Here are a few things I am learning right now, over the last month: 1. having a great reputation doesn't mean anything unless you can execute and fulfill the latest "promise" to your customers or network.

2. No one should ever underestimate the potential of someone who is strongly motivated, for good or for worse.

3. The more and more I seek to understand others, the greater clarity I have in understanding myself.

4. If I don't exercise, I get fat. Duh. If I eat crappy food, I feel crappy. Duh even more.

5. Busyness is not getting things done. Focus is getting things done. And sometimes getting things done requires me to carve out significant windows of time for thinking, which to most people looks unproductive and not like focus. But as a leader, I crave times to think, and not just respond/execute.

6. Leaders, by their very positional influence, but also because of their DNA and hard-wired skillsets, are both obligated and expected to make the hard decisions. Deal with it. But don't gloat in it.

7. When I think of someone or God prompts a memory of someone or a moment that was significant in my life, if I stop and give them a call or write an email or send a text immediately- right at that moment, it always seems to be a great decision and have great outcomes. The key is to act immediately.

8. Keeping strong relational equity with friends or co-workers more than 10 years is a big deal. Family is expected, but friends of longer than 10 years is rare and a huge blessing.

9. Team members who are highly trustworthy and who can get it done are the most valuable employees in any organization. Someone who I tell something once and then know I don't have to worry about it again- priceless in my book.

10. Many great companies continue to go out of business during this season because of bad cash flow management. Strong potential, but bad business skills and savvy, are crushing thousands and thousands of people right now.