THE POWER OF WORDS

"A candle loses nothing of its light by lighting another candle."

- Father James Keller

Words are very powerful. Watch the 2 minute video below and think about this idea.

Words have the power to motivate, inspire, challenge, and encourage. Of course, they can have the opposite effect as well.

I challenge you today to measure your words - both to others and to yourself. Speak a word today that will encourage and uplift!

Go..do it!

Please leave comments below.

GOOD TO GREAT

"GOOD IS THE ENEMY OF GREAT. And that is one of the key reasons why we have so little that becomes great. We don't have great schools, principally because we have good schools. We don't have great government, principally because we have good government. Few people attain great lives, in large part because it is just so easy to settle for a good life." - Jim Collins, Author of Good to Great

One of my favorite all-time books on building a great organization is Good to Great by Jim Collins. If you are serious about building or leading a great organization, this book is a must-read.

Collins and his staff compiled information from companies that made the leap from good to great compared to their counterparts in the same industry. The book is research-based and not constructed on opinion. There are many "big" ideas from the book, but today I want to relate what Collins' research revealed about the leaders of the companies that went from good to great.

Collins termed the leaders of these organizations as Level 5 Leaders. Contrary to what most people believe about leaders of successful organizations, these were not individuals with big, celebrity personalities. They were men and women who combined extreme personal humility with intense professional will.

He further identified three qualities of these Level 5 Leaders:

• They train successors for success
• They are compellingly modest
• They have unwavering resolve

Is the leader of your organization a Level 5 Leader? Are you a Level 5 Leader? 

What steps does a Level 5 Leader take to build a great organization? 

The steps, as Collins outlines, are simple in concept and I will share those in future posts.

Seriously, you should read this book!

Please post your comments below.

A TRIBUTE TO MY MOTHER

"Listen, my son, to your father's instruction, and do not forsake your mother's teaching. They are a garland to grace your head and a chain to adorn your neck."

-Proverbs 1:8-9

October 5, 2008 - My wedding

There are moments in our life that stand out in stark contrast to our everyday experiences. These moments can live on and shape us for a lifetime.

I want to share one of those moments in my life.

I'm not quite sure of the year, but I was a little boy. I must have been in kindergarten or first grade - whenever you learn to write your name.

I was outside playing on a beautiful, sunny day and decided that I should show my mother how well I could write my name. We had an RV parked in our backyard and I saw a can of spray paint. So, I picked up the spray paint and wrote "Jason M. Fountain" in large letters on the side of the RV. I'm still not sure what went through my mind to make me think that writing with paint on a vehicle would ever be okay.

Anyway...in my elation at correctly writing my name, I went inside to tell my mother. I brought my mother outside to see my creation and immediately knew that I had done something very wrong.

What happened next is what made an indelible mark on my life and affects me to this day. My mother, without a cross word to me (as far as I remember), simply went into the house found a cleaner and came out and scrubbed the paint off of the RV. 

Just as clear as day, I can see little Jason standing off to the side watching his mother clean the RV. I knew I had made a terrible mistake, but I also knew that my mother loved me more than the mistake and forgave me in an instant. As I think back to the sight of my mother scrubbing the RV without a negative comment, it brings tears to my eyes. She taught me about grace, love, and compassion by her actions in a way that telling me about them never could have.

On this Mother's Day, I honor my Mother.

Mom, I love you. Thank you for teaching me about love, grace, and compassion.

How about you? Did your mother teach you a special lesson about life that you still carry with you? Please post a comment below.

MY FAVORITE TEACHER

Colorful Pencils by Petr Kratochvil 

Why is it that some kids can grow up in dysfunctional homes (although scarred) and still succeed?

What does research show is the most important trigger in the life of a child that will help them flourish?

The most hopeful, optimistic, successful, and resilient children experienced the presence of at least one person early in their life who believed in them.

For many people, that special adult was a family member. But, for many others, that adult was a teacher.

This is Teacher Appreciation Week across America. Teachers have the incredible opportunity of truly transforming lives. The best teachers challenge us to become more than we ever thought possible.

I’m certain that you had a teacher that affected you in a special and unique way.

For me, that teacher was one of my high school English teachers. Her name was Ms. Johns. When I think back to Ms. Johns, I can’t recall the prelude to the Canterbury Tales that we had to memorize or remember much about diagramming sentences. But, what I do remember is that Ms. Johns cared about me as a person. She listened to me, supported me, and made me feel like I could accomplish anything.

How about you? As a tribute to a teacher who made a difference in your life, leave a comment below and tell us about your favorite teacher in a couple of sentences.

FINDING YOUR PASSION

Hiking by Andrea Schafthuizen

What is your passion?

If I were to ask you that question, could you answer it? Our passions, in one form or another, color every aspect of our lives.

Michael Hyatt’s blog yesterday was about giving voice to your passion. Do you have a hard time identifying your true passion in life? Michael’s blog suggested an interesting exercise to help identify your passion.

Without much thought, list your three favorite movies. Here are mine:

• Dead Poet’s Society
• Schindler’s List 
• Remember the Titans

Next, reflect on the movies and find the common thread that runs through each.

The theme in my movies? A mentor changing others’ lives and themselves in the process.

This statement likely resembles your passion in life. Try it! Does it work for you?

Once you identify your passion, it's time to get to work integrating that passion into your life.  

Go...do something...TODAY!

Please share your three favorite movies and the common thread in the “comments” section below. Thanks!

THE POWER OF ONE

I have always been a strong believer in the power of one – one idea, one focus, one heart, one mind, one plan, one determination, one person.

Do you believe that one person can make a difference? Watch the two minute video below. Remember, being an influencer has nothing to do with your age or place in life.

I saw the video at Dr. Frank Buck’s blog and it clearly demonstrates the power of one.

QUESTION: What are your reactions to the video? Please post comments below.

ARE YOU A LEADER?

 Standing Out From The Crowd by Petr Kratochvil

 “If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more, you are a leader.”

- John Quincy Adams

Are you a leader? When I ask people that question, I often receive strange looks and maybe a bit of stammering as they attempt to answer the question. Some people respond by stating their position or how many people they manage. But, really, I am not referring to a title or positional leadership. I’m referring to how they influence others.

I have the quote above by John Quincy Adams stenciled on my office wall at school. I use this as a reminder each day to focus my thoughts and my actions. If you narrow down Adams’ definition of leadership it is really all about influence.

How can you increase your influence on others? Do something…today!

• Give someone an honest compliment…today!

• Tell someone that you are proud of them…today!

• Write a note to someone who has impacted your life and mail it (or email it)…today!

• Call a family member…today!

• Turn off the TV…today!

Go…do something and make a difference.

Leadership is a choice – not a position or a title!

Remember, if you help others dream, learn, do and become, then you are a leader.

QUESTION: What are others ideas for being a leader (influencer) today? Please post comments below.