It doesn't take a genius.

Hope in suffering, 1: Surviving abuse in a Soviet orphanage

WARNING: This episode features physical and sexual child abuse, as well as suicide.She is a cherished wife and mother of four successful children. She owns her own cleaning business. She is usually the most positive person in the room. And yet she started life in an orphanage in Moldova, surviving years of some of the worst trauma. What was life like in Soviet and post-Soviet culture? What gave her the ability to overcome her challenges? How can we overcome ours? Learn the answers in this two-part episode. Resources mentioned: "Open Fields & Iron Curtains: Hope, Endurance, Suffering & Grace" by Lilia KlaczynskiThe Murray Method

Are your concerns shrinking your influence?

Stephen R. Covey's "The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People" is something you've probably used, even if you can't name the seven habits.
A core principle is this: At all times, you can focus on only one of two things. And that focus will determine your trajectory. 
Interested in coaching or training on these topics for you or your team? We'd love to hear from you! Email Mike and Mark.

People are smart! (No, really!) They just need a reminder.

The man whose face launched a thousand memes (warning: language) figured out long ago the importance of reminders over instruction. Reminders help us maintain habits and practices. And stories are reminders on steroids. Stay tuned for wisdom from the Dr. Johnson. 
Interested in coaching or training on these topics for you or your team? We'd love to hear from you! Email Mike and Mark.

Aristotle and Teddy want you to stay in the fight!

"It is not the critic who counts: not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles or where the doer of deeds could have done better. 
The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood, who strives valiantly, who errs and comes up short again and again, because there is no effort without error or shortcoming, but who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions, who spends himself in a worthy cause; who, at the best, knows, in the end, the triumph of high achievement, and who, at the worst, if he fails, at least he fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who knew neither victory nor defeat." 
Interested in coaching or training on these topics for you or your team? We'd love to hear from you! Email Mike and Mark.

Transitioning from Go-To Person to Empowering Leader!

Your boss was incredibly successful because he or she had you!
What happens after you get promoted and the team you are now leading no longer has a "you?"
Recreating yourself as a leader means shifting focus from personal achievement to team empowerment. Your new role is about creating opportunities for others to shine, building trust and independence.
Interested in coaching or training on these topics for you or your team? We'd love to hear from you! Email Mike and Mark.

Three kinds of stories your culture must discover and share

Want a corporate culture as strong as Western Civilization itself? Find your stories. 
Mark and Mike discuss the importance of stories in shaping culture and their potential impact on an organization. They discuss three kinds: "origin stories," "stories of bad times and lessons learned" and "stories of heroes and triumph." They can help you and your people not just understand but shape your culture.
Interested in coaching or training on these topics for you or your team? We'd love to hear from you! Email Mike and Mark.

Are you guilty of LCD Management?

Do the rules not apply to you? No, really: Have you ever been with a company that announced new rules that seemed completely unneeded? You might have been a part of LCD Management. 
It happens to the best of us in leadership--and there are simple methods to avoid all the problems it causes. 
Interested in coaching or training on these topics for you or your team? We'd love to hear from you! Email Mike and Mark.

FOLLOWUP: The keys to a strong culture ... and a strong you

Thought-provoking feedback from a listener inspired this followup episode about the two things that made Western culture so strong and long-lasting: Dignity and Excellence. Excellence has evolved over the millennia ... and Dignity is a relative upstart. If they work for growing culture ... could they work for growing you? 
(Check out this episode on our YouTube channel to see the graphics.)
Interested in coaching or training on these topics for you or your team? We'd love to hear from you! Email Mike and Mark.

FOLLOWUP REPORT: I'm managing monkeys, how do I free up time for my gorillas?

Want more on time management and delegation? 
There is even more to glean from Harvard Business Review's second-most popular article. We covered 1-3-1 last episode ... now it's time to address the rules for monkeys that allow you to tackle gorillas. 
Interested in coaching or training on these topics for you or your team? We'd love to hear from you! Email Mike and Mark.

LEADERS! PARENTS! Get the monkeys off your back with 1-3-1

Discover how to stop getting bogged down by your team's challenges and start empowering them to solve problems on their own. In this episode, Mark and Mike introduce the powerful 1-3-1 delegation method, a game-changing approach for managers who want to stay focused on leadership without being drawn into every issue.
They also dive into why it’s crucial for employees to show up with solutions instead of waiting for direction and how fostering a culture of problem-solving and continuous growth can transform your team. If you’re ready to level up your leadership and reclaim your time, this episode is a must-listen!
Interested in coaching or training on these topics for you or your team? We'd love to hear from you! Email Mike and Mark.