Just as every big business starts as a small business, every senior corporate executive started small. And somewhere along the way, the young person with a small job sees a vivid picture of success that motivates growth.  Isn’t that true for you?  Aren’t we all looking for role models who set a compelling model to shape what’s possible for us?

Genevieve Mulkern with her adoring parents

That’s why Genevieve Mulkern is a very fortunate young girl.  She’s watching her mom blend together what’s important in her personal and professional life…creating a vivid picture of how one energetic, visionary, authentic Mom/leader can change the culture at a very, very large company.

Please consider this an invitation to have breakfast with me on Friday, May 18 at the Good Leadership Breakfast, to meet Genevieve’s Mom.  Around 7:15 AM at Minnesota Valley Country Club, I will introduce you to Sue Mulkern, the Human Capital executive at OptumHealth — one of the largest businesses within the United Health Care family of companies.  Her mission is to help reverse the “burn ‘em and churn ‘em” reputation of her employer.   By any measure, she’s succeeding.

Like many working mothers, Sue Mulkern is a self-proclaimed expert at the “scheduling dance.”  While her husband is a full time seminary student, she finds room in the schedule to work hard, spend time at soccer fields, attend dance lessons and be deeply involved at Mt. Olivet Lutheran Church.

Her personal mission is helping people live their lives to the fullest — at home and at work. That means articulating strong values, programs, strategies, and tactics for 90,000 employees, and also shaping their health and wellness outside of the workplace.  The dialogue within her influence includes different eating habits, life habits and financial habits.  That’s why she believes in the Seven Fs.

“I absolutely love helping people have integrity in their relationships…in addition to being healthy,” she explained.  “We live and breathe the philosophy: Be here now;  be mentally, physically and emotionally fully present.”  That fits with my assertion that we need to be 100% accountable for the person we are at work, and the person we bring home from the office.

Good leaders set the example as role models for how to blend their personal and professional lives in ways that inspire others.

Drop me a note with questions you’d like me to ask Genevieve’s mom at the Good Leadership Breakfast this Friday.

NOTE: last month we were SOLD OUT…if you are thinking about attending, you better

register right now.

Ever since tribes gathered around campfires to celebrate the hunt or harvest, people have been honoring their peers.  We love to celebrate what’s good about the journey.

Katie Batz (far left) honored for Phi Beta Kappa and Guild of St. Lucia

May is Honors month when you have children in school…within the past week, there were accolades circling the Bloomington Batz family:  National Honor Society, Phi Beta Kappa, Guild of St. Lucia, Jussi Bjorling Society and more.  As parents, we’re always proud of our children – parents are supposed to think their kids are special.  It’s when other people think our kids are special that causes us to reflect.  Especially when peers and teachers alike lift them up as examples of what’s good in the world.

Honors Day: Katie, Paul and Ben Batz

Growing up, I never took much pride in my studies.  I got better grades in college than high school because I could pick both my subjects and my professors.  The smartest thing I did was to marry someone who got good grades!  This past Saturday, my son Ben and I sat together at the Honors Day ceremony where Kathryn Anne Batz was honored several times by her professors and peers.  (Mom would have loved the ceremony.  She was overseas meeting our newest nephew.  Anna was home being a teenage girl!)

But, alas, formal schooling is almost done for Ben and Katie…and I’m reflecting.  Very soon they will both discover the annual May honors ritual will be drying up.  College will end and the rest of life will begin.  After opening a couple of paychecks that thrill will wear off…and they will soon discover that so many people work hard, dedicate themselves and do good things — and they don’t get to hold the yellow rose.

Then one day it will hit them: the biggest honor is to earn a client’s trust.  Or to be given a meaty assignment because someone believes you will get the job done.

Good leaders know the importance of honoring the people in our lives who represent what’s good — and they teach others the honor in earning trust by a job well done.

Drop me a note and share with me one of the ways you feel honored in your work.

Old Man River is mighty and impressive in St. Louis, where he just keeps rolling along

The pinnacle moment in the Broadway musical Showboat is the singing of these famous lyrics: Old Man River, he just keeps rolling along.

Two weeks ago, I spent some time along the West bank of Old Man River – the mighty Mississippi in St. Louis, Missouri. I’ve been to the trickling headwaters in Northern Minnesota, and today we live within ten miles of where it splits Minneapolis and St. Paul. The further downstream, the more memorable. One of America’s most admired banks invited me to St. Louis, to speak at their leadership conference.

St. Louis isn’t a typical leadership conference destination. That’s why we were so impressed by the awesome sight of the St. Louis Arch, situated next to Old Man River. We all marveled at the vision and foresight of the leaders who invested in the arch as a symbol of “the Gateway to the West.”  The arch is one of the few man made structures I’ve encountered that fills me with child-like wonder.

Wednesday evening, three of us paused in awe of the constant flow of the Mississippi. We noticed a modern day Showboat and a river barge sharing the same water space. We wondered aloud: “how many years have Showboats and barges shared the same water space on the mighty Mississippi?” Old Man River, he just keeps rolling along.

Thursday was a mountain top day; hundreds of senior executives learned to embrace and celebrate the Seven Fs!  We shared a great passion for the blending of personal and professional leadership. It was the kind of day that affirms why I do this work.

Sadly, Friday morning I took the early flight home to attend the funeral for a college classmate. He passed at the amazingly young age of 49 (my age).  The church was overflowing with a community of people who appreciated his faithful service as a coach and youth mentor.  The service left me profoundly sad, angry about the injustice and motivated to seize the day.

Saturday morning I couldn’t shake the image of Old Man River.  My college classmate and the Bankers were living for the same reason: both flowing through the lives of people, determined to make a difference.

The family and friends of Joel Koch will miss him for the rest of their lives. He made a difference.  Meanwhile Old Man River just keeps rolling along. Lets all remember that each of us has the opportunity to advance our faith, family, finances, fitness, friends, fun and future today. Seize the day.

Good leaders see each day as an opportunity to increase the goodness in our world…so that their efforts downstream are memorable.

Drop me a note: What is your relationship with Old Man River, and what keeps you rolling along?

Every successful leader with a ‘big job’ started with a small job. It’s the understanding of the small jobs that we all have in common. That’s why listening to the story of CEO’s like Scott Anderson are so compelling — we’ve all wondered whether or not we could do the “big job.”

If you attend the Good Leadership Breakfast this Friday will learn first hand that Scott Anderson, CEO of publicly-traded, Fortune 500, Patterson Companies, began his journey to the top from very humble roots.  And every step along the way, he faced his own limits by asking: “can I really do the next job?”

Personally, I find sincerity and humility in a corporate CEO to be game-changers.  Anyone paying attention to business and investment news lately is calloused by a steady stream of fraudulent reports and cover-ups.  Most of us react to positive stories with skepticism…bracing ourselves to eventually hear of scandalous acts revealing the behind-the-scenes truth.

Spending time with Scott Anderson reminds me that good, solid people can handle the scrutiny and pressure, and still be good, solid people. He helps me believe in the goodness of Wall Street companies.  Now that’s something.

Join us for breakfast on Friday, April 27, 2012, at 7:15 am at Minnesota Valley Country Club in Bloomington, Minnesota.  We will provide plenty of time for networking, a nice hot breakfast, a good message from a great speaker…and we celebrate and embrace the Seven Fs of Good Leadership: faith, family, finances, fitness, friends, fun and future.

Good leaders learn as much from the small jobs as they do “the big job.”  And they never stop questioning whether or not they can handle what’s next.

Join us for the Good Leadership Breakfast.  And don’t forget to bring some cash for the Bucket of Good Will.  So far, with matching dollars from The Handy Paint Pail, we’ve contributed more than $6000 to local charities.

Gustavus President Jack Ohle, honored Melinda and me during our Sesquicentennial Disney moment

In the cinematic drama of daily living, people are definitely watching. Sometimes that’s a melodrama and every once in a while we accidentally star in our own Disney movie.

This past Saturday, Melinda and I were honored by our Alma Mater, Gustavus Adolphus College, as recipients of a Sesquicentennial Award.   “Sesquicentennial” means 150th anniversary.  In the 150th year of the College, President Jack Ohle and the Board of Trustees identified 150 leaders (or couples) who have contributed in significant ways to the future of the college.  The award letter reads: “You live out in your life the core values of the College — excellence, community, justice, service and faith — and represent all that is good about Gustavus.” My bride and I were swept away with an overwhelming sense of “how in the world is this happening!?  What did we do to deserve this!!?”

Melinda and me, embracing our Gustie Oscar

The award itself was special but the setting was downright surreal. Several hundred people gathered in Christ Chapel for the Home Concert of the Gustavus Choir.  Our two oldest children, Ben and Katie, were fully robed and ready to sing. Anna, sat in the front row next to Uncle John and Aunt Marcy.  Before President Ohle opened the concert, he shared his appreciation for Melinda and me, as we gratefully embraced a commemorative bronze sculpture: #56 of 150. Our very own Oscar.

But, alas, every good storyline has a twist.  We accepted the award in a shadow of sadness.  One of my earliest life mentors Bob Peterson, passed away in anticipation of the Home Concert. Bob was a mentor to me through college and many years beyond. He really, really loved the Gustavus Choir.  Over the years, he heard me sing in Christ Chapel more than my own parents.  When I arrived on campus, he was an approachable vice president who took me under his wing: he showed me how to be comfortable wearing a suit and tie at work.  He taught me how to raise money for causes bigger than me. Bob got me my first real job out of college and he taught me that people are always watching.

The Batz family: Anna, Paul, Melinda, Ben and Katie

So with the full Gustavus Choir nervously, patiently enduring the Presidential ceremony, we knew they were watching. The concert and the ceremony were also broadcast live via streaming on the Internet. My two sisters were online, watching.  And I’m hoping that Bob Peterson was watching as well.

Good leaders dedicate themselves to something good, and they keep giving whether anyone is watching or not.

Thank you for all the Facebook well-wishes; its nice to relive the buzz…and to share a message about what’s good in the world.

Drop me a note and share one of your “who’s watching” moments.

Can you spot me on the top deck defending four chairs? It takes work to preserve our Sardine-style sun worshiping.

Delta Airlines and Carnival Cruises were both printing money last week, escorting sun starved Northerners on their annual Spring Break worship rituals. Even after the wimpiest winter of all time, we reveled in five straight days of brilliant blue skies floating across the Eastern Caribbean.  There’s just something about soaking up the sun…

Early on the morning of our ‘day at sea’, I rushed the upper deck to secure and defend four strategically situated lounge chairs for the girls and me.   By 10 am Mother Nature used her giant vacuum cleaner to suck a couple thousand cruisers from their cabins to the upper deck surrounding me.  It was wall-to-wall, Sardine-style sun worshiping. Like Black Friday at Target…except that everyone was joyful and happy.

Mid-afternoon, I was forced into conversation with a woman next to me who asked: “Where y’all from?” My white belly and Twins hat told her I was a Northerner. Her accent and Braves visor caused me to ask “don’t you get sunshine in Atlanta this time of year?” Her reply: “Yes, we do…but Vacation Sun warms my soul.” “Alleluia” was my reply.

As I directed my church choir two days ago on Easter Sunday, I thought of the Atlanta bikini lady when we sang the beginning lyrics of our anthem:

Risen in glory, bright as the sun…Alleluia, Alleluia!

Easter is one of those magical Christian holidays – it’s as if the Father used a giant vacuum cleaner to suck thousands of families from their homes into church pews.  Unlike most Sundays, it’s wall to wall, Sardine-style Son-worshiping.  And everyone is so joyful and happy… For me, it’s another important Spring Break ritual.

Recently, many of the popular business and lifestyle magazines have been reporting on a wave of “happiness” research.  Woven into their findings are two appropriate themes for Spring break: people who take regular family vacations (regardless of cost), and consistently attend a place of worship are happier than people who do not.

Good leaders take time off to cultivate their family relationships and warm their souls with rituals.

Drop me a note: what warms your soul this time of year?

Boot straps, a universal symbol for resilience and personal accountability?

Farmers and cowboys in Western movies share a coaching euphemism: “Pull yourself up by the boot straps.” Common sense tells you it’s not possible…when you fall over (or get knocked down) pulling harder on your boot straps will only make your boots tighter, unless you pull the boot straps off…which means you just ruined your boots.

All kidding aside: the ‘pull yourself up’ message is about resilience and personal accountability.

Modern sage Seth Godin wrote a clever little book about the “boot strap” thing — it’s called The Dip.  He described ‘the dip’ as that moment when you realize you’ve lost momentum in something you are building (or chasing) and you are feeling the urge to ‘quit.’  He argues sometimes the best course of action is to quit — specifically when you are locked in a Cul-de-Sac and quitting will help you get back on course.  But alas, quitting seldom feels good…and rarely seems like the best option.  So that means we have to pull on our boot straps.

In our book What Really Works, Blending the Seven Fs one of the good leaders we interviewed plainly said: “sometimes life is hard.”  And then she said: “that’s why we have our faith and our friends.”  Our faith helps us understand our convictions and provides a values system to filter out toxic thoughts when we are in the dip.  And our friends are there when we need them — and when our friends reach out and pull on our boot straps, it actually gets us back on our feet.

Senior leaders, business owners and entrepreneurs often talk about how it’s “lonely at the top.”  The loneliness adds to the weight of ‘the dip.’  I believe nothing significant is ever accomplished alone.  And, the best way to embrace ‘the dip’ is to call on our friends and ask for help.  Funny…when our friends pull on our boot straps, we are lifted up.  And we get back on track.  Looking back, the dip sharpens our convictions, and deepens our friendships.

Good leaders understand that sometimes life is hard — and surround themselves with people who pull on our boot straps.

Drop me a note: if you experienced ‘the dip’ recently, what helped you make it through?

Have you invested in your Girl Scout Cookies yet?

Let’s get your Tuesday morning started with a quiz:  What do more than two thirds of the women in Congress and 80% of America’s women entrepreneurs have in common?

Girl Scout cookies.  Yes…many of America’s most influential women got their start as leaders as members of the Girl Scouts.  Surprised?

I love Girl Scout cookies because there is something in the formula that really works.  To celebrate the 100^th anniversary of the Girl Scouts, my firm purchased 100 boxes of Thin Mints to share with our clients, advisers and business partners.  Here’s why:

We believe leaders are people who go out of their way to make things better for more people: both personally and professionally.  Can you think of any organization that deserves our praise and congratulations more than the Girl Scouts?  Personally, I’m grateful I met our colleague Delane through a Girl Scout connection. (She’s the leader behind the scenes who makes our business click). Both of my sisters, my wife and my two daughters were engaged with the Girl Scouts.  And the probability is very high the same is true for the women around you.

Just as Congress and women business owners profess…the magic ingredient weaves its way into my work as a leadership coach.  In group sessions, we often create discussions to help people recall the earliest moments when they were compelled into leadership.  The most consistently quoted moments are women who mention selling Girl Scout cookies.  The power of the Cookie Sisterhood separates the room:  the men argue frivolously about which cookies taste the best (Thin Mints always win.)  The women launch into a powerful discussion about how the annual cookie sale taught them how to lead.  Here are the magic ingredients:

1. They learned the courage to sell – good leaders are always selling a vision.
2. They learned to set goals – the troop literally depends on each girl hitting a quota for their financial survival.  When the girl exceeds her quota, she receives rewards that pay dividends forever.
3. They learned to work together – the girls with complementary strengths who work together have more fun, learn more and sell more cookies.
4. They learned about the greater Good – most people embrace buying Girl Scout cookies as investing in the future of the free world…one girl, one box of cookies, one troop at a time.

Last week, when I personally delivered a box of Thin Mints to a good leader in Austin, Texas, he said: “I never eat these things…but I buy them all the time.  I really enjoy buying a couple of boxes, then giving them back to the troop so they can sell them again.  I never, ever turn down the chance to buy a box of Girl Scout cookies.”

So, if you haven’t received that familiar knock at the door…seek out your local Girl Scout tro0p and keep investing.  The reason you can’t buy Girl Scout Cookies over the internet is because the world needs you to look a future Congresswoman in the eye when you order your Thin Mints.

Good leaders go out of their way to invest in people.

Send me a note: what do you think is the magic ingredient in those cookies?

Friends like Steve Blexrud inspire me on my Fitness journey.

Last week my golfing buddies gathered in a comrade’s basement for the annual “Planning Meeting.” Avid Minnesota golfers take the Spring planning ritual seriously. We had an Italian theme, with plenty of pasta salads and Chianti. The one Banker in our group organized a full-season, week by week series of ‘tournaments,’ complete with a set of rules and a specific buy-in/payout ratio. That’s serious fun. It was good Seven Fs guy-time, albeit slightly metro-sexual.

The host was Steve Blexrud, a financial services entrepreneur who lives in a southern suburb of Minneapolis/St. Paul. As “Blexie” led us to the basement party suite, he stopped to show off his workout room. He said with pride: “this used to be a home office – but we moved the office to the living room, so we could make this cool gym. I love it and I use it about 6 times a week!”

Today, I am down 11 pounds and feeling great!

Everyone in my circle of friends (and a couple thousand people who read my blog) knows about my not-so-private fitness journey. Here is the photo I posted early January. I’ve found the public pressure (humiliation?) to be motivating.

In our coaching work and research, ‘fitness’ is always the lowest of the Seven Fs in satisfaction when we survey a full audience. And, surprisingly, fitness is ALSO the lowest in collective priority. Those facts make for an easy joke when I’m speaking…but the mutual suffering doesn’t help the undeniable resistance people feel about getting in shape. Including me.

That’s why guys like Blexie really motivate me to find the joy in my Fitness journey. He’s turning 50 this month and his attitude is contagious. “I gotta take care of the Temple,” he said. “Fitness for me is one of the most important Fs!” he added. “And with this new gym, I’m now a Fitness Video guy…I just love the jumping around, stretching and stuff. It makes me feel young. I love it!”

Hmmm…as an entrepreneur who is largely self-insured, fitness is taking on new meaning. “Super-preferred” status with the insurance companies drops the premiums significantly on life and disability policies. And, with co-pays and deductibles as high as the Empire State building, it sure pays to be in better shape.

My 2012 Seven Fs goal is find a way to actually enjoy Fitness. In order to do that, I have to be measured about how much I throw myself into my work – just like any other executive, entrepreneur or business owner. So, with the a clear blue sky and the temperature hitting the low 50s today, I decided to do my noon conference call while walking around in the parking lot of my office building. Thirty minutes of blending my personal and professional life…and it felt great.

Good leaders face their challenges head-on and find inspiration in the everyday people who surround them.

Drop me a note: What motivates your Fitness journey today?

Sam Richter

With excitement and trepidation, I recently ‘Googled’ myself. It wasn’t my idea – I did it at the prompting of internet research guru Sam Richter. Recently, I heard Sam deliver one of his award-winning keynote speeches, where he was chirping about the non-sensible things we do with our Internet personae. As I hit the “search” button, I couldn’t help but think that my kids, my Mom…and hopefully someday my grandkids…could do this same exercise. Would I be pleased with what they find?

Friday, March 16, 7:15 AM, Minnesota Valley Country Club, Bloomington, Minnesota

Please consider joining me for breakfast this coming Friday, March 16, at the Good Leadership Breakfast. Our guest speaker is Sam Richter a top-selling author and entrepreneur – and faithful husband and father.

Sam is an international speaker on a variety of leadership, sales, and marketing topics. His book Take the Cold Out of Cold Calling, about finding business and sales information online, is one of the most popular self-published book of this era. The book, along with its corresponding “Know More! Center” and “Know More! Toolbar” has received national attention, including being featured in an internationally syndicated column by Harvey Mackay, on CNN and BusinessWeek. And in 2007, he was a finalist for Inc. Magazine Entrepreneur of the Year.

That’s the glamorous side of his professional life.

I find the best part about Sam Richter is his quiet confidence. He’s a simple guy with a sensible approach to everything. He grew up a student athlete in St. Louis Park, Minnesota, and eventually earned the honor of Scholastic All American while playing football at the University of Minnesota. Twice! But, he speaks with the most pride about his relationship with his wife and kids and his passion for sharing the Know More message.

His topic for the Good Leadership Breakfast is: “How genuine appreciation can grow your life and career.” It’s a timeless message he continually re-learns by reading the Dale Carnegie classic How to Win Friends and Influence People every year. The breakfast message for us is simple: it’s worth the time to understand how our reputation follows us all the days of our lives – online and in person.

Good leaders are rock stars in their own way (like Sam Richter) and simple, humble people (again, like Sam Richter.) Will you join us for breakfast?

Drop me a note: what would you like me to ask Sam Richter when we interview him at the Good Leadership Breakfast?