Tag Archives: personal growth

Posted on

Quotes And Leadership Lessons From Kung Fu Panda 4

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

Let me be honest with you… Prior to watching Kung Fu Panda 4, I had never watched a Kung Fu Panda movie all the way through. And there’s a lot of them before this. That being said, I went into the movie knowing very little about Po (Jack Black) and his compatriots. It was a new world to me and one where I didn’t need to know much about the past history. I don’t think you will need to know much about them either.

In Kung Fu Panda 4, Po is the Dragon Warrior, a powerful prodigy who can wield limitless power. He’s also the protector of the citizens of the Valley of Peace. But things are changing. His master, Shifu (Dustin Hoffman), encourages him to change. Shifu believes it is time for Po to become the Spiritual Leader and pass the title of Dragon Warrior to someone new.  Read more...

Posted on

Are You Missing The Plank In Your Eye?

Every time someone subscribes to receive updates from my blog, they should receive an email asking them what the biggest struggle they’re facing today is. I recently had a subscriber respond with an issue most leaders have at some point. 

I shared my thoughts on the topic with them, and they said I should make our conversation a blog post. I hope you will enjoy this interaction made into a cohesive topic about leading others well. 

Man sitting in front of laptop. His hands are thrown up in frustration.

Photo by Headway on Unsplash

Here’s the struggle the reader was facing:

I would say my biggest struggle is mentoring new, younger employees.

At times their level of confidence far exceeds their abilities. In my opinion this contributes to an employee who over simplifies things, over relies on their own abilities to solve a problem, and takes unnecessary risks. This approach can create project delays.  Read more...

Posted on

Quotes And Leadership Lessons From Monkey Man

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.

Watching the previews for Monkey Man, I had flashbacks to the John Wick movies. It looked like the typical revenge thriller with an Indian twist. The action and adventure had a similar feel to those classic action movies. One of the characters even quips about John Wick in the film.

In Monkey Man, an anonymous man named Kid (Dev Patel) fights in underground battles wearing a monkey mask. This gets him the name Monkey Man. He’s always on the losing end as Tiger (Sharlto Copley) has rigged the fights so Kid will always lose.

Ripped man standing in a ring. He's wearing a monkey mask. Scene from Monkey Man

Kid eventually tires of the endless fights and meager pay. He decides he wants something better. This is when he is introduced to Queenie (Ashwini Kalsekar), a brothel owner. He befriends her and begins to work for her in the kitchen.   Read more...

Posted on

What A Swan Taught Me About Leadership

On a warmer February afternoon, Pamela and I walked through our neighborhood. We walked over a creek, which is a hotbed of activity during the summer. In the winter months, there’s not much going on.

However, on this day, we saw two ducks and two swans. The two ducks and one swan were swimming along fine. They were having a great time in the water.

But then there was the second swan…

A swan on water. There is ice surrounding the swan.

He’s in the middle of an ice patch. All around him is a crunchy layer of ice. What we saw happen next surprised me.

The swan didn’t take flight. He pushed himself forward, again and again, into the ice. He was breaking through the ice so he could get to the portion of the creek that was free of ice.  Read more...

Posted on

How To Create A Culture Of Innovation And Creativity

Innovation and creativity are hallmarks of a great organization. They know what they do well, think about what to do next, and then innovate to get there.

It’s not always easy. Sometimes, you stumble and struggle along the way. You may even wonder why you desired to be considered innovative and creative. 

I think about this even as I type these words. I think about what I need to do to innovate and inspire you. I have to find the creativity within me to do so.

Sometimes, it’s easy to be creative. Other times, I start, stop, and start over again. However, I use a few tips and tricks to inspire the innovation needed to continue creating. These methods transfer over to business and life as well.  Read more...