Welcome

I believe the path to greatness

is paved by good leaders

who are radiating goodness, today and everyday.

~ Paul Batz

The good leadership movement is sponsored by:

About the Author

Carpe Diem is the mantra of Paul Batz, an inspirational leadership coach and visionary. Good Leadership Today is Paul’s 6th book project. He is the founder and President of Good Leadership Enterprises

Inspirational Leadership Coach, Author, Speaker

Paul Batz is a husband, father, brother and son

living and working in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

His career includes 28 years of professional services leadership. Today, he

and his wife Melinda are creating the Good Leadership movement through

research, coaching executives, speaking professionally, writing books,

developing tools, and hosting events. The Good Leadership Breakfast Series

has touched thousands of leaders in five years, and is now one of the hottest

tickets in Minneapolis/St. Paul. An abundant author, his Tuesday morning

Good Leadership blog is recognized as one of the top leadership posts in

America today.

Getting StartedI believe the path to greatness is paved by good leaders who radiate

goodness today and every day. This belief is more than wishful thinking.

It’s a point of view informed by several years of contemporary research on

leadership effectiveness, as well as input from clients, customers, friends

and colleagues—in other words, people like you. Our firm is committed

to the idea that goodness grows! Goodness grows trust, loyalty and

engagement. Goodness is attractive to customers, and magnetic to the best

talent. Goodness gets people working together—that’s important because

working together is the only way we can grow our businesses, improve our

communities and create a hopeful future for all of us.

How the goodness movement got started

In November of 2009, I sent an e-mail invitation to my local connections

offering to host a discussion about “goodness in leadership.” Seventy-three

people showed up—three times as many as I expected. Little did I know,

that was the start of the Good Leadership Breakfast Series. Today, more

than 100 sponsors and three dozen speakers have helped fuel the good

leadership movement. And more than 6000 guests have contributed over

$75,000 to charities in the process—all inspired by the mantra:

When good leaders work together

with good intentions, great things are possible.

With the momentum from that first meeting, we started hosting focus

groups and researching with audience response technology around the

question: What does goodness look like in leadership? Here are the four

cornerstones of goodness in leadership:

1. Rewarding excellence: expecting quality, instead of

encouraging mediocrity

2. Living generously: with our time, energy and money, instead of

being stingy and tight

3. Demonstrating fairness: pulling people together instead of

playing favorites that push us apart

4. Spreading positivity: resisting the urge to be negative or breed

toxic energy

Leaders create the weather

The phrase “leaders create the weather,” obviously implies “weather” is a

metaphor for “culture.” I believe we all know what it feels like, to varying

degrees, to be suffocated by a purple stink cloud of paranoia, suspicion and

doubt.

From my experience coaching good leaders and years of personal research

on the benefits of positivity in leadership, I now promote and encourage

this definition of personal leadership:

• Personal leadership is the mood and tone leaders create that

compels people to work together and give their best...or not.

Everyone knows how we “show up” at work has an impact on loyalty,

commitment and the level of hard work we receive from others. As a

recent Forbes article noted, “The idea that you’re at work when you’re at

work, and your not when you are not, clearly isn’t true.”

Regardless of our official work titles, we all wrestle with internal and

external influences that can cause toxic energy on the job. Author Robert

(Bob) Sutton created quite a fuss in 2007 with his book The No Asshole

Rule: Building a Civilized Workplace and Surviving One That Isn’t. The

“a**hole” book rose out of an essay Sutton had originally published in

Harvard Business Review in 1994, called ”More Trouble Than They

are Worth,” in which he referenced his own experience as chair of the

Department of Industrial Engineering & Engineering Management at

prestigious Stanford University. Sutton noted how bullying behavior in the

workplace worsened morale and productivity. Eventually, Sutton cleared

the a**holes from his department and began to talk openly with colleagues

about only hiring people who passed “The No A**hole Rule.” To no one’s

surprise, the “weather” around Sutton’s department quickly changed for the

better.

Sutton’s conclusion? “The pain that

people feel when they are treated terribly,

whether they are employees, engineers,

or CEOs who feel abused by their boards

. . . eventually gets projected onto our

customers. And that’s not good for

anyone,” he explained.

The shock value of Sutton’s book title was significant, in that he called out

an important reality that a wide swath of working people see and feel daily.

Sutton’s lesson: we’d all rather work with leaders who live with less stress

and lead with less fear. Under those conditions, possibility and respect

flourish in the sunshine of goodness.

Possibility and respect flourish in the sunshine of goodness.

Focusing on The Seven Fs

I believe goodness starts when leaders find a strong and stable command of

their own personal leadership by focusing on the Seven Fs: faith, family,

finances, fitness, friends, fun and future. In fact, I believe in this concept so

strongly that I co-wrote a book on the subject: What Really Works,

Blending the Seven Fs.

Where many leadership models get hung

up in theory, blending The Seven Fs is a

simple, powerful concept. Here’s a quick

summary of what co-author Tim Schmidt

and I mean when we discuss the Seven Fs:

1. Faith: our spiritual life.

Spirituality is peculiar, amazing

and uniquely human. We are all

spiritual beings; regardless of our

chosen “religion,” most humans

find a source of identity and

strength by listening to and nurturing our spirituality.

2. Family: our loved ones. In the research for our book, more than

a thousand college-educated knowledge workers rated “Family”

as their most satisfying F. They also said Family was their highest

priority for increasing their satisfaction.

3. Finances: how money funds our priorities. While some see their

incomes on the rise, most people today see the opposite. Here’s

the deal about finances: The only way to be truly satisfied with our

finances is learn to be grateful for what we have, not spiteful about

what we don’t.

4. Fitness: the health of our body. In our survey for this book,

Fitness finished last in satisfaction among respondents and also

last in priorities. Fitness really should be easy, except for the fact

that most of us have to eat less (and better), consume less alcohol

and sugar and break a sweat more often. Fitness helps us maintain

a high quality of life, well into our older years.

5. Friends: the people who share our joys and disappointments. Our

book research reveals that women tend to be more satisfied with

their friendships, and they also place a higher priority on friends.

How are you doing with your friends?

6. Fun: the part of life that is playful and joyful. With so much of our

life spent working, can’t we make it more fun? Would the people

you spend the most time with describe you as fun?

7. Future: the hope that we have for ourselves, and others. Future is

less about optimism and more about the commitment we make to

a better world and the steps we take right now to make it possible.

Future is a major driver for good leaders; how about you?

Carpe diem. Why not start today?

The ancient phrase, carpe diem, was culturally re-kindled several years ago

in the Oscar- nominated movie Dead Poets Society. In the movie, teenage

boarding school boys hear an impassioned, hair-raising sermon about how

to live their lives, ending with the command: carpe diem: seize the day!

Carpe diem is a call to action—it’s about embracing the idea of enjoying

today, because there is no guarantee of tomorrow. Why do we have trouble

enjoying today? Through thousands of hours of coaching executives, I’ve

noticed increasing stress levels associated with the pursuit of “greatness” in

our society. We need to be honest about the fact that greatness is really rare

air. Even among champion athletes and business people greatness is not

achieved overnight, but most often through long and often arduous effort,

setbacks and recoveries. Best-selling books like “Good to Great,” by author

Jim Collins, underscore this point: Greatness can only be achieved by a

consistent body of work over time—greatness is a someday concept, far into

the future for the vast majority of the people on this planet.

But we can all radiate goodness today!

How to Prepare for Good Leadership Today

Achievers learn at an early age how to plan their time, resources and energy

to meet their commitments. Eventually, effective planning and organizing

elevates managers to higher leadership.

But planning is not preparation, and vice versa.

Planning is an intellectual endeavor. Preparation is emotional. If planning

is maximizing resources so things can go “right,” preparation is the

emotional process of looking ahead, and getting ready for how to respond to

almost everything that can happen: good or bad; planned or unplanned.

Most leaders learn preparation the hard

way, by losing their composure during a

time of fear, stress or uncertainty. They

become surprised, disappointed or even

angry by something that didn’t go their

way. Have you ever miscalculated how

your boss would respond to an idea? Have you been shot down in a meeting

by a smarty-pants? Have you had someone support you privately, then

shrink and go silent when you needed public support?

Surprise, shock, anger and embarrassment are part of the daily diet of

leadership. What matters most is your response. Swearing, yelling or

pouting seldom create positive outcomes. Eventually, we come to this

insight: when we fail to prepare emotionally, we derail emotionally. This

begs the question: When do we actually find time to think anymore?

Planning is an intellectual endeavor. Preparation is emotional.

The good news

Leaders who make the time to prepare lead with less stress and live with

less fear. With a daily habit of reflection, meditation or prayer, we learn

to anticipate more situations and increase our chances of leading with

goodness—even when we are positively or negatively surprised. Good

leaders today embrace the notion that we are 100 percent accountable for

the mood and tone we bring into the office and take home at night.

After intense leadership coaching, many of our clients deliberately decide

to shut down their iPhones or Blackberrys for at least one hour each day.

Personally, I recommend creating a minimum 30-minute “logged off”

buffer in the morning after we wake, and at night before bed, especially

for the sake of our partners. We owe that much to each other! One client

decided to turn off both his phone and radio in his car on the way home, so

he could decompress from the day, listen to his own thoughts and prepare

to be a better husband and father when he came home. In a coaching

moment he shared with me: “I rediscovered that listening to the engine in

my car makes me calm and happy!”

This book will help you prepare for a good day! It’s designed to put one

specific success habit into your preparation process so you can stay

positive in the face of any challenge. After a couple of days of intentional

preparation, maybe, just maybe . . . your colleagues, friends, family and

customers will feel you radiating goodness in new and exciting ways.

What’s InsideThe contents beginning with Chapter 1 originally appeared in the Good

Leadership Today blog, which is published at goodleadership.com.

Paul Batz has written at least 300 words about goodness and personal

leadership every Tuesday morning for more than three years. With more

than 200 blogs and counting, the Good Leadership Today blog has become

one of the most consistent leadership blogs in America –recognized in the

top 5 percent of all blogs by the marketing software company HubSpot.

A panel of readers identified 31 blogs—one for each morning of the month—

to help you prepare for your leadership. Each was selected for the potential

to affect how you “show up” and to help you radiate goodness today.

Carpe diem: please turn the page.

Chapter 1How do your goals improve

your leadership?

Original Publishing Date: December 31, 2013

Good leaders make a habit of embracing every day by preparing for a life that is joyful and happy. And we set goals around faith, family, finances, fitness, friends, fun and future to

help us stay spiritually, physically and emotionally resilient.

Goal-setting is easy as we optimistically gaze forward . . . “I think I’ll write

a book this year!” is a goal I frequently hear from friends. But then, life gets

in the way . . .

Yes, life does get in the way: each of us has a birthright to live joyful,

happy and good lives. Are you open to the idea that the deepest joy and

satisfaction comes from growing through the challenges that cause most

people to give up?

This book could help you create growth goals for the new year.

It’s been more than 10 years since my

friend Tim Schmidt and I alphabetically

organized seven words, starting with the

letter F, that neatly capture what we believe

are the most essential elements of life:

Faith, Family, Fnances, Ftness, Friends,

Fun and Future. Tim and I both make

our living coaching people—helping them

live the lives they imagine: personally

and professionally. Together, we’ve seen

how these seven Fs blend and channel the natural forces in our lives into

spiritual, physical and emotional resilience.

Today is a good day to use The Seven Fs for creating goals. Because waiting

never works. And the people around you will appreciate a calm, focused

and positive you. Today.

Consider this: How do we know the limits of our fear without testing our

faith? How do we increase our endurance without breaking a sweat? How

can we smooth out the ups and downs of our journey, without riding the

emotional roller coaster with a friend?

Every day can be New Year’s Eve: a day for reflection, future gazing and

goal-setting. What will we notice about your outlook if you strengthened

your faith? What will we feel in your mood when your satisfaction with

family improves?

Will you lead with less fear if you can be

more grateful about your finances? What

new energy will you see when your fitness

improves? How will stronger friendships

change how you handle people? Will you be

more magnetic if you find more fun in your

work? Will you create fresh energy by shaping

a stronger vision of our future together?

Let’s embrace the Seven Fs as a framework

to create goals for a fresh new year. Better

yet, set goals with a friend . . . (like Tim

and me) because nothing significant is ever

accomplished alone.

Good leaders make a habit of embracing every day by preparing for a life

that is joyful and happy. And we set goals around faith, family, finances,

fitness, friends, fun and future to help us stay spiritually, physically and

emotionally resilient.

ReflectionWith new wisdom and perspective from looking back one year,

will your goals for this year improve your physical, emotional and spiritual resilience?

>> Click here to view this original blog posting

Chapter 2 Who needs your help today?

Original Publishing Date: November 26, 2013

Good leaders make a habit of letting instincts take over, even when self-responsibility is front-of-mind. And we are willing

to take the risk of helping others, even when it multiplies the pressure of our day.

“I’m terribly lost,” she said frantically with cloudy, 84 year-old eyes. “Can

you help me?”

Nancy and I met last week at the Minneapolis/St. Paul airport, at the south

terminal gate security. I was focused and selfishly absorbed in my workday,

preparing to race through TSA Pre-Check on my way to Los Angeles for

business. Nancy, whom I had never met before, was dazed and confused—

walking in circles, trying to find the plane to Denver that would take her to

celebrate Thanksgiving with her grandchildren.

When our eyes met, we shared a compelling mission.

Our flights were scheduled to leave at the same time—just 32 minutes from

then, on opposite ends of the airport. As an experienced traveler, I knew

passengers were already pre-boarding both planes. By helping Nancy, I

added significant risk to catching my L.A. plane on time.

“I don’t know where I need to be,” she pleaded. “I have my boarding pass,

but I need to check this luggage,” she explained. Even though we were less

than 20 yards from the South security station, bags like hers can only be

checked at the North security station. Without thinking, “Come with me,

I’ll help you!” came out of my mouth.

Visions of the 1980s O.J. Simpson Hertz commercials flashed through my

head: we need to run, I thought. Oh yeah: she can’t run. I smiled to myself

at the challenge: What have I gotten myself into?

Escalators can seem gruelingly slow when you are in a hurry to get through

airport security.

Our 84-year-old sprint/walk was rewarded when the elevator opened

before I even pressed the button. On the Tram Level, we boarded the train

without a wait (that never happens). Eventually, we were inserting her

passport into the luggage tag scanner. A Delta attendant noticed our frenzy

and bypassed the other travelers to help us (that seldom happens). As

Nancy’s bag was successfully tagged, the nice Delta lady said: “Nancy, your

plane leaves in less than 15 minutes from Terminal F. I believe you can

make it if you hurry.”

That’s good news, except neither of us had been through security yet.

“At least at my age, I get to go through the fast lane in security,” Nancy

attempted to soften the tension. “Me too,” I smiled. We trotted into our

brisk 84-year-old-lady pace and stepped onto the escalator to the Ticketing

Level. On the way up, she sighed, look straight into my eyes and said: “I’m

going to call my daughter when I get on the plane and tell her I met an

angel today.”

“Thank you, and Happy Thanksgiving!” Nancy said as we parted after

security.

As I write this Thanksgiving story, I have no proof Nancy got onto her plane

in time: I ran to my gate—feeling young, strong and calm. All I know is, my

butt hit the seat just three minutes before they shut the passenger door. I

stared out the oval window into the grey November sky and thought: “She’s

going to call her daughter when she gets on the plane and tell her she met

an angel today. . . . ”

This morning, I’m grateful because I just met another person I want

to be when I grow up. What a gift! Will I have the wealth, courage and

adventurous spirit to travel by myself when I’m 84 years old? Will I be

humble and candid enough to ask for help, when I need it? I hope so.

Good leaders make a habit of letting instincts take over even when self-

responsibility is in the front of minds. And we are willing to take the risk of

helping others, even when it multiplies the pressure of our day.

Will you have the wealth, courage and adventurous spirit to travel when you are 84 years old?

Reflection:How will I recognize when someone

really needs my help today?

>> Click here to view this original blog posting

Chapter 3Are you listening for fairness today?

Original Publishing Date: December 10, 2013

Good leaders make a habit of connecting their lives to the powerful forces of fairness alive in the world today. And they choose to work as if their purpose will actually

change the world.

With humanity mourning the death and celebrating the life of Nelson

Mandela (who passed away on Dec. 5, 2013), I’m looking for signs of

miracles in the world today. And listening for fairness. Are you?

Normally, I articulate Good Leadership by lifting up the contemporary

wisdom of people living and breathing today. Mandela is dead now. And

within the past three days, I’ve heard his name in the same sentence as

Jesus, Gandhi and Abraham Lincoln. Hyperbole? Perhaps. I just know I

can’t do justice to the enormity of his courage and influence in this small

space.

But I do believe he paved the path to greatness by radiating goodness:

rewarding excellence, living generously, promoting fairness and spreading

positivity. These are the cornerstones of good leadership and they can

change the world—as modeled by Nelson Mandela.

This summer, my wife Melinda and daughter Katie visited South Africa as

tourists, while Mandela lay in hospice. They experienced a nation knotted

in waiting—pondering the state of their nation and the human race without

his presence.

Without the miracle of Mandela, South Africa would have been too

dangerous for foreign travelers like the Batz girls—guests of a white-

skinned South African Exchange student, Debbie Rigby. As tourists,

they visited and photographed Mandela’s famous jail cell. They walked

in Mandela’s footsteps in a ghetto, on the trails of Robben Island and the

sidewalks of Capetown. Returning safely from the land of the Southern

Cross, our family was changed: halfway around the world, we were now

watching and listening for signs of Mandela.

For more than 18 years, Nelson Mandela lived in this jail cell, living his life as if everything was a miracle. My wife, Melinda, took this photo.

This past Sunday, we celebrated

Christmas in Christ Chapel

at Gustavus Adolphus College

featuring a South African freedom

song, Thula Sizwa. The Zulu hymn

was cloaked within a 13th century

processional called “Hope for

Resolution.” Without the miracle

of Mandela, the Zulu text would

have whizzed through my wandering mind, never to be heard again. But I

wanted to know what a freedom song from Mandela’s nation really meant:

Thula Sizwa: Nation, do not cry. Jehovah will protect us. We will attain

freedom. Jehovah will protect us.

Christmas in Christ Chapel at Gustavus Adolphus Collge rang with the sounds of fairness while Nelson Mandela laid in waiting.

Not many people actually change the world: how we travel and

communicate, help a nation stop crying, attain freedom and protection. We

can see and hear the evidence if we actually take time to watch, listen and

notice.

Good leaders make a habit of connecting their lives to the powerful forces

of fairness alive in the world today. And they chose to work as if their

purpose will actually change the world.

My daughter Katie, with South African Debbie Rigby, at the southern-most tip of Mandela’s homeland.

Reflection: How will promoting fairness change your corner

of the world today?

>> Click here to view this original blog posting

Chapter 4What’s testing your goodness today?

Original Publishing Date: October 29, 2013

Good leaders make a habit of accepting their own fragility in moments when they just “snap.” And we search for the

goodness in everything, because it’s always there.

I’m embarrassed by how rattled I was with a taxi driver last week—have you

ever just snapped?

“Excellence” in the professional speaking and coaching business starts with

being prompt.

My client and I agreed in advance: the travel risk related to my same-day,

early morning flight was acceptable—I’d made it successfully a dozen times

before. But this time, I was the featured speaker at a leadership discussion

beginning at 1 p.m. Not much margin for error.

My blood pressure rose as the plane sat on the tarmac and stalled just a few

feet away from the jet bridge in Austin, Texas. I’m sure Delta will say we

arrived “on time,” but I knew how much every moment counted; now, I was

down to 42 minutes to my speech time.

My home away from home when I’m in Austin, Texas, coaching and speaking.

I climbed into cab

#170 without a

wait. “I’m heading

to the Westin Hotel

in Domain (a prestigious Austin suburb)” I said in response to Ahmed’s

destination request. The skin on my neck started burning with his blank

stare. He obviously had never heard of “Westin” or “Domain,” and instead

of checking, he just drove away. “Stop!” I said. “Don’t you know what

direction we are going?” I yelled/pleaded with him (I didn’t know either.)

He shook his head sideways while staring at me in the rear view mirror.

With English as his second language (maybe third or fourth) he said

something like, “I will find it.”

Now completely stopped in

the middle of the airport exit

lane, the airport’s taxi master

started yelling at us. Ahmed

was obliviously typing with

his index finger: “W-E-S-T-

I-N” into the GPS glued to the

windshield. My response was

to get out of the cab. But the

taxi master wouldn’t let me out

because of a local ordinance. I

guess in Texas, once we leave

the curb we’re committed to

our cabbie. Was I in a horror

movie? I wondered.

Dazed and confused, Ahmed was carefully driving 49 mph on a 65 mph

freeway - and I was late for a speaking engagement.

Thanks to Siri, I found the route on my iPhone and steered Ahmed in the

right direction, and onto the appropriate freeway. 21 miles to travel; 34

minutes until my speech. With cars racing by, I noticed how slowly we were

driving. “Can you please drive faster?” I barked. As he accelerated, Siri

politely asked us to exit right—just as Ahmed merged into the far left lane.

We missed our exit, and . . .

I lost it. It was a classic arrogant American outburst. Isn’t it amazing

how sometimes we just snap? I’m lucky he didn’t crash the car from my

outburst.

Siri saved the day again. Now off the freeway, we were just 1.7 miles from

my destination: 8 stoplights left, and 9 minutes before show time. The

weight of my stupidity was worse than the wait at the stoplights. Have you

every noticed how long stop lights last when you are stressed?

Settling myself, I meditated in the back of the cab: Where is the goodness

in all of this? I pondered how hard it must be to land a taxi job just off

the plane from a foreign country? I wondered how hard it must be to deal

with jerks like me. And how far would a $10 tip go toward repairing my

reputation?

The tires screeched to a stop at 12:57, with the client standing inside the

door, pacing. Just as I was about to apologize to my cabbie for my rude

outburst, he turned to me with a wide toothy smile and shouted with relief:

“Thank you for getting me here! I so happy.”

HE was thanking ME!! The goodness was in him.

I wanted to crawl under the seat. My worries about being late paled

in comparison to the stress I heaped upon him. My client would have

understood my tardiness. Could I have jeopardized this poor guy’s job?

Good leaders make a habit of accepting their own fragility in moments

when they just “snap.” And we search for the goodness in everything,

because it’s always there.

Reflection:What have you learned about yourself from the last time you

just snapped?

>> Click here to view this original blog posting

Chapter 5Are you ready for a leap of faith?

Original Publishing Date: September 24, 2014

Good leaders make a habit of surrounding themselves with good people who help us reach our dreams. And we put our

trust in others when taking a leap of faith.

My part was easy. While dropping from the sky at 120 mph, I placed my

faith in the Skydive Twin Cities team to make sure we didn’t need a spatula

to finish the story. As my wife, son and daughter watched from the ground,

it occurred to me: my life is fully dependent upon others.

My first skydive from 13,000 feet was a total team effort: Dan was my captain and Kevin was my cheerleader. We posed mid-air at

10,000 feet.

Twenty years ago, while celebrating my 30th birthday, I was energized by

the idea of skydiving to mark the milestone. My wife Melinda intervened:

“You have two little kids and not enough life insurance,” she reasoned. As I

calculated how to back out on my buddies, she added: “maybe when you’re

50.”

Specially-abled (one arm) skydiving champion Kevin Burkart helped us arrange my bucket list experience.

On my 50th birthday, Melinda gave me a skydiving gift certificate. She

had faith in our friend Kevin Burkart that gave me the courage to take the

leap: Kevin is an amazingly gifted athlete and the world record-holder for

specially abled skydiving. If Kevin can soar with one arm, then surely I can

survive a wimpy tandem jump!

This bird’s eye picture was taken by photographer Bernie, while Kevin (in red) Dan and I sat perched in the open door . . . 13,000

feet above the earth.

As the altimeter signaled 13,000 feet, Kevin and I absorbed this leadership

message: “Does anything significant ever happen alone?” Pilot Chase held

the plane steady while Bernie the photographer threw the door open. Dave

buckled me to his chest, while my faith mentor Kevin reminded me this was

a good start on my bucket list. What are friends for?

Racing toward the ground at 120 mph, totally dependent upon Dave Porta.

The moment of truth is

anything but peaceful: at

120 mph, the wind is as

loud as a freight train and

as violent as a tornado. The wind forces your mouth open, even if you didn’t

want to smile. Kevin soared in from above, resting to my right as Bernie

snapped pictures and recorded HD video—Dan anchored our choreography.

What a thrill!

It felt great to know the parachute opened as advertised . . . can you see Kevin flying in the background?

We fell 7,000 feet in one minute. It never occurred to me the parachute

could fail. I could see the Minneapolis skyline 45 miles away as we soared

across the horizon. The 5-minute joy ride to earth was worth the wait.

Another win for the team. Will I have to wait 20 more years to skydive again?

Fear has a lot to do with feeling alone . . . and it’s worse when you’re not

able to trust the expertise of the people around you. In that way, my first

skydiving adventure wasn’t a leap of faith at all.

Good leaders make a habit of surrounding themselves with good people

who help us reach our dreams. And we put our trust in others when taking

a leap of faith.

ReflectionWhat leap of faith are you preparing to take . . .

and who is helping you?

>> Click here to view this original blog posting

Chapter 6Is now a good time to retreat?

Original Publishing Date: February 19, 2013

Good leaders make a habit of scheduling retreats throughout the year to pull back, assess and reaffirm their

missions. They plan in the reflection, rest and relaxation time to ensure their whole teams are energized, leading together

and prepared to win.

Typically I avoid military analogies, but this one really works: Did you know

the concept of “retreat” comes from military strategy? It’s largely attributed

to the ancient Chinese teachings of Sun Tzu, in the book The Art of War,

written around 500 B.C. Thus the chapter cover picture.

“Retreat” as a military strategy is effective both under heavy attack and

after winning. It literally means: pull back, assess, refine the plan, rest

and replenish, reaffirm mission, and rally together to return to battle. All

concepts relevant and vital to leadership and business today.

When was the last time you had a good retreat—personally or

professionally? Is now a good time to plan your next retreat?

Last summer, my team and I had our own retreat. Even 24 hours away with time planned for work, rest and play will re-energize most teams.

Recently, I helped a

strong group of leaders

with an executive team

retreat. After three years of cutting back, they were feeling isolated and

drained. Spending money on a retreat became obvious after the employee

engagement survey identified declining morale and a series of well-

intentioned mistakes due to burnout.

It’s easy to understand, right? We’re all living in the same movie: working

longer and harder than we expected. New customers and profits are hard to

come by. It’s easy for leaders to become battle-weary in business these days.

The client used the retreat as a strategy after he asked: I think most of us

are exhausted. How do we breathe new life and energy into our team? My

answer: is now a good time to retreat?

The open sky, sand and sea on the beaches of Santa Monica, Calif., provided endless possibilities for an energizing leadership retreat. Especially during winter.

Let’s examine my client’s retreat

through the military lens: Pull

back. With seven business units, this group of more than 20 senior leaders

work mostly independently. Retreats are the only time they actually pull

away from the day-to-day business and spend time together: in the same

room, breathing the same air, having the same conversation.

Assess. After a healthy discussion about what’s working and what’s not,

they decided to share resources. Unprecedented! And through the help of

a facilitator, the heated discussion never turned personal—it was about

ensuring the success of the business.

Refine the plan. Fresh from a vigorous fair assessment, new energy was

channeled into mid-course corrections to catch-up where results were

lagging.

Retreats don’t have to be at the ocean, mountains or in the woods. An urban retreat, with lawn bowling and sunshine can provide an excellent shared experience.

Rest and replenish. As with

most Type-A leaders, this group

underappreciates the importance

of R&R in the leadership

equation. After a late-night

session, we chose to cancel the

morning workshop to allow extra

time for sleep or working out. The

result was a final day of playful work with frequent laughter. “I forgot what

it felt like to actually have this much fun at work,” announced the CFO, as

we said our final goodbyes.

Reaffirm mission. Even the best leaders need to be reminded of the “why”

in our pursuits. Especially when times are tough. This team rediscovered

its trump card: a compelling mission that motivates people to action.

“Forgetting to talk about our mission is a leadership crime of omission,”

remarked the Founder and CEO. “That’s on us.”

Rally together: A good retreat increases trust, because people are reminded

to care about each other—personal commitment helps people stay

committed in heavy battle.

Good leaders make a habit of scheduling retreats throughout the year to

pull back, assess and reaffirm mission. They plan in the reflection, rest and

relaxation time to ensure the whole team is energized, leading together and

prepared to win.

ReflectionHow might a retreat energize you and your team?

>> Click here to view this original blog posting

Chapter 7How do your challenges fuel your growth?

Original Publishing Date: November 13, 2012

Good leaders embrace their gifts and flaws as fuel for growth—at home and in the office. And they surround

themselves with friends who help them get stronger and wiser in the face of Darwinian challenges.

Sometimes learning is harshly Darwinian. Species over time either

get stronger, wiser and more resilient, or they succumb to threats and

predators. The simple truth: if we don’t embrace our challenges, we set our

own traps.

I love this frog picture.

Every time I see it, I wonder

what kind of environment

provides the necessary

camouflage for these

brilliant frogs to survive, let

alone thrive?

I’m reflecting on the

passing of another summer:

personally, professionally and spiritually. Last week brought the season-end

closing of Minnesota Valley Country Club—my summer sanctuary. While

walking the course on the final day with my comrades, one member of “The

Brotherhood” asked: “You’ve had a lot going on lately, right? . . . So how

was your summer, really?” With 16 holes left to play, we had enough time

to really talk.

The last round of golf provided the optimal setting for a Darwinian support group.

My reply?

“I think I

understand the concept: what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger.”

“Amen” was his reply. Over the next three hours, the four of us talked about

the difficulties within our families and friends: cancer battles, alcohol

treatments and even suicide attempts. Me, personally . . . I had three

emergency room visits this past year. We talked of “sandwich parenting”—

navigating through Alzheimer’s disease and bipolar depression in our loved

ones. Businesses and dream jobs sidetracked. 401ks and 529 plans riding

the roller coaster. Kids struggling through inevitable challenges of high

school and college. All of these stories surfaced over three hours, within a

small circle of four middle-aged suburban golfers.

Like the frog, we are all brilliantly gifted and amazingly flawed—vulnerable

to attack from so many angles. With each new fairway story, we bonded

around our courage, persistence and resolution to keep moving forward. It’s

as though the final golf round of the year gave us permission to lasso

ourselves together in an impromptu Darwinian support group. That’s

unusual for guys. (I’m lucky I get to write about this stuff . . . )

Isn’t that why we invest in friends?

Today, I feel stronger and more alive knowing I’m not alone working

through life’s inevitable challenges. We’re all working through something.

Sometimes life is hard. Like my friends, I choose to get stronger . . . and

continue seeing my own future as bright as the frog.

Good leaders embrace their gifts and flaws as fuel for growth—at home and

in the office. And they surround themselves with friends who help them get

stronger and wiser in the face of Darwinian challenges.

ReflectionHow do your latest challenges fuel your personal and

professional growth?

>> Click here to view this original blog posting

Chapter 8What makes goodness so compelling today?

Original Publishing Date: June 5, 2012

Good leaders make a habit of embracing the idea that followers are motivated by the inherent goodness of

their leadership. And we set the example for excellence, generosity, fairness and consistency in our presence hour by

hour, day by day.

Sunrise this morning reminded me of what’s possible with today—my

intention is to radiate goodness. How about you?

Two weeks ago, I asked for your help via one of these blogs: what does

“goodness in leadership and business” mean to you? The replies broke all

previous records for blog comments. Thank you! Today, I’m pleased to

share some of what is brewing . . .

First, here is the context: Recently, I gave a speech to a powerful group of

executives in an industry robed in skepticism. They routinely feel caught

between customers who personally trust them, but they are tired of front-

page shenanigans in their industry.

Following the meeting, several people said they were moved by my

comments about our obligation to“radiate goodness.” One person shook my

hand and said: “You rocked my soul.” It happened so fast I didn’t get to ask,

“Why?” So, I asked you, and here is the summary of your responses:

The cornerstones of goodness cause people to sit up, and lean in.

Goodness in leadership and business is compelling when followers see and

feel these four concepts alive in thoughts, words and actions: excellence,

generosity, fairness and positivity. Here are the words you provided, both

synonyms and antonyms:

Excellence—Synonyms: doing things well; skillfully; personally setting a

high standard. Antonyms: cutting corners, doing just enough to get by.

Generosity—Synonyms: external orientation; thinking more about

customers and employees than self; giving time and money to those less

fortunate; always staying positive. Antonyms: selfish; stingy; guarded with

one’s time.

Fairness—Synonyms: honesty; transparency; clear about expectations;

striving to find dignity for all people in tough situations. Antonyms:

favoritism; misrepresentation; avoiding conflict.

Positivity—Synonyms: happy; can-do; cheerful; hopeful. Antonyms:

moody; toxic; negative.

The goodness icon is the “Nike swoosh” of the good leadership movement.

Good Leaders make a habit of embracing the

idea that followers are motivated by the inherent

goodness of their leadership. And we set the

example for excellence, generosity, fairness and

positivity in our presence hour by hour, day by day.

ReflectionWhich of the cornerstones of goodness will you make your

intention for the day: excellence, generosity, fairness or positivity?

>> Click here to view this original blog posting

Chapter 9What motivates your fitness journey?

Original Publishing Date: March 20, 2012

Good leaders make a habit of facing their fitness challenges head-on. And we find inspiration in the everyday people

around us to be accountable.

Last week, my golfing buddies gathered in a comrade’s basement for the

annual “Planning Meeting.” The host was Steve Blexrud, a financial services

entrepreneur who lives in a southern suburb of Minneapolis/St. Paul. As

“Blexie” led us to the basement party suite, he stopped to show off his

workout room. “This used to be a home office,” he said with pride . . . “But

we moved the office to the living room, so we could make this cool gym. I

love it and I use it six times a week!”

This picture is affectionately labeled “fat Paul.” Fortunately that was years ago.

My circle of friends, and a couple

thousand people who read my blog,

know about my not-so-private

fitness journey. Here is the photo I

posted early January. I’ve found the

public pressure (humiliation?) to be

motivating.

In our coaching work and research,

when we survey a full audience,

“Fitness” is always the lowest of the Seven Fs* in terms of self-satisfaction—

and it’s ALSO the lowest priority. Those facts make for an easy joke when

I’m speaking . . . but the mutual suffering doesn’t help the undeniable

resistance people feel about getting in shape. Including me.

That’s why guys like Blexie really motivate me to find the joy in my Fitness

journey. He’s turning 50 this month and his attitude is contagious.“I

gotta take care of the temple,” he said. “Fitness for me is one of the most

important Fs!” he added. “And with this new gym, I’m now a fitness video

guy . . . I just love the jumping around, stretching and stuff. It makes me

feel young. I love it!”

Hmmm . . . as an entrepreneur who is primarily self-insured, fitness is

taking on new meaning for me. “Super-preferred” status with the insurance

companies drops the premiums significantly on life and disability policies.

And, with co-pays and deductibles as high as the Empire State building, it

sure pays to be in better shape.

So my quest is to find a way to actually enjoy fitness. I teach the concept of

“blending” facets of our daily professional and personal lives . . . so, with a

clear blue sky and the temperature hitting the low 50s today, I decided to

do my noon conference call while walking around in the parking lot of my

office building. Thirty minutes (about 2 miles) of blending my personal and

professional life . . . and it felt great.

Good leaders make a habit of facing their fitness challenges head-on. And

we find inspiration in the everyday people around us to be accountable.

ReflectionHow would your leadership be better if your fitness improved?

*The Seven Fs: faith, family, finances, fitness, friends, fun and future.

Learn more.

>> Click here to view this original blog posting

Chapter 10What one piece of advice do you

remember to this day?

Original Publishing Date: January 13, 2012

Good leaders accept advice and hone success habits to carry the rest of our lives. And we accept invitations to

collect handshakes and make donations, because it makes good sense.

I’m excited about this blog for two specific reasons: 1) This is my 100th blog,

and 2) I get to quote my grandfather as the source of advice I still remember

to this day . . . .

How many people do you know who have a hardwood basketball court in

their home between the living room and guest bedrooms? Last week, I was

invited to a Minnesota Gopher fundraiser, including an intimate evening of

conversation in the home of Harvey Mackay, the world-famous networking

guru and “Swim with the Sharks” author. It takes a huge home to house

the larger-than-life persona of Harvey Mackay. He is a world-renowned

entrepreneur, author and professional speaker who has sold more than 12

million books worldwide.

Harvey echoed my grandfather’s advice . . . and he gave me one of his famous Swim With The Shark ties.

My grandfather, Willis Kenneth Hunter

of Iowa, lived in humble contrast to

Harvey. He ran a newspaper in a small

town . . . but he understood Harvey’s

wisdom. Early in my life, Grampa Hunter

taught me I could never collect enough

handshakes. That’s why I accepted the

invitation to venture into Harvey’s home.

As I met authors, speakers and Golden Gopher celebrities, Gramps’ wisdom

was ringing in my ears: “You need to know a lot people for a good life.”

Little did we know, the appetizer course at Harvey’s included a free-throw

shooting contest - next to his living room. Everyone was required to

compete, no options out. I really admire the women dressed in high heels

who were pressured into tossing free throws!

Why would anyone have a basketball court between their living room and bedroom? Leave it to Harvey Mackay!

Heidi Rosati and I were congratulated by a grinning Harvey Mackay.

The living room

conversation was almost

as lively as the free throw

contest. Harvey shared

stories about his father,

his children, Lou Holtz,

Larry King, trips to

China, golfing at Augusta, etc . . . With my grandfather ringing in my ears

. . . I asked the obvious question to Harvey: “What one piece of advice do

you remember to this day?“

His answer was simultaneously sincere and very well-rehearsed: “My father

taught me, when I was 18 years old, when I meet someone new, I need to

be thinking about ‘How can I help this person?‘” And then he said: “For

instance . . . I really like the Seven Fs*—I think you are on to something,

kid! And I’m going to find a way to help you.”

Did I say my grandfather was ringing in my ears?

Good leaders accept advice and hone success habits to carry the rest of our

lives. And we accept invitations to collect handshakes and make donations,

because it makes good sense.

ReflectionWhat one piece of advice do you remember to this day?

*The Seven Fs: faith, family, finances, fitness, friends, fun and future.

Learn more.

>> Click here to view this original blog posting

Chapter 11Have you danced with Cinderella lately?

Original Publishing Date: December 20, 2011

Good leaders understand it takes personal responsibility to build strong, resilient relationships with the people

who count the most in our lives. And we are better leaders when we are happy at home.

Rice Park in downtown St. Paul, Minnesota., sparkled like a Disney movie

. . . an evening fit for a Prince and Princess.

Every grown father and daughter will attest to the difficulties of

maintaining a healthy, harmonious teenage father/daughter relationship . . .

rarely Prince and Princess category!

However, the recent “Anna & Paul Batz Daddy Daughter Date Night” was a

Seven Fs clean sweep—blending Faith, Family, Finances, Fitness, Friends,

Fun and Future.

Last week, Anna 16, accepted my formal invitation for a fancy evening of

dinner and theater in historic, magical downtown St. Paul. (Readers of

my“What Really Works” book, will recognize Daddy Daughter Date Night

as one of our most celebrated Success Habits.)

The story and musical “Cinderella” is special to us. Our family is

uber-musical . . . we’ve been labeled the “Von Batz Family Singers” by

affectionate fans in our church. It comes honestly: my grandmother sang

with the Chicago Opera and my mother still teaches music to this day. My

children have grown up on the piano bench, singing Disney and Broadway

songs as I play the piano. For us, the music is a faith builder, stress-buster,

and generation blender.

Anna as Cinderella, with the Von Batz Family Singers, 2009

Anna was born with my grandmother’s voice. It’s wonderful, but not

always easy. Adolescent girls spend most of their energy trying to fit

in. The moment she realized her gift was special was when she was cast as

Cinderella in her junior high school’s production of “Cinderella.” She got the

big part as a lowly 7th grader—and quickly became public enemy #1 by 8th

graders who believed someone in their grade should have received this role.

But, when Anna sat still on center stage and sang “In My Own Little

Corner” . . . the 8th grade girls understood.

Now, creating our own date-might Disney movie . . . my Cinderella and I

dreamed about where she might go to college. We gazed with admiration

over the Princess and Prince we’ve both become. We talked about 16-year-

old girl problems. And dreams for her future. We talked about 48-year-old

Prince problems. And dreams for his future.

Sharing cheesecake and decaf during intermission was luxurious . . .

the dance through sparkling Rice Park with her arm around mine was

priceless.

We’re all working on the relationships that are important to us. Personally

and professionally. We’re all princes and princesses one moment—and

difficult teenagers the next. That’s why it’s important to take personal

responsibility to create the moments to connect with the people who truly

count in our lives.

Good leaders understand it takes personal responsibility to build strong,

resilient relationships with the people who count the most in our lives. And

we are better leaders when we are happy at home.

ReflectionWhat Cinderella in your life—personally or professionally—

needs your invitation to dance?

>> Click here to view this original blog posting

Chapter 12Are you at peace with your strategy?

Original Publishing Date: April 9, 2013

Good leaders make a habit to look and listen to the world around us through a fresh set of senses. And we remember simple lessons to help us stay committed to our strengths,

and be at peace—even when we lose.

The Opryland Hotel was the headquarters for the National Show Choir competition and the U.S. Chess Federation SuperNationals

last weekend. A showcase about what’s good in kids today.

The pursuit of the American dream has a nomenclature. Mostly business-

speak (or biz-speak). And perhaps the most misunderstood part of the biz-

speak vocabulary is the word strategy. At the very least, it’s popular fodder

for the cartoon “Dilbert.”

This weekend, I was in Nashville, Tenn., for the national Show Choir

competition. My daughter Anna was one of 800+ show choir kids

competing. Each choir had its own strategy: her choir is committed to

featuring Rock ‘n’ Roll songs . . . that’s why Anna sang the Stevie Nicks solo

“Go Your Own Way” standing center stage at the historic Grand Ole Opry.

That was cool!

But us Glee wannabees were second class in Nashville to the U.S. Chess

Super Junior SuperNationals. Neither the Show Choir kids or their parents

had any idea we were dancing into the largest kids’ chess tournament in the

history of the free world! We took second fiddle to 5,800 kids playing 2,900

simultaneous matches in three convention ballrooms. The brainpower was

sizzling, and everyone was so happy! The Opryland Hotel looked and felt

like a hybrid of the United Nations and the Mall of America at Christmas.

It was a great display about what’s good in kids today. That was really cool.

(Did you see coverage about it in the national media?)

Chess, chess, everywhere at the Opryland Hotel this past weekend in Nashville. Many kids played over their lunch break in-between competition sessions.

Chess is a foreign language to

the Batz family. But this event

made chess look sexy! Even

during the breaks, we saw

recreational chess everywhere.

Sitting. Standing. In restaurants and hallways. In the outlet mall, next to

the pool and on the grass field outside the hotel. Kids’ chess gone wild!

The good leadership moment came as I overheard an Asian father/coach

explain to a group of 8-year-olds why having a strategy was so important

to winning chess matches. His lesson: You must know your strengths

and commit to playing that strength, no matter how tempted you are to

stray. And then you can be at peace, even when you lose. Brilliantly poetic:

the most misunderstood business concept made simple. To third graders, in

the home of Minnie Pearl: go figure!

I know a few senior executives who would grow significantly from that

8-year-old chess lesson in the hallway at the Opryland Hotel.

Counted 120 ROWS of trophies for the Chess Federation SuperNationals.

Let’s ponder these two questions:

Are you committed to your

strengths, no matter how tempted

you are to stray? And, will you be

at peace, even when you lose?

Good leaders make a habit to

look and listen to the world around us through a fresh set of senses. We

remember simple lessons to help us stay committed to our strengths, and

be at peace—even when we lose.

ReflectionHow does your strategy help you be at peace?

>> Click here to view this original blog posting

Chapter 13What does parenting mean

for your mood today?

Original Publishing Date: April 5, 2013

Good leaders make a habit of embracing daily parenting challenges in ways that help them show up at work with good energy. And they do us all a huge favor by producing good

kids who will be our future leaders, employees and customers.

Today, I’m fixated on a specific segment of our society: we all need to

celebrate the heroic efforts of single parents.

This is the week of the year my wife Melinda and her sisters visit their

parents in Sun City, Ariz. Like Michael Keaton in the 1983 film, I am “Mr.

Mom” this week.

This ritual has been going on since our oldest child was 2 years old. He

just turned 23, so that means this week has been a Darwinian test of my

parenting for 21 years. 1997 was the apex—we had three kids under the age

of five, which meant Melinda trusted me with a preschooler, a toddler and

an infant. For five days.

Five days!? The whole world just laughed and said: wah, wah, wah . . . you

pathetic whiner. No one is crying for you! Back in those days, our office

administrator, Liz Seitsema, would listen to my Mr. Mom episodes and

laugh at me. I deserved it.

Bonnie Franklin (left) liberated the stigma from single parenting with her role in the 1990s sitcom “One Day at a Time”

Actress Bonnie

Franklin died last

week. She became famous playing single parent Ann Romano in the hit

TV series “One Day at a Time.” Sociologists have already identified her role

as the one that lifted the stigma from single-parent parenting. We know

it worked, because years later, Dan Quayle felt the anger of single parents

when he criticized the fictional character Murphy Brown—another TV-

based single parent. Clearly, he hadn’t done the Mr. Mom thing.

Enlightened people understand there are reasonable explanations for

why single parents exist today: both Moms and Dads. Unlike me, they

perform the miracle of successful parenting full-time. We all know it’s

hard work. Both the children and the parents deserve our most intense

admiration. And support.

Melinda helps me create a Day-at-a-glance calendar with specific instructions for each day. Even I can’t screw this up!

The one thing all working

parents have in common is

“personal leadership”—the

aura we produce at work.

It isn’t easy to maintain

a positive mood and tone at work when the kids don’t sleep at night or

cooperate in the morning! And it’s irritating to get a text message that says:

“My lunch account is out of money!” during an important meeting. The

least we can do as leaders is to understand what’s going on in the personal

lives of the people important to our success . . . so we can help each other

stay resilient, patient and positive.

In the spirit of true disclosure, the hardest days of Mr. Mom are long

gone for me. We only have one kid left at home, Anna, now a high school

junior who has her own car. Normally she and I seize mom’s vacation as

an opportunity to PARTY with our own rules. But, alas, Anna has finals

this week. Yesterday she asked me to leave her alone so she could STUDY.

Sheeezzzz. Must be her mother’s child.

Good leaders make a habit of embracing daily parenting challenges in ways

that help them show up at work with good energy. And they do us all a huge

favor by producing good kids who will be our future leaders, employees and

customers.

ReflectionHow does parenting affect the mood and

tone you radiate at work?

>> Click here to view this original blog posting

Chapter 14Are you living as if you are a miracle?

Original Publishing Date: December 23, 2013

Good leaders make a habit of listening, enrolling and empowering people as “leading by example.” And they involve others in building plans and solving problems—

without letting their Superman or Wonder Woman capes get in the way.

Tomorrow morning is the Super Bowl of Christianity. On Christmas Eve, as

the silent night gives way to another 364 days in waiting, I am encouraging

you to think about the insights of Albert Einstein:

“There are two ways to live your life. One is as if

nothing in life is a miracle. The other is to live as if

everything is a miracle.”

It’s easy for our faith to grow and flow through our life in surges: boosted

by the joys of family and Christmas—strengthened by pain, shock, injustice

and grief. Tonight and tomorrow, most Americans will celebrate Christmas:

the majority will be Christians who embrace Jesus as a miracle . . . but not

all. I’m wondering today: how many of us will carry home the message of

Einstein, along with our gifts?

The famously agnostic Einstein knew the magic of a good life is that

anything and everything could go wrong in any instance: for example,

the miracle of a paper cut is in the healing. The miracle of the insidious,

unthinkable, and horrific . . . is in surviving. Goodness always thrives.

This silly picture is the cover of our Christmas Card: we embraced our love for Elton John as one of the miracles of 2013.

Our family’s annual

Christmas card ritual helps

me look back and reflect on

my life over the past year. It is equally humbling and inspiring. What a

difference a year makes! We survived and found ways to grow and thrive.

And we are choosing to be happy, because that’s always good.

So how are you living today? Choosing to be happy, forgiving, calm and

loving isn’t exclusive people like Einstein, Mandela, or Jesus. Or exclusive

to Christmas. If we truly embraced our faith, wouldn’t we (shouldn’t we?)

breathe in the calm “Silent Night,” and spread our gifts with joy every day?

Good leaders make a habit to live every day as if it were a miracle; as

if we ourselves are miracles. And find the goodness in everything. Yes,

everything!

Reflection:How might you change your beliefs about your work, if you

looked at everything as a miracle?

>> Click here to view this original blog posting

Chapter 15What color is your superhero cape?

Original Publishing Date: January 29, 2013

Good leaders understand the job requires “leading by example,” while also listening, enrolling and empowering people. Good leaders make a habit of involving others in

building plans and solving problems—without letting their Superman or Wonder Woman capes get in the way.

Superman and Wonder Woman are western cultural icons. Who doesn’t

fantasize every now and then about leaping tall buildings in a single bound

or flying through the skies fighting injustice and spreading goodness?

Last week I spoke at a “lunch and learn” session for one of my favorite

clients. We shared a lot of laughter and humility while diving into our

personal leadership through The Seven Fs*. We also talked about how our

Superman and Wonder Woman capes get in the way.

In full disclosure, I’m the first guy to admit that sometimes my Superman

cape feels good! Speakers fancy their capes. (Shocking!?) In coaching, I

often find leaders who like their superhero capes way too much. They don’t

feel the extra weight they are carrying until they let the cape slide off their

shoulders.

Are you capable of flying by, barking orders and passing judgment? It happens to the best of us.

It’s understandable, we know leading by example is powerful in

demonstrating our competence and personal credibility. But followers today

don’t want their leaders to solve every problem. They don’t appreciate seeing

our capes flap when we fly through the room, barking orders and passing

judgment. Followers expect to be enrolled in shaping a vision, building the

strategy and solving the difficult problems along the way. Together.

Here are a few warning signals your cape may be getting too heavy:

Are you bemoaning an endless list of things “only I can do?”

Are you wondering why others aren’t accountable to your standards?

Do you wonder why people don’t understand your strategy?

Are your relationships strained?

Are you worried the office morale is low and personal energy is waning?

Maybe it’s time to take off the cape. Have you invited people to refine your

plan recently? Do you have the courage to define “what?” needs to get fixed,

but not “how?” When was the last time you asked: Where are the forces of

momentum alive in your work, both positive and negative? Internal and

external?

If you are considering letting the cape slide off a little, why not ask a

few people to be involved in your thinking? Listen, smile, laugh, engage,

empower. And while you’re at it, memorize what it feels like to be a really

good leader again.

Good leaders understand the job requires “leading by example,” while also

listening, enrolling and empowering people. Good leaders make a habit of

involving others in building plans and solving problems—without letting

their Superman or Wonder Woman capes get in the way.

ReflectionHow are you involving the people around you in building plans

and solving problems together?

*The Seven Fs: faith, family, finances, fitness, friends, fun and future.

Learn more.

>> Click here to view this original blog posting

Chapter 16Are you still grateful today?

Original Publishing Date: December 3, 2013

Good leaders make a habit of living and working with a spirit of gratitude, long after the buzz of Thanksgiving

is gone. And we create a mood and tone that brings people together, again and again.

Sarah Josepha Hale, the editor of the Goodey’s Ladies Book magazine,

convinced Abraham Lincoln to establish Thanksgiving as a national

holiday, 150 years ago.

Thanksgiving at the Batz house, 2012

Around the Thanksgiving table, it’s easy to express our gratitude. The

aroma of a fabulous meal and the laughter of family and friends breed the

welcomed cliche :́ we are so grateful.

The challenge is expressing that gratitude again today, and every day . . .

after life takes over.

Maybe it helps to remember that Abraham Lincoln officially established

Thanksgiving 150 years ago at the urging of an aging magazine editor,

who observed that our nation—at odds with one another—needed a formal

day of “thanksgiving and praise.” Her point: she believed all of the United

States needed to share the experience of gratitude to keep us “united.”

Two of the cornerstones of goodness in leadership are “living generously”

and “spreading positivity.” My simple mind can’t conjure up any other

way to spread goodness than to live and work with gratitude. Like Sarah

Josepha Hale reminded Abraham Lincoln, it’s the goodness that brings

people together.

When you are working off the Thanksgiving Day binge . . . are you still radiating goodness?

We all need those reminders.

One of my life mentors—

Jerry Hoffman—lives and works like a fine Swiss watch . . . without fail,

he offers a well-conditioned response: “I’m grateful!” when anyone asks

the “How are you?” question. The first time I heard it, I chuckled. The next

few times I thought this guy’s impressive. Today, after nearly 20 years of

receiving his “I’m grateful” response, I believe he means it. I can feel it.

Post-Thanksgiving holiday, when you’ve taken out the garbage, answered

the e-mails, sat through budget meetings and jumped back on the

treadmill . . . are you still grateful today? How will the people in your life

still feel it?

Good leaders make a habit of living and working with a spirit of gratitude,

long after the buzz of Thanksgiving is gone. And we create a mood and tone

that brings people together, again and again.

ReflectionHow might your colleagues benefit if you expressed

Thanksgiving-style gratitude today?

>> Click here to view this original blog posting

Chapter 17What can we learn from an angel

on an airplane?

Original Publishing Date: September 25, 2012

Good leaders make a habit of embracing both the pleasure and pain of a rich personal and professional life. And they are willing to break out of routine to listen for the

wisdom of an angel.

Airplane fuel is an essential part of what keeps the goodness movement

alive. When clients ask me to visit their city to speak and coach . . . I make

the most of my airplane time to write, think and listen to where the spirit

moves me. I’m lucky I’m a shrimp—at only 5’6” tall, even coach seats make

a comfortable office in the sky.

Typically, I build a cocoon around myself and dive into my work. As a

writer, I crave the time to focus on my “travel list,” provided by my trusted

colleague Delane. But every so often, my cramming session gets usurped.

Last week a charming 60-something businessman penetrated my First

Class virtual office with this engaging question: “Were you in Phoenix for

business or fun?” Both, I replied: my business is a big part of my fun. “You

are very lucky,” he laughed. We shared a fascinating three-hour spiritual

and intellectual conversation about Goodness, Personal Leadership and the

Seven Fs*.

We can find inspiration even in the cramped quarters of the sky.

The angel in him appeared when I asked him about his family, and we

talked about our sons. “Twelve years ago, I lost my son to suicide, caused

by untreatable bipolar personality disorder,” he said. Here, sitting

next to me, was a successful entrepreneur and business executive who

profoundly understood a small piece of my world. He lived the personal and

professional upheaval associated with this cruel, debilitating brain disease.

I opened my soul—sharing the current story of my own father, his failed

suicide attempts, and his ongoing bipolar battle.

Heavens, I can’t imagine losing my son. A complete stranger tapped into a

source of compassion and humility I hadn’t been able to find on my own.

This unsuspecting angel helped me feel understood and grateful. As I

write this, I cannot recall his face. But his presence is alive, consoling and

coaching me in ways that made me see and feel his angel dust.

Good leaders make a habit of embracing both the pleasure and pain of

a rich personal and professional life. And they are willing to break their

routine to listen for the wisdom of an angel.

ReflectionWhat’s moving through you right now that an unsuspecting

angel could help you understand?

The Seven Fs: faith, family, finances, fitness, friends, fun and future.

Learn more.

>> Click here to view this original blog posting

Chapter 18What does it mean to feel successful?

Original Publishing Date: August 7, 2012

Good leaders make a habit of placing their trust in others, opening themselves up to life-stretching

experiences. And they make the time to pause during the climb to feel successful.

One of my favorite songs begins with the lyrics: “On a clear day, rise and

look around you, and you’ll see who you are.” Alan Jay Lerner wrote

the lyrics and Barbra Streisand sang the tune. After an ambitious family

weekend at Flathead Lutheran Bible Camp, on the western slope of Glacier

National Park, I feel like I know what that song really means.

Our oldest child, Ben, invited us to venture west so he could guide us up

a mountain in “God’s Country” where he is a wilderness camp counselor.

Hiking a mountain is curiously adventurous – treacherous footing makes

it difficult to look around and enjoy the journey. Mother Nature makes

you pause on the path to really appreciate her glory—and to measure your

progress.

We dutifully followed our son Ben up Mt. Aeneas. He was so focused, we seldom paused to enjoy the view or measure

our progress.

With each step following my son, I couldn’t help thinking: “When did the

equation shift: from him following us, to us following him?” Hmmm . . .

my son is a good leader, I thought.

As parents, we instinctively take the lead as our children find their path

forward. If we are successful, we get the opportunity to follow. Ok, so it

wasn’t Kilimanjaro . . . but somewhere along the way, Ben had grown up

and earned the trust to lead us up a mountain. And that felt really good.

“Hey Dad, this weekend is a Seven Fs* clean sweep!” Ben shouted from his

mountain lunch. With camp counselor Eric Bay by our side, I could easily

understand six of the Fs: ‘Faith, Family, Ftness, Friends, Fun and Future.’

But Fnances, atop a mountain?

“I get paid to do this . . . that’s finances, right?” he grinned. Bingo, a Seven

Fs clean sweep! If I fell off the mountain to my own glory, at least I’d go

feeling successful.

Good leaders make a habit of placing their trust in others, opening

themselves up to life-stretching experiences. And they make the time to

pause during the climb to feel successful.

ReflectionWhat makes you feel successful today?

The Seven Fs: faith, family, finances, fitness, friends, fun and future.

Learn more.

>> Click here to view this original blog posting

Chapter 19What did you overcome to get here?

Original Publishing Date: February 5, 2013

Good leaders learn to overcome “fix-ation” and make a habit of celebrating the obstacles that led to where they are today. And we leverage the strength, confidence and joy from all of our lessons learned to build a brighter future—starting today.

Recently, I turned away a potential new client. Our conversation was

a litany of excuses, can’ts, and shoulds. And problems, problems,

problems. He wasn’t willing to let me help him find even the tiniest

momentum to get us going in the right direction together. I am sad for him.

Why the downward spiral? I believe it’s because on the way up, he was

rewarded for problem-hunting. Over years and years, he and many other

leaders were classically conditioned to seek out and fix what’s wrong: with

our products, our company, our team and ourselves. Some leaders actually

work their way up the income and influence staircase by finding and fixing

thousands of problems.

Here’s what he couldn’t see: the downward spiral eventually starts with

problem-hunting. And finger-pointing. And “fix-ation” -- the tendency to

see everything as a problem that needs fixing. Anyone can get temporary

power by finding problems. The good leaders get their power by building

things.

The downward spiral starts with fix-ation. We can create our own positive momentum by celebrating what we’ve overcome and building something new.

At my firm, we leverage the

phrase carpe diem (seize

the day) in our work because today is the day that anyone can build toward

the future. Every job has challenges. Every business has issues. Every

family is off kilter. We are all amazingly flawed. And we’re also amazingly

gifted . . . which is the best place to begin.

Carpe diem: your path forward starts today.

In our firm, we help

hundreds of people

every year find positive

momentum through

coaching. It’s a skill that

can be sharpened by

practice. Let’s get you

started: pause for a

moment and think about

all of the difficult things

you have overcome to be

here today. Trouble with

coworkers? Draconian

boss? Failed investments?

Doubt, suspicion and

competitors who don’t play fair? You are not the first, or the last . . .

But Shazam! Only you can look unfiltered into the promise of your new day.

Start by celebrating what you overcame to get here and build plans for a

better day today. Carpe diem!

Good leaders learn to overcome “fix-ation” and make a habit of celebrating

the obstacles that led to where they are today. And we leverage the strength,

confidence and joy from all of our lessons learned to build a brighter

future—starting today.

ReflectionWhat challenges can you celebrate that

got you where you are today?

>> Click here to view this original blog posting

Chapter 20What makes you feel wimpy?

Original Publishing Date: February 5, 2013

Good leaders embrace the craziness of life, no matter how much adversity or uncertainty they face. And we aren’t afraid

to let go when we feel scared and wimpy.

How often do the words: weak, ineffective and timid describe how you

feel about yourself? Webster uses that combination to describe the term

“wimp.” It’s OK. In the spirit of authenticity . . . it’s not wimpy to admit that

every once in a blue moon, we all feel like a wimp.

It has been a helluva month for me: three trips to the emergency room with

mysterious allergic reactions have left me feeling weak, ineffective and

timid. The doctors tell me this stuff happens to people “my age” . . . and

50% of the time they never figure out why. Seriously? We can split an atom,

land the space shuttle back on Earth and find Osama Bin Laden . . . but we

can’t figure out why my tongue swelled, my throat closed, hives attacked

my lower half and my face ballooned like a chimpanzee. I looked like King

Louie in The Jungle Book.

Yep, that’s me . . . after my third Emergency Room visit in a week.

Five sets of steroids didn’t

solve the mystery . . . and the

cocktail of pharmaceuticals

left my bio systems in shock.

I was so weak, ineffective and

timid, I had to accept a friend’s offer to rake our lawn and clean out the

garage. I was too exhausted to do my chores.

It’s scary to cancel a month’s worth of client meetings when you are self-

employed. My spiritual coach Ellie is helping me find my faith, and grow

through the fear. Her guidance has me using the Seven Fs* in new ways

for finding, seeing and feeling new sources of strength that help me move

forward. What choice do I have?

My daughter Anna wore wax candy lips to simulate my condition. Funny girl.

But, alas . . .

CaringBridge, an

online community for

the friends and family

members of those

suffering from serious and often terminal illnesses and conditions, is filled

with people who are really suffering. I’m glad I’m not one of them. I can

live on edge for awhile . . . it’s not cancer. I didn’t suffer a stroke or a heart

attack. Here’s the good news: I know EpiPens work for me in an emergency.

For now, my discretionary time needs to be channeled into recuperation.

I’m learning to let go so I can heal, because I’m determined to drive out the

wimps.

Good leaders embrace the craziness of life, no matter how much adversity

or uncertainty they face. And we aren’t afraid to let go when we feel scared

and wimpy.

ReflectionWhat is making you feel wimpy?

What do you need to let go of to get better?

The Seven Fs: faith, family, finances, fitness, friends, fun and future.

Learn more.

>> Click here to view this original blog posting

Chapter 21Do you believe leaders

create their own weather?

Original Publishing Date: April 30, 2013

Good leaders make a habit of staying in tune with the climate they create with their leadership. And they do their best to

stay calm, strong and confident in all types of weather.

Minnesota is my home. Every morning, I begin the day with contemplation

and prayer facing east through the living room picture window. It‘s a joy to

peer through the charming hard red maple tree to take in Mother Nature‘s

sunrise. But in April, she can really yank my chain.

When I talk Minnesota weather with my California friends, they lecture:

you choose to live there. Yes, we live here for many good reasons. But

honestly, the weather is ridiculous. Mother Nature toys with our emotions

for sport. Especially in springtime. Especially THIS springtime.

Webster’s dictionary defines whiplash as an abrupt snapping motion or

change of direction. That definitely describes the mood of anyone who has

endured the past 10 days of weather here. A week ago Thursday, I flew home

from a speaking and coaching engagement in Austin, Texas, (84 degrees)

and I was greeted by a 62 degree temperature drop. Not only was the

temp 20 degrees below Minnesota normal, it was also snowing. I‘m talkin‘

Norman Rockwell blizzard snow. In April!

The next morning, my neighbor had to help me snowplow my driveway so I

could get to the Good Leadership Breakfast by 6 a.m. By contrast, last year

I had already played 11 rounds of golf by April 19.

We endured another 4 inches of snow the following Monday . . . and then we

had an abrupt snapping motion and change of direction. Within 72 hours,

the temperature hit 70 degrees and the golf course opened. Sure, it was

exciting . . . but Mother Nature‘s whimsical whiplash is both exhilarating

and exhausting.

72 hours later, this was the scene from the same picture window as the cover photo. The weather whiplash in Minnesota is exhilarating

and also exhausting.

I believe leaders create the weather. Not the Mother Nature kind of weather,

of course, but the climate by which we operate. Living in Minnesota is

good training for how to remain emotionally stable and consistent in

leadership. This past week has been an abrupt change of emotions for me

in my leadership, very similar to the weather whiplash. It‘s not always easy

to maintain a consistently positive climate for people to work together.

Sometimes, abrupt changes with staffing, customers, competition or

strategy can cause emotional whiplash. Regardless of where you live,

leadership is a lot like April in Minnesota.

Good leaders make a habit of staying in tune with the climate they create

with their leadership. And they do their best to stay calm, strong and

confident in all types of weather.

ReflectionHow might you be creating Mother Nature‘s whiplash with

your leadership?

>> Click here to view this original blog posting

Chapter 22How do you inspire commitment?

Original Publishing Date: January 22, 2013

Good leaders make a habit of understanding the personal and professional goals and aspirations of the people important

to their success. And we help them make progress in simple, meaningful ways.

What makes a Big Mac special? Without the special sauce in the middle, it’s

just another messy cheeseburger with onions, right? It’s the special sauce

that keeps people coming back for more.

Good leaders understand business today is also messy. We’re all

distracted by a busy life. Customers and profits are hard to come by. And

the rewards of our paychecks are often usurped by escalating promises

and expectations: both personal and professional. Without inspiring

commitment, even our most loyal comrades can drift out to lunch.

This 10-word question will add the special sauce to your leadership: Who do

you want to be when you grow up? It’s an important question for you . . . but

today, I’m suggesting you ask this question of the people important to your

success. It’s one of the most powerful ways to inspire commitment. Start by

asking yourself: do you know the personal and professional aspirations of

the people around you?

As I climbed this stunning staircase in Los Angeles, I couldn’t help but think about where I was headed—both personally and professionally.

Despite our flaws, we will

endure even the most

difficult, challenging work

environments if we believe

our leaders a) know who

we want to be when we

grow up and b) will help

us get there. When we feel

understood, appreciated and

invested in, it counts more

than extra salary or bonus. Sure, it’s a little messy, but it really works.

Good leaders make a habit of understanding the personal and professional

goals and aspirations of the people important to their success. And we help

them make progress in simple, meaningful ways.

ReflectionWho is inspiring commitment in you the most today? How can

you do that for someone else?

>> Click here to view this original blog posting

Chapter 23Why do you work?

Original Publishing Date: January 8, 2013

Good leaders make a habit of pausing to savor the satisfaction of why they work. And they make important goals

to keep others focused on why we work all year-round.

Achievement is addicting. Reflection, celebration and appreciation are less

natural to Type A leaders like me. We typically blow right past the moment

to pause, savor and celebrate why we work. That’s why Christmas morning

is so special. Today, I turn off the colored Christmas lights outside and I’m

pausing to reflect: why do I work?

In our coaching research, we continually ask the question: “Which of

the Seven Fs* best describes why you work?” The choices are: faith,

family, finances, fitness, friends, fun and future. Most leaders choose

“family.” Faith, finances, friends, fun and future are frequently tied for

second. Fitness typically finishes last.

Assuming you would concur with ranking family first, how does that

commitment show up in your work? One particularly cranky executive

changed his tune when I asked him, as his coach: “Would you behave this

way if your grandchildren were here every day at work?”

The silly hats and PJs on my children are part of the Moen family Christmas morning tradition. The cover picture is my mother with her grandchildren.

The last week of the year is

definitely “family time,” so

it is natural to set goals that help us advance our satisfaction with family.

More time off? Maybe an exotic vacation? Get to more soccer games and

piano recitals on time? Let’s remember why we work.

Family is why I work. It’s less about achievement and more about shaping

the future for people I believe in deeply. And I want my children, nieces and

nephews to see me fully enjoying my work. Human beings were put forth to

build and grow things, and we all deserve to love our work.

Have you ever noticed how many people who are “retired” are still working

as much as ever: volunteering in the community, serving others or shaping

the character of their grandchildren. Working for the benefit of others is

goodness in the simplest form. Why do you work?

Good leaders make a habit of pausing to savor the satisfaction of why they

work. And they make important goals to keep others focused on why we

work all year-round.

ReflectionWhich of the Seven Fs best describes why you work: faith, family, finances, fitness, friends, fun or future? How do the

people around you see this in your work?

The Seven Fs: faith, family, finances, fitness, friends, fun and future.

Learn more.

>> Click here to view this original blog posting

Chapter 24What does a 150-year milestone

look like to you?

Original Publishing Date: July 16, 2013

Good leaders make a habit of embracing the challenge to earn the public trust. And they celebrate the major

milestones—like a sesquicentennial—in high style when the spotlight is shining.

Happy birthday to you, happy birthday to you . . . it’s the most contagious

tune in the Western World. When we get to 150 years old, we learn the

word: sesquicentennial—pronounced [ses’-kwi-sen-ten’-ē-əl]—meaning

marking the completion of a period of 150 years.

This year, two of my favorite Minnesota-based institutions are celebrating a

sesquicentennial: U.S. Bank and Gustavus Adolphus College. Banking and

colleges are tricky businesses—a lot of complex people walk in and out of

their doors everyday. Colleges are incubators of controversy and idealism

that often spills onto the Internet. And everyone knows the plummeting

reputation of the big banks in America. And yet, both of these organizations

continue to earn the public trust over 150 years.

U.S. Bancorp Chairman, President and CEO Richard Davis, CFO Andrew Cecere and some of the bank’s longest-serving employees rang the closing bell at the New York Stock Exchange on July 12,

2013 in New York City. (Photo by Dario Cantatore/NYSE Euronext). I wonder if there are any Gustavus graduates in this sesquicentennial

photo?

Both institutions stand tall, identified by their architecture—yet defined by

how their people move throughout the community. Their success is defined

as much by how the institutions treat people, as the results they produce.

U.S. Bank and Gustavus have thrived for 150+ years by: rewarding

excellence, demonstrating generosity, promoting fairness and spreading

positivity. These are the enduring cornerstones of Good Leadership.

The king and queen of Sweden, visited the Gustavus campus to help one of America’s oldest and strongest Swedish heritage

colleges celebrate its sesquicentennial.

Good leaders make a habit of embracing the challenge to earn the public

trust. And they celebrate the major milestones—like a sesquicentennial—in

high style when the spotlight is shining.

ReflectionWhat significant milestones could you celebrate

to help you earn trust?

>> Click here to view this original blog posting

Chapter 25How much weight

are you carrying to work?

Original Publishing Date: July 3, 2012

Good leaders understand how the weight of their personal endeavors adds to the pressure at work. And they monitor

their own edginess, to preserve and uphold the spirits of the people at the office.

Life happens. Isn’t that the understatement of the hour? Right now I’m a

little edgy . . . suffering from a couple of restless nights, with inconsistent

sleep. It’s nothing life-altering. But I’m edgy none-the-less.

Ten weeks ago, our son was surprised in his basement bedroom by

water dripping from the ceiling onto his feet. The shower floor in master

bathroom above was leaking. Turns out the entire bathroom floor had been

compromised. Since then we’ve had contractors parading in and out of my

bedroom. Constantly. We’re getting a handsome new master bathroom,

with subway tile and a fancy Kohler toilet/faucet/shower that we didn’t

really need. That’s at least a $10,000 surprise (maybe more, we haven’t seen

the bill yet).

Then, last week as I was brushing my teeth, I heard a screaming metal

against metal sound coming from the backyard. The air conditioning unit

locked up under the pressure of a hot and humid, Georgia-style summer

day. Turns out the whole system failed, from AC to furnace. Now we are

accessorizing the Kohler fanciness with a state of the art, his-and-hers

Lennox HVAC system installed as soon as another set of contractors can

get here. Another $9000 surprise. Meanwhile, it’s still hot and humid . . .

and while we are waiting for the contractors, it’s hard to sleep. (Where’s the

Holiday Inn?)

The bathroom and HVAC system equals a 5th year of college tuition.

We just finished paying for Ben’s four years of college. Now, in the past two

weeks we just paid for a fifth year.

Compared to natural disasters, my edginess is silly.

OK, I realize that these problems are on the surface of a wonderful life. No

one at home is deathly ill or failing. And the his-and-hers HVAC isn’t going

to throw us into bankruptcy. Or divorce. People all over the Midwest—

including Duluth, Minnesota—are cleaning out from a biblical flood. Nearly

1/3 of the homes are damaged and only 12% have flood insurance. Many of

the streets are torn to shreds. One of our graphic designers was evacuated

from his home, he left with only his computer files. Now that’s a lot of

weight to carry into work.

Compared to floods, sweltering heat in Virginia and wildfires burning in

Colorado, my problems are feather-like. But I’m still edgy. And it’s hard

not to carry things like this into work. Life happens to all of us. Workplace

productivity drags when the home life is stressed. For me, I know it’s hard

to focus, I have less energy, and my decision-making is fuzzy. I know it’s not

that big a deal . . . but I’m edgy. More than usual.

Good leaders understand how the weight of their personal endeavors adds

to the pressure at work. And they monitor their own edginess, to preserve

and uphold the spirits of the people at the office.

ReflectionWhat weight do you wish you didn’t have to carry into work?

>> Click here to view this original blog posting

Chapter 26What helps you make it

through the dip?

Original Publishing Date: April 3, 2012

Good leaders make a habit of building good friends because sometimes life is hard. And we stick together so we can lift

each other up when we fall down.

Farmers and cowboys in Western movies share a coaching euphemism:

“Pull yourself up by the boot straps.” Common sense and physics tells you

it’s not possible . . . when you get knocked down, pulling harder on your

bootstraps will only make your boots tighter.

Modern sage Seth Godin wrote a clever little book about the “boot strap”

thing—it’s called The Dip. He described ‘the dip’ as that moment when you

realize you’ve lost momentum in something you are building (or chasing)

and you are feeling the urge to ‘quit.’ He argues sometimes the best course

of action is to quit—specifically when you are locked in a Cul-de-Sac and

quitting will help you get back on course. But alas, quitting seldom feels

good . . . and rarely seems like the best option. So that means we have to

pull on our boot straps.

In our book

What Really Works, Blending the Seven Fs one

of the leaders we interviewed bluntly stated:

“sometimes life is hard.” And then she said: “that’s

why we have our faith and our friends.” Our faith

helps us understand our convictions and provides

values to filter out toxic thoughts when we are in

the dip. And our friends are there when we need

them—to pull on our boot straps and help us gets

us back on our feet.

Tim Schmidt and I are friends who wrote a book about people who lift each other up by the bootstraps: What Really Works.

Funny . . . when our friends help our boots get lighter, not tighter. We’ve all

been there before . . . the dip sharpens our convictions, hardens our resolve

and deepens our friendships. The bootstraps are just the metaphor.

Good leaders make a habit of building good friends because sometimes

life is hard. And we stick together so we can lift each other up when we fall

down.

ReflectionWho could use a lift up from you today?

>> Click here to view this original blog posting

Chapter 27Have you pondered your ‘mark’ lately?

Original Publishing Date: November 14, 2011

Good leaders make a habit to understand their personal brand. And they know the message they are trying to say in

word, deed and pictures.

People watching is an insatiable craving. People are beautiful, compelling

and fascinating. With willing eyes and an open mind, we have so much to

learn about how people choose to make their mark.

While walking the beaches of Maui, Melinda and I were fascinated by

an overwhelming wave of people who made the decision to decorate

themselves with a tattoo. I guess that shouldn’t be surprising . . . Kaanapali

Beach is a fitting showcase.

Looking closely, I started to wonder . . . what does a tattoo really mean?

The art for a tattoo is a branding statement that lasts forever. From my

Midwestern, white suburban male perspective—that’s a decision that would

not be taken lightly.

During a three mile beach walk, I saw the full spectrum of tattoo art: from

the “Corona Extra” logo to the predictable skull and crossbones. From a

Rebel flag to a dragon. Countless flowers and crosses and barbed wire.

I met one guy with the triad of the New York Yankees, Buddha, and the

United States flag tattooed across his shoulders and chest. I found full-

bodied mosaics to be fascinating, and messages about I love [name] to be

intriguing. One guy had the entire skyline of Louisville Kentucky across his

back—his female companion had a Bob Marley collage extending across her

back under her left armpit across to her belly. It got me wondering . . . does

she like Bob Marley more than Louisville?

Miles of great people-watching on this Maui beach, got me pondering what tattoo would express my personal brand.

All of those marks say something about the person who carries them. On

a Snorkeling cruise, I asked the “What does your tattoo mean?” question.

I got two answers: either “I thought is was fun!” or the image had a deep,

powerful meaning that motivated them to make it their ‘mark.’ My brother-

in-law Earl has a beautiful Native American-inspired circle to honor his

fallen son Tate, who died in childbirth. The mark was designed by his wife—

Tate’s mother, who is also my sister.

Earl’s tattoo helps me see the tattoos with fresh eyes and a curious soul.

We’re all intending to leave a mark on some small piece of the human race.

What would your mark be? A message of faith, or fun, or both!

Good leaders make a habit to understand their personal brand. And they

know the message they are trying to say in word, deed and pictures.

ReflectionWhat tattoo would express your personal brand the most, and

why? If you already have one (or more) . . . what’s next?

>> Click here to view this original blog posting

Chapter 28What’s the value of a good night out?

Original Publishing Date: June 12, 2012

Good leaders make a habit of simple gestures that go a long way in helping hard-working people feel appreciated. And we know a good night out will multiply personal and professional

satisfaction.

Last week I shared breakfast with a senior leader who reminded me how

generosity can be the hallmark of good leadership. 8AM and she was

glowing.

Do you know that special moment when our work becomes both personal

and professional? It’s the rare, exciting feeling when we care so much about

the outcome and the people involved, that the project becomes less about

what we do . . . and more like who we are. Poker players call this full body

and soul commitment “all in.” Sometimes “all in” means early mornings

and late nights, lots of travel . . . even working weekends.

My breakfast companion started our conversation by saying: “I just

received an unusual phone call from my boss this morning.” Senior

corporate leaders often find an “unusual phone call from my boss” to mean

a U-turn on the Autobahn. This call was a little different.

“He wanted to make sure I was going to be in my office today,” she

continued. “Not because anything was wrong . . . but because he wanted to

give me a gift certificate for a nice dinner out—to show his appreciation for

how hard I’ve been working on the corporate transformation.”

She was glowing. Not from the gift

certificate, but from the inherent

sense of goodness in her leader. Her

“boss” knows family is important

in her life—and he knows she’s

been working sun up to sun down,

demonstrating what it means to

be “all in.” His prompting gave her

permission (and incentive) to make a

family date night for a good night out. We both could taste her gratitude in

the croissants.

Who do you have in your line of influence who is routinely “all in?” When

was the last time you shared your appreciation and encouraged a good

night out? This link will make it easy for you to act on your good leader

instincts: and buy a dinner gift certificate.

Who could use a family night out, on a gift certificate from you?

Good leaders know make a habit of

simple gestures that go a long way

in helping hard working people feel

appreciated. And we know a good

night out will multiply personal and

professional satisfaction.

ReflectionWhat can you do today to share your sincere appreciation for

the people important to your success?

>> Click here to view this original blog posting

Chapter 29What part of your future are

you working on?

Original Publishing Date: January 17th, 2012

Good leaders make a habit of waking up every day with a vision for how they are working on their future. And they build

goals that help them write new chapters late into life.

Betty White turns 90 years old today! She, Carol Burnett and Mary Tyler

Moore are redefining what “old” means. My grandmother was a “Betty

White” in many ways. When Arlene Hunter turned 90 years old, she set

a goal of memorizing one Chopin Etude per month on the piano. (Chopin

Études are widely recognized as some of the most rigorous technical

pieces of the modern era. He wrote them in the 1830s to teach the modern

techniques necessary to perform the finest pieces in the world. The 27

Études are the cornerstones for professional concert pianists.)

Granted, my grandmother was an accomplished musician, opera singer,

school music teacher and piano instructor. But Chopin Études at 90? She

was retired, widowed, living alone and building a strategy to get the most

out of last chapter of her life. Her physique was consistent with rural Iowa

women. But her mind was as sharp as a New York Times columnist, and her

spirit was Ferrari red. From her perspective, why not set audacious piano

goals? She had the time and motivation to accomplish what 20-something

aspiring musicians do while pursuing a masters in piano. She learned and

memorized all 27, and lived 13 more years to chirp about it. That’s Betty

White air.

So, what part of your future are you working on? Human beings were

meant to work hard and build things. We find joy in dreaming and purpose

in the pursuit. That’s what builds character.

My grandmother would have approved of my 50th birthday skydiving adventure. Ready, set, grow!

Me? I just jumped out of an airplane for my 50th birthday, and I’m

planning on doing it again. I’m learning to enjoy improving my fitness. I’m

teaching 30 kids to sing the music for a church play. I’m building a coaching

and publishing business. I’m finding mental toughness and focus in my golf

game. I’m accepting all the people, speed bumps, ups and downs in my life

as a gift—grateful for how they make me who I am today. Through more

than 25 years of coaching leaders, I’ve learned one of the most rewarding

questions to ask is: What’s your Chopin Étude?

Good leaders make a habit of waking up every day with a vision for how

they are working on their future. And they build goals that help them write

new chapters late into life.

ReflectionWhat is your own Chopin Étude . . .

and how does that help your leadership?

>> Click here to view this original blog posting

Chapter 30What can leaders learn from horses?

Original Publishing Date: January 21, 2014

Good leaders make a habit of seeking new experiences to learn how their thoughts and feelings affect others. And they continually re-learn how calm confidence is the most effective

way to embrace the unknown.

“The Equine Experience is an exquisite exploration of yourself . . . Miraval’s

must-do attraction,” the travel review claimed. A powerful group of Fortune

100 executives was lured into Miraval, and unsuspectingly into the magical

horse stables of world famous horse whisperer, Wyatt Webb.

Miraval is a gorgeous 5-star travel destination, built around the spiritual

principles of mindfulness. Its 475 acres of wilderness retreat with

classrooms, restaurants, luxury accommodations and an over-the-top spa

to teach people how to

be more in tune with

their thoughts and

energy in the moment.

Mindfulness is all about

processing daily living

without judgment. It’s a

great place for business

executives, because this

place knocks the patina

off hardened souls.

My colleague Mike and

I were hired to facilitate

an immersion retreat for improving teamwork. Our client requested an

unforgettable experience for his new team: little did I know, the horses

would be our best teachers.

Our morning instructions about grooming and exercising the horses

created a surprising amount of intrigue and anxiety. Arizona winter air is

frigid at 8 a.m., before

the sun breaks over the

mountains. Today, our

shivers were

accompanied by the

jitters—we city slickers

knew nothing about

cleaning and exercising horses. Our six horses were beautiful, calm and

magnetic . . . but we were anxious, tentative and uncertain. And the horses

knew it.

“Why are you petting your horse!?” our trainer quipped. “Your horse

doesn’t need a friend, she needs her hooves cleaned.” We all wanted our

horse to like us—but the pleasantries weren’t getting the job done. As the

executive coach in the group, I was on hyper-overdrive, processing the

teaching and the learning . . . what fun!

Thankfully, one of the IT executives (Pete) was the first to master the most

difficult hoof-cleaning task. He broke the ice by showing us this frustrating

task was actually possible! Somehow, he found a way to calm himself and

find the confidence his horse expected. One by one, we each found our own

way to overcome our fears and demonstrate we were trustworthy.

That’s what horses do: they sense suspicion, danger and fear. It’s not that

any one of us was wielding a weapon . . . but horses only reward calm

confidence. Now there’s the trick! Unless we shed our anxieties, the horses

weren’t going to let us clean their hooves. An oxymoron: hurry up and calm

down.

“I finally just focused my energy and decided I could do it without fear,”

Pete smiled as he explained his approach. “ I just blocked out everything

else and focused my

nervous energy.”

I learned a great deal from

our facilitator: mindfulness

improves personal

leadership in every way. We

can all benefit from calming

our fears, and finding ways

to accept the difficulties of

our day without passing

judgment. That’s what

builds trust.

“It’s not what we learn about the horses that sticks with us,” our facilitator

mused. “It’s what we learn about ourselves that makes the difference.”

At Miraval, we re-learned the simplest lesson about leadership: followers

appreciate our care and concern, but they rally around our calm confidence

through opportunity and uncertainty. The horses were the best teachers.

Good leaders make a habit of seeking new experiences to learn how their

thoughts and feelings affect others. And they continually re-learn how calm

confidence is the most effective way to embrace the unknown.

ReflectionWhat has you feeling anxious these days?

>> Click here to view this original blog posting

Chapter 31What are you doing with today?

Original Publishing Date: September 27, 2013

Good leaders make a habit of finding inspiration in the rich and full lives of people we admire. And they use those lessons

as a reminder to radiate goodness.

Melinda and I came home Sunday from a season-ending week at the lake

cabin, excited to jump back into our lives. By the end of the day Monday, we

learned of two deaths inside our circle of friends. So, within the 24 hours

of Tuesday evening and Wednesday morning, we helped bury two vibrant

women.

The first was a recently married 28-year-old who was rocking the world

with her radiant energy. The next was a 50-something wife and mother who

had been faithfully battling a very rare cancer. It‘s easy to wonder in such

circumstances: Why did they leave us so early?

Both funerals were as joyous as funerals can be. They stamped a message

on my heart that I carried forward in my closing remarks at the Good

Leadership Breakfast. Watch here.

The closing comments at the Good Leadership Breakfast in August were “Carpe diem: spread goodness today!

Sometimes, the most powerful messages are the most simple: One thing we

all have in common is the fact that we are aging! Whether you are 28 or 58,

time of course marches on. What are you doing with today?

Too often, I find myself living in the future. When I was 28 years old, I

was preoccupied with becoming 30 years old . . . because I was convinced

being 30 meant more credibility in the business world. In the midst of

that reflection, I was hit by this simple notion: We are so fascinated with

immediate greatness in our society. Yet greatness can only be achieved by

a body of work over time—for more than 99 percent of the people on Earth,

greatness is a concept far into the future.

But, we can all radiate goodness today! The path to greatness is paved by

good leaders like you and me radiating goodness today and every day. So

why not radiate goodness today?

I have chosen to rally around the mantra,

carpe diem, in my personal and professional

life. It means, seize the day. For good leaders, it

means, radiate goodness today!

Good leaders make a habit of finding

inspiration in the rich and full lives of people

we admire. And they use those lessons as a

reminder to radiate goodness.

ReflectionCarpe diem: how are you honoring the lives of others by what

you are doing today?

>> Click here to view this original blog posting

Bonus Blog!Good Leaders: If goodness pays, then

what gets in the way?

Original Publishing Date: May 6, 2014

When is a wicked head/chest cold a blessing?

Today, I’m enjoying the unexpected consequences of an illness-induced

slower pace. It’s just a cold brought on by lots of airline travel, heavy

exposure to pollen and emotional ups and downs—but it caused me to

approach three professional speeches with very little energy—with better

results!

In pauses for coughing, drinking water and conserving energy, I

unintentionally gave my audiences empty space to actually think about the

“goodness pays” message. At each event, someone mustered up the courage

to ask: “If goodness really pays, why do we seem to notice so many more stories of people lying, cheating or hurting people?”

Lance Armstrong, Tiger Woods, Bernie Madoff, Martha Stewart, Pete Rose

and the newly disgraced NBA owner Donald Sterling, were top of mind

examples.

I answered the questions with this analogy: Someone once confided in me

he paid for a lavish golfing trip with his buddies on his firm’s professional

development budget. His braggadocio justification stuck with me: I can do it because “I’m a road warrior for this firm, so I’ve earned it.”

It’s the word “earned” that scares me—I think it’s what gets in the way.

My former friend sounded like Tiger, Lance and Donald Sterling. After

decades of success, each of these four felt they earned the right to cheat and

discriminate—that directly contradicts two of the cornerstones of goodness:

living generously and promoting fairness.

Seth Godin is one of the world’s most prolific bloggers. I find his wisdom to be insightful into the goodness movement.

Sethgodin.com

Recently Seth Godin wrote a blog about “possession aggression.” He

articulated what psychologists have long known: humans will go to

extraordinary efforts to defend losing things we believe we have “earned.”

If we think we have earned the right to live by different rules, we will forget

about goodness and defend our special rules at almost any cost.

Goodness is about gratitude in action: I’m certain we’ve all earned the right

to be grateful.

This morning, I’m still hacking and wheezing, but I’m re-energized by

audience members who encouraged me to keep pursuing the conversation

that goodness pays.

Good leaders make a habit of living generously and promoting fairness.

And they manage their egos by asking the most important question: What

do I feel I’ve earned the right to do? Because no one has ever earned the

right to cheat or discriminate.

ReflectionCarpe diem: What are you feeling you ‘earned’ which may be

getting in the way of your natural born goodness?

>> Click here to view this original blog posting

Where do we go from here?

Every coaching engagement initiated by our firm begins with the Personal

Leadership Benchmark. It’s a calibration tool to help leaders establish

a baseline on 15 important concepts of personal leadership. With a

benchmark score, we can set goals and engage our friends in blending

activities to create positive momentum.

What’s the point? Any leader with positive momentum in his or her

personal and professional life is someone worth following.

Get the Personal Leadership Benchmark tool here. Calculate your

benchmark score and get together with a friend to generate positive

momentum together.

Carpe diem.

Can you radiate goodness today?