Lauren’s Blog

One of the most valuable things a leader can do to improve their significance is to take inventory of themselves. It’s often also one of the most uncomfortable things to do. One crucial factor in taking that inventory is assessing our circle of influence. Dad used...

Have you ever seen someone interviewed, whether a CEO or politician, who was unwilling to answer anything but soft-serve questions? Or, more often, dance around a question without answering it at all. That is not a characteristic of someone who is or will be a...

How many times have you seen a leader you look up to and admire become so frustrated they want to quit altogether? It happens all the time. The key is, significant leaders DON’T throw in the towel. Is significant leadership easy? No. Far from it.The Colonel said,...

Optimism is not a squishy, overly idealist characteristic. Optimism is actually a hard-core discipline. The Colonel said, “You’ve got to be an optimist, kiddo. When your team can’t see the light at the end of the tunnel, you have to be able to show it to them and...

The Colonel had two master’s degrees and a Ph.D. He was a committed, life-long learner, and he instilled that expectation in his daughters. He said, “You have to keep educating yourself. If you’re not always learning and growing as a person, you’re not growing as a...

I have been a talker my whole life. Often, in frustration, Dad would say, “Lauren Ann, stop talking just to hear the sound of your own voice.” Regarding leadership, he expounded on that thought. He said, “Stop talking. Listen. You don’t learn anything from talking....

The Colonel often said, “Don’t tell your team what kind of leader you are. They won’t follow you because of what you say. Show them what kind of leader you are in your attitude and your behaviors. They will watch and follow you because of what you do.”...