon Heights, Michigan. He’s your typical young man who goes to school, does his homework, plays with friends, and enjoys his video games.

March 27th was the day that changed everything. Monte’s school, Oakview Elementary School (also my elementary school, woot-woot!), had a half day. At first, everything was normal. He came home from school and began to play video games. Then a thought crossed his mind “I could be doing more. I’ve seen a problem in my city and I want to fix it.”  Read more...

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Quotes And Leadership Lessons From Shazam!

A Reel Leadership Article

A month after the first Captain Marvel movie released, a second Captain Marvel movie released. You might not have realized this as the movie did not release under the Captain Marvel name. Instead, DC Comics released the movie as Shazam!

That’s right! Shazam was originally called Captain Marvel in 1939 under the Whiz Comics series published by Fawcett Comics. Over time, Captain Marvel transitioned to the name he is known by now, Shazam.

Zachary Levi as DC Comics character Shazam!

Enough with the history of Shazam. You may be wondering what the movie Shazam! is about. Well, let’s discuss that before we get into the leadership lessons from Shazam!

Shazam! tells the story of a young Billy Batson (Asher Angel) who became lost as a child. He bounces from foster home to foster home until he lands in the foster home of Victor (Cooper Andrews) and Rosa (Marta Milans) Vasquez.  Read more...

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Choosing The Right Things

If you want to improve your current situation, you have to begin choosing the right things. You won’t move towards your goals if you’re not focusing on the right items. And, to focus on the right things, you have to choose the right things.

Man making the tough choice at a vending machine

Photo by Victoriano Izquierdo

For me, the right things look like:  Read more...

  • My family: This includes my wife, my dog, my parents, siblings, etc… My family means a lot to me and I want to make sure I’m focusing on them.
  • My physical health: I want to become a better person physically. I do this through running and some weight workout exercises. If my body gives out, I won’t be much good to anyone.
  • My mental health: I know I can’t focus only on my physical health. My mental health is important as well. This means making sure what I’m putting into my mind is healthy and life-giving. It’s also making sure I deal with anger, depression, and other mental weights as they present themselves (Though I’m not always so good at doing this).
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What A Difference You’ve Made

Lately, I’ve been thinking of what my life has left behind to date. I wonder what lives I’ve touched or how I’ve changed someone’s outlook. It’s a daunting thing to look at the legacy I’m leaving behind.

There’s many things people could say about me. They could mention the obscenely large comic book collection I have. Or they might think about the way I prepared and ran a marathon. Or would they look back and see how hard I worked in the office?

A young man stand on a bridge

Photo by Jonathan Klok

These are all good things. All these things I enjoyed or am proud of. Yet they’re not what I want people to remember me by.

What A Difference You’ve Made

More than any kind of valuable collections, physical accomplishments, or my hard work, I want people to look back and say “Wow, Joe made a difference in my life and the lives of those around him.” Maybe even “Joe loved and valued me.”  Read more...

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Quotes And Leadership Lessons From John Wick: Chapter 2

With John Wick: Chapter 3 releasing on May 17th, 2019, I thought it would be fun to do a throwback Reel Leadership article for the previous John Wick movie titles. Previously, I shared the leadership lessons from John Wick 1. Today, I want to share the leadership lessons found in John Wick: Chapter 2.

Keanu Reeves returns as the retired assassin John Wick. He’s thrust back into the tasks he’d left behind after he found love. Because of his actions in the first John Wick movie, John has to take on a task that drags him back into the abyss.

John Wick walking through a hallway

Keanu Reeves in John Wick: Chapter 2

Chapter 2 of John Wick picks up shortly after the first movie. John is tracking the remaining family members of the Russian gang that stole his car and murdered his puppy. Then, he is recruited for one more hit…  Read more...