The Big Idea—A global study published in 2021 by the World Health Organization and the International Labor Organization says that working more than 55 hours per week is now...

*Photo by Greg Rakozy “Who you are inside is what helps you make and do everything in life.”— Fred Rogers (Mr. Roger’s Neighborhood) A few years ago, I was working on my...

“Life is what happens when you are busy making other plans.” –John Lennon A few years ago, I was in a particularly busy season of life. I was working full-time, raising a...

“Technological progress has merely provided us with a more efficient means for going backwards.” –Aldous Huxley The Big Idea: According to research, constantly checking our...

My friend Trey asks great questions. Shortly after starting my blog, he asked, “So why did you call it lead you first?” That inquiry inspired this post. What does it mean to...

 “We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence then, is not an act, but a habit.” –Aristotle It would be impossible to talk about personal leadership without talking about...

“It is in the character of very few, to honor without envy, a friend who has prospered.” –Aeschylus There is a famous story about the Buddha which teaches an essential life...

Herds of buffalo are extremely loyal followers of one leader. They do what the leader does, they go where the leader goes. If the leader isn’t there, they stand around not...

“Old Heraclitus, who was indeed a very great sage, discovered the most marvelous of all psychological laws: the regulative function of opposites. He called it...

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...

*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...

“Accept whatever comes to you, woven in the pattern of your destiny, for what could more aptly fit your needs?” –Marcus Aurelius Theodore Roosevelt was born with crippling...