S.U.M.M.I.T. Leadership

  "Music gives a soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flight to the imagination and life to everything." - Plato I really love music. I have always been a big fan of music for several reasons. Growing up I always seemed to be involved in music in some way, shape or form. As a musician, as a mobile disc jockey, as a student, as a salesperson and of course as an avid listener. As a musician, I have felt this first hand while performing a song, the mood that music creates. I had a 'good ear' for music, as they say. I learned to play the piano, by ear, as a young child. I could just hear the music in my head and translate to action through my fingers. We had a piano in the house as I was growing up, yet I never took lessons. But just because of its physical presence in our home and my sheer interest in music, I would sometimes sit down and try to figure songs out as I had heard them. And eventually was able to 'play' almost anything. Throughout my youth I was ...

"If a problem is fixable, if a situation is such that you can do something about it, then there is no need to worry. If it's not fixable, then there is no help in worrying. There is no benefit in worrying whatsoever." -  The Dalai Lama If you stop to think about it, what's the biggest waste of your time in your life currently? Is it binge watching that series on TV? Is it hopping from one social media platform to the next? I think the biggest waste of time in my life is time spent worrying.  Worrying is one of the most purposeless things that we do. Worrying takes us out of the present moment and either back into the past, where we spend time ruminating over what has already happened and cannot change; or into the future so we can stew over what might possibly happen (or might not happen).  Unless your worry can help you create solutions you can implement to prevent a negative outcome, it is doing more damage than it is worth. We need to interrupt that pattern. The ti...

“Take responsibility of your own happiness, never put it in other people’s hands.” - Roy T. Bennett We tend to look toward and forward to certain events for happiness. We are happy when our new car arrives, when it's the day of the concert we've been waiting to go to, or when we meet someone special. Vacations and days off bring us happiness, as does getting recognition or a pay raise or a new job promotion. It's human nature. That's the way most of us are.  The problem is that these things come into our lives only sporadically, not on a consistent basis. So when we derive happiness mainly from things like this, or these types of occurrences, then it tends to be an on-again off-again feeling. Temporary until the next time. Happiness doesn't need to be limited to specific items, events or destinations. There are a number of things we can do to make it a more ongoing and continuous part of our lives every day.  If we start out with the right attitude and mindset it ca...

"When we least expect it, life sets us a challenge to test our courage and willingness to change; at such a moment, there is no point in pretending that nothing happened or in saying that we are not yet ready.  The challenge will not wait.  Life does not look back."  - Paulo Coelho Some things to think about, as a sign of the times… The paradox of our time in history is that we have taller buildings, but shorter tempers; wider freeways, but narrower viewpoints; we spend more, but have less; we buy more, but enjoy it less. We have bigger houses and smaller families; more conveniences, but less time; we have more degrees, but less sense; more knowledge, but less judgement; more experts, but more problems; more medicine, but less wellness. We drink too much, smoke too much, spend too recklessly, laugh to little, drive too fast, get too angry too quickly, stay up too late, get up too tired, read too seldom, watch TV too much, and pray too seldom. We have multiplied our posses...

"We must not, in trying to think about how we can make a big difference, ignore the small daily differences we can make which, over time, add up to big differences that we often cannot foresee." - Marian Wright Edelman There are so many problems in the world, how do we begin to make a dent in fixing them? It's so easy to become discouraged when we think about how much there is to do and how little there is to do it with. But we can do something. If we can't afford to give $100 to charity, $10 is better than nothing. If we can't volunteer our time every week, even a few hours a year helps. And if enough of us act this way, we can change the world. Every day I can do something to better the world, even if it's just offering a kind word to someone who needs it. Each one of us can make a difference. Through a combined effort, we can make a change. I was reminded of a story about a building that was condemned because termites had eaten so much of the wood that the ...

"If your life in any way connects with other people, you are an influencer." - John Maxwell Everyone is an influencer of other people. Whether you think so or not. It doesn't matter who you are or what you do. You don't have to have a high profile occupation to be a person of influence. If in your normal life you interact and connect with other people, you likely influence them in some way, shape or form. This could be in your home, at your church, in your job, with your children, with your neighbors. What you say and do has the potential to impact others and perhaps start a ripple effect.  But how do you intentionally influence others when implementing change? Have you ever tried to change anyone’s behavior at work or at home? It can be extremely frustrating. So often the effort produces an opposite result. Potentially rupturing the relationship, diminishing performance, or causing the person to dig in their heels and do the opposite of what you were hoping to change...

"Most folks are about as happy as they make up their minds to be." - Abraham Lincoln If only. How many times have you used that phrase when thinking about your happiness? If only this, if only that. I'd be happier if only. If only I had a better job. If only I had more or better opportunities. If only I had a nicer car or house. On and on and on. There's always something we're waiting for; the right relationship, the right job, the right living situation, a child, a raise, a change of season, an opportunity, the right time, the right circumstances. Whatever it is, we believe that when that specific something happens or is achieved that changes those circumstances, we'll be happy. The grass always seems to be greener on the other side. But how often have you obtained this 'thing' you thought would bring you happiness only to find out that the feeling remained the same even though the circumstances changed. You find out that wasn't indeed the key to ...

"Every time you are tempted to react in the same old way, ask if you want to be a prisoner of the past or a pioneer of the future." - Deepak Chopra   I'm sure you've heard the old adage's that  "The same old thinking leads to the same old results," or "The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results."   We continue to create vicious cycles for ourselves:   We all want some things in our lives to change. But aren't willing to take a risk or face our fears. We all hope things could be different in some way. But we fail to gain a clear understanding of precisely what we want or how we want things to be. We want to live healthier lives. But we continue to drink too much, overeat (or the wrong things), and exercise too little. We want more. A better job, better income, more wealth. Yet we don't work to gain more knowledge, more experience to prove our worth. Or sometimes just fail to go ...

"The strength of the team is each individual member. The strength of each member is the team." - Phil Jackson There is nothing more powerful than great teamwork combined with great leadership. It's often the difference between success and failure or the difference from being good to being great. Legendary coach, Lou Holtz said if you have:  Bad leadership + Bad teammates = Bad Team Bad leadership + Good teammates = Fair Team Good leadership + Bad teammates = Fair Team Good leadership + Good teammates = Great Team One of my favorite acronyms of all time is T.E.A.M. = Together Each Achieves More. People need people. And when people come together as a team, there is no task that is too tall to conquer. The fact of the matter is that "None of us are as powerful, wise or as knowledgeable as we are together. And none of us can accomplish individually, what we can accomplish together as a team." This holds true in almost every situation. At work it never ceases to amaz...

"The sun, the bright sun, that brings back, not light alone, but new life, and hope, and freshness to man, burst upon the crowded city in clear and radiant glory." - Charles Dickens We have hit a bit of a heatwave across the country. Here in the Pacific Northwest, where I live this isn't always the norm. So even more reason to get out and enjoy it when we can!  You just gotta love a nice bright sunshiny day. Both literally and figuratively.  Like the lyrics from the song I Can See Clearly Now "I can see clearly now the rain is gone. I can see all obstacles in my way. Gone are the dark clouds that had me blind. It's gonna be a bright, bright sunshiny day."  Our days just seem much better when the sunshine is out. In the summertime, there are more hours of sunlight. So naturally we tend to be generally happier and feel better when the days are longer because there's more available sunshine. We are more likely to get out and do things in this environment. D...

"My father gave me the greatest gift anyone could give another person: He believed in me." - Jim Valvano Fathers come in many forms. Some are here, some are gone. Some are biological, some adopted, and others are simply chosen. But the common thread that weaves throughout each and every one, is an undying devotion to serve something greater than himself. Being a father is no small task. It's easier to become a father than it is to always be a good one. A man must make the choice to step up every single day, to work tirelessly to give his love, care, and unwavering passion to another. Because there is a massive difference between a man who can talk a good game as a father, and a man who truly lives that game. I know I may have not always been the best role model or example for my kids when they were growing up. I honestly felt I did the best that I could at the time. Like any family we had been faced with our ups and downs and challenges. I can only hope to serve a better ...

"My humanity is bound up in yours, for we can only be human together." - Desmond Tutu Juneteenth is the oldest nationally celebrated commemoration of the ending of slavery in the United States. Dating back to 1865, it was on June 19th that the Union soldiers, led by Major General Gordon Granger, landed at Galveston, Texas with news that the war had ended and that the enslaved were now free. Juneteenth is a day dedicated to recognizing justice and freedom for African Americans and Black people in America. Note that this was two and a half years after President Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation - which had become official January 1, 1863. The Emancipation Proclamation had little impact on the Texans due to the minimal number of Union troops to enforce the new Executive Order. However, with the surrender of General Lee in April of 1865, and the arrival of General Granger’s regiment, the forces were finally strong enough to influence and overcome the resistance. This year will ...

"Boredom is the feeling that everything is a waste of time; serenity , that nothing is." - Thomas Szasz Today I took a random "personal day off" from the office after a busy week at work. Not necessarily for a mental break, but more to organize myself and prepare for a busy weekend ahead of me.   In the past, from time-to-time we've actually been given random days off from work as thanks, for hard work put in by our team. Those are always well received by everyone and definitely a nice gesture, and usually come at a time when we all are starved for a much needed break. However, sometimes it is hard for us to allow ourselves to take a day off. For that matter, it's sometimes hard for us to even want to take breaks throughout the day. We get so caught up in what we are doing and always get the feeling that there is more to get done. Time off doesn’t automatically result in rest and relaxation for many perfectionists and some "Type A" personalities. W...

"We have an innate desire to endlessly learn, grow, and develop. We want to become more than we already are. Once we yield to this inclination for continuous and never-ending improvement, we lead a life of endless accomplishments and satisfaction." - Chuck Gallozzi All progress in our lives is the result of a conscious choice to take action. But, that’s easier said than done. The key to improvement is the ability to think beyond the moment and ask yourself, “What will this choice ultimately create in my life? Where will it lead? Who will I become as a result?” We must seek to find ways to improve ourselves on a daily basis, if even in the teeniest-tiniest way. Be better today than you were yesterday, and be better tomorrow than you are today. Some practical ways to add value and improve yourself every day: Read a little bit every day: Books are a concentrated source of wisdom. The more you read, the more you expose yourself to knowledge. In addition, experts have shown that 2...

"Sometimes the questions are complicated and the answers are simple." - Dr Seuss As humans we tend to over-complicate things. Life itself is a very complex system, but I truly believe that we often make things harder than they need to be.   When we approached a new decade back in 2020, my New Year's resolution was to simplify things in my life. I told my friends, family and co-workers that my focus for 2020 forward would be to "Simplify".  Get back to the basics. Find joy in the little things. Make teeny-tiny changes, improvements and shifts. Focus in on what matters most. If something works do more of it, if it doesn't stop doing it. Little did I know at the time what we would be up against as the year unfolded.  Life as we know it would be turned upside down with the worldwide COVID-19 pandemic. Work stoppages, furlough's, layoffs and changes in how we go forward in doing business for the foreseeable future. Stay-at-home orders, quarantine, travel bans...

"That which we obtain too easily, we esteem too lightly." - Thomas Paine Graduation season is well upon us. My two youngest boys both graduated this year, one from High School and the other from Middle School. So proud of all 3 of my kids! It is such a joy to see them achieve and accomplish great things from all of the hard work they put in! We tend to value most the things that we've worked the hardest to get.  It might be that new car that we've saved years to buy. Or the admiration of someone who we know to be extremely demanding. Or like graduation, feeling the exhilaration from successfully getting through school.  We tell ourselves "yes, we did it". We feel like we've really accomplished something. This can obviously be a good thing, because it encourages us to work hard for what we want.  But we shouldn't forget to value those things that we might not have had to work quite as hard to get. Maybe the love of a parent; the generosity of a friend...

"Today is a new day. Don't let your history interfere with your destiny! Let today be the day you stop being a victim of your circumstances and start taking action towards the life you want. You have the power and the time to shape your life. Break free from the poisonous victim mentality and embrace the truth of your greatness. You were not meant for a mundane or mediocre life!" - Steve Maraboli I often end my messages with some form of "Make Today Great". Three simple words in a phrase, that to me means a lot in totality, but also behind each word individually there is a deeper meaning. MAKE : Involves choice, intention, action and effort on your part. Don't just 'let' your day happen, create the kind of day you want. Put yourself in control of the things you can control; your thoughts, your attitudes and your actions. Do your part to contribute to add value, impact or create a positive difference. If you desire more or want to create change; do so...