doug smith training

Leaders must serve. We don't all like that. Sometimes, we'd prefer to be served. But, think about it. We serve our customers. We serve our boards. We serve (yes, we do) our team members. We even serve our peers and of course we serve our bosses. That gives us an important choice: we can serve gladly, or we can serve madly. The work is the same; the emotion is different. The difference between serving with resentment and serving with love is the difference between hardship and happiness. Doesn't happiness feel better? -- doug smith  

Facts matter. We should pay attention to data. And, we should remember that data isn't the whole game. Data is a poor indicator of feelings.  Feelings matter. People will believe that they matter when leaders show them that their feelings matter. That's not always easy and it can even be counter-intuitive if you're an analytical sort like me, but it is necessary. Facts matter. Feelings matter. And, more often than we might care to admit, people decide based on how they feel. How do you feel about that? -- doug smith 

In just 90 minutes, dramatically improve your ability to communicate, motivate, and delegate for success. Let's face it, leadership development is a life-long adventure, but we need leadership skills right now. If you feel the need to level up your leadership skills, especially your ability to communicate effectively, motivate consistently, and delegate productively this program is for you. Next session: January 15, 2026 from 10:00 am to 11:30 am ET Only $49 Register here .

Serving without the expectation of reward provides its own reward. If you are familiar with that feeling that means you're doing it right. And, if you're not, it's never too late to start serving with joy, serving with compassion, serving with enthusiasm.  -- doug smith

How often do you check-in on your development? How do you conduct that little audit? I remember regularly gaining adjustments from a wonderful chiropractor who had as part of their practice a regular posture check. We'd stand while the chiropractor carefully looked us over. It was amazing how much they could tell about our alignment, our health, our balance, our well-being. As treatments progressed, posture improved, and so did my health. When it comes to leadership development, what's your version of a posture check? Do you get feedback from your team? Do you talk with a mentor?  Most leaders are held accountable on their metrics, but not everyone gets to check-in on their development. I'm curious, because if I could find a way to check-in on my leadership customers that helped them track their progress it would be a useful tool. We've all probably had enough surveys, so maybe something else. Something practical and easy. Maybe some way to check balance, feedback, team...