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.