Quotes And Leadership Lessons From Dog Gone

A Reel Leadership Article

My latest book, Reel Leadership, is now available on Amazon. If you love movies and leadership, you will love this book.

Dog Gone is a heart-warming, true story. Based on the real-life events of Fielding Marshall (Johnny Berchtold) and his Golden Retriever dog Gonker, your heartstrings will be pulled, twisted, and reunited.

While out on the Appalachian Trail, Gonker takes off after a fox. Fielding and his friend, Nate (Nick Peine), look furiously for the lost 6-year-old dog. They eventually give up for the night and head home.

Fielding knew time was not on their side. Gonker had Addison’s Disease. Without treatment, his beloved companion would die.

Dog Gone tells the story of Fielding as he searches for his dog. He’s joined on the journey by his father, John Marshall (Rob Lowe), his mother, Ginny Marshall (Kimberly Williams-Paisley), and people from around the world.

Gonker and Fielding relaxing on a couch

Your Most Valuable Leadership Tool

If I were to ask you to think of the most valuable tool you have as a leader, what would you say? I think many leaders would say their most valuable tool is their team or their knowledge in leading their team.

I think there’s something more important than either of those… Or, quite frankly, any other leadership tool at your disposal. It’s a tool you probably don’t think about but you should.

Grey-scale hand tools on a wooden table

Your most valuable leadership tool is your character.

Why Character Matters In Leadership

Bob Burg became well known for his famous quote (from the book Endless Referrals): All things being equal, people do business with and refer business to people they know, like, and trust.

Think about the quote for a minute. People will do business with people they

  • Number One: Know
  • Number Two: Like
  • Number Three: Trust

Quotes And Leadership Lessons From Aladdin

A Reel Leadership Article

I can show you the world Shining, shimmering splendid Tell me, princess, now when did You last let your heart decide? These lyrics defined a generation much like “Do you want to build a snowman? Or ride our bike around the halls? I think some company is overdue I’ve started talking to The pictures on the walls!” from Frozen has defined the current generation for many young people.

I remember when the animated version of Aladdin was released in 1992. The animation was stunning. The story was engaging. And the music was top notch.

Aladdin, Jasmine, and Genie from live action Aladdin

There were few people who didn’t fall in love with Aladdin at this time. Now, it’s time for a whole new generation to fall in love with the Aladdin story in a whole new way.

How To Gain The Trust Of Your Team Members

Walking into a new organization is a scary prospect. Not because you don’t know what to do. Or even how to do the work.

The scary thing is the question of whether or not your new team will trust you.

Gaining the trust of your team can be the life or death of your leadership.

You need the trust of your team

Why Trust Is Important

Moe Glenner, in his book Plus Change, says Trust is the glue in any relationship, personal or professional. Without trust there is no real relationship.

You may know leaders who rush right in and begin making changes. They throw out the old and bring in the new.

The Overlooked Skill

If you’re in a position of leadership, you often wonder about certain questions.

How’s the company doing? Are we going in the right direction? What difference are we making in the world?

But there’s another question that weighs heavy on the hearts of leaders…

Frustrated Man

Image by Zach Klein

Who should I hire? What traits should a prospective employee have?

The question is never an easy one to answer. Every position requires a different set of skills.

One position may require knowledge of computer coding. Another may require the employee to know how to effectively manage a core team. Still another may require exquisite customer service skills.

It may seem overwhelming searching for someone with the right skill set. And it can be.

And yet the skill set is not the most important thing a prospective employee must have.