Parker Houston

Consider All Time and Space

by Parker Houston | Jun 1, 2023 | The Practices of Personal Leadership

*Hubble Nasa Image of Andromeda Galaxy There is a wonderful story about President Teddy Roosevelt that teaches an essential life perspective. William Beebe, the naturalist,...

Leaders Need To Ask Their Teams These 12 Questions

by Parker Houston | May 25, 2023 | Killer Teams Made Simple

Today’s Big Idea— What do the most talented employees need from their workplace? If you knew the answer to this question, you could attract the most talented players...

Leaders Must Be Willing To Have Difficult Conversations

by Parker Houston | May 18, 2023 | Killer Teams Made Simple

There is nothing more important to creating a strong team than hiring the right people. But unless you start a team from scratch, building a strong team will usually involve...

The Superpower of Effective Delegation

by Parker Houston | May 11, 2023 | 10x Your Productivity

The Big Idea: Delegation is a superpower that helps great leaders get more done faster. Few leaders do it effectively. Today’s article will provide some best practices to...

Solve Your Problems By Subtraction

by Parker Houston | May 4, 2023 | Self Leadership, The Practices of Personal Leadership

The Big Idea: According to research, the human brain tries to solve most of life’s problems through adding solutions, instead of removing things that might easily fix the...

Deliberate Practice—Becoming a Master of Your Craft

by Parker Houston | Apr 27, 2023 | Optimal Performance Series, The Science of Mindset

“Practice doesn’t make perfect, it makes permanent.” –Author Unknown This post originally appeared in the Optimal Performance Series, but is also vital for a strong Mindset....

The Parable of the Lost Son—Wisdom for Every Parent

by Parker Houston | Apr 20, 2023 | The Pillars of Family Leadership

I recently stumbled across a beautiful song At the Table (YouTube link) by artist Josh Garrels, based on the parable of the lost son (also called the prodigal son). The song...

Great Leaders Put People in Their Strength Zones

by Parker Houston | Apr 13, 2023 | Killer Teams Made Simple

Leadership expert John Maxwell tells an illuminating story about his high school basketball team. One typical afternoon, Maxwell showed up to basketball practice. The coach...

Confront Your Weaknesses: A Sobering Tale and Ideas For Action

by Parker Houston | Apr 6, 2023 | The Practices of Personal Leadership

Years ago, I heard John Maxwell says something I’ve never forgotten. To paraphrase—A great leadership legacy can take decades to build, but can be lost in an instant. An...

The Ultimate Test of Leadership—Do You Create More Leaders?

by Parker Houston | Mar 30, 2023 | Killer Teams Made Simple

“The best measure of leadership is whether you create more leaders.”—John Maxwell The BIG Idea—You place a very low ceiling on your leadership potential if you don’t take...

Do You Need to Amputate to Get Unstuck?

by Parker Houston | Mar 23, 2023 | The Practices of Personal Leadership

*Aaron Ralston pictured above during his fateful hike in Utah “Sometimes letting things go is an act of far greater power than hanging on.” –Eckhart Tolle Aron Lee Ralston...

Resilient—The Eduardo Garcia Story

by Parker Houston | Mar 16, 2023 | Leading During COVID19

The story of Eduardo Garcia is an incredible look at personal triumph through extreme adversity. If you haven’t heard his story, it will blow your mind. I am certain you...

10 Tips for Leading Remote Teams

by Parker Houston | Mar 9, 2023 | Killer Teams Made Simple

The modern leader must know how the to lead remote teams. As of 2022, 2 out of 10 people work at a job that is entirely on site, and 8 out of 10 people work in a job that is...

14 Behaviors That Will Radically Increase Trust When Leading Your Team, Your Business, and Your Family

by Parker Houston | Mar 2, 2023 | Killer Teams Made Simple

“All things being equal, people work with people they like and trust. All things not being equal, people still work with people they like and trust.” –John Maxwell There is...

Experience Is Not The Same As Expertise

by Parker Houston | Feb 23, 2023 | Killer Teams Made Simple, The Science of Mindset

“I neither know, nor think that I know.” –Socrates According to historical legend, this is the response Socrates gave when the Oracle of Delphi asked why he was considered...

The 5 Science-Based Practices of a Thriving Organization

by Parker Houston | Feb 16, 2023 | Killer Teams Made Simple

If you have been in the workplace for a while, chances are good that you’ve had a job you didn’t love. The research we discuss today will help you understand what was...

How Do You Define Success?

by Parker Houston | Feb 9, 2023 | The Practices of Personal Leadership, The Science of Happiness

What is your definition of a “successful” life? It’s a question worth thinking about—and continually trying to answer. We are constantly bombarded with false—and...

Change Your Definition of Success

by Parker Houston | Feb 2, 2023 | The Practices of Personal Leadership

“Success is peace of mind, which is a direct result of self-satisfaction in knowing you made the effort to do your best to become the best you are capable of becoming.”–John...

You Become Like Those You Spend Time With

by Parker Houston | Jan 26, 2023 | The Practices of Personal Leadership

*This post has been updated for the practices of personal leadership series. Several years ago, while biking with my close friend, he casually mentioned the following quote...

Money is an Essential Personal Leadership Skill

by Parker Houston | Jan 19, 2023 | The Pillars of Family Leadership, The Practices of Personal Leadership

“You either learn to manage money, or the lack of that skill will manage you for the rest of your life.” –Dave Ramsey With the current housing market, inflation, and...

Develop the Essential Life Skill of Apologizing

by Parker Houston | Jan 12, 2023 | The Practices of Personal Leadership

“When we look back at major rifts in life’s relationships, often it is because one person could not swallow their pride and just apologize for something. Apologizing changes...

Are You Over Gripping the Steering Wheel of Your Life?

by Parker Houston | Jan 5, 2023 | Mind and Body, Self Leadership

“Just hold on loosely, but don’t let go. If you cling too tightly, you’re gonna lose control.” –Donnie Van Zant, .38 Special A few years ago, I hired a personal and...

Year Behind, Year Ahead

by Parker Houston | Dec 29, 2022 | Self Leadership

Today’s Big Idea—“Some people live 80 years, most people live one year 80 times.” –Zig Ziglar For the last several years, I have established a few practices that help me...

The Legend of John the Dwarf

by Parker Houston | Dec 22, 2022 | The Practices of Personal Leadership

A mentor of mine shared this story with me several years ago. John the Dwarf—also known as Saint John Kolobos—was a Coptic desert father born in the year 339 in the town of...

How to Praise Your Kids (and Team) to Increase Effort, Persistence, and Motivation

by Parker Houston | Dec 15, 2022 | The Pillars of Family Leadership

“Great works are performed not by strength, but by perseverance.” –Samuel Johnson Do you have kids or lead a team? Did you know what you say, and how you praise them, can...