Big Is The New Small

“Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life. Don’t be trapped by dogma – which is living with the results of other people’s thinking. Don’t let the noise of other’s opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary.” ~Steve Jobs

Ray Lewis is ridiculous when it comes to inspiring, people and players to action. Ray delivered this speech to the Stanford Basketball team prior to the game during the NIT tournament.

If you want to know how good of a motivator Ray Lewis is and the power of a locker room speech take 2:22 out of your day and watch this.  Oh and BTW Stanford won the tournament.

Share your thoughts on the speech.

It always surprises me to see managers who suffocate their staff. By suffocating their staff, I’m referring to leaders who are unwilling to let their employees out of their grips for fear of losing the employee or losing control. These types of leaders are actually doing the exact opposite of what they are intending to do. This tight grip and suffocating behavior will reduce performance, squash creativity and inevitably cause employees to leave.

When I was a young Warden, my mentor and boss would frequently tell me this regarding my staff members. “Scott, hold onto your team loosely, because ultimately they are not yours to hold onto.” That statement has always stuck with me!

If we hold onto our employees loosely, they feel the freedom of the open hands which ultimately increases productivity and develops more leaders. This philosophy of encouraging your employees to “grow and go” will result in you losing some great ones from time to time. The great thing about leading with the open-handed mentality, is the fact that those you loose will always be quickly replenished.

On the other hand, the employer who plants a suffocating scarcity seed, won’t reap a scarce harvest. I have led several teams in which we lost key players to some higher impact roles; however every time they were replenished with some equally amazing team members without the team missing a beat.

Scarcity Mentality – Not enough good to go around vs. Abundance Mentality – There is more than enough great to go around.

If you are in an suffocating staff situation, encourage the leader to open their hands. If that doesn’t work, it may be time “to go and grow.”

Let Go! dream BIG. think BIGGER.

Share your thoughts and experiences with the suffocating approach.

The 5 Championship Ring NBA Veteran Point Guard Derek Fisher was traded to the Houston Rockets and worked a buyout and chose to play with the Oklahoma City Thunder.  As a Thunder fan that really excites me for the future and champion aspirations. Then Thunder will now have both Harden & Fisher who can both do some damage off of the bench.

Fisher chose to wear number 37, because as he simply states, “that’s my age.” The 16 year NBA veteran and President of the NBA Players Union has lots of life experience, knowledge and wisdom that is represented by that #37 Thunder Jersey that he now proudly wears.

Fisher’s classy persona fits well with the classy bunch of Oklahoma City Thunder players and the best fans in the NBA. In life we have lots of situations and experiences where we can learn some major life lessons if we are willing to open our eyes. I think there is major life lesson for everyone from Derek Fisher’s trade and acquisition.  Read through the life lesson in this statement that Fisher made yesterday:

“Like I stated earlier, I’m going to do my best right now to refrain from focusing too much, if at all, on what has transpired, what was said, what could have happened, what should have happened,” Fisher said. “I’m more focused on the positives of why I’m here. I’ll be able to address those things in due time…. Right now it’s about the Thunder and Oklahoma City.” ~Derek Fisher

Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. 1 Peter 5:6

Stop focusing on what has transpired but rather what God has for you.

Check out this video below of Fisher’s 1st appearance in a Thunder Uniform (Standing Ovation)

Share your thoughts on this life lesson or your thoughts on the Derek Fisher trade and what it means for the OKC Thunder.

Just because someone says, “I Got Your Back” or “I Believe In You,” doesn’t necessarily mean that they really do.  Well maybe they do, however their version of having your back may look something like the image to the left.

Sometimes you have to embrace the State Of Missouri’s slogan of being the “Show-Me State.”  If someone says they believe in you and have your back…  make sure their actions match up with their words, otherwise you might end up like the person to the left.

I Got Your Back!

Failing to admit you’re wrong doesn’t make you right.  It doesn’t make the mistake go away and it doesn’t mean people will assume that you had good intentions.

The willingness to admit that you’re wrong is a huge key to success for any leader, business, parent, organization, marriage etc.  Unfortunately, folks expend gargantuan amounts of energy avoiding the admittance of the fact that they were wrong, trying cover up their wrongs and hoping their wrongs will somehow make a right.  One, two or three wrongs don’t make a right; however the admittance of a wrong is definitely a gigantic step in the right direction.

Failing To Admit That You’re Wrong is just wrong.

Share your thought and experiences with the effects of this.

Hostage – Envy from Nick Jones on Vimeo.

Currently, I’m working on a project that deals with the correctional system. This takes me back to my old days as a Prison Warden and reminded of this video that I shot in one of the facilities that I previously operated.

Are you held hostage to envy?

If you want to be successful, you must learn to create resistance. Not only do you need to learn to create resistance, but you must develop thick enough skin to weather the storms of resistance.

If you want to make things happen, you must create resistance somewhere along the way. Tomorrow’s successes are planted in today’s soil of resisting, opposing, and withstanding.

If you are not experiencing resistance, chances are you’re playing it too safe.

Some of the greatest success stories are stories of individuals and organizations that embraced and created resistance.  Push through resistance with persistence.

“The path of least resistance is the path of the loser.” ~H.G. Wells

Whether it’s sin, life, leadership, sports or business: Winners and success stories are on the other side of resistance.

Share your thoughts on resistance and the other side.

Over 300 million children worldwide are without shoes.  That’s why I love working with Soles4Souls as they have an unwavering commitment to put shoes on kids feet around the globe. Shoes are important for these children as walking barefoot puts their bodies at major risk of contracting life threatening illnesses caused by parasites.

Without shoes, many of the world’s children will never be allowed to walk through doors of a school. And therefore may never escape the cycle of poverty.

Soles4Souls’ New Micro-giving campaign “Give Shoes. Give Love” in partnership with The Love Alliance is making a difference and you can help.  Just $7 a month and you will provide 7 pairs of shoes to children in need. That adds up to 84 children a year!

Register to donate $7 each month and you’ll receive a FREE Love Alliance t-shirt.

Wear the shirt. Spread the love. Give Shoes. Give Love.

Here is some footage of my experience on the smallest plane ever.  I officially have a major headache and it was officially the bumpiest ride ever.  I have never even been on a roller coaster ride that rough.  I was about 2 minutes away from loosing my lunch on the back of the pilots head.

Contrary to what Justin Bieber says, I will say never… “I will never ride on a plane like that again after tomorrow on my return.”

I’m getting ready to eat and go to sleep.  Enjoy!

Has anyone else had a similar experience?