by Jesse Lahey on November 1, 2015
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A few years ago, my local gym posted a photo of a handwritten sign that had been posted outside the hospital room of a Navy Seal who had been severely wounded in battle. “The wounds I received,” wrote Lt. Jason Redman, “I got in a job I love, doing it for people I love, supporting the freedom of a country I deeply love.” I was so inspired by his courage, sacrifice, and perseverance that I told many people about the sign, and even discussed it in a podcast with my oldest son. Earlier this year, a family member saw Jason Redman speak and was so impressed that she sent me his book. I was surprised to learn there is so much more to Jason’s story, and so much that we can learn from him to take our leadership to the next level.
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by Jesse Lahey on September 3, 2015
If communication is a tool for cultivating and influencing, then communication is power … the power to make a difference in people’s lives, for better or worse.
Unfortunately, the history of the world is full of leaders who use their power of communication for selfish reasons. For example, Adolf Hitler had a magnetic charisma but used it to make himself a dictator at the expense of the lives and freedom of millions of innocent people. Even saintly Abraham Lincoln used his incredible power of empathy for some arguably self-centered purposes, such as predicting (accurately) what his political opponents would do — several steps ahead of time, as in a game of chess.
But studying and practicing communication principles — not just communication skills such as public speaking — will help you be a genuine leader who is making a positive difference. The full communication discipline is the art and science of inspiring trust and action. That goes deeper than mere skills, and it can help you leave the world a better place than you found it. [click to continue…]
A few years ago, my local gym posted a photo of a handwritten sign that had been posted outside the hospital room of a Navy Seal who had been severely wounded in battle. “The wounds I received,” wrote Lt. Jason Redman, “I got in a job I love, doing it for people I love, supporting the freedom of a country I deeply love.” I was so inspired by his courage, sacrifice, and perseverance that I told many people about the sign, and even discussed it in a podcast with my oldest son. Earlier this year, a family member saw Jason Redman speak and was so impressed that she sent me his book. I was surprised to learn there is so much more to Jason’s story, and so much that we can learn from him to take our leadership to the next level.
