In today’s world there is quite a bit of discussion about the word authority, and for the most part it has a tendency to be spoken of in a negative context. We too easily associate it with force, brutality, and manipulation, which is far from its original meaning. Force is about control and is the…
“The most important decision we make is whether we believe we live in a friendly or hostile universe.” ~Albert Einstein You would have to be living in a cave tucked away in the Himalayan Mountains to not see the hostilities that are raging around the world. The Ukraine, Multiple conflicts in the Middle East,…
*An excerpt from Joe’s book, EXTRAORDINARY RESULTS FOR LIFE: Discover Your Path to Be UN-ordinary (Chapter 27) AN EPIPHANY One day as I sat in my chair reading, writing, and meditating, I had an epiphany of sorts. I finally learned what all those years of avoiding solitude was wanting to teach me: “The reason I…
“We train animals, we need to make sure we are educating our leaders.” ~Joe Contrera Yesterday, I was attempting to read an article on my phone to catch up on an event. Once I clicked on the article, in less than a nanosecond my screen was filled so many ads that I could not…
“Leadership is a privilege to better the lives of others. It is not an opportunity to satisfy personal greed.” ~Mwai Kibaki I am often asked about whether leaders are born or trained. I personally dislike the use of the word training when it comes to developing leaders. I believe we train animals…we educate leaders.…
“Be curious, not judgmental.” ~Walt Whitman Curiosity may have killed the cat, but a lack of curiosity could be killing your ability to lead your people. Why? Because in order to be a great leader you must have a general curiosity about the people you lead. You have to understand what makes them tick,…
“If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more, you are a leader.” ~ President John Quincy Adams Not very long ago, I had the opportunity to kick off a new group for our, Art of Leading, Coaching, & Influencing Others™ Program. It is an advanced learning experience that…
“A moment’s insight is sometimes worth a life’s experience.” ~ Oliver Wendell Holmes, Sr (This is Chapter 19 in its entirety from my most recent book, Extraordinary Results For Life, it will guide you on how to get extraordinary insight in yourself! GO TO THE MIRROR, BOY! I might be dating myself here, and yet…
“The most difficult matter is not so much to change the world as yourself.” ~ Nelson Mandela It is amazing to me, that in this time where there are countless videos, seminars, workshops, books, and podcasts on how to be an extraordinary leader, we continue to hear story after story and see example after…
“A leader is best when people barely know he exists, when his work is done, his aim fulfilled, they will say: we did it ourselves.” ~Lao Tzu These words spoken by the 6th Century Chinese Philosopher Lao Tzu, really captures the heart of leadership for me. Unlike many of the current leaders of today…