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Late last year we lost two Berry stalwarts; Jerry Paprocki and Ed Barnowski. As I reflected on both of their careers I couldn’t help but to be reminded of their fierce loyalty to both Berry, their peers and subordinates. Caring about our employees began with our founder LM Berry and was handed down to each […]

Sorry for being absent from my blog of so long. I guess the three month hiatus in Florida over the winter rested my brain as well as my body! I have been pondering this article for several weeks now since the untimely passing of Tom Nikolai! The outpouring of sentiment at the viewing, mass, and […]

On November 3rd I had the privilege of delivering the keynote at the Indiana YMCA State Leadership Conference. I began the message with my very favorite poem by Emerson: “To laugh often and much; To win the respect of intelligent people and the affection of children; To earn the appreciation of honest critics and endure […]

“Our history is about our accomplishments; our legacy is about our impact.” I’m not sure in my lifetime there will ever be a greater example of understanding and appreciating that difference than the recent passing of Arnold Palmer! While he certainly will be remembered for his contributions to the game of golf, it was not until […]

Roughly 12 months ago I decided to post on my blog a series of articles that I wrote for the Dayton Business Journal in 2008. The purpose was to help businesses, organizations, and individuals find a better way by sharing “The Leadership Pledge”. By understanding the five disciplines and the ten truths associated with the pledge, […]

As this series of columns winds down (one more column left,) I must confess that not unlike what takes place during the keynotes and workshops that I share with audiences, we have one piece of unfinished business. During the past 11 months, we have discussed each discipline of The Leadership Pledge and the 10 Truths […]

I am often asked whether loyalty truly passes the litmus test as the third leg of the stool in defining personal accountability. Before I attempt to answer that, let’s revisit “The Leadership Pledge” and the five disciplines that define the behavior-driven model in my book. The code of conduct starts with recruiting and hiring people […]

As I share in my book, “10 Truths About Leadership … It’s Not Just About Winning,” successful relationships, whether personal or professional, are heavily dependent on recognition that each of us is responsible for managing our half of a relationship, and our half only. I’m convinced the true value of both understanding The Leadership Pledge […]

Last month I devoted the column to the final step of The Leadership Pledge, “accepting accountability and responsibility for individual performance.” Personal accountability is a subject that has been written about and debated since Adam and Eve. Some would argue, and with good reason, that it is at the heart of the economic nightmare we […]

First, I’d like to thank everyone I’ve heard from regarding this column. From CEOs to small-business owners to stay-at-home moms, the feedback you’ve shared as to how the columns have benefitted you has been generous and kind. During the past seven months, in the context of this monthly column, I’ve introduced The Leadership Pledge. This […]