ENCOURAGEMENTS Blog

A new weapon exploded into the world of warfare in 2003 during the Iraq war – the IED. An improvised explosive device (IED) is a “homemade” explosive device designed to destroy and incapacitate. Because they are improvised, IEDs can come in many forms ranging from a small pipe bomb to a more sophisticated device capable of causing massive damage and …

The canoe battle began.  The object of this particular engagement was to sink your opponent’s canoe.  No real rules – just try to get more water in the competition’s canoe than in yours. The battle took place at the base of a small waterfall, which added an exciting element to the contest.  A simple way to accelerate your opponent’s demise …

The British had tried and failed.  The French tried as well, and failed.  In fact, the French had lost close to 100,000 men in their attempts.  The situation seemed hopeless.  Hopeless it was, if it weren’t for the Canadians. It was April 9, 1917.  The location was France.  The hill known as Vimy Ridge was a strategic location held by …

“Coach MacLean, I need to quit”, Marty sheepishly offered. “What?!  Why do you want to quit?  This is our last tournament”, I countered. “Well, all I do is get beaten, and it’s pretty tough on my self-confidence and self-image”, he replied. Hmm, he had a point. Marty was a junior high student who had been on my wrestling team for …

“I think I’m done.  I have exhausted all my options.” I was totally bummed out.  My big vision, my amazing project, my passion to do something that had not been done before was going to die before it ever came to fruition.  In a state of dejected resignation I was sharing my heart with a good friend. At the time …

The black chauffeured BMW didn’t stop at the Kremlin.  That was his first cause for concern.  It would not be his last. The driver continued past the Kremlin to the outskirts of town.  They proceeded along a lonely road into the forest.  This was his second cause for concern.  He wondered if he was being taken to a secret place …

“I’m having a really tough time teaching my people to embrace failure.” What?  Did I hear my client correctly?  Does he really want his people to fail? “So, if I understand you correctly, you want your people to fail.”, I clarified. “Absolutely.  My mantra is ‘fail fast, fail often.’”, he replied. As we unpacked his philosophy, his brilliance began to …

John D. Rockefeller, the founder of Standard Oil, is arguably considered the richest person in modern history.  In the early 1900’s he was a billionaire – the first ever American billionaire. When a reporter asked him, “How much money is enough?” He infamously responded, “Just a little bit more.” Ah yes, the age old question, “How much is enough?” We …

There is a critical decision we all must make.  None can circumvent the scope of this question. In fact, some may say it is THE decision that will determine the quality of your leadership and life.  One could argue that your answer to this question determines the ultimate legacy of your life.  Your answer will most certainly impact the quality …

He reached behind himself, pulled a tape measure off his desk, and held it up in front of me. “Dave, your life is like this tape measure.” The tape measure was a typical 25’ contractor-style measuring tape.  Nothing special about the tape measure itself.  I didn’t know where he was going with this, but then the lesson began… “Let’s say …