Momentum 2013: Reinvent or Reinvigorate

As usual, we enjoyed my Super Bowl/birthday party at my sister’s house. Of course, I couldn’t help taking  several notes during the game.  Baltimore had a commanding lead—28 to 6—when the lights went out in the stadium.  34 energy-draining minutes passed.  When the game resumed, the momentum changed.  The 49ers came roaring back, much to…

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Bless Your Holiday Stress: It Means You're Still Alive!

Here it comes again –the season of giving AND receiving. You know how you’ll be “receiving” some family and friend obligations you never receive except during the two months ahead? Once you CHOOSE to receive, you now get to choose your attitude and behavior. In my book, Bless Your Stress: It Means You’re Still Alive!…

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Fighting the Defense: Superstorm Sandy

No blog last week—did you notice?  I travelled last Sunday to—wait for it—the East Coast!  I was determined to make it in ahead of Superstorm Sandy.  A big audience was waiting in Virginia.  The Annual Conference had been scheduled a year in advance, and I was scheduled for a breakout session and the Opening Keynote…

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Mark Weisman: A True Standout Player

During the last three weeks, I watched my alma mater University of Iowa Hawkeye football team beat their opponents.  It was heartwarming to see.  I was struck by the spectacular tough running performance of the best player on the team, in my opinion:  running back Mark Weisman.  His story is interesting.  He was not recruited…

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Running Tough

Anyone who has run a marathon—as I have—knows just how tough it can be.  And that it’s not about how you start, but how you finish.  And it’s not even about HOW you finish, it’s just about finishing!  It’s about the phrase, “Just do it”—whether it’s through scorching sun in the Desert, or driving rain…

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Let's All Root-Root-Root for the Home Team

I did not realize how badly I want an NFL team to call my own until I went to a Los Angeles Dodgers game in Dodgers Stadium Saturday night.  Not that I’m a big Dodgers fan, having grown up in Chicago going to Cubs and White Sox games (yes, both, due to a “mixed marriage”). …

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Will You Beat the Odds?

  If it is true, as I write in my book, “Opportunity and intention are what football is all about,” where does “beating the odds” come into play?  Last week was week 2 of the NFL season, and I heard these “odds” many times:  Teams that start the season 0-2 have a 12% chance of…

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Preseason 2012: What We Can Learn

Last year at this time, I wrote a blog called “My Love/Hate Relationship with NFL Preseason Football.”  And it’s that happy time of year again and I still feel pretty much the same way.  Yesterday, I watched my Chicago Bears lookin’ good!  The first quarter anyway . . .Cutler to Devin Hester; Cutler to Matt…

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Audiences Going for the Goal

In the past few days, I have spoken to over 300 women in two different audiences.  They were both annual Women’s Conferences in two parts of the country:  Palm Springs and Chicago.  Yes, the weather is quite different, but the women are not.  I did the “Necessary Roughness” speech, tailoring the material in my book…

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Hiring Employees: Assessing Chemistry

                    Free Agency began Tuesday for the NFL.  That means that players are being traded from and acquired by the 32 teams.  We talked about the three criteria used to assess players for the Draft.  These are also used in these Free Agency decisions: Capabilities, Character…

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