JMT Blog

Are You Being Complacent or Intentional?

I was sitting at my desk in my classroom – the same classroom I had had for nine years. I knew I had been successful as a teacher, and gained satisfaction from teaching students how to master mathematics, but no longer did I have the passion to continue on this path. I wasn’t completely sure…

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Do You Know Your Human Expiration Date?

I came face to face with the finality of life again, recently, as we all do. I had just completed leading a Master Mind group in which we studied John Maxwell’s blockbuster book, The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership. The final chapter, The Law of Legacy, hit me hard. This was a seven-week Master Mind. Although…

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You Won’t Go Far!

Has that ever been said about you? I can remember my peers and teachers saying that to me. Wow, these kinds of words can go deep! When we are growing up, many things can be said which can have a lifelong effect. Words that have been said in jest or in all seriousness can begin…

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What kind of root system do you have?

The sequoia redwood trees located in California, are some of the biggest trees in the world. The General Sherman is, in fact, noted as THE largest known living single stem tree on Earth! It is 275 ft tall, 25 feet in diameter, and is approximately 2,500 years old. Something that huge must have an incredible…

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Four Tips for Cultural Change

The Humiliation The budget meeting was a disaster, far surpassing what I had anticipated. It was a raucous and mean spirited group of senior managers pouring out wrath and venom while the President and Chairman quietly looked on. Why were these people so mad and contentious? Me! As the new guy in town and the…

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John Maxwell Turned My Life Right Side Up!

It was August 2012. After several years of studying for my master’s degree, coaching certifications, many hours of coaching couples and hosting marriage intensives, it was time for a break. Not a mini-vaca, but a sabbatical. So my husband and I began a road trip from central Florida to Las Vegas, with multiple stops along…

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Nothing is Quieter than Hair Turning Gray

When I was younger, I had my whole life ahead of me. Anything was possible. In fact, when I graduated from high school, my dad said, “Son, you need to go out and get a job right now, while you still know everything.” In a way, he was right. I have never felt more on…

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Leadership: It’s About Commitment

What could teaching leadership and obtaining a travel visa possibly have in common? The laws of leadership apply to both, of course. A couple of years ago, I was blessed with an invitation to travel to Ghana with a group of student leaders from the University of Washington. As one of the faculty, I was…

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Leaders Step into the Struggle

Often, successful leaders hear comments such as, “Well, you’re lucky that you’ve got all these followers,” or, “You lucked out in your position,” or “If I was in your shoes… I’d be successful too.” The truth is, leaders step up to the position, and they do it by stepping into the struggle. It’s not always…

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