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.

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?

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?

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.

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.