You must take the time to do something that brings you joy. If you are saying to yourself, “I can’t do that because I have to pick up the kids, and run my business, and … and … who’s got time for fun? Are you insane?” If you don’t have time for fun, you’ll be forced to take time for illness. Then what?

Compare yourself to no one else but yourself. It’s not about anybody else’s anything. It’s about YOU. Are you the best you? That’s all you need to worry about. Imagine how awesome it would be if everyone just worried about making themselves the best they could be!

FAIL UP. If something doesn’t go how you planned it, learn from it, do something differently next time. And, by the way, effort deserves credit. Pat yourself on the back!

Great leaders build trust from their team because the leader is willing to put his/her people “first.” Once the team believes that, they will put their leader, and the company, first as well.

This is not new: people do business with people they like, know and trust. Taking that axiom in to account, would YOU trust YOU?

Never make a sales pitch as the way you introduce yourself. What you CAN say is how you help people and businesses.

It is the leader’s job to lead by example and enforce the values and the behaviors to set the culture for any company or work group. Show me a company in rapid decline, and I will show you someone in charge who doesn’t give a _____.

The cool thing about getting older, is that you have so much to look back on. If you take the time to reflect on your life journey to where you are now, you will be amazed at how many times “fate” caused you to make great decisions that lead you to where you are now.

If you can look yourself in the mirror at the end of each day, knowing that you did your best, or helped someone out, or took the high road and acted with integrity, then that is an awesome day!

A healthy company culture is a set of norms and behaviors that support high performance and supports the team as they move towards ultimate success. Visit these norms regularly. Everybody visits them regularly, from the CEO to the Truck Drivers.

Be wise. Banish the self-limiting words: “I don’t know how to …” “I can’t do that because …” “I never have any money …” Every negative phrase you utter in a day, is like poison to your soul. Your subconscious hears it and believes it. This limits you in ways you cannot even fathom.

Great leaders are the first to say, “I was wrong. Let’s make a change.

It is the leader’s job to model and enforce the values and behaviors that make up the company culture. “Model” the behaviors is key. “Do as I say” only breeds contempt from others.

People will follow someone as a leader, who has vision and purpose; often that leader doesn’t wear a title.

It’s great to spend time at a networking event with someone you know and like. But that’s not what you’re there for. Your goal is to expand your network by meeting new people.

Great leaders catch and correct problems while they’re still small and able to be managed without a lot of hassle. If ignored too long, small problems will morph into much bigger issues that will require more time and effort and at a high cost, causing a great deal of disruption and stress.

All the time and effort put into networking can be all for naught if there is no follow-through. The same goes for sales. And leadership. And … well, everything.