Musings

Leaders must recognize the priority of one. That’s what Pete Greig, founder of the 24-7 Prayer movement, said was the key to solving our social problems. Speaking at the 2023 Oklahoma Governor’s Prayer Breakfast, he related to us the need for leadership to remember that the numbers we often use and quote have names. In the Star Trek…

I was having breakfast with friends at a restaurant where we had all been before. One of them commented on how nicely they had done the restaurant and said the renovations looked great. Only they hadn’t done anything. The only other time he had been there, he sat with his back to the room. This…

For several days after breakfast with friends, I couldn’t stop thinking about something one of them did during the conversation. We were discussing a controversial topic, and my friend said, “My thinking is like yours.” As the conversation continued, it became apparent that his opinions were close to mine in some ways, but actually quite…

During our annual Sales Summit meetings in San Antonio this past week, one of our team members said something profound. “Our customers feel the variance, not the mean.” He was referencing the statistical analysis we do on our processes. We tend to be happy when most of our actions fall within a certain range. The…

Recently, one of the “Shower Thoughts” in The Hustle was, “We are all dressed like old people from the future.” Well, maybe a few of us are dressed like old people from now, but the point is that what we are doing, thinking, and even wearing today will be replaced by other things and other people sooner…

I’ve heard that line a lot in my life. Unfortunately, I’ve even said that line at times. While it may be true that a parent has the right to determine the rules in their house or a leader has the right to determine the way things will be done on their watch, the people hearing…

That’s not a misspelling. By ego, I mean a person’s sense of self-importance—not the crispy, fluffy, and delicious frozen waffle. At a recent Bison LeaderLink Leadership Panel, the speakers were asked what the most important characteristic was for a leader. Humility was one of the first mentioned, but then Sarah Roberts, VP of Programs for…

I was watching Where The Crawdads Sing with my wife and one son when a statement by the main character caught my attention. In a conversation with her lawyer about the reality of a jury of her peers judging her on what they knew about her, Kya Clark says, “They’re not deciding anything about me.…

While playing Pickleball recently with some of our executive team, I heard someone say, “Don’t mistake kindness for weakness.” It was in reference to a team member who is characterized at work by being extremely helpful and willing to serve in any capacity. Despite their position, they are the first to pitch in (from picking…