Progress accelerates when people see how the path forward helps them achieve what matters most.
Before an important conversation, think about:
• What matters most to this person right now?
• What pressures, goals, or fears might be shaping their thinking?
• How might this conversation help them succeed, not just help me succeed?
• What outcome would feel like a win for both of us?
• Am I trying to understand first, or persuade first?
Consider what is truly in the best interest of the people you're interacting with, not just what serves your objective.
When leadership lacks clarity, teams fill the gaps themselves:
• Different interpretations.
• Different expectations.
• Different priorities.
Ambiguity creates hesitation.
Hesitation slows execution.
Be the leader who simplifies and clarifies direction and goals.
The team will do the rest.
This is Collin.
He’s a 5th generation Nebraska rancher.
And in a matter of hours, the Cottonwood wildfire took 2,000 acres of the land his family depends on.
Now he’s rebuilding—fence by fence, day by day.
Stories like his are happening across Nebraska.
🙏 Give this a share to help us reach more people.
👉 https://t.co/miEEKtJVqQ
#Nebraska #Wildfire #Donate #SupportRanchers
Every business has resource constraints. Some more than most.
When resources are limited, leadership becomes even more important.
Limited resources often become the excuse:
“If we only had X, then we could achieve our goals.”
Progress slows.
Sometimes it stops entirely.
That’s when leaders need to step up and provide clarity and direction:
Where is the business going?
What matters most right now?
How does today’s work connect with our goals?
What's within our control today to move us forward?
Great leaders don’t let limited resources become the excuse -they help the team find a way to win.
Activist: "Your cows are putting carbon into the atmosphere."
Farmer: "Where did they get it?"
Activist: "What?"
Farmer: "The carbon. Where did the cow get it before it put it anywhere."
Activist: "From... eating?"
Farmer: "From eating grass. And where did the grass get it."
Activist: "The soil?"
Farmer: "The air. The grass pulled it out of the air last spring. The cow ate the grass. The cow breathed some of it back out. It went back into the air it came from."
Activist: "But it's still going into the atmosphere."
Farmer: "It's going back. There's a difference between a thing going somewhere and a thing going back. You've described a circle and you're frightened of it."
Activist: "Then just don't have the cow."
Farmer: "The grass still dies in autumn. It rots where it falls. The carbon goes back into the air either way, just without anyone getting fed in the middle."
Activist: "It's not that simple."
Farmer: "It's grass, cow, breath, grass. Or it's grass, rot, air, grass. Same circle, fewer dinners. If that's complicated for you I'd stay away from the water cycle. That one's got clouds in it."
Where have the years gone?
On May 1st I transitioned out of my role as SVP – Retail Lending with Farm Credit Services of America and Frontier Farm Credit and am looking forward to retiring at the end of the year.
Please join me in congratulating @ParryBriggs ! As of Friday, Parry stepped into my role. He’s a phenomenal leader who will do a great job for the company.
I’m grateful for the people I’ve worked with over the past 40 plus years. You’ve made the work meaningful, challenging, and a lot of fun. What more could I have asked for?
As I finish out these last few months, I look forward to focusing on my company, @GrowLeadAchieve LLC and to spending more time with Holly.
Time is precious and we’re going to make the most of it.
With a growth mindset:
Life doesn’t get easier. You get stronger.
Challenges don’t shrink. Capacity grows.
The work stays heavy. You carry it better.
Pressure remains. You handle it better.
Choose growth. Every day.
Beliefs are tools, not truths.
Some beliefs help you lead with courage, clarity, and discipline.
Others distort your thinking, limit your options, and keep you stuck.
The work isn’t to have beliefs.
The work is to examine them.
Ask yourself:
• Is this belief helping me see reality clearly?
• Is it helping me lead better?
• Or is it holding me back?
Leaders grow when they stop defending every belief and start testing it.
Trust isn’t built in big moments. It’s built in consistency.
Do what you say you’ll do
Be clear about expectations
Address issues directly, not indirectly
Be honest, even when it’s uncomfortable
No surprises. No guessing.
Most leadership problems are communication problems.
Say things clearly and simply.
Repeat what matters.
Listen before responding.
Say it in a way your audience stays tuned in
If it’s important, it’s repeated, received, and understood.
Managers: please stop being “helpful.”
Every time you step in and take work back, you stunt your team's growth. Your heart might be in the right place, but your tactics are not.
Delegate & Develop >> Dictate & Do