Tag: coach
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Why Mission and Vision Matter When Life Gets Busy
Over the next several weeks I will be giving presentations on many different topics. One topic very close to me, and one that was essential in building great teams, is commitment. In Jon Gordon’s book, The 7 Commitments of a Great Team, one commitment stands out to me more than any other: committing to the…
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Preparation Precedes Performance
Football season is here. Conference season is here too. After coaching high school football for sixteen years, this time of year always excites me. Now, that same excitement shows up in a new way as I prepare to speak at conferences across the country. Serving a community as a Parks and Recreation Director while also…
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Clear as Mud? That’s Not Leadership.
Ambiguity at work is about as awesome as slicing my finger while food prepping. If you’ve been there, you know exactly what I mean. In the last week alone, I have engaged in three separate conversations that went well beyond the jovial discussion of difficult conversations. These conversations dove in headfirst and dug deep in…
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Burnout Lives in the Cave You Refuse to Leave. Light Only Shows Up When You Step Out
Stop for a minute. No seriously, stop and pay attention to this. You need this. July is closing out and heating up. Heat waves across the country. Summer is almost over and school will be back in session in a couple weeks. Yet here you are, exhausted, needing a break, carrying a huge load all…
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Why Leaders Struggle With Difficult Conversations and How to Fix It
I am really struggling with one of the managers I oversee right now. They are not getting the job done. I hear this all too often. To which I respond, “have you discussed things with them and designed a plan?” “Well, I told them they were not meeting deadlines, and it was holding the team…
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The Power of Connection Starts With Your TEAM
We are hitting the middle of summer. Avoid the mid‑summer meltdown. You know exactly what I’m talking about. All staff, part-time included, are going to start burning out from heat, long hours, and working more days than they are used to. And when we are tired, habits slip. The key to overcoming this is uniting…
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Busy Being Busy Is Breaking Your Leadership
Let’s be honest, most leaders aren’t burned out because they’re weak. They’re burned out because they’re busy being busy. Summer exposes that faster than any other season. In Parks & Recreation and municipal government, the pace doesn’t just increase it explodes. Your head goes down, you sprint forward, and suddenly someone says, “Hey, when’s our…
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Stop Surviving and Start Thriving
Leadership isn’t easy, it demands time, patience, energy, empathy, culture‑building, and the constant pressure to support others while keeping yourself together. And when your habits and systems break down, everything else follows. I know because I’ve lived it. I’ve been overwhelmed by “all the things,” and it pushed me straight into burnout. Summer is approaching…
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The Courage to Start Without All the Answers
People don’t rise to the challenge they sink to their level of training. And in leadership today, they sink even further… to their level of habits. Over the last couple of weeks, we’ve talked about overwhelm and the power of building systems that protect our teams. Systems create guardrails. They allow us to be present…
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This Week’s Play: Systems Create Freedom
The Freedom Playbook Build systems. Lead with clarity. Live with freedom. Every week, The Freedom Playbook gives leaders and aspiring leaders the tools to escape overwhelm and lead with confidence. Through simple, integrated systems and practical guidance, you’ll learn how to reduce burnout, create clarity, and build a leadership rhythm that actually supports your life…
