Tag Archives: struggle

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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...

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3 Reasons Being Young Shouldn’t Stop You From Leading

Your youth is an asset

Has anyone ever told you that you’re too young to lead? Maybe they’ve told you that you don’t know enough yet. You haven’t reached the age of maturity.

Some of those concerns are valid. You might not know as much as you need to. Or you might be a lot younger than those you’re going to be leading.

Yet being young shouldn’t stop you from leading. Rather, you should be encouraged to lead when you’re young.

Youth shouldn't stop you from leading

Yes, you’re young…

There are many issues that can arise because of your youth.

You might easily be distracted by the next shiny thing. You might not know everything there is to know about the situation you’re leading the organization into. Or you might not have buy-in from those around you, after all, you’re half their age.

Leading when you’re young can be tough. You feel discouraged and that your voice doesn’t matter.  Read more...

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My Biggest Struggle (And Probably Yours Too)

Being in a leadership position brings a whole slew of new problems. And one of those adds to my biggest struggle.

Truth be told, my struggle probably isn’t much different than yours. Especially if you’re a believer.

We all struggle

My Struggle

Do you want to know what I am constantly battling? Too bad, I’m going to tell you anyways.

I’m in a constant struggle with myself.

That’s right, I fight and struggle and rage against me, myself, and I.

Every day my Self rises within me. It tells me that I deserve more. My Self tells me that I am better than I am. It

And I have to constantly do battle with this inner feeling of entitlement.

That’s my struggle.

I feel like I’m entitled to things that I’m not.  Read more...

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Comfort Is The Enemy

The American dream was what most of America wanted at one point. The dream to have the white picket fence, the 3 bedroom home with lots of room to spare, the luxury car that had every amenity known to man.

That was the American dream. And it should be considered our enemy.

The American dream became about comfort and living a life that was easy.

That’s not what I want and I hope it’s not what you want. That’s why comfort is the enemy.

Comfort begins to change us. When we live in comfort, our desires begin to change. We begin to think we have it made and we’re on the road to success.

Not only that, we tend to become lazy. Our guard begins to soften and we fall into bad habits.  Read more...