doug smith training

  Have you ever found yourself in a light-hearted conversation and realized that it was becoming profound? Maybe you came up with new ideas. Maybe you collaborated on solving a problem. Talking can lead to great things. Casual conversations create connections that lead to better results. We simply work better when we get along. We don't need to agree - but we do need to connect. -- doug smith

  Quality of thinking is the core of control. Control your thoughts and you can control your words. Control your words and you can control your actions. Control your actions and you can control your results. It all starts with the quality of your thinking. -- doug smith

Get started and keep going.  Patience paired with persistency provides great power. -- doug smith  

We do have time for mistakes. We don't have time to ignore them. -- doug smith  

Great coaches check the score for cheating -- not to accuse but to develop discipline.  Remember, if you're willing to win at any costs the cost is too high. Great coaches develop more than performance because character is even more important than results. -- doug smith

Leaders need courage. They also need compassion. We can use our compassion to balance our courage, and use our courage to increase our compassion. Compassion is so vital we must never give up on it. No matter how angry we are, no matter how disappointed we feel, no matter how high the stakes -- stay with compassion. If it cannot be done with compassion, it should not be done. -- doug smith 

How do you feel about rules that are imposed on you? A new procedure, a different process, some change that feels awkward and unwelcome? Most people hate that sort of thing. That means that when we as leaders seek to make a change it's worth considering how many voices we've allowed into the conversation. Do people feel included? Are they likely to approve of some new restriction? It's harder to follow rules that you didn't approve. The best way to influence that challenge is to give people a voice, and, then listen. -- doug smith 

You don't need excuses as much as you do courage. In those moments when you're not sure if you should do what you're about to do because it just doesn't feel right -- maybe it seems to collide with one of your values -- what if you used that pause, that hesitation, to think it thru? There's always a catch if your values don't match. Something will always give. If it's one of your values that has to give, how will you feel about that later? -- doug smith  

Whatever the reason is for telling a lie, it's not a good reason. A noble purpose never justifies telling lies. For now, and forever, tell the truth. -- doug smith  

There are two sides to every challenge: the challenge itself, and the fear of missing. What if you fail? What if the challenge overcomes you? What if you're not enough? The challenge is enough! We don't need to add the fear of that challenge, too. Maybe it will propel you forward, or maybe it will slow you down -- either way the fear is a choice. Stay with the challenge. Stay with the effort and the work and the focus. Persistence pays off when fear is your foe. Your persistence will win. -- doug smith  

It hurts to feel that you're not good enough. Doubts creep in and sting with a discouraging pain. But what if there's another way to process it? Not good enough, as bad as it feels, is always true, isn't it? We can always be better. We should constantly improve. And sometimes, in that process, we can realize that good enough -- for now -- may be good enough. Until we make it better. Let's enjoy the moment, and breathe, and then focus on making it better. -- doug smith  

If it feels like you need magic or miracles to achieve your goals, forget about magic and miracles and double down on work and discipline. If you're not there yet, keep going! -- doug smith