Flashback Friday: Do The Right Thing is still a value we live by at Gibson. Give this popular blog from 2014 a read. Does integrity “live” at your organization and in your relationships?

One of our Core Values is: Integrity Matters - Always Do the Right Thing. It seems elementary to ask why integrity matters. The answers are all too obvious, right? Yet all too often there are examples of integrity issues in our world, in business and in our personal affairs.

I checked out a few dictionaries online and they define integrity as: The quality of being honest and fair; the state of being complete or whole; an adherence to moral and ethical principles; to be honest and have sound moral character.

One of my partners, Mark Wobbe, pointed me to another website that offers a simple formula to define integrity:

Integrity = (Accountability + Competence + Ethics) – Corruption

“The common thread [of great teams] is tenacity and willingness to compete, but also the expectation of excellence.” – Chris Camacho

Chris Camacho, President & CEO of the Greater Phoenix Economic Council, shares stories of leadership and teamwork from his years of athletic and economic development experience, noting the parallels between high-performing sports teams and business. Chris and host Tim Leman also talk about cultivating leaders and the expectation of excellence.

“You can't predict what people are going to do, you just have to be able to respond in the most appropriate way you can.” – Vikki Scarafiotti

Vikki Scarafiotti joins host Tim Leman for a conversation about developing your people, the power of great mentors, and the importance of being prepared for the unexpected. Vikki shares leadership and team development stories from her extensive experience in the nonprofit sector, as well as invaluable advice for those serving on nonprofit boards.

Do the right thing. That phrase seems obvious, right?!? And generally, it is. There is a common set of rules most of us tend to live by: treat others the way you want to be treated; act with integrity; conduct your business and personal life in an ethical way. That’s the easy stuff. Oftentimes, this concept is listed as a core value, or within the mission/purpose of an organization.

We’re wrapping up the third season of The Edge Podcast with two final episodes.

In these episodes, host Tim Leman continues to talk with leaders about what it’s like to ride the edge and own it. He also digs into what makes for a truly special team.

Flashback Friday: This is our most read blog of all-time. Even though it was written in 2014, the qualities discussed are just as important to teams today. When this was written, I was celebrating 17 years with my best teammate, Kimra. Next week it will be 25! Happy Anniversary, Kimra!

We are committed to teaming at Gibson. Perhaps more than any other firm in our industry.

• We have a teamed relationship for client service delivery.
• We have an executive leadership team with very clear roles for each member.
• About five years ago we went against years of legacy and tradition to change our typical “lone wolf” salesperson model into multi-person risk advisory teams complete with a shared compensation model. Talk about breaking China!

Building an effective team isn’t so easy. Good teams have a sum that is greater than the individual pieces. This requires that egos are set aside to allow the entity of the team to be greater than any one member. By putting everyone on the team in a position to do what they do best, high achievement is possible. I find no coincidence that since evolving to the team model, we’ve also had the best growth in our eighty year history.

So what are the top qualities of an effective team player? I consulted the For Dummies to learn what great teammates do differently than others.

“You have to first identify good talent, then put them in the right position to succeed.”

– Jason Corley

Jason Corley joins host Tim Leman in a discussion about the healthcare industry and how organizations like CIC are taking a different approach to create a better healthcare experience for patients and physicians, while also lowering the cost of care. Jason also talks about the importance of finding the right cultural fit, especially when your team is geographically diverse, as well as the role leaders can have in helping employees grow and develop.

“You have to first identify good talent, then put them in the right position to succeed.” – Jason Corley

Jason Corley joins host Tim Leman in a discussion about the healthcare industry and how organizations like CIC are taking a different approach to create a better healthcare experience for patients and physicians, while also lowering the cost of care. Jason also talks about the importance of finding the right cultural fit, especially when your team is geographically diverse, as well as the role leaders can have in helping employees grow and develop.

Ex-pe-ri-ence.
noun
an event or occurrence that leaves an impression on someone

What kind of experience are you creating for those around you?

How often do we think about this question? It’s so easy to fall into the daily routine of work - every morning we come in, turn on our computers, and start checking tasks off of our to-do lists.

But how often do we step back and think about the experience we’re creating along the way?

“If you don't have great people, you're not going to do great work.” – Mendy Werne

Mendy Werne, CEO of BLASTmedia, shares about her efforts to stay connected with employees and maintain company culture through rapid growth. She and Tim also talk about what makes for a strong leadership team including knowing your roles, holding each other accountable, and a strong level of trust and respect.

“Leadership is about vision and direction. Management is about execution and accountability. A leader should be able to do both.” – Jeff Terrill

Jeff Terrill and host Tim Leman discuss recent trends in healthcare and what Marathon Health is doing to innovate for the industry's future. They dig into what it means to rally a team around a mission and a purpose. Jeff also discusses the difference between leadership and management, as well as what it takes to transform a group of people into a great team.

Ready for more of The Edge Podcast? 

We have 3 more episodes to share with you! In these episodes, host Tim Leman continues to talk with leaders about what it’s like to ride the edge and own it. He also digs into what makes for a truly special team.

Tune in as we discuss leading on the edge!

Even if you are not located in the Midwest, you are likely aware of the recent change in the coaching staff for the University of Notre Dame football program. If not, after 11 seasons under the Golden Dome, Brian Kelly left for a new opportunity at LSU. This prompted the Irish to name Defensive Coordinator Marcus Freeman as the 31st head coach in school history.

Shortly after the news broke, Freeman was repeatedly referred to as a "player's coach” by the media and fans alike.

At his introductory press conference, Coach Freeman addressed this description directly. He stated the following:

“Accountability breeds response-ability.” – Stephen Covey

What is accountability? The dictionary defines it as the state or quality of being accountable. It is the decision to be responsible for your actions and your work within your team and company.

Let’s break this down in real terms...
Accountability means you follow through and do what you say you are going to do. You don’t make excuses or blame others.

As a leader, I lean heavily on Patrick Lencioni’s Five Dysfunctions Of A Team. He describes how many teams avoid accountability. It creates a ripple effect. They don’t trust each other and as a result won’t discuss matters honestly. They fail to hold each other to a standard of accountability. In this environment, the team’s work becomes unfocused, their energy dissipates, and things fall apart.

“I think good leaders are good simplifiers.” – Larry Weigand

Larry Weigand discusses being the fourth generation of a family business and his role as CEO of the company started by his great grandfather. Together he and host Tim Leman talk about grit, tenacity, and hard work. Larry also explains the importance of simplifying business and doing what you say you're going to do. 

Check out this episode of The Edge Podcast:

“You never want to stifle people trying to make a play because that’s how you get great outcomes.” – Quentin Messer

Quentin Messer is the CEO of Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC). He discusses with host Tim Leman how the pandemic has brought a greater focus on place and what that means for not only economic development organizations like MEDC, but for all businesses and each of us personally. They talk about the unique perspectives women bring to his leadership team and how he's worked to create trust on a team of forceful personalities, as well the importance of keeping family at the forefront.

Check out this episode of The Edge Podcast:

“Being a CEO made me a better basketball coach and being a girls JV basketball coach made me a better CEO.” – Don Cates

Don Cates and host Tim Leman explore lessons learned from Don's childhood on a farm and his leadership journey in the financial industry. Don talks about how the pandemic has challenged his organization, and all of us, to become adaptable and flexible. The two also discuss how Don coaching women's basketball has translated to professional insights and a philosophy that embraces diversity of thought. Additionally, the conversation includes how being intentional about time, choice, and scheduling encourages productivity.

Check out this episode of The Edge Podcast:

Initiative: taking ownership of your decision-making process, acting without being told, pressing on when things get tough, and taking advantage of opportunities that others pass by.

I was a freshman on my college volleyball team and had been recruited to be either a setter or a defensive specialist. I had always been a setter, and I loved that position. The setter on a volleyball team is often attributed to being the quarterback of the court. We get to make the play calls, decide who gets the ball, be involved in every play, and make changes to the play design as we see fit. I love the strategy involved in being the setter.

“It's interesting that COVID has absolutely changed the landscape for employee benefits in that it's not about cost, it's actually about the employees.” – Dr. Eric Bricker

Together with host Tim Leman, Dr. Eric Bricker talks about his journey, which has included hospital finance, M.D., healthcare navigation, telehealth, and more. They discuss entrepreneurship in the healthcare industry, leadership, and the role of virtual care in a world stricken with the pandemic.

Check out this episode of The Edge Podcast:

We’re excited to introduce a third season of The Edge Podcast!

In this season, host Tim Leman continues to talk with leaders about what it’s like to ride the edge and own it. He also digs into what makes for a truly special team.

Tune in as we discuss leading on the edge!

Michiganders, this one's for you: As we approach two years since the new auto insurance reform went into effect in the state of Michigan, average insurance rates have decreased. While the topic of cost savings—which came out of the July 2020 revamp—should be acknowledged, the implication on protection needs to be noted.

Flashback Friday: Originally published in 2013, this blog is crowd favorite and one of my personal favorites - lessons from my now 98 year old grandma. Next month she'll celebrate her 99th birthday!

With Grandparent’s Day on Sunday, I want to honor my last living grandparent, ninety year old Dorothy Gerber. Not only is Grandma Dorothy an amazing woman, she also is officially the biggest and most devoted fan of my blog.

She devotedly commented on my first ever stab at blogging. It was entitled “Defining and Living Core Beliefs” from January 30, 2013. Using her original free Juno email handle from the early 1990s, she found her way to my site and then posted this: “Good job Tim. I am proud of you and Gibson.”

Definition of emptying the tank (phrase)
1: To contribute, expend, or put forth the utmost of one’s effort, ability, and/or energy.
2: To make the utmost effort; to contribute to the absolute limit of one’s energy and abilities.
3: Give one’s all, go all out, go for broke, pull out all the stops.

Are you emptying the tank in your faith, family, marriage, work, and relationships? If you’re not, do you find yourself in moments of regret?

Motivational speaker and author Jim Rohn states “we must all suffer from one of two pains: the pain of discipline or the pain of regret. The difference is discipline weighs ounces while regret weighs tons.”

I venture to believe that this thinking isn’t new to you. That you’ve either shared or received words of encouragement as it relates to providing maximum effort at work, in a task, on a project, or within your relationships. But I want to challenge you to empty your tank.

Today we’re sharing insight from guest blogger Ron Kitchens, CEO of Birmingham Business Alliance and member of the Gibson Board of Advisors. We hope you enjoy Ron’s wisdom and perspective.

Sure, there are problems; yes, there are obstacles; but the future is bright and with hard work, we can accomplish some great things. - Jim Tressel

These days, it seems that not a day goes by that someone does not ask me for my opinion on the future and what it is going to take to achieve greatness. I am reminded of something Kathy Caulton once said, "When you are looking into the future, it's important to know which questions to ask. You don't need to ask, 'Do I have what it takes to be successful?' The answer to that is a resounding 'YES!' The key question is, 'Am I willing to pay the price for the success I desire?'"

I believe we all have a choice. We can either languish in the past or use the past to spring into the future; but you cannot do both. As Ms. Caulton said, we must choose and we must be willing to pay the price for our choices.

Flashback Friday: Originally published in 2017, this blog is one of our most popular and still very relevant today. I've seen many people share recently about the books they read in 2021 and what they hope to read in 2022. I hope this blog gives you a few ideas as you complete your must-read list for the new year!

There are plenty of book lists out there. This post is a little different. While I’ve got examples of specific books for you, more importantly I want to emphasize the kind of books you should read. As Japanese author Haruki Murakami has written, “If you only read the books that everyone else is reading, you can only think what everyone else is thinking.”

I have always been pretty outgoing, an “I” on the DiSC, a cheerleader of all things. Networking has come easy to me. I actually seek out opportunities for human connection. You want to have coffee – name the place! I am there ready to make a new friend.

There is a wonderful culture of comradery at Gibson and as we launched our rebrand in 2020, the tagline Own Your Edge arose. It’s not just lip service either. Gibson provides the team an assortment of tools that dig into your own personal leadership style, mentoring, and development. Finding and owning your edge had now become something bigger to me—I was on a mission to dig in even deeper. Allowing the phrase, we worked so hard to establish, to guide my personal and professional decisions. So, the journey began.

“Some things are up to us and others are not.” – The Enchiridion

The ancient Stoics taught that we own only our choice of thoughts and actions. Everything else – the externals – remain outside of our own doing.

That means we have way more agency in who and what we are than we tell ourselves. While its not within our power to determine the outcomes, our choice of inputs most definitely are.

Traditionally this is the time when I highlight the top 10 blogs of the year, but in 2021 we introduced something brand new – The Edge Podcast! So, this year, let’s celebrate both our top blogs AND our top podcast episodes.

If you can't write the next line, well, you're dead. The past doesn't matter. - Charles Bukowski, Author

Everyone has a story. And they’re all unfinished.

Many people seem stuck in a moment, re-reading the old chapters of their book. Some bask in a glory that no one cares about anymore. Others can’t get past the tragedies, challenges, and slights still lingering in their heads. All represent stories from lives lived and lessons learned, but they are from the past.

What matters more is the chapter you’re writing right now, today. And those chapters still unwritten.

"I look for people who are going to think of things and see things differently, but also work as a team. This is a team sport.” – Scott Lewis

Scott Lewis, President and CEO at YMCA of Greater Grand Rapids, joins Tim for this episode. Growing up in the Y family since age 6, Scott shares his unique perspective on the YMCA, nonprofits, and his leadership roles. He also talks to us about building a great team and the importance of open communication.

"It’s not just the skill sets, but it’s the personality traits that really make a great team.” – Andrew Berlin

Tim talks with Andrew Berlin about building a great team by recruiting for character. Andrew keeps busy by being the Chairman and Owner of South Bend Cubs, partner and shareholder of the Chicago Cubs, and the Managing Director of Shield AI. In this episode, he highlights the importance of character and integrity. Andrew shares with us some of the great teams he's been on, and what about that team made it so great. Hint: hiring for a person's character can be more important than what you see on a person's resume. Listen now!

“Surround yourself with people that complement you, not compliment you.” – Cindy Salas Murphy

Cindy Salas Murphy, CEO of WithHealth, discusses why you need to surround yourself with the right people and how culture drives an organization. She and Tim also talk about the importance of embracing transparency, curiosity, and positivity.

Being around a lot of founder friends in YPO, I’ve heard stories about #startuplife but there’s nothing like experiencing it firsthand! I got a small dose of it over the past year as my wife and I started a small lake rental & property management business.

There were more than a few twists and turns, even while only sitting in what EOS would call the Owner’s Box. I now realize why my YPO mates often bucket us non-founder CEOs as those “running their family business” or a “hired gun.”

It’s not that a hired gun (like me when I started at Gibson) or the next generation of leadership at a family business has it easy. We face all kinds of unique challenges that founders do not! Yet, starting something from scratch is an entirely different undertaking. For mature companies, the pain and excitement of startup life comes when launching a new product or opening a new market.

"ESOPs are a unique structure that can really bring alignment and unite the culture." – Chris Fredericks

Chris Fredericks, of Empowered Ventures and TVF, joins Tim to discuss what it's like leading an employee-owned company. He shares what it means to be an ESOP, how he strives to foster strong employee-owned cultures, and what it takes to build a strong leadership team.

“When a door opens, walk through it. Seldom does it slam shut.” – Dr. Deborah Curtis

Dr. Deborah Curtis, President of Indiana State University, joins Tim to discuss her leadership experiences, the secret sauce to a strong & cohesive team, and the role gratitude plays in her life. You'll also hear stories of how leadership, diversity, and empowerment are making an impact at Indiana State.

Have you ever felt like you're on the edge of something great? You've put in the work, you've done the hard stuff most people aren't willing to do, and now you can just sense a magical run lies ahead.

In this season, we continue to talk with leaders and learn what it's like to ride that edge and own it. We dig into what makes for a truly special team.

Join host Tim Leman as we discuss leading on the edge with 5 new episodes!

There’s been a lot of talk about the future of work over the last 18 months. With so many companies going fully remote and others shifting to new business models, it’s easy to get caught up in questions like “how many days should we be in the office?”

But the future of work is about much more than where we get our work done. The future of work starts and ends with the employee experience. It’s no longer enough to offer competitive pay and a nice benefits package – those are expected. Employees are demanding more of their organizations.

“Nothing gives a person a better sense of both comfort and empowerment than to know someone else trusts them.” – Bill Manns

Bill Manns, President & CEO of Bronson Healthcare Group, joins Tim to discuss how he strives to empower his team. They dig into the importance of building a strong & cohesive leadership team, because as Bill shares, "dysfunction at the highest level of the organization creates dysfunction throughout the remainder of the organization."

“I think a lot of life is being coachable and surrounding yourself with friends who are willing to confront you, even when it’s not comfortable.” – Eric Doden

In this episode, Tim sits down with Eric Doden to discuss his passion for economic development and regionalism. They talk about the importance of alignment and accountability across team members, as well as how the combination of character, chemistry, and competency make for a powerful team.

“Figure out how to take little pieces of opportunity and put them into something special.” – John Wortman

John Wortman, Co-Founder & CEO of Valeo Financial Advisors, makes his podcasting debut. John and Tim discuss growing a team, the evolution of a leader, and the importance of communication and being on the same page.

Check out this episode of The Edge Podcast:

“Every decision is a learning experience.” – Tony Hutti

In this episode, Tim talks with Tony Hutti about the power of peer groups. Tony is the CEO of Renaissance Executive Forums has almost 50 years of leadership and management experience. He shares how being vulnerable is crucial to being a good leader and why we should have the mindset of taking everything as a learning experience.

Ask someone who has been on a great team what made it so special. You’ll hear about a group of diversely talented people who knew their role and were playing for something bigger than themselves.

If you dig a little deeper, you’ll also likely learn there was a “favorite coach” who really “got them” and in turn got the most out of them. Some might even go as far as to say they were playing for their coach, not wanting to let them down.

It’s a key reminder that who you are and how you act as a leader will have a tremendous impact on the success of your team. You may not be able to win without great talent, but you coul singlehandedly be the cause of a loss.

So, what’s the makeup of a great coach?

“I am passionate about living in a very transparent and vulnerable way.” – Tiffany Sauder

Tiffany Sauder, CEO of Element Three, joins Tim to discuss her leadership journey. She shares how she's had to make the shift from ambition to leadership, her role in training decision-making, the importance of leading through the lens of your values, and more.

Introducing the second season of The Edge Podcast!

Have you ever felt like you're on the edge of something great? You've put in the work, you've done the hard stuff most people aren't willing to do, and now you can just sense a magical run lies ahead.

In this season, we continue to talk with leaders and learn what it's like to ride that edge and own it. We dig into what makes for a truly special team.

Join host Tim Leman as we discuss leading on the edge!

Passion: noun: strong and barely controllable emotion.

To fulfill our purpose on this planet, we must acknowledge and fuel the internal flame that lies within. Once we stoke the fire, we are able to embrace the power we have over our own transformation, success, and happiness. I believe passion is the key to unlocking our purpose.

If you haven’t stepped into your calling yet, it can be intimidating. Our mentors and peers can make living theirs out look so easy.

One of the most meaningful things I’ve learned – and been able to refine for myself over the past few years – is the value of spending most of my time doing things that align with my unique abilities.

Dan Sullivan, founder of Strategic Coach, writes that unique abilities are “the essence of what we love to do, and also do best.” They are the ways we “naturally strive” as they call attention to what “motivates and fulfills us” as humans.

Author Pat Lencioni, after years of writing books on leadership and team dynamics, created an assessment tool called Working Genius. Similar to the thinking behind Sullivan’s Unique Ability, Lencioni’s assessment is for understanding our “God-given gifts… the things that [we’re] great at and love doing.”

“Ideally we should spend as much time as possible doing those things,” commented Lencioni in a recent Chief Executive article.

How do you define joy?

Many people confuse happiness and joy. Happiness is dependent upon external circumstances … Joy comes from within.

Who in your life exudes joy? What type of characteristics do they possess? Are they born that way, or do they work to find joy in their journey?

Naturally, as life progresses, we will cross paths with more and more individuals. Each person unique in their own way, highlighted by a wide range of attention grabbing (and worthy) items; the road to a successful career, the impact of supportive parents, an experience abroad, the hardships of life, the list goes on. Each one with a story that’s worth being told, but most importantly a story worth being heard.

Today we’re sharing insight from guest blogger Ryan Henry, Certified EOS Implementer™. We hope you enjoy Ryan’s wisdom and perspective.

A company’s Core Focus™ answers two questions: ‘Why do we exist?’ and ‘What are we better at than anyone else?’ When combined, they help an entrepreneurial leadership team find their sweet spot and create a filter for making all decisions.

What makes answering these two questions essential right now is that entrepreneurs are constantly creating new ideas, seeking new opportunities, finding out about new products, meeting new potential clients, and wanting to solve all kinds of problems. This is why we need entrepreneurs more than ever and why I love working with them: so we can change and help the world! I really believe that.

The problem is, like Patrick Lencioni says, ‘When everything is important, nothing is important.’ So entrepreneurs and their leadership teams must take the time to work ‘on’ their business and think, debate, discuss – argue even – to fight to find their ‘sweet spot’, and then stay laser-focused on it, hitting it every time. Otherwise, they will chase the wrong shiny objects with no focus, no discipline, and no accountability.

“You have to be comfortable being uncomfortable.” – Amish Shah

Amish Shah, CEO of Kem Krest, joins Tim for this episode. Amish discusses how he builds his team for the future and the importance of a resilient leader. He digs into his role of creating and cascading the vision, as well as empowering his team. Tune in and hear Amish and Tim talk about diversity, Kem Krest's moonshot, and more.

“Be resourceful with people. If you’ve got talent on your team…stretch them, put them into something different.” – Chad Hartzell

Chad Hartzell, Executive Director of Talent & Organizational Development at Beacon Health System, joins Tim to share his HR insights. In this episode, Chad discusses the diversity, equity, and inclusion journey his organization has been on. He also encourages leaders to challenge the traditional spectrum of HR. Listen to Chad share what gives him his edge in life, the importance of trust and feedback on a team, and more.

Legendary 49ers football coach Bill Walsh coined the term Success Disease to describe the overconfidence and arrogance that often follow an initial level of personal and organizational achievement. Walsh described it as a sense that, “We’ve mastered it; we’ve figured it out; we’re golden.”

“But the gold can tarnish quickly,” he added. “Mastery requires endless remastery. In fact, I don’t believe there is ever-true mastery. It is a process, not a destination.”

Walsh learned this firsthand in 1982 as his team only won a third of its games after being crowned Super Bowl Champions just one year earlier.

Businesses face the same challenge. Prevailing wisdom says Success Disease can be battled by setting and managing the right goals. While goals can provide direction and short-term motivation, they have much less to do with our results than the habits and systems we follow.

“The beauty is in the simplicity.” – Jimmy Rayford

Jimmy Rayford, CEO of Dealers Wholesale, joins Tim for this episode. They discuss the structure and impact EOS provides for their organizations, as well as the beauty of its simplicity and tools. They also dig into what it means to build a balanced team. Tune in and hear Jimmy's professional and personal insights, his edge in life, and more.

“80% and out in the world is better than 100% and still in your head.”

These words slapped me in the face as I was sharing a status update on a project, noting that I still needed to put in quite a bit of time and effort before it was ready to roll out. In my mind, it wasn’t anywhere close. I wanted it to be absolutely perfect and there was still so much to be done.

So, when I was told that it was “good enough,” I was appalled. Clearly, they didn’t see all of the flaws and I should probably keep tweaking the smallest things until it was juuuust right…

But those words got me thinking. What else had I been keeping in my head, waiting until it was 100% ready before letting it into the world?

“The real orientation of a team is to deliver more as a group than we could have delivered as individual contributors.” – Jim Canfield

Jim Canfield, President of CEO Tools by Aprio, joins Tim in this episode to talk about what it takes to be a great leader! Jim discusses the CEO's role in communicating, executing, and optimizing. He talks about dynamics of an amazing team and what the real orientation of a team truly is. That is only the tip of the iceberg, tune in now to hear all of Jim's insights!

During this very challenging and hardening insurance market, we recognize that eliminating certain types of insurance can be tempting. We often see requests to reduce or remove coverages like directors & officers liability, employment practices liability, fiduciary liability, and comprehensive crime coverage to allow for upfront premium savings. However, it is important to understand that eliminating these policies results in a gap in coverage and can actually increase your costs. Defending claims for actual or alleged wrongful acts related to managing your organization, your employees, and your employee benefit programs can be very costly. Any claim settlements would be an additional out-of-pocket expense to your bottom line.

“Leadership is the art of getting people to want to do what must be done.” - Jim Collins

One of the marks of a great team is decisive leadership. Fostering organizational and team health is a leader’s #1 job, as no team will ever be healthier than its leader.

Let that sink in. Ms./Mr. Leader, how healthy are you? Before alignment can occur within your organization, ensure you’ve put in the work on yourself.

“Leadership is getting the best performance out of other people.” – Larry Linne

Larry Linne is the CEO of InCite Performance Group and this episode's guest. Larry discusses how leadership is really about getting the best performance out of other people. He also digs into the value of learning and the transformation of knowledge to power. Tune in now and hear Larry and Tim discuss the importance of listening & understanding people, abundance mindset, the power of women, and more.

“Excellence should be what we're striving for every day.” – Jacqueline Kronk

Jacqueline Kronk, CEO of the Boys & Girls Clubs of St. Joseph County in Indiana, is this episode's guest. The Club's mission is to inspire and enable all young people to become the best version of themselves and she talks about how she can do just that, by investing in their kids and staff. Listen now and hear how Jacqueline inspires others, works hard, is a mother of four, and may be a tad competitive.

Have you ever felt like you're on the edge of something great? You've put in the work, you've done the hard stuff most people aren't willing to do, and now you can just sense a magical run lies ahead.

In the first season of The Edge Podcast, we talk with leaders across a wide variety of industries and learn what it's like to ride that edge and own it. You'll hear what separates out those special teams, the kind, if we're lucky, we get to be a part of maybe three or four times in our life, from the more ordinary experiences.

Join host Tim Leman as we discuss leading on the edge with 6 new episodes!

What separates the great teams from the rest? It all starts with trust.

A lack of trust, where vulnerability is not respected or rewarded, leads to fear of conflict among team members. Without healthy debate and critique, they never go deep, causing an absence of commitment to develop where team members avoid accountability all together. Team members pursue personal gain and status over team victory. Ultimately this inattention to results – team results – brings an end to a once promising group of talented individuals.

Pat Lencioni has named this chain reaction of failed leadership The Five Dysfunctions of a Team in a book by the same name. I suspect most of us have been on a dysfunctional team or experienced dysfunctional leadership.

“The best team is the one that challenges you as a leader to be better.” – Tracy Hutton

Tracy Hutton is CEO at CENTURY 21 Scheetz and this episode's guest. She didn't get there by chance, but by sticking with a career choice at a young age and working her way to the top. A shared love of sports brings Tim and Tracy into a conversation about teamwork and how leadership isn't a one-person game. Also, Tracy gives insight into how having that edge and being successful has its fair share of sacrifices.

Check out this episode of The Edge Podcast:

Warren Buffett said, “there are two sides to every coin…price and value. Price is what you pay, and value is what you get.”

In today’s healthcare system, there is a broad range in both price and value, and unfortunately, traditional health plans do not effectively support members consistently using high-quality, affordable providers and facilities.

On the value side of the coin, there are several reputable quality measures that consistently demonstrate wide variability in safety scores, infection rates, and overall health outcomes – even between two hospitals within the same system! And the statistics on unnecessary care, overuse of testing, and misdiagnosis are staggering.

“You put yourself in a position to get lucky.” – Ryan Hasbrook

Ryan Hasbrook and his team built a company from scratch out of a basement in Broad Ripple. This district of Indianapolis is infused with culture and family. These are two values the team at Eight Eleven Group wanted to insure would define them through the years. Ryan talks with Tim about creating luck and how to keep a culture.

Check out this episode of The Edge Podcast:

In 2017, legendary investor Warren Buffett famously stated, “Medical costs are the tapeworm of American economic competitiveness," indicating in no uncertain terms that rising healthcare costs are the number one problem facing American businesses. Currently, healthcare spending represents approximately 18% of America’s total Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and nearly double per capita compared to other developed countries. To make matters worse, life expectancy is far less than that of comparable nations even after adjusting for age and non-treatable causes of death. Despite these facts, the cost of healthcare continues to rise, consistently outpacing inflation and overall economic growth. Whether you are a business owner, community leader, or industrial worker, you can relate to the pressure from rising healthcare costs and its consequences.

Today we’re sharing insight from guest blogger Connie Chwan, Certified EOS Implementer™. We hope you enjoy Connie’s wisdom and perspective.

“Urgent things shout…important things whisper. Listen to the whispers.” Though I do not know whom to attribute this quote, this powerful sentiment has rung true throughout my lifetime.

It is easy to focus on the urgent in our businesses and in our personal lives. The urgent is standing right in front of us, demanding attention, poking us in the shoulder if we momentarily avert our gaze.

Addressing the urgent things in our business feels productive. There are times when you could make the case that solving the issue that shouts at you loudest is productive. But I doubt you can make that case every time something urgent pops up. More importantly, if you find yourself constantly choosing the potential for productivity as your purpose for solving an issue, some deeper issues will likely stay hidden underneath.

I can make the case that productivity isn’t about getting more done; it’s about what you get done.

"Trial by fire made me realize that if you break it down to process and common sense, things aren’t as complicated as they seem." – Matt Wojewuczki

Matt Wojewuczki is a retired Air Force Lt. Colonel and never stopped taking risks throughout his career. At age 45 he decided to go all-in on Microtech Welding Corp. With a strong team and a family that was willing to make sacrifices, Matt found himself at the helm of something new that he was sure would ultimately pay off.

Check out this episode of The Edge Podcast:

Who is your all-time favorite teammate? What virtues do they demonstrate that endear them to you?

It’s likely they epitomize what Pat Lencioni has labeled an Ideal Team Player (ITP):

• They are humble – without concern for their own status.
• They remain hungry – always pursuing growth and giving their best effort.
• They’re smart when it comes to people and relationships – emotionally intelligent, exercising good judgment and intuition within the team.
  
  

Indemnification is a concept whereby one party contractually agrees or is otherwise legally obligated to bear the financial risks of another party. These parties are respectively known as the indemnitor and indemnitee. The construction industry relies on indemnification clauses to manage and transfer risk. Consider some of the common indemnification provisions that may be encountered in construction contracts.

“Companies and leaders that are decisive in their people moves get their goals accomplished faster.” – Todd Smart

Being part of a winning team is a privilege. We all understand the frustrations of working with a team that doesn't feel the same passion for a project that we do. But, once you get a team sharing a singular vision and rowing in the same direction, the clarity is remarkable. Todd Smart believes that by using the simplification and prioritization techniques, that EOS provides, creating that winning team is easily within reach.

On this episode of The Edge Podcast we have Todd Smart, EOS Implementer and Co-Founder of Traction® Tools.

Have you ever felt like you're on the edge of something great? You've put in the work, you've done the hard stuff most people aren't willing to do, and now you can just sense a magical run lies ahead.

In the first season of The Edge Podcast, we talk with leaders across a wide variety of industries and learn what it's like to ride that edge and own it. You'll hear what separates out those special teams, the kind, if we're lucky, we get to be a part of maybe three or four times in our life, from the more ordinary experiences.

Join host Tim Leman as we discuss leading on the edge.

As insurance products go, cyber is in its youth. It’s a teenager, about 15 years old for argument’s sake. In its earlier years, it was widely misunderstood and easily dismissed unless your business model was truly e-commerce. However, as businesses of all types and sizes moved to the cloud and SaaS replaced in-house software on a LAN, more and more business processes were automated, and more data was accessible from anywhere.

Today we’re sharing insight from guest blogger Cat Edmonds of Blackink IT. We hope you enjoy Cat’s wisdom and perspective.

Approaching company culture in a hybrid environment can be overwhelming. Especially when circumstances arise without much forewarning (insert a global pandemic here) and require immediate action. As a leader, it becomes your responsibility to ensure your employees are able to work safely, productively, and collaboratively while also working remotely. And if this wasn’t enough stress, your leadership is also a key factor in encouraging and promoting your company’s culture.

There are different approaches on how to implement culture while working in a hybrid environment and we discussed these during a recent webinar. Below are our top 5 takeaway points for leadership.

We are playing an infinite game at Gibson. The purpose of our game is different from the finite games most of us are used to playing.

Our desired “win” is not to beat some other group, but rather to keep our deepest values “in play”. It’s our values – being authentically lived out by our amazing employee-owners – that’s creating our greatest impact. From our own employees, to our clients, friends, and community members, we’re in business to help others find their edge.

Winning a new client, hitting our numbers for the quarter, or nailing our annual goals are all meaningful milestones or measures of progress. We aim to achieve those. But they are only finite scores, with defined winners (and losers). Even a multi-year plan is just that: a longer-term goal with a specific outcome, and still a defined end.

Maybe a “goal” of continuing play doesn’t sound very exciting to those on the outside. Perhaps it inadvertently signals a lack of accountability. Nothing could be further from reality.

The term “risk transfer” means just that: a risk that one party bears is transferred to another. In reality, risk transfer in the context of a contractual transfer of risk from an insured to an insurer is better understood as a transfer of the financial costs of certain risks. For example, if a subcontractor injures a third-party or damages their property, the subcontractor’s commercial general liability policy should provide the subcontractor with defense and indemnification coverage. In other words, the financial cost of a covered risk is transferred from the insured to its insurance carrier. The ability to finance the costs of potential risks is a key tool in how most construction contracts are structured. Here is how.

Today we’re sharing insight from guest blogger Mark Olson, Owner of Athletic Mentors. We hope you enjoy Mark’s wisdom and perspective.

Whether we are discussing high performing 10-year old girls soccer teams, NHL Hockey teams, young startup companies, or Fortune 500 corporations, one quality all of these organizations share is the existence of an exceptional coach or team of coaches. They also have a leader at the top of the organization who fully supports and is fully engaged in the coaching process.

As a business owner of a human performance and wellbeing company, I wear many hats. Within my favorite realm as “Coach,” I am responsible for player development, team building and culture building for both my clients and my staff. These coaching responsibilities can be boiled down into three primary concepts or roles - Success Architect, Accountability Boss, and Emotional Currency Regulator – all of which are essential for any high performing organization.

In his book, The Power of a Positive Team, Jon Gordon addresses how teams face or react to the world around them. Circumstances and events happening around a team are not meant to define them. The team is meant to define its circumstances. The power of the team is on the inside, and when a team knows this and lives by it, it will create amazing and positive changes on the outside.

Today we’re sharing insight from guest blogger Randy Taussig, Chief Navigation Officer at BlueCore Leadership and Certified EOS Implementer^™. We hope you enjoy Randy’s wisdom and perspective.

Consistent solving and moving through issues are some of the most difficult challenges entrepreneurs face. It’s not surprising that most find it challenging and frustrating. It takes focus, discipline and a solid methodology to get it right.

Here’s where many entrepreneurs get tripped up:

#1. They don’t clearly identify the root issue. The issue produces so many pain points that they don’t know how to dig deep and identify what the real issue is.

#2. They don’t recognize big issues are made up of smaller ones. Issues might have several sub-parts or smaller issues embedded in them.

#3. They dive into unproductive discussion. Their discussion comes from a place of frustration, opinion and emotion, and it’s harder to step back and see what the real issue is.

Uncertainty is chronic.
Instability is permanent.
Disruption is common.
We can neither predict nor govern events.

As Jim Collins writes in BE 2.0, a ‘new normal’ doesn’t exist. “There will only be a continuous series of ‘not normal’ episodes.”

GULP. What to do?

It’s never been more important for leaders and their teams to be rapidly improving their readiness. Those most prepared, and willing – the ready – will be able to adapt and thrive. For the unready, whether they realize it yet or not, the future will be a scary and unpleasant place.

Leaders must act clearly and decisively. Accountability and discipline will be key. So will humility, vulnerability, and fairness.

As Collins considers his work over the past thirty years, he comes back to what might be the principle he’s most closely associated with: first who, then what. Successful organizations will be the ones with the right people (RP) in the right seats (RS) on the bus.

Today we’re sharing insight from guest blogger Kathy Mayfield, Integrator at Traction® Tools. We hope you enjoy Kathy’s wisdom and perspective.

You know accountability is necessary to gain Traction^®, but how will greater accountability affect the culture of your workplace? You don’t want to give up the fun, family feel of work. You don’t want people to start dreading Mondays because somebody’s going to hold their feet to the fire. You want a lively, engaged workplace that people love to be a part of. Will greater accountability be a company culture killjoy?

Perhaps the better question to ask is, “What happens when there’s no accountability?”

Complacency breeds mediocrity. Good is the enemy of great. We’ve all heard these phrases. They’re meant to be motivational, inspiring us to push ourselves. Be better. Do more. But more often than not, I see the words get twisted in a way that leaves us feeling like we can never quite be good enough.

Throughout my conversations with friends, family, and colleagues, we often address the question, “so what’s next?” As someone who is surrounded by so many high-achieving people, I can quickly become discouraged just thinking about it. Questions like, “What’s next?” “What else is out there?” “How will I know when I’ve ‘made it’?” can easily consume my thoughts and I catch myself getting sucked into a mindset of always striving for something more, without being entirely sure of what “more” is.

Today we’re sharing insight from guest blogger, Nancy Owsianowski, Founder of RoundTable Consulting, LLC. We hope you enjoy Nancy’s wisdom and perspective.

It’s January. Time to open that brand new calendar and think about goals, dreams, and the potential of the year ahead. With the new year, we get a fresh start and the chance for a new perspective. After 2020 drew our collective attention to health-related topics we have a greater appreciation for good health and the significance of strong relationships. We want a healthier life and healthier organization.

Have you ever felt you might be on the edge?

• Maybe like Melle Mel, you’re getting pushed to the edge and trying not to lose your head.
• Perhaps you’re on the edge of your seat, anticipating what is going to happen in the Season 2 finale of The Mandalorian (link contains episode spoilers!).
• Or, riding to spectacular glory On The Edge in Michigan’s Copper Harbor Trail System.

Like individuals, teams also find themselves on the edge. It can run the gamut between being in a precarious position, almost there, before the fragile bonds holding everyone together begin to break; to one of great excitement and pure joy, roaring down the hill together after the long climb up.

What separates those special teams – the kind, if we’re lucky, we get to be a part of maybe three or four times in our life – from the more mundane, but solid experiences?

Holidays are synonymous with traditions. Beyond the traveling, heading home and famous family recipes, the holidays have a way of reminding us of memories and times spent with family.

This year has presented us with many challenges, cancelled events, and other setbacks. This spring, few would have imagined we would be where we are today. At this point, most of us have been looking forward to something to celebrate for weeks.

With concerns of COVID-19 cases rising in the coming weeks and larger gatherings showing increased rates of getting or spreading the virus, how can we safely continue these traditions?

This year there will be no licking of spatulas or taking the edge of the frosting off the dessert or bumping your cousins’ elbows under the table. Most recommendations centralize on wearing masks, maintaining safe distances, limiting the number of guests, and taking precautions on food preparations and changing how we traditionally sit down to eat, or celebrating at home with immediate family only.

Another year of blogging is in the books! 

In what has been a strange and challenging year for everyone, I hope these posts brought you some insight, nuggets of wisdom, or perhaps opportunities for reflection in 2020. 

Here are the most popular leadership blogs of the year:

Today we’re sharing insight from guest blogger Michelle Mei, Founder of Leader Momentum. We hope you enjoy Michelle’s wisdom and perspective.

Fourteen years ago, just a few months into my first professional job as the Catering Sales Manager at Radisson Plaza Hotel & Suites, I received a call that my mom had a stroke. She almost didn’t survive. My mom, a vibrant and motivated woman in her late 40’s, survived the ordeal but lost most of the mobility in the right-side of her body. I was fresh out of college, ready to show my boss, the company, and the world that I was capable of anything. During the next quarterly meeting with my Sales Director, I went on and on about my lofty client prospects and sales goal. My Sales Director didn’t say a word. Uh-Oh. Then, he pushed my goal list to the side of the table and said, “I need you to re-do this. I would like you to add another set of specific goals to your plan. How many times are you going to visit your mom in a week? How many times are you going to have dinner with your parents in a month?” I was speechless. I never thought a company, or a manager, would care about me as a person, or that my success in setting and meeting goals in the areas of my life that mattered the most, would matter to them too. I gave it my all for that company and because of that, I was successful at my job.

Did you claim victory over 2020, or did it get you?

How you answer that question has much to do with the kind of game you’re choosing to play: finite or infinite.

Ever feel like you’re being watched? I’m writing this in late October and Halloween decorations are out in full force. It’s the time of year everything gets just a bit spookier. But this isn’t a blog about ghosts and goblins; this is a blog about influence.

When we hear the word “influence,” we might think of a social media account with millions of followers, or maybe a great mentor we’ve had, or perhaps a high-profile leader of an organization.

But the reality is that we all carry some level of influence on the people around us.

Today we’re sharing insight from guest blogger Jim Coyle, Certified EOS Implementer and Chief Advisor at Nexus Business Solutions. We hope you enjoy Jim’s wisdom and perspective.

“Jim, we just need to make sure we get all the details and every part of the process documented, so people don’t mess it up anymore.”

“I think we just need to give our clients more choices. If we had 10 to 15 options, then they would get exactly what they want.”

“What we need is a more detailed plan, so we are all on the same page.”

This year our team has been talking about the Infinite Game, from Simon Sinek’s book. He talks about winning in a totally different fashion than I think we’re all used to.

Winning is about staying in the game, continuing to play, not giving up, and being resilient.

This concept can sometimes feel overwhelming. It got me thinking about another book our team at Gibson drew on in recent years - The Excellence Dividend by Tom Peters. One of things I found most useful in this book was that Tom talks about how excellence is all about the next five minutes.

Today we’re sharing insight from guest blogger Jon Brickner of HR Collaborative. We hope you enjoy Jon’s wisdom and perspective.

Whether the radical disruption of 2020 thrust your business into fight, flee, or freeze mode, none of us can deny that the way we work will never be the same. And change isn’t done yet. It may never be. Always-on transformation seems to be here to stay.

And while quarantine-required remote work initially boosted productivity, as organizations return to their old ways of working, engagement, collaboration, and business performance are starting to fall again.

But this trend isn’t equally distributed across all companies. At HR Collaborative, we’ve seen “a tale of two cities” this year. The organizations that embraced modern leadership and a remote infrastructure pre-pandemic weathered the storm much better than those that hadn’t.

I was born into a Green Bay Packers family. I have cheered for the Packers my entire life. There were even a few childhood birthday wishes centered around Green Bay’s success…or Chicago’s failure. I’m proud to say I have successfully made my two daughters into Packers fans. It has been 26 years since I’ve missed watching a game.

So, why the passion…or is it obsession? And what does it have to do with business?

Today we’re sharing insight from guest blogger Rachel Pritz, Certified Life Coach and Certified Enneagram Coach. We hope you enjoy Rachel’s wisdom and perspective.

Rarely do you see skills like compassionate, self-aware, or emotionally intelligent show up on a resume. These are often called "soft skills", but there's nothing soft about them. It takes daily intention and effort to learn these skills. It's a journey not a destination. No book, podcast, or personality assessment will be a quick solution to building these skills. But the Enneagram personality framework can give you a starting point along with a GPS map for your journey.

Rebranding is a company strategy.

It is not just a marketing strategy. It takes buy-in from everyone within an organization to launch a successful rebrand. Your brand identity is just as much internal, as it is external. At Gibson we have more than 150 brand advocates and we (the entire company) must make sure we are telling our truth and portraying ourselves in a way that not only we can be proud of, but that our clients can be proud of.

The other weekend I took down and replaced a light fixture in our bathroom. For some, this may seem like nothing or just an average weekend project, but for me, it was one of many new things I have learned how to do and conquer on my own. Six months ago it would have been one of many items on my husbands ‘honey-do list’ as I typically try to avoid tasks where I can get shocked or zapped!

Today we’re sharing insight from guest blogger Alex Perry, CEO of Practically Speaking, LLC, host of the Minivan Mogul Podcast, and author of Minivan Mogul: A Crash Course in Confidence in For Women. We hope you enjoy Alex’s wisdom and perspective.

As I sit down to write this, I'm already battling the little voice in my head that says, "Why are you trying to write a post on leadership? Seriously, Alex, stop, you're going to try to come up with something that sounds business-y (is that even a word), and you're going to sound ridiculous! Why don't you just leave this one to the experts and go back to scrolling through Facebook or something like that. What on earth could you have to say to professional people who don't make their living writing and talking about their adventures self-discovery in their minivans." ((sigh)).

I'm fighting the urge to make this sound like I think you expect it to sound and doing what I know works for me as a leader, which is writing exactly what I think. You didn't realize when you started this that you were going to get an express ticket to the inside of my brain. Welcome, please make yourself at home. Being true to myself as a leader is tough work that's only gotten minimally easier as I've gone along. Is the same true for you? (if not, feel free to scroll on over to another blog.)

Today we’re sharing insight from guest blogger Kristine Hilger Carles, Executive Director of Leadership South Bend | Mishawaka. We hope you enjoy Kristine’s wisdom and perspective.

My oldest son, a senior in college, is an acting major. Through the experience of being a theater mom, I’ve learned that acting isn’t the chaotic creativity I once believed and that “going off script” is frowned upon in most situations. Acting, though inherently creative, has scripts, procedures, and norms.

Many aspects of life today, from project planning to decision making to meeting management are scripted for us. There is comfort in the script, security in our routines, assured results in our procedures. What happens, though, when an unprecedented pandemic obliterates our routines, and there is no choice but to go off script?

During our board of director’s meeting last fall, I shared the story behind the Miracle on the Hudson, and pilot, Sully Sullenberger’s, quick, creative landing which saved 150 passengers in 208 seconds. When Captain Sullenberger was asked to define his thought process in the middle of a life-threatening crisis, he attributed his unorthodox solution to a “could” approach.

I joined Gibson in February of 2002. While I don’t consider myself a historian of the firm, I have had the privilege of experiencing the growth of our company over the last 19 years. In an industry that can be prone to aggressive sales techniques and practices, I was attracted to Gibson because of the consultative and client-oriented approach to creating a great client experience.

I was very fortunate to have been mentored by some of the best risk management and insurance brokers in our business. Collectively they helped me become more curious and ask better questions of clients and prospects. The answers to the questions helped me to engage the right partners within Gibson to make the client experience better.

Today we’re sharing insight from guest blogger Chris Mills, Chief Operating Officer/Partner at ML Talent Strategies. We hope you enjoy Chris’ wisdom and perspective.

We think of business strategy as a three-legged stool. Each leg is distinct, yet all three legs must be integrated effectively to grow a dynamic, value-based enterprise.

I recently had the opportunity to participate in a MasterMind group comprised of fellow ISU alumni. The focus of this study group was the concept of resilience. During this 4-week MasterMind we covered a variety of insightful topics, but there was one topic that really stuck out to me: Antifragility.

Today we’re sharing insight from guest blogger Randy Taussig, Chief Navigation Officer at BlueCore Leadership and Certified EOS Implementer^™. We hope you enjoy Randy’s wisdom and perspective.

The ability to solve substantive business challenges could be the most important skill your leadership team must master.

It can either propel your business forward at light speed or, if done poorly, keep you orbiting through chaos and frustration. Beating business obstacles is one of the most difficult skills to master, but when you do, magic happens!

Building trusting teams is critical. A team can accomplish more and endure longer, together, than they can alone. It’s a key part of playing the infinite game.

Today we’re sharing insight from guest blogger Kim LaGrange, President of Prime Talent Insights. We hope you enjoy Kim’s wisdom and perspective.

Even though we are only halfway through 2020, we can be sure it will long be remembered as an incredibly challenging year for our country and our world. We might consider it to be the year of “uns”, since the events of 2020 are described as unprecedented, uncertain, unsettling, and perhaps even unbelievable.

Within today’s challenges, we can find opportunities – for our organizations and for our own growth as leaders. To quote management expert Peter Drucker, only three things happen naturally in organizations: friction, confusion, and underperformance. Everything else takes leadership. Leadership matters, today more than ever. Never has it been more important for a leader to be resilient, to be able to grow and to drive their organization’s growth, even in times of adversity. Seizing the possibilities and creating a great tomorrow is exciting and important work!

Today we’re sharing insight from guest blogger Randie Dial, Managing Principal at CLA Indiana. We hope you enjoy Randie’s wisdom and perspective.

“At times, our own light goes out and is rekindled by a spark from another person.”

The quote above can’t highlight the concept of gratitude any better. Practicing the act of gratitude in your organization can have such a tremendous impact on so many areas. Culture. Retention. Team. Growth. These are all areas many leaders are striving to attain but can’t quite achieve!

As leaders, we have high standards. We are driven by passion. That passion causes us to hold ourselves to the highest standards, which in turn causes us to expect a lot from our teams. Because of this, gratitude MUST become a part of our routine. As leaders, we need to be able to recognize and express gratitude consistently!

Today we’re sharing insight from guest blogger, CJ McClanahan, keynote speaker, advisor, and author. We hope you enjoy CJ’s wisdom and perspective.

Over the last 17 years, I’ve seen hundreds of “mini” crisis and a few big ones (2008/2009 ring a bell?). I get a little shaken up by all of them – just like you do. However, as leaders, we’ve got a responsibility to help others through these times.

Today, we find ourselves in yet another unprecedented situation.

However, even amidst the uncertainty, there are simple tactics we can put in place to help ourselves and our teams thrive during this interesting time.

I first wrote this blog in March, but I believe the ideas remain relevant. Even though some individuals, organizations, and industries are getting back into the swing of things, there are many still experiencing uncertainty. And I’d argue we’re all going to face some level of uncertainty for months to come. But be it from COVID-19 or any other obstacles, we will each continue to face uncertainty and crises at different points of our lives – and these tactics can help lead you through challenging times.

Beyond the normal day-to-day elasticity running a business demands, playing the infinite game requires existential flexibility. What exactly is existential flexibility?

Simon Sinek describes it as, “The capacity to initiate an extreme disruption to a business model or strategic course in order to more effectively advance a Just Cause.” In other words, it’s a big-time offensive maneuver and not to be confused with the defensive adjustments companies make when facing changing client needs or market conditions.

Today we’re sharing insight from guest blogger, Jill Young, Certified EOS Implementer and Author of “In Courage” We hope you enjoy Jill’s wisdom and perspective.

Most people feel some kind of fear daily. Here’s what it looks like at work, when you’re an entrepreneur:

• I’m afraid that if I invest in the company, I’ll lose my personal security.
• I’m afraid that if I fire John, the clients might follow him.
• I’m afraid that if we hire for this new position, I’ll lose control of quality.

Some people are motivated by fear; others are debilitated by it. Successful entrepreneurs use this fear to propel themselves and their companies forward. I believe that true entrepreneurs are in constant growth mode, and growth means change. But great change, change that really sticks, is more like a constant evolution than a revolution, and living in fear makes that evolution scary instead of exciting.

According to the National Safety Council, the use of a cell phone while driving causes an estimated 1.6 million accidents each year. In 2018 alone, 4,637 people died in a car accident due to cell phone use. 14% of fatal crashes involved cell phones. Distracted driving is an epidemic.

Starting July 1, 2020, there will be a new Indiana State Law for distracted driving. This bill will extend the 2011 ban of texting while driving to banning all physical use of a cell phone unless using hands-free technology. We encourage you to take a little extra time to consider the dangers of distracted driving and get to know the laws for distracted driving in your state.

Today we’re sharing insight from guest blogger Ron Kitchens, Chief Executive Officer at Southwest Michigan First. We hope you enjoy Ron’s wisdom and perspective.

When you lose perspective, you lose margin. When you lose margin, you lose impact.

As leaders, somewhere in our youth, we were told that, when things are not going well or when they are going well, “You need to work harder, work more hours, put your nose to the grindstone,” or a dozen other clichés. The reality is most leaders spend so much time and effort digging that we dig ourselves into a ditch. Soon, we begin to think that the edge of the ditch is the skyline. Gretchen Rubin, who appeared at Catalyst University in 2019, says, “Work is the most dangerous form of procrastination.”

Today we’re sharing insight from guest blogger Connie Chwan, Certified EOS Implementer^™. We hope you enjoy Connie’s wisdom and perspective.

“The roads of the world are paved with squirrels that couldn’t decide.”

This insight was shared by a fellow EOS Implementer^® at one of our quarterly gatherings. It paints a very clear mental picture, doesn’t it? The ability to make a decision is one of the characteristics of all great leaders. Some people are great at making decisions; others find it challenging.

We must become proficient at change. 

As Cy Wakeman teaches:

Readiness is being prepared and willing; so, if we are prepared for what the future might hold and willing to take action, then adapting to new circumstances will not be as difficult as we often make it out to be.

Today we’re sharing insight from guest blogger Kathy Mayfield, Integrator at Traction® Tools. We hope you enjoy Kathy’s wisdom and perspective.

Everybody wants their team to get more done in the day, and effective communication is a big part of that. Rumor has it that when everyone is on the same page, rowing in the same direction, amazing things can be done.

There are good communication habits and bad communication habits. Sometimes it’s hard to tell the difference, and chances are, you’ve built some bad habits into your work life. If you want to boost your team’s effectiveness, you’ll need to get rid of those sneaky practices. 

Here are five big-value communication hacks you’ve probably never thought of.

Today we’re sharing insight from guest blogger Joe Calloway, author of “The Leadership Mindset,” “Keep It Simple,” “Magnetic,” and several other game-changing business books. We hope you enjoy Joe’s wisdom and perspective.

In my work with small business owners/leaders I see a lot of them these days looking for new product or service offerings that they can make, along with new projects to take on during these most challenging (and promising) of times.

As with many things, I think it’s a matter of balance.

On the one hand, certainly we should look for and take advantage of the new opportunities that are being created (i.e. going virtual). Almost every challenge creates opportunities, and it’s a leader’s job to help the organization discover and leverage those opportunities.

At some point, though, you need to focus on your areas of greatest potential.

Today we’re sharing insight from guest blogger Justin Maust, entrepreneur, keynote speaker, Certified EOS Implementer and certified speaker, trainer and coach for the John Maxwell Team. We hope you enjoy Justin’s wisdom and perspective.

We have an enemy.

Habitual mediocrity.

It’s a sleeper. We often don’t realize how nasty it is. In the end, we are not satisfied with our organization's results.

How do we overcome these frustrations?

Social engineering: two words that are increasingly being talked about in normal, day-to-day conversation.

If you are like me, when you first heard the term, you likely thought of something different than what this really encompasses. Let’s unpack the term a bit and explore the meaning behind words.

Today we’re sharing insight from guest blogger Erin Cressy, President of Cressy Consulting. We hope you enjoy Erin’s wisdom and perspective.

In Gibson’s blog last week, CEO Tim Leman discussed “readiness” in terms of what comes next for us. He noted we weren’t prepared for the pandemic, but we can push ourselves to become increasingly ready for the unknowns that lie ahead, “What’s done is done… but you and I can do the work now to be among the ready for what comes next.”

As restrictions slowly lift and we reconnect with the way our lives used to be, I encourage you to not be content with “returning to normal,” but to want an even “better normal” to return to.  

So, what does returning to a “better normal” look like?

Ladies and Gentlemen, let’s get ready to rummmmmmmmbbbbbbleeee!

Have you read Dare To Lead by Brené Brown? She has a concept she calls “rumbling”:

“It cues me to show up with an open heart and mind so we can serve the work and each other, not our egos.”

For Brown, a rumble means a completely honest conversation, devoid of ego, and done from a place of caring. And it’s listening, with an open mind, truly searching for the truth.

If you’ve read her books or watched her videos on YouTube you are probably grinning a bit right now recalling one of her rumble stories! I especially like the ones that involve her husband.

I want us – you and I – to rumble about our readiness. “Rumble. About our readiness?” you say.

Yes, and for clarity’s sake, here’s a pretty typical definition.

Today we’re sharing insight from guest blogger Kimberli Mock, SPHR, SHRM-SCP, Forum Leader for Renaissance Executive Forum’s Emerging Leaders Program, and owner and CEO of TalentEvolutions. We hope you enjoy Kim’s wisdom and perspective.

So, business is great and you realize your growing organization needs to develop some new leaders. Excellent problem to have, right?  Many organizations work hard to identify upcoming leaders, often focusing primarily on individuals who have been successful in their current individual contributor role. Unfortunately, that may not be the best approach.

While leaders need to have business expertise and company knowledge, when we think about leaders we've admired in the past, we often focus on the characteristics they displayed that set them apart from those who simply “managed” others. One of these key characteristics is being an effective communicator.

Effective communication is an important trait for leaders in any organization, department, or group. It’s how we know what others want, what they need, and how they feel about things in their work and home lives, which often blend together these days. Unfortunately, sometimes communications are not as effective because we are so focused on the end goal that we forget what's needed to get there - good, clear communication and direction.

As a young man, I was very skeptical about the corporate mission statement and values each company I worked for put out. There were several reasons for that, but along the way a few things changed my mind. The current pandemic situation has really emphasized this for me.

Gratitude. That’s what I’m feeling right now. Extremely grateful. Grateful to be part of Gibson. Grateful for my fellow employee-owners and all the hard work they’re doing. Grateful that I’m able to work and provide for my family. And yes, even grateful I can help my kids with eLearning.

I did not always feel that way. My family is wrapping up week 5 of being home due to COVID-19. It’s been challenging to balance schedules, work full-time, and help with eLearning.

Landmark legislation was passed by U.S. Congress which includes exciting news regarding student loan contributions.

Anchored by a Just Cause, infinite games require courageous leadership. According to author Simon Sinek that means being willing to stand up to internal and external pressure to conform, in order to stay true to your cause.

Finite play favors conventional wisdom, and finite players spend most of their time in the past. That’s where their winning has taken place.

Infinite players take an abundant approach with less time spent on what happened. Instead, their effort and energy are focused on what is possible:

“By playing a single, non-repeatable game, they are unconcerned with the maintenance and display of past status. They are more concerned with positioning themselves to deal effectively with whatever challenges come up,” says a Farnam Street article about the concept of infinite players in James Carse’s extraordinary 2013 book Finite and Infinite Games.

Infinite play means a departure from the herd. And when leaders courageously forge new paths, try new things, or perhaps create a contrarian response to a crisis, they invite criticism.

We are living in unprecedented times. Right now, one in three Americans are working from home. Businesses and restaurants are closing their doors to the public. Schools are shut down for the rest of the academic year. Shelter-in-place directives are impacting our economies. Every day we are receiving new updates about new disruptions as we attempt to combat the COVID-19 pandemic.

Everyone everywhere is feeling disrupted in some way, shape, or form. And this disruption looks different for everyone. For some, they may be facing the fear of going out of business. For others, they may be juggling the additional responsibilities of childcare provider, housekeeper, teacher, cook, etc. Others may be dealing with the impact on parents or grandparents as they are forced to stay inside and not allowed any visitors. Some are being affected more drastically than others, but we are all feeling impacted in some way.

Now, more than ever, we need to look at those around us through an empathetic lens. In an age of sudden disruption, we can all come together and be unified in that we are ALL impacted in some way by this pandemic. For many, that means that priorities have suddenly shifted. Things that were so important just a couple of weeks ago are suddenly no longer at the top of the priority list. This also means that we must approach our conversations with our clients from a posture of seeking to understand the world they are living in and asking a different set of questions about how we can add value to them during these times.

Today we’re sharing insight from guest blogger Chad Peterman, President and Co-Owner of Peterman Heating, Cooling & Plumbing. We hope you enjoy Chad’s wisdom and perspective.

Blind spots are, by their nature, very frustrating. The main reason is because we cannot see a blind spot. We are oblivious to them. In leadership everything compounds. The impact we have multiplies by affecting those we are leading. Unfortunately, blind spots can compound our impact in a negative way.

Oftentimes our blind spots come in the form of our strengths. We may be great at getting things done. We may find fault in others who cannot get things done like we can. This creates a blind spot and inability to connect with that person. John Maxwell says, “We often see people as we are, not as they are.” This is the root of all blind spots.

If blind spots are so detrimental, how do we overcome them so that they don’t have a negative effect of our leadership ability? We must first understand that we need to be humble, coachable, and patient.

Today we’re sharing insight from guest blogger Mike Kemple, Director of Missional Chaplains. We hope you enjoy Mike’s wisdom and perspective.

Gaining an understanding of people, their unique giftedness, strengths, and flaws, is the starting point for empathetic leadership. 

When you examine an individual’s personality, you may find them soft, gentle, defensive, overt, indignant, manipulative, demanding, reserved, guarded, or cautious. We are also genuinely inquisitive and interested in who they are, and we enter into the essence of a redemptive sort of mystery.

This discovery brings you face-to-face with the self-centeredness that creates an environment of distrust, paranoia, and shame. You know that much of the human interaction is shaping and pushing us away from a place of hope, restoration, and peace.

So if you’re in a role of leadership or in a helping relationship, how do you make a meaningful connection?

At Gibson, giving back to the community isn’t just a transaction. It’s part of the fabric that makes up the core of our company. Gibson is always looking for ways to empower all team members to participate in a giving experience, whether that is through direct giving, input on corporate giving, group projects, through volunteer service, or board leadership.

“The first and final thing you have to do in this world is to last in it, and not be smashed by it.” – Ernest Hemingway

In Simon Sinek’s book The Infinite Game, the “winners” are those still in the game. Having the will and resources to continue playing the game, long after the other players drop out, will allow our organizations to stand the test of time.

A key part of Sinek’s philosophy revolves around Advancing a Just Cause. It’s what gives our work meaning. It is the world we hope to build and what inspires us to keep playing the infinite game.

Just Causes - and the Infinite Mindsets behind them - require resiliency. They must be durable enough to endure through political, market, technological, and cultural change over the years.

Likewise, so must the individuals that are doing the advancing. But how do we acquire resilience? Is it something we’re born with or can it be learned?

By now, we're all well acquainted with news of the coronavirus (COVID-19), which, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the World Health Organization (WHO), has now been confirmed in over 70 countries and has affected well over 90,000 individuals globally, resulting in over 3,000 deaths. While the vast majority of cases remain outside the U.S. at this time, it's never too ambitious to begin implementing prevention techniques in our homes and places of work. Below is a list of simple prevention techniques and travel best-practices in order to limit the possibility of COVID-19 spread and exposure:

Today we’re sharing insight from guest blogger Ron Kitchens, Chief Executive Officer at Southwest Michigan First. We hope you enjoy Ron’s wisdom and perspective.

Leaders push boundaries. They’re the first to try out big ideas. But doing what has never been done is not without risks. All leaders will eventually experience obstacles and setbacks—it comes with the territory. One of the things that separate great leaders from the rest is their ability to adapt and navigate adversities.

Here are a few tips you can use the next time you’re down:

According to the American Heart Association, someone dies of Cardiovascular Disease (CVD) every 37 seconds in the U.S. This accounts for 2,353 deaths from CVD each day, based on 2017 data, making it the leading cause of death for both men and women in the U.S. As is evident from these figures, it is extremely important that prevention becomes a part of your company culture by ensuring that your wellness program includes education and challenges centered on heart health and how to keep risk factors under control. This provides employees with a benchmark in order to begin working towards heart-healthier lifestyles. Living a heart-healthy lifestyle does take some effort because it involves changing daily habits, so it should be encouraged and exemplified within the workplace.

Today we’re sharing insight from guest blogger Ben Berman, Certified EOS Implementer. We hope you enjoy Ben’s wisdom and perspective.

There’s a term to describe tempting opportunities outside of an organization’s core competencies: “Shiny Things.” 

Like sparkling diamonds or the flashing lights of fame, these opportunities beckon. Shiny things lure even the most rational leadership teams into poor strategic choices with real implications. When confronted with a new opportunity -- a shiny thing -- you’ll need to ask if it is a “core” or is it a “lure”? 

Let me illustrate by sharing an experience I had with a company implementing EOS® whose leader is an excitable, passionate Visionary.

Today we’re sharing insight from guest blogger Rebecca Fleetwood Hession, CEO/Founder of WEthrive.live and host of The Badass Womens Council podcast. We hope you enjoy Rebecca’s wisdom and perspective.

Maybe you can relate: I spent years of my life longing to see my office, my email, my car, and my house all neatly organized into color-coordinated files. Surely this blissful state would give me peace of mind and finally allow me to reach my biggest life goals.

As it turns out, getting organized is not the path to achievement. In fact, it might be killing your ability to have real leadership impact. While some level of order is essential for success, your quest to reach a blissful state of organized living might actually be holding you back.

“The true value of an organization is measured by the desire others have to contribute to that organization’s ability to keep succeeding, not just during the time they are there, but well beyond their own tenure.” - Simon Sinek, The Infinite Game

In 2009’s Start With Why, author Simon Sinek makes the point that all organizations and individuals have a “Why.” It’s our origin story, the reason we do what we do.

Why is our purpose, cause, or belief. Our purpose comes from our past. It’s born out of how we were raised and the values we were exposed to.

And, according to Sinek, it’s far more important than how you do it or what you deliver. As he often says, “People don't buy what you do; they buy why you do it. And what you do simply proves what you believe.”

Earlier this month I attended my first Gibson State Of The Company (SOTC) meeting. All 140 Gibson employees gathered in South Bend for the day to reflect on the past 12 months and ignite our energy for the year ahead.

I set modest goals for my first SOTC. I didn’t want to trip when walking on and off the stage and wanted to limit my creative pronunciations of names when announcing work anniversaries. I even got some laughs during my presentation – I think the laughs were of the “at me”, not “with me”, variety!

In all seriousness, I found this day to be incredibly valuable. Being relatively new to Gibson, the opportunity to meet fellow employees and put names with faces was a big part of the day for me. The energy and pride everyone had about Gibson, their clients, colleagues, and community was very evident and exciting to see. There was no doubt leaving the meeting that the Gibson culture is strong.

Today we’re sharing insight from guest blogger Doug Beebe, President/CEO of Benchmark Human Services. We hope you enjoy Doug’s wisdom and perspective.

“That was a stupid idea. I told him it wouldn’t work.”

As leaders, we all pursue excellence for our organizations, but sometimes hear the above. How excellence is defined varies across organizations and within industries. Often, excellence is described as cutting edge or best practice, but how many organizations adhere to the best practice standard? There is ample documentation across multiple disciplines that indicate huge gaps are evident between best practices and actual practices. These gaps are especially prevalent in service delivery.

“That’s not how we do it here.”

Identifying and addressing those gaps are important when trying to differentiate implementation outcomes (Are we following the practice?) from effectiveness outcomes (Are we getting the results we expected?). When poor outcomes result from a new initiative, we often blame the “new way” without holding ourselves accountable on the implementation side.

In this article originally published by Gibson's Loss Prevention Manager, Gary Clark, we explore best practices for staying safe during the cold winter months. With the cold weather, winter brings a slew of workplace safety hazards. From proper attire to snow removal and slippery surfaces, you should be thinking about how the cold weather impacts your employees. How can you protect them from the cold this winter?

Consider the following tips to keep your workforce prepared and protected:

Today we’re sharing insight from guest blogger Jason Meyer, President/CEO of Passages, Inc. We hope you enjoy Jason’s wisdom and perspective.

We’ve all had that boss, supervisor, or co-worker we looked up to and wanted to strive to be one day. We’ve also had the opposite experience – a leader we were sure we’d never be like if we had his or her position.

Now as we lead others, have you ever taken the time to pause to think how you are a different kind of leader? Have you ever taken a minute to take a look in the mirror to see if you are the leader that you never wanted to become? Do you want to become that different kind of leader?

As we lead others, let’s take time to look in the mirror. Are we the kind of leader we always said we would never be?

To be a different kind of leader it takes commitment. It takes a willingness to be vulnerable. It requires us to check egos at the door and to be very humble. It requires LISTENING to the people we lead. Most importantly, if you get nothing else out of this blog post, being a different leader is not rocket science; it is much like the golden rule - leading others as you would like to be led.

Today we’re sharing insight from guest blogger Kathy Mayfield, Integrator at Traction Tools. We hope you enjoy Kathy’s wisdom and perspective.

Even if your leadership team has been running on the Entrepreneurial Operating System^® for years, you can still run into speed bumps in your team meetings. Tough Issues can be…well, tough to solve. It’s in those moments when you need your team to step up to the plate with creative ideas. Those are also the moments when your team may feel stymied. Meeting participation drops and you’re left with one or two people who drive the discussion.

If that sounds familiar to you, we’ve got your back. Here are seven proven ways to generate more engagement, stronger participation, and more creative ideas to solve your toughest Issues.

Looking for ways to educate and engage your employees on safety & health topics throughout the year? Check out our 2020 Safety & Health Calendar.

Workplace safety and wellbeing should be a top priority for leadership and employees. But how can you keep your employees engaged all year long? For every organization the approach is different – you could have a safety committee, newsletters, monthly training sessions, and more. The 2020 Safety & Health Calendar is a valuable tool you can utilize to make your efforts more effective.

A new year and new decade are upon us. I’ve noticed social media already calling it the #roaring20s. 

A recent opinion piece in the WSJ recalled the energy and creativity of the original Roaring 20s: “These remarkable 10 years saw the rise, all at once, of the world’s great cosmopolitan cities—New York, Chicago, Paris, Berlin, London. Music, art, drama, literature, ballet, architecture, movies, newspapers—it’s hard to grasp the creative radiance and energy of the decade.”

And just like in the 1920s, we have major political and cultural battles over taxes, tariffs, and traditions. Many are not prepared or willing – just like a century ago – to deal with the coming reality.

The previous era was known for creativity and new thinking about everything. Whether the 2020s will earn the title of roaring or not, with certainty I predict they won’t be the #boring20s.

Don’t let the new year get off to a bad start! Keep safety in mind to ensure you, your family, and your friends have an accident-free New Year’s Eve celebration!

Hard to believe we've been sharing #WhatsTheRisk blogs for nearly 7 years! As we wrap up this year of blogging, I'd like to share my gratitude. Thank you to our guest bloggers for sharing their insight with us! And to all of our readers - thank you for reading and sharing these blogs with others!

Here are the most popular #WhatsTheRisk blogs of 2019:

If you’ve been following my Friday leadership blog posts in 2019, you’ve likely noticed a common thread: excellence. We focused on lessons from Tom Peters’ The Excellence Dividend, with particular attention on these 12 “No. 1s,” - not only with my blogs, but also within Gibson.

As the year comes to an end, it is a good opportunity to recap these topics. Even if you don’t have time to read all 12 blogs, I’d encourage you to spend 5 minutes reading 1 of these posts because as Peters says, “Excellence is the next five minutes”…

This holiday season, we want to take the opportunity to thank you for being our client, colleague, and confidant in 2019. We wish you the happiest of holidays and a glowing hope for the new year!

Today we’re sharing insight from guest Art Betancourt, Principal & Founder of AEBetancourt. We hope you enjoy Art’s wisdom and perspective.

If you’ve ever been to a Disney resort or theme park, then you know that the level of service Disney's staff of “Cast Members” is unmatched. No detail is beneath their attention; their entire focus is on ensuring your family has the best possible experience during your stay.

What you may not realize is how incredibly difficult it is to land a spot in Disney's team. For instance, on a recent visit to Disney World, my family was delighted by a particular waitress at the Rose and Crown Pub. When I asked her how she came all the way from England to our table, she told me that she was one of the 40 hand-picked out of a pool of 6,000 applicants, or that position to join the cast—0.007% of applicants made the cut.    

While most organizations may not have the luxury of being as selective in their hiring decisions, you must admit Disney is on to something. Their success aligns with significant research on talent sourcing and development as well as the best practices in finding, selecting, and growing talent.

So, what can we learn from Disney regarding hiring and retaining top talent in today’s labor market?

Have you made any New Year’s resolutions? Perhaps to spend more time getting in shape? Eat healthier? Your health and wellbeing are very important, but we’d also encourage you to consider some personal risk management resolutions this year!

Here are 4 suggestions to help you improve your risk management strategy this year:

“I believe that emotion eats reason for breakfast.” – author & entrepreneur Tim Leberecht

The holiday season is upon us once more! 'Tis the season for family and giving, festive decorations, social gatherings and office parties, tasty sweets, family meals, shopping, and more.

With so many jolly activities to participate in, it's important to make sure you, your loved ones, and your organization are safe and healthy this holiday season. Consider the following resources to get you ready for the holidays!

We at Gibson would like to extend to you and yours our best wishes for a Happy Thanksgiving this year! We are thankful for you - our friends, family, clients, and colleagues. Give thanks, and enjoy the family, food, and frivolity!

As a marketing professional, I have been on both sides of the same equation. As a corporate leader for a global company, I made decisions to ensure our local community was supported by making charitable contributions to worthy nonprofits.  Later, when I worked for the nonprofit Kelly Cares Foundation, this arrangement flipped. I was the one asking corporate executives for charitable contributions to my nonprofit. Now, as the Director of Marketing at Gibson, seeing both sides of the equation and matching those experiences with our own set of priorities has me seeing the whole arrangement from a new vantage point.

As soon as I joined the Gibson team, I asked myself: Are we fully embracing corporate giving? I knew right away, Gibson is an incredibly generous company. It’s very clear we have a culture of servant leadership from the top down and our donations and time prove this. But what difference is it making? Should we have a plan for giving, just like we have a plan for every other part of our company? Of course, the answer is yes.

Research shows nearly 90% of consumers say they’re more likely to buy from a company that supports activities to improve the community. With a statistic like that, do employers really have a choice when it comes to giving and their social reputation? I can enthusiastically say no! But this doesn’t mean throwing together a disjointed giving program that exists outside the bounds of your company’s primary goals.

We all have our favorite Thanksgiving traditions. It could be eating turkey and pumpkin pie, spending quality time with family, watching the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, cheering on your favorite football team, preparing for Black Friday shopping, or perhaps you’re someone who loves to start the day by running in a local turkey trot race. This week is a time to gather with friends and family, and to give thanks for our blessings.

Today we’re sharing insight from guest blogger Dr. Julie Lauck, Superintendent of Valparaiso Community Schools. We hope you enjoy Dr. Lauck’s wisdom and perspective.

Great ideas often come from simple beginnings. Much like the beginning of a favorite movie of mine, Out of Africa begins with “I had a farm in Africa…” the story of an initiative we started this year in our district begins like this, “I had a Yorkie with a tummy ache.”

I took my dog to the vet late last spring. Dr. Bill Donohue and I began talking about his sponsorship of our one and only therapy dog. My comment to Dr. Donohue was that I would have a therapy dog in every school if I could. Dr. Donohue offered to sponsor any dog we could place. He added that he had a patient expecting a litter of ten English Cream Golden Retrievers. I looked at him and said, “I’ll get every single one placed.” He provided me with the contact information… and so it began.

Nicole Fallowfield, Principal at Gibson, discusses incentives to motivate employees to better health when no matter what, health care cost continue to rise. To hear what Nicole has to say, check out the video below:

“The single most significant strategic strength that an organization can have is not a good strategic plan but a commitment to strategic listening on the part of every member of the organization.” – Tom Peters

Those are some pretty strong words. I think we all know listening is important, but are we treating it as Peters says, “the bedrock of leadership excellence,” and thus giving it the attention it deserves? Are we truly being effective listeners?

We all struggle to get ahead of the talent challenges of today's workplace. At Gibson, we care so much about this topic that we have partnered with employee engagement software leader, Emplify, to bring insights and tools to the table as trusted advisors.

In this webinar, we’ll be joined by Emplify CEO and Co-founder, Santiago Jaramillo, as he shares actionable takeaways to build your own personalized culture framework to help you not only mitigate culture challenges, but get ahead of them.

Today we’re sharing insight from guest blogger Joel Swanson, Certified EOS Implementer and Speaker. We hope you enjoy Joel’s wisdom and perspective.

It has almost certainly happened to each of us - you’re driving down the road on cruise control. You’re not doing anything reckless, but your mind is on a million things besides the stretch of road you’re on. You’re thinking about your destination, how long it will take to get there, whether you have enough gas, what’s for lunch, and why no one seems to know how to use a turn signal any more.

The next thing you know, you’re literally shaken back into focus by the rumble strip just on the other side of the white line. You’ve drifted a bit, so you make a slight course correction to straighten things out, and continue on your way with more focused direction.

No big deal, right? Right. But things could have gotten really dicey if it weren’t for that rumble strip.

The rumble strip was there to serve a purpose: it let you know that you were off course before you barreled into the ditch. It nudged you into making a small adjustment so you could avoid disaster.

There are rumble strips available to your business. Are you using them?

Do you have a best friend at work?

I heard this for the first time three years ago. I’d just started at Gibson and was becoming familiar with employee wellbeing and engagement surveys. I came across this question from the Gallup Q12 survey and remember thinking how strange I thought it was. Honestly, I’d never thought about it before.

Many people have the same reaction. In surveys, some employees comment that they already have a best friend and they don't need to spend extra time with the people they work with outside of work.

Having a best friend at work simply relates to having someone at work that you can confide in or share an experience with.

Nobody thrives in a plague or does their best work while fending off lions. And it doesn’t take a catastrophe to throw stress reactions into overdrive. When people don’t trust that they’ll be able to complete their work without surprises — especially those that come with negative consequences — engagement is nearly impossible. 

Being prepared to maintain employee engagement by addressing the difficulties that come with change is mission critical when triggers arise. Change is tough to absorb individually and as a company; keeping tabs on exactly how it affects your team should guide your efforts to maintain engagement through the shift. Without this feedback, you risk adding to your difficulties by setting the stage for disengagement and its costly sidekicks — low productivity, absenteeism, subpar customer service, and turnover.

Liz Misenar, Principal at Gibson, discusses personal liability protection. Accidents happen and unfortunately so do lawsuits. The amount of the settlement has nothing to do with your financial resources and you are legally obligated to pay whether you have the funds or not. To hear what Liz has to say, check out the video below:

Today we’re sharing insight from guest blogger Renea Boots, EVP & Chief Administration Officer for Farmers State Bank. We hope you enjoy Renea’s wisdom and perspective.

I recently ran across the following quote.

“Surround yourself with the best people you can find, delegate authority, and don’t interfere.” – Ronald Reagan

Reading these words, I felt myself smiling, remembering that I have often said “Get great people, empower them, and get out of their way!” Maybe I read this quote earlier in my career and stole it from President Reagan, or maybe it just made sense and great minds think alike (except that I don’t consider my mind great).

Regardless, there is tremendous truth in the statement. As my career has morphed from HR into corporate leadership, I’ve learned that developing self-confidence in people, removing hurdles when needed, praising good work, and occasionally cleaning up a mess is really the true day-to-day nature of my role. The other focus of corporate leadership is looking out to next month, next quarter, next year - and preparing the organization for what lies ahead.

Mid-level managers are best equipped to handle most challenges an organization faces each day. The question is - are you letting them?

Today we’re sharing insight from guest blogger René Boer, a Certified Implementer of EOS. We hope you enjoy René's wisdom and perspective.

It’s probably no surprise that employees would prefer feedback to be positive. But what may surprise you is that employees would rather have negative feedback than no feedback at all. Despite this, many bosses confess that they’re not particularly good at giving genuine praise or helpful criticism.

Today we’re sharing insight from guest blogger Peter Welsh, Director of Retirement Services for Thurston Springer. We hope you enjoy Peter's wisdom and perspective.

“The magic formula that successful businesses have discovered is to treat customers like guests and employees like people.” - Tom Peters

With annual budgeting season upon us, many organizations are facing the age-old question of cutting or spending their way to prosperity. Many businesses talk about the importance of growth yet allocate much of their planning time toward cost control initiatives. Yet, the celebrated stories of success rarely involved a sustained history of austerity. Business consultant Scott Edinger sums it up well in a Forbes article, “I believe strongly that we should attack waste, and there is often plenty of fat to trim. Unfortunately, many executives are so laser-focused on cost-cutting that they lose sight of their real objective: actual growth, not just the bottom line.”

Treating your clients well by investing in new and better solutions and attracting, growing, and retaining the best talent in the market can’t be accomplished through spending cuts. It requires investment.

In The Excellence Dividend, Peters pleads for leaders to over-invest in people and facilities. “Cost cutting is a death spiral,” he writes. That said, successful companies remain profitable over time.

Twenty years ago my wife and I were about one month into our new jobs after a cross country move to Arizona. I had just turned twenty-five and was figuring out the pecking order in the highly competitive sales focused culture of my new company.

Our firm was the dominant insurance provider in Phoenix. We worked with most of the major sports teams and that came with a reciprocal understanding that my company would be an active supporter of the teams through advertising and purchasing suites.

On Friday morning, September 24, 1999, news came that our office head had suffered a mild heart attack. He was going to be okay, which we were all thankful to hear. Not long after I observed many of our senior people huddling and excitedly talking about “the trip.” I got up from my desk to see what was going on.

Life insurance is one of those necessary evils that many of us don’t like to think about. While you hope you never need it, the chances are at some point you will. Life insurance is a wonderful way to help protect your family’s financial future whether you have a spouse, kids, parents that depend on you for financial support, or just debt. Life insurance provides a tax-free benefit to fulfill your needs, and those of your family, should you pass away andcan help your family pay for, and pay off, expenses such as:

• Funeral cost
• Uncovered medical expenses
• Mortgage
• Loans and credit card debt
• College funding
• Retirement funding
• Ongoing living expenses for your dependents

Today we’re sharing insight from guest blogger Morales Group, a nationally recognized, Indianapolis-based MBE staffing company. We hope you enjoy their wisdom and perspective.

“Without continual growth and progress, such words as improvement, achievement, and success have no meaning.” – Benjamin Franklin

Learning is understood and widely accepted for those of us who have gone through primary and collegiate schooling. We were regularly surrounded by individuals who encouraged and supported our development. New ideas and change were expected of us; the sky was the limit!

But what about once we got into the workplace? For many, we settled into the day-to-day routine, taking care of business, unaware of the toll that our comfortable, monotonous, uninterrupted tasks seemed to be having on our personal and professional growth.

Do you hear regular employees saying “I don’t get how this project management tool works” or “I’m bad at giving presentations. Please let someone else do it.” If so, reevaluation of your team’s growth mindset might be in order.

Summer is coming to an end. For some, that means it’s time to prepare the summer house for winter, put items into storage, and say goodbye until next Spring. The checklist below will help you remember what you need to do to ensure that your home is safe and secure until next year.

Today we’re sharing insight from guest blogger Mike Paton, Visionary at EOS Worldwide, LLC. We hope you enjoy Paton’s wisdom and perspective.

My high school cross-country coach, Chuck Lucas, was a legend. He and his teams won more than twenty league championships, countless district titles and two state titles – my senior year and the year following. There were lots of reasons “Coach Luke” was effective, but one was remarkable. He saw things other coaches never saw.

Michigan and Illinois recently legalized the recreational use of marijuana. This patchwork of laws, coupled with federal law that still criminalizes marijuana, leaves many employers wondering what they can prohibit and test for in the workplace.

According to Tom Peters, lunch is sacred. As he sees it, throughout the year we have “225 golden-never-to-be-repeated opportunities” to meet new people, learn new things, and build and nurture relationships inside and outside our organizations.

Okay, I like lunch as much as the next person. I fill my shared lunch hours with friends and colleagues whenever I can. But I’ve never thought of it as sacred. What gives?

Prepared, Not Scared.

That is the theme for this year’s National Preparedness Month. Annually, FEMA and other government organizations dedicate the month of September to educating individuals, families, businesses, and communities on the importance of taking action to prepare for emergency situations.The weekly themes include:

• Week 1 (Sept 1-7) - Save Early for Disaster Costs
• Week 2 (Sept 8-14) - Make a Plan to Prepare for Disasters
• Week 3 (Sept 15-21) - Teach Youth to Prepare for Disasters
• Week 4 (Sept 22-30) - Get Involved in Your Community's Preparedness

Though we hope you’ll consider disaster preparedness an important aspect of your risk management strategy all year long, this is a great time to check on your planning – both personally and in your organization. We’ve gathered a collection of resources to help you develop, implement, and test your emergency plans.

Today we’re sharing insight from guest blogger Mark Weber, CEO of YMCA of Southwest Michigan and interim CEO of YMCA of Michiana. We hope you enjoy Mark’s wisdom and perspective.

To improve our communities and make them places where people are healthy, safe, and cared for, takes a lot of work. As a non-profit organization, we know we can’t do it alone. The ability to effectively partner with other individuals and organizations in our communities is essential to the building of healthy communities.

To some, Labor Day weekend signals the end of summer and the last hurrah. To others, it’s the beginning of the best time of the year. The temperature starts to drop, the leaves slowly change colors, and the aroma of burgers and beer fills the air. It’s football season!

For some, tailgating is nearly as important as the game itself. It has become an integral part of the game day ritual. But don’t get so caught up in the festivities that you forget about safety. Consider these tips to keep your tailgating safe so you can enjoy the game:

Today we’re sharing insight from guest blogger Don Tinney, Certified EOS Implementer™. We hope you enjoy Don’s wisdom and perspective.

Some people are great at avoiding conflict in the workplace. All you need to do is keep your mouth shut or yield to the strongest voice in the room. However you may be justifying your silence, passivity or lack of engagement, I want you to consider how damaging that behavior is for both you and your team. I also hope to give you some simple, practical suggestions for becoming a healthier, engaged fighter.

Conflict in the workplace is risky. I get that. It makes us uncomfortable, tense and our emotions can flare. But what should we expect from passionate teammates who are all fighting for outcomes that matter a lot? When we work with intelligent, creative, passionate people, we’re bound to have occasions when we see things differently. Conflict in the workplace is not only unavoidable in a growing, healthy organization, but it’s also essential!

This week begins the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s “Drive Sober Or Get Pulled Over” national campaign, which continues through Labor Day. Summer is a time to take advantage of the weather, cookout, go to the beach, and enjoy time with family and friends. Unfortunately, during the summer, there is an increased number of alcohol related vehicle accidents.

Today we’re sharing insight from guest blogger Ron Kitchens, Chief Executive Officer at Southwest Michigan First. We hope you enjoy Ron’s wisdom and perspective.

Everyone wants to improve, and everyone knows they need helpful feedback in order to get there. The problem is that giving quality feedback is a difficult talent for leaders to master—and nobody is very good at receiving feedback that may be negative.

However, giving good feedback is the key to keeping your team engaged. Luckily, these discussions do not need to be unpleasant—especially when you use them as opportunities to celebrate success and discuss what’s next.

Here is your guide to giving and receiving feedback:

The greatest risk students face is getting to and from school every day.

According to The “Relative Risks of Death in U.S. Schools” report, school transportation-related incidents are the leading cause of fatalities. This includes riding school transportation, being struck by a school bus or other school vehicle, or being killed by a non-school vehicle on school property.

I can distinctly recall a discussion from my first real job. It was with a Regional Vice President, named Jim, who was about 4 levels above my direct supervisor. This was at a Fortune 100 organization, so being fresh out of college and having a serious discussion with a leadership team member was kind of a big deal. I had recently voiced my opinion on our current processes and procedures for time service standards at a large national conference. I offered several new ideas to evolve our standards. Jim called me a few weeks later to personally thank me for speaking up. And although most of my ideas were not feasible at the time or just bad, one of my ideas he loved and was already beginning to implement.

I wanted to discuss further my “bad ideas” that Jim said were not feasible, but he was too busy and basically ended the phone call with “Keep bringing me ideas – for every 20 bad ideas, hopefully 1 will be good.” I remember getting off the phone and being discouraged, thinking “Wow, what is that supposed to mean – 1 out of 20 is a good batting average?” Little did I know, this would be my first serious discussion on being an innovative leader.

Once your child turns 18, your ability to act on their behalf changes. Their medical history is no longer available and you cannot make medical decisions for them. Even if your child lives at home or is on your health insurance, a parent has no legal authority to make health care decisions nor do they have the right to obtain medical information due to the Privacy Rule of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA).

Today we’re sharing insight from guest blogger Mike Cahill, President of Banking Services at Ruoff Home Mortgage. We hope you enjoy Mike’s wisdom and perspective.

I recently came across a person on social media who was probably one of my worst hires ever. A very good person, just a very bad fit for the job and a poor judgment call on my part. I shared this with a friend who reminded me of a promotion I gave someone a few years back that was also ill advised. This friend has known me for a long, long time, so we reminisced about various bad hires or poor promotion decisions I made over the years.

As we all move up through management, the decisions that more times than not either make our break our success are the people decisions. Who do you hire, promote, reassign, develop, fire, etc.? After making sure you have the appropriate vision and strategy for your business, nothing is more important than the people decisions we all make.

At home, your family is exposed to the risks of robbery, fires, weather damage, and car accidents, among other things. When your young adult heads off to college, the same risks exist, even when they live on campus. It is important to understand your insurance policies to know what is covered and where there may be gaps.

Today we’re sharing insight from guest blogger Shery Roussarie, President and CEO of Allied Physicians of Michiana, LLC. We hope you enjoy Shery’s wisdom and perspective.

Two recent experiences have caused me to think about the legacy I am building. Is it a legacy where people will speak fondly of me, or will it be a celebration the likes of which hasn’t been seen since Dorothy’s house landed in Oz?

The first of these experiences was at Notre Dame’s annual President’s Breakfast. This year’s event concluded with a special tribute to John Affleck-Graves, retiring Chief Financial Officer of Notre Dame since 2004. It just takes a quick Google search to see the significant impact Dr. Affleck-Graves is leaving on Notre Dame and the financial development of the region.

What is hard to convey in an online search, or even in a sentimental tribute, is how he makes you feel. Should you have the good fortune to meet Dr. Affleck-Graves, you would indeed come away feeling blessed. He is one of those rare individuals who fully engages in the conversation at hand without regard to the status, title, or role of the person with whom he is speaking. Whether you are the president of the university or a little-known attendee at a breakfast.

 Today we’re sharing insight from guest blogger Anita S. Knudtson, Consultant/Owner of Experient Consultancy. We hope you enjoy Anita's wisdom and perspective.

Today we’re sharing insight from guest blogger, Jim Gilkey, Director of Member Development at trueU. We hope you enjoy Jim’s wisdom and perspective.

I remember when my first employee quit. I was sitting in my office, a first-time branch manager at Enterprise Rent-a-Car, listening to a newly hired employee explain to me how he got an offer from “his dream job” and how he would be leaving me in two weeks. I told him, “no worries - sounds like a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity” and let him take the next two weeks out of the office to prepare for his next role.

I sat in my office for a while after he left. My head was spinning - a battle was raging inside me. One voice was trying to reassure me, explaining the logic of why this employee left (he is a millennial), telling me that I’d do the same if I were in his position (no one grows up dreaming of renting cars for a living). The other voice was not as sure.

Would that employee have quit if I was a better leader?

Accidents are preventable, predictable, and unacceptable. Heat illnesses are no exception – they are preventable. It is your responsibility as an employer to provide a workplace safe from excessive heat, as well as appropriately train your employees on understanding heat illnesses and how they can be prevented. 

“The only thing you have power over is to get good at what you do. That’s all there is; there ain’t no more!” – Sally Field

Even after four decades of writing and speaking on excellence, Tom Peters continues his impassioned plea on training with an entire chapter devoted to it in his most recent book The Excellence Dividend. He makes the point that you don’t achieve mastery during the game, while delivering the speech, or playing at the concert. Rather, “mastery is achieved only on the invisible preparation stage.”

As a performer, training should be your highlight, leaving the main event as an afterthought. When you think about it, success has essentially been decided before you even step on to the field or stage.

Writes Peters, “I find it interesting that many people I come across think they would make a great writer, actor, executive coach, seminar speaker, or even leader with little or no investment in training. Odd how they don't feel the same about neurosurgery, instrumentation design, and dentistry.”

Chris Kidd, Client Executive and Risk Advisor  at Gibson, discusses how loosely monitored fleets can increase the frequency and severity of potential auto losses, resulting in significant liability claims. To hear what Chris has to say, check out the video below:

Today we’re sharing insight from guest blogger Joe Calloway, author of “Keep It Simple,” “Magnetic,” and several other game-changing business books. We hope you enjoy Joe’s wisdom and perspective.

There are common threads woven through winning companies and top individual performers. There are also common threads woven through the mediocre and the struggling.

When I talk with people in companies that are not doing well, they will invariably tell me how complicated their business is, how different it is from other businesses, and that they “have a thousand things to do” each and every day.

Celebrating one of the nation's most historical holidays can be festive, but has the potential for risk. So we bring you a look at the 4th of July by the numbers with interesting statistics and facts. As with any holiday celebration, have fun and stay safe!

Today we’re sharing insight from guest blogger, David Mann, Managing Partner at The Firefly Group. We hope you enjoy David’s wisdom and perspective.

About a year ago, I had the opportunity to introduce The Firefly Group and our team to a room of 200+ talented, inspiring, go getters who are making a positive difference in the world. It is always my desire to deliver my message in a way that hits its mark, but with this particular group I had an increased desire to leave a positive impression as we had recently formalized our partnership and were meeting the broader team for the first time.

At the end of my introductory remarks I was asked several questions. I was feeling pretty good until someone asked - "Tell us your firm's core values?" Embarrassingly, with a deer in the headlights expression on my face and my mind going completely blank, I looked at the person asking the question and had to admit that I could not name a single one of them. Spending the next couple of days ruminating on this experience, I continued to ask myself - do our core values actually mean anything or are they just something we tell people we have and hang on the wall? If I can't name them, how in the world could I possibly be living by any of them?

Today we’re sharing insight from guest blogger, Robert Kistler, an attorney at Barrett McNagny. We hope you enjoy Robert's wisdom and perspective.

With mergers and acquisitions, employee benefit plans and transition issues are often among the last things considered when negotiating the purchase agreement terms or conducting due diligence. Given the complexity of maintaining and administering plans in compliance with numerous laws (ERISA, the Internal Revenue Code, ACA, COBRA, HIPAA, FMLA, ADA, GINA [1], and some state insurance laws—that are regulated by countless government agencies) it is no surprise that buyers, and sellers, are often surprised by complicated benefit issues that arise shortly before the transaction closing date.

Today we’re sharing insight from guest blogger, Andrew Wiand, Executive Director of enFocus, Inc. We hope you enjoy Andrew’s wisdom and perspective.

I’m sure every leader has felt something similar: I want my staff to have autonomy and inspiration to think outside of the box, but we also need to focus on the task at hand. Freedom and responsibility are core aspects of high performance, but there is a certainly a balance required to ensure that employees are staying focused on the critical tasks to complete necessary efforts while also producing the ideas the company can capitalize on in the long term.

There are many answers to this riddle across organizations, varied by type of business, type of job, and leadership philosophy. At the same time, there are many organizational models for creating innovative ideas; from “thinktank” spaces to design thinking exercises to newly formed innovation groups that are specifically designed to dream up the next wave of products and services for the company.

June is National Safety Month. While workplace and home safety are important every day of the year, the National Safety Council (NSC) specially focuses on safety during the month of June to help educate the public. Highlighting the following four themes throughout the month, the NSC aims to reduce the leading causes of injury and death – at home and in your workplace.

Today we’re sharing insight from guest blogger, Nancy Owsianowski, President of RoundTable Consulting, LLC. We hope you enjoy Nancy’s wisdom and perspective.

I recently read that Warren Buffet spends 80% of his day reading and thinking. Can you imagine—80% of his day?!

According to Buffett, all of that reading and thinking is what has built his knowledge base, providing for less impulsive decision making in his business. In this world of go, go, go, most of us do not have the luxury to spend that much of our day this way. However, many high-profile CEOs also schedule thinking time into their calendars. In fact, AOL CEO Tim Armstrong makes his executives spend 10 percent of their day just thinking. Jeff Weiner, CEO of LinkedIn, schedules two hours of uninterrupted thinking time per day. While it may seem indulgent, in reality, they use that time to come up with new ideas, brainstorm ways to overcome challenges, set goals, and organize their ideas.

Today we’re sharing a blog from Central Insurance Companies. We hope you enjoy it!

Thanks to HGTV, many of us are feeling more empowered than ever when it comes to home improvement and considering purchasing fixer-uppers to convert into our dream home. The possibilities are endless. Older homes have become a target for this trend, allowing us to hold onto some of the charm and character they offer while adding modern flair. Here are some things to keep in mind if you’re considering purchasing an older home or any home you’re planning to renovate.

“In my whole life, I have known no wise people - over a broad subject matter area - who didn’t read all the time. None. Zero.” – Charlie Munger, Vice Chairman, Berkshire Hathaway

When Tom Peters, author of The Excellence Dividend, speaks of reading, he’ll often label it as the “#1 deficit in CEOs.” For all the talk about how much successful CEOs do read, it may not be enough. Said Peters in a 2016 interview: “I like to think I’m a half step ahead of the pack. But about three years ago, with all the crap that’s going on, particularly with technology, I realized that I was 25 steps behind.”

Reading books is such an important tool to learn new things but also to test your understanding and beliefs. “I love them because they help us understand that we are not the brightest people in the world, and there are 80 million things to trip over when we’re making decisions,” Peters added.

An estimated 10,000 workplace cardiac arrests occur in the United States each year. Even worse, many don’t know the symptoms of a cardiac arrest. As a result, only 46% of people who have “Out of Hospital Cardiac Arrests (OHCA)” receive proper CPR before medical help has responded. CPR can double, or even triple, the survival rate.  

This week is CPR & AED Awareness Week. An emergency can happen at any time and you should know what to expect when that time comes. Become more aware in the workplace with these tips from the American Heart Association. With only 50% of people in a workplace knowing where to locate an AED, many lives are at risk.

Today we’re sharing insight from guest blogger, Brad Duncan, Branch Manager and AVP at Centier Bank. We hope you enjoy Brad’s wisdom and perspective.

Since I was a child, I have always admired great teams. Who wouldn’t want to be a part of the 1985 Celtics, 1996 Bulls, or the 2018 Golden State Warriors? Unfortunately, I was not born to be a basketball player, but I have always strived to lead others. I believe the thing we forget is that leadership should not just be associated with a CEO, CFO, or Executive Director, it should be something you desire in every individual that touches your organization. Leadership comes in layers and each layer makes the organization better. When you add a player to a basketball team, that team gets better or worse depending on who is added or subtracted. Business is no different as each employee makes their mark on your company.

Most businesses wouldn’t think twice about investing in the safety of their employees while they are at work; however, if employees are your most valuable asset, shouldn’t you be concerned with their personal safety, risk management, and disaster preparedness?