To Serve well

Serving with Excellence for a Life of Excellence

Community

Live Life to Fullest and then some.

I know, I know, I have talked about graduation once, and this blog is not REALLY about graduation, but since I have three graduates, I guess I may include the thought one more time just to be even… Thanks for obliging me! 🙂

Graduation is such a great time.  It feels like a New Year, a new opportunity to relaunch, to go after the next adventure –  Graduation is FUN and EXCITING and possibly scary!

I have the great privilege of being the mom to three boys that bring so much joy to me that I can’t even believe how good God is!  The funny thing about graduation are the comments that folks make… mostly some version of the comment, “it goes so fast.” –  but I have a different view.

One of my life goals is to always be intentional about whatever I’m doing – The role of parent, makes this even more important.  The future of our country and families rely on it!

Our family attends an amazing camp in Texas called Pine Cove.  I highly recommend your family attends or even your student if you have kids under age 18 – It is simply life changing. Pine Cove was responsible for me becoming super aware of how important it was to sit down and really focus on character development of my own boys. It showed me how I want my family life to truly be – It led me asking, “What story did I want for my boys?”

For me, it was to be men of excellence. Men who were obedient to God and lived out their life’s great adventure in a meaningful way.  In order to achieve this things had to happen, Travel to experience the world, build a spirit of community, and embrace diversity and the power in that – This takes a concentrated effort to build the plan – Much like we do in business.

So, each of the last 13 years (The first 5 were a blur…) that was the goal for my boys and I – To engage FULLY in what life had to offer and work toward the goals. It didn’t go fast – Each year was FULL, AMAZING, and an ADVENTURE.  The good with the bad helps us grow and learn. It has been AWESOME and I can’t wait for the next chapter.

One thing I do know, it take us being intentional, and knowing that GOD WILL SHOW UP.  

Sparklers, Picnics, & Independence! GO USA!

blog_695010_2746730_1435632600

I LOVE THIS WEEK!  Today starts the long weekend for many and I hope everyone loves this opportunity as much as I do… that we get to celebrate our nation’s Independence.

A little background for those of you who, like me, didn’t listen well in history 101… In 1776 the Declaration of Independence was adopted by the Continental Congress… declaring Independence from Great Britain.

Here’s also an excerpt from Wikipedia I thought was especially cool and worth sharing…

John Adams one of the 5 “drafters” wrote this to his wife the night before the signing:

“The second day of July, 1776, will be the most memorable epoch in the history of America.  I am apt to believe that it will be celebrated by succeeding generations as the great anniversary festival.  It out to be commemorated as the day of deliverance, by solemn acts of devotion to God Almighty.  It ought to be solemnized with pomp and parade, with shows, games, sports, guns, bells, bonfires and illuminations, from one end of this continent to the other, for this time forward forever more.”

Seriously, how cool is that- At 47 I have never read that- So, thanks John Adams and Wikipedia!  I absolutely loved reading this- Here’s why:

  1. He claimed it a FESTIVAL!  Who doesn’t love a grand celebration. Celebrations UNIFY us with others around a common cause and give us great JOY.
  2. He includes God = Our country was  based on strong guiding principles and this is so needed today.
  3. He defined the FESTIVAL activities- I especially love bonfires and ILLUMINATIONS!

As you and your friends and family CELEBRATE AMERICA this week, I am praying BOLDLY that as a country we will get out the SPARKLERS and ILLUMINATE OUR SKIES, have some crazy good BBQ-be it an amazing burger or some KC STYLE RIBS, and TOGETHER UNIFY AROUND AMERICA and GIVE GLORY TO GOD for our GREAT COUNTRY!

Relational Leadership

I love building relationships with those I serve.  I count those I serve as anyone I engage with — Fellow Colleagues, Community Partners, the Janitor, and even the Taxi Driver.

Today I spent the day with one of our leaders who gets this in a BIG WAY even as he has risen quickly through the ranks into an important role. On the way to our meeting he placed numerous follow up calls.

With each, he spent time to ask about their family.  He stopped to have a short conversation with everyone we encountered, including the individual that happened to stop by the front desk.  He demonstrated that he genuinely cared… And guess what… He really does.

Leadership reminder — Genuinely engage and build relationships. 

Engage Well

blog_682038_2730023_1432573319Many employers focus on employee engagement as a measure of their success.  If you are a leader, employee engagement requires some effort as teams are becoming more and more diverse and unpredictable.

So how well do you engage? What steps should you be taking to engage well?

  1. Know your team. Know them well and let them know you.
  2. Exercise your follow up skills. Your team needs to be heard and they often need you to move their work forward.
  3. Share the ‘whys.’ It’s a basic human need to know why we are moving in a certain direction.  Paint the big picture and they are more likely to move forward with you.