I have learned a lot through reading but I have learned the most through my professional life experiences. Not only have I had my own consulting practice, I have also worked for some great companies and for some of the best and, let’s face it, some of the worst bosses imaginable. From all those experiences I have learned much. I’ve also gained a lot through reading the blogs of some of the big dogs in the industry (and some of the smaller dogs too!). Their work has both educated and inspired me. Whether in a big way or a small way, I want to do the same for others.

My Personal Brand

“Personal Branding” has been a hot topic the last few years, so if I had to reduce my brand to a one-liner I would tell you that “I make silk purses out of sow’s ears.” I like to work with teams, start-ups, organizations or companies that need a little help and direction to become better, to “reach the next level”. I also enjoy working with organizations that need to make a complete turn-around – provided they understand there is a need to turn things around! Nothing is more frustrating than working with an organization that is broken but the leadership doesn’t know, or believe, it is broken.

Servant Leadership

Leadership is something that fascinates me. I enjoy studying leadership, whether it is from an academic standpoint or studying and observing the leadership in organizations. I would love to say I’m a leadership Guru, but I don’t think it’s something you should call yourself, unless others are already referring to you as one. It’s a bit like being “cool”. It’s up to others to say whether you’re “cool” or not.

John Maxwell’s definition of leadership really resonates with me. John says simply, leadership is influence. I believe that everyone is a leader because each of us influences other people. I believe that once we come to understand how large our sphere of influence is, we will understand the great impact that we have on the lives of others and we will want to be the right kind of leader.

Sometimes it takes great courage to be the right kind of leader, especially the right leader at the right time. In the business world I prefer to demonstrate servant leadership. Servant leadership is a philosophy and practice of leadership popularized by Greenleaf (1904–1990) and supported by many other leadership and management writers. Servant-leaders achieve results for their organizations by giving priority attention to the needs of their colleagues and those they serve. Servant-leaders are often seen as humble stewards of their organization’s resources: human, financial and physical. If you’d like to explore more about servant leadership, I invite you to browse the postings in my group on LinkedIn called Servant Leadership Memphis.

What to Expect Here

My blog will discuss leadership, technology, strategy and other related topics within the context of business and work-life. I will also touch on career-related topics – and I might even have a coffee-related post on occasion. My intention is to publish each week, by noon on Tuesday, if possible. Hopefully, there will be something here that helps you in some small way.

I hope you will check back each week – and join in the discussion if you like!