The Life He Led, the Wake He Left
My late grandfather Elmer Baumgartner left quite the “wake.” The term “wake” comes from clinical psychologist and best-selling author Dr. Henry Cloud, who compares the idea of leaving a legacy to a concept he calls “the wake.” Just as a boat leaves a wake in its path when it goes through the water, so a […]
Reality Check
A dog food company hit some hard times. Sales were low and the CEO tried everything he could think of to improve the bottom line. He hired a new advertising firm, but that didn’t help. Next, he fired his entire marketing department and hired a new team. After several months, however, nothing changed. Sales numbers […]
The Bigger Story
Perhaps you’ve heard the old story about a U.S. Navy warship that was heading through the fog one night when a distant, faint light appeared directly in its heading. As the light got brighter, a voice came over the ship radio and said, “Attention. Calling the vessel traveling on a 220 heading. Adjust your course […]
Make the Connection
Communication is great. Connection is better. John C. Maxwell expands on this idea in his book, Everyone Communicates, Few Connect: What the Most Effective People Do Differently. He writes about three key questions that people ask when we seek to make a connection with them. If we can answer “yes” to all three of these questions, […]
Listening to My Wife
To know is to listen. If I want to get to know people, I must draw them out; and if I draw them out, I must learn to listen. Listening, though, requires patience and discipline. It is not natural, at least not for me. I would rather tell than listen, and every time I do […]
Maximum Impact
“When a boy turns 13, put him in a barrel and nail the lid on the top. Feed him through the knothole. When he turns 16, put a plug in the knothole!” That’s Mark Twain’s tongue-in-cheek child-rearing advice when it comes to young men. Having been a teenage boy myself, and having raised two sons, […]
Blessed to Be a Blessing
While browsing at a local bookstore recently, I found a book that captured my attention. It’s a leadership gem by the late Dr. Myles Munroe titled Passing It On with the subtitle, “Growing Your Future Leaders.” Dr. Munroe founded and chaired the International Third World Leaders Association, an organization devoted to training and developing leaders in more […]
