Articles in Personal Growth
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September 01, 2010 • Jeremie Kubicek
In my dealings with executives all over this country I find a commonality that needs to get exposed. I am not referring to alcoholic abuse or power plays, which certainly are common. Rather, I want to highlight the dulling of senses and the searing of consciences. … More…
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August 11, 2010 • Jeremie Kubicek
Here are some recent lessons I have learned (or re-learned)... 1. On Partnerships - When building partnerships, never make a bold statement. Rather, ask a strategic question. For instance, instead of saying, “What is your budget for…”, as instead, “How does your budget process work?” 2. … More…
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June 30, 2010 • Jeremie Kubicek
In the past two days I have talked with several people who have mentioned they are in a transition - either because of a job loss, job change, or personal change. When they asked me about where I was, I tended to say the same thing … More…
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June 08, 2010 • Jeremie Kubicek
Difficulties in leadership are like tests we took in high school and college. Tough times require us to apply what we have been learning throughout the year. I wish I had that perspective when these difficulties arose in my world. Often times, though, I don’t view … More…
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June 03, 2010 • Jeremie Kubicek
When I was about 18 years old, I started asking for something consistently. I am not sure why, or who taught me to ask for this, but I must say that it has changed the course of my life. I begin asking for wisdom. I read … More…
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May 27, 2010 • Jeremie Kubicek
What course is your life taking? Have you thought about that in awhile? How do you determine the course of your life? For some, their family business has dictated their course. For others, their education level determines their steps. Some of us are so entrepreneurial that … More…
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April 23, 2010 • Chris Ediger
The following blog was well received once before. I am reposting to serve several of you that have had personal conversations with me on this topic. I hope it is helpful and provides a bit of wisdom to deal with your issues effectively. Lessons for leaders … More…
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April 22, 2010 • Jeremie Kubicek
While driving down HWY I85 from Charlotte to Atlanta I experienced something that has rarely happened to me on the highway - a flat tire. It was a strange sequence. While cruising along right around 70 MPH, I spotted two cars on the far two lanes … More…
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April 01, 2010 • Jeremie Kubicek
Do you have a meter in your mind that tells you when your batteries are low? I do and it is telling me to turn off and recharge a bit. The truth is that I am not very good at turning off. I never have been. … More…
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March 24, 2010 • Chris Ediger
Yesterday, I talked about the positive affects of having ‘confident humility’ - a confident self-awareness of who you are and of who you aren’t. Functioning out of that place can have many benefits to you and others. Like everything else, though, there are down sides that … More…
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March 23, 2010 • Chris Ediger
For years I misunderstood humility. If you had held up a card labeled “Humble” and asked me to say the first thing that came to mind, it might very well have been something like, “Nun.” My view of what humility looked like was someone who was … More…
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March 17, 2010 • Jeremie Kubicek
You ever been there? Dry, depleted and dull? When people ask you how you are, you just stare and tell them there is nothing in the tank. That is how I felt a few weeks ago when I had experienced a twelve hour flight delay. I … More…
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March 12, 2010 • Jeremie Kubicek
Do you pray? That might be a strange question. It may event launch you into a diatribe of keeping religion and business separate. So let me ask it a different way. Do you long for things secretly in your mind and heart and call out to … More…
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March 10, 2010 • Jeremie Kubicek
You had a bad year last year. Your board shared some things that were hard to hear. You had to let employees go over the last six months. You had to scrap a long term strategy for short term survival. You’ve started to doubt your capabilities … More…
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March 09, 2010 • Jeremie Kubicek
Let me be bold today with a comment… I will never settle! On one hand, I don’t pretend to think that you should care about whether I settle or not - but I do. I recently spent time with some significant business leaders who gave me … More…
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March 04, 2010 • Jeremie Kubicek
On a recent trip to Washington D.C. I had the privilege of meeting a great driver named Harvey. He picked me up at midnight to drive me 45 minutes to my hotel. We had an amazing conversation. Now I realize that some of you are not … More…
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February 19, 2010 • Chris Ediger
How are you doing in leading up, across or down? We’ve been focusing this week on key areas to improve from John Maxwell’s The 360 Degree Leader book. Here are some things to consider when influencing those you that report to you. How to Lead Down: … More…
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February 17, 2010 • Chris Ediger
Connecting is crucial to the success and momentum of your organization. Most people focus on connecting to those they lead. Few put the amount of energy into serving their peers. Here are a few ideas for you from John Maxwell’s The 360 Degree Leader to consider … More…
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February 15, 2010 • Chris Ediger
A few years ago John Maxwell wrote one of the best leadership books of all time, The 360 Degree Leader. The book won the “Business Book of the Year” in 2006. As GiANT is the exclusive partner of John Maxwell in the business world I am … More…
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January 27, 2010 • Jeremie Kubicek
Do you remember watching the Rocky movies? Some may call it cheesy, but most of us probably cheered fanatically when he came back from the brink of disaster. Sylvester Stallone, in all of his Philly slang, would get us enthralled as he made some amazing comebacks … More…
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December 22, 2009 • Jeremie Kubicek
For the frequent reader of my blog, this is an abnormality. I normally don’t write stories like this on GiANT Perspectives. Yet, this is a story that needs to be told and read. I wrote this in two settings as I mixed several stories of leaders … More…
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December 04, 2009 • Jeremie Kubicek
Thanksgiving in America is over, but I hope for all of our sakes that gratefulness is not. It is the boundary that keeps negativity at bay. For example… - Being grateful for the freedom we have in America gives us perspective to handle frustrations we have … More…
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November 17, 2009 • Chris Ediger
Can you imagine a world where people were unintentional with their lives? A world where you didn’t aspire to grow or learn or dream? Can you imagine living in a place where your time was dictated by television schedules and your dreams were inspired by ads … More…
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November 11, 2009 • Chris Ediger
Andy is an amazing man living in New York City. He is a talented actor who cares for people greatly. He is also a great family man living in a world where marriage and fatherhood are not the norm. There is only one problem. Andy is … More…
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November 06, 2009 • Jeremie Kubicek
You may be confused, I realize that. Yesterday, I implored you to be Careful Not to Die. Today, I am communicating that death is good. I am not talking about physical death here, but rather the death of certain patterns and tendencies within leaders. Here are … More…
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November 05, 2009 • Jeremie Kubicek
Most of us are on the edge of death every day. No, we don’t see it, but you might possibly agree with me. It is a subtle death, the death of the soul. It seems to start in the little things, and while our hearts may … More…
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November 03, 2009 • Jeremie Kubicek
Do you know yourself? I mean do you know your tendencies and your patterns? Do you know how you learn and how your mind thinks? It’s called self-awareness and it is a valuable asset to know yourself well, to understand how you lead and where you … More…
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October 01, 2009 • Chris Ediger
Because of my role I get the privilege of talking with authors and publishers about distribution, marketing, and reach of books and concepts. Each month I receive between 3-5 books from people who want GiANT to represent them in a similar way to our partnership with … More…
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September 22, 2009 • Chris Ediger
Is your belief relevant to your world? Belief leads to action. You act on what you believe. Belief is a conviction. It is having confidence in something. If I believe in God and his plans for the kingdom then that belief will spur me on to … More…
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September 15, 2009 • Jeremie Kubicek
The unrelenting release of full passion, strength and abilities is amazing in the life of a leader. Yet, it rarely happens that passions, abilities and opportunities all line up at the exact same time. Often times someone’s passion is high, while their abilities are low or … More…
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September 10, 2009 • Jeremie Kubicek
Time with Solomon. There is not a better use of time than to grab a pen and some paper and reflect on the sayings of the wisest king to have ever lived. Let’s start with Solomon’s perspective on self-promotion. Here is what he says: “Don’t demand … More…
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September 03, 2009 • Jeremie Kubicek
Most successful people I know struggle with some form of guilt that they need to be more significant. They made millions of dollars through the years and realize that money doesn’t buy happiness. Significance enters their minds; maybe for the first time in their lives. The … More…
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September 01, 2009 • Jeremie Kubicek
If you were to have asked the famed John Wesley this question he would have said, “Make all you can.” This answer was followed with “Save all you can,” and “Give all you can.” How much money should a leader make is always a curious question. … More…
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August 19, 2009 • Jeremie Kubicek
Humility is the modest estimate of one’s own importance. Assurance is the key to proper self-esteem Proud people have something to prove. They are not content with who they are and feel the need to assert themselves, to convince people they are who they want to … More…
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August 11, 2009 • Jeremie Kubicek
Today I am going to ask you to intentionally serve 3 people outside of your immediately family. Here is how you do it: A. Think of 3 people or spontaneously give, serve, or impact them throughout the day. B. Write the 3 instances down in a … More…
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August 04, 2009 • Jeremie Kubicek
When was the last time you spent time in an ocean or in a river? Recently, I had the opportunity of kayaking down an historic river and splashing in the waves of the great Atlantic. In both occasions I had to fight the Drift. While kayaking … More…
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July 29, 2009 • Jeremie Kubicek
For the past 30 days I have intentionally focused on giving something of relevance and significance to others whom I encounter. With four days to go, I must say that I have been overwhelmed by the changes I have observed in myself. The idea came from … More…
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July 22, 2009 • Jeremie Kubicek
This past week my wife and I met Tim, a great waiter at a well-known restaurant in Atlanta. Tim came to the table and served us well, yet, you could tell he was a bit down or bothered by something. “You okay?”, I asked. He went … More…
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July 20, 2009 • Jeremie Kubicek
Here is a question for you… What do you want today? List three things below: 1. 2. 3. Now… What do you need today? Again, list your three things below: 1. 2. 3. There is a difference between want and need, as we all know. However, … More…
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July 07, 2009 • Jeremie Kubicek
This blog post is not written in judgment. It is written in observation of the realities of the flaws of man. Over the past couple of weeks we have observed a sentencing, a politician caught in scandal, the death of a mega-star and the shooting of … More…
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May 22, 2009 • Jeremie Kubicek
Memorial Day is a great time to reflect and think about those who have gone before us. We remember the acts of kindness of the family, heroes and mentors who have gone before us. That is what perspective is all about. Perspective is so valuable. It … More…
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April 24, 2009 • Jeremie Kubicek
What is the One Thought that is consuming you today? I find that each of us typically have one headline that consumes our minds. It is similar to how a news channel’s editor will focus news stories around one major topic. Usually that topic will stay … More…
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April 21, 2009 • Jeremie Kubicek
Have you noticed the phrase that every media specialist and market analysis is hoping to hear? “Has our economy hit bottom?” Over the last two weeks I have heard this phrase by dozens of hopeful, amateur economists on the airwaves. The idea of hitting bottom is … More…
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April 02, 2009 • Jeremie Kubicek
As I write this I am flying about 26,000 feet above Oklahoma on my way to Phoenix. I cracked open my Apple to begin writing and the most glorious words popped up on my personal calendar - Free Today. Sweet words aren’t they? The reality is … More…
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March 31, 2009 • Jeremie Kubicek
1. You are alive - be grateful. Breath deep and think about what an amazing creature you are. Truly. It is amazing. 2. Whatever is difficult today will not be there forever. It is a fact that problems come and go. Let them go sooner than … More…
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March 17, 2009 • Chris Ediger
When you hear ‘bottom line,’ you most often think of financial statements. That is true when you think of the bottom line as the net income after all cost of goods sold, SG&A, operating expenses, etc. Some might look at EBITDA or net profit or some … More…
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March 13, 2009 • Jeremie Kubicek
Relax. Rest. Relax to Rest. Does that make sense? I don’t know if it did to me before yesterday. You see yesterday I spent time with a good friend, but I didn’t want to spend that time. It wasn’t because of who he was, but rather … More…
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February 20, 2009 • Jeremie Kubicek
It is said that a prophet has no honor in their hometown. I have seen this to be true consistently over time. Conversely, a celebrity is almost always honored in their hometown. Isn’t that interesting? A prophet is scorned. A celebrity is celebrated. Why is this … More…
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February 18, 2009 • Jeremie Kubicek
When was the last time you laughed? I mean really laughed? I thought long and hard about this recently and realized that it had been over three months. Serious. That is crazy. You see, I grew up with a comedic mind - constantly coming up with … More…
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February 12, 2009 • Jeremie Kubicek
This morning was a fiasco. I had overslept by about 20 minutes. My youngest daughter woke up cranky, not liking her outfit, her hair and not knowing what she wanted to eat. It didn’t help that everything I was planning on wearing was dirty - literally. … More…
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January 27, 2009 • Jeremie Kubicek
Recently I was with some people who were flattering me in an obnoxious way. A few minutes later I heard their “ask” as they were trying to close a sale of their initiative. I really hate flattery. It is truly a form of manipulation. While I … More…
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January 16, 2009 • Jeremie Kubicek
You have heard it said a hundred times that the ‘Grass is greener on the other side.’ This is typically said in the case of someone’s perception of opportunity. When people become disgruntled it makes any opportunity appear much greener than where they currently are. I … More…
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January 09, 2009 • Jeremie Kubicek
Every leader has strengths that make them who they are. Every leader also has weaknesses that could potentially lead to their downfall. In the midst of our strengths there are areas of potential weaknesses. For instance, the powerful Greek warrior Achilles was mortally wounded from a … More…
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January 08, 2009 • Jeremie Kubicek
This sounds a bit preposterous when you think about it. I mean what is wrong with protecting yourself? Please hear me on this - you do nothing for yourself when you work hard to protect yourself. When you work hard to protect your job, your reputation … More…
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December 19, 2008 • Jeremie Kubicek
It is the end of the year and most of us are working around last-minute budgeting in our businesses, busy holiday calendars and clean up of either a good or a bad year. I am sure that most of us also have a heavy feeling in … More…
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November 10, 2008 • Jeremie Kubicek
I recently spent two days with a CEO friend, whom we will call Robert for this recount. His story is powerful. It is about how one man has not given up on a person that most have written off. Robert is the CEO of his family … More…
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October 24, 2008 • Jeremie Kubicek
I recently saw this headline from an Intel ad: “Leadership comes from the Inside.”It certainly makes sense when you think of microchips processing computers. Yet I thought it worthy of writing about. Here are some additional ways to say this: “Whatever comes out of a leader … More…
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October 20, 2008 • Jeremie Kubicek
To the GiANT team, this post is for you all. You are truly amazing people. Thank you for your hard work and for working with such great velocity. We have so much to be grateful for. Let me lead us in this prayer of gratefulness. “Lord, … More…
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October 10, 2008 • Jeremie Kubicek
Congratulations Catalyst team on an amazing experience this week. Thanks to every GiANT for your hard work and dedication. I am amazed at your hard work, consistent character and brilliant execution. This was an amazing event with significant impact. As each of you know, impact is … More…
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September 30, 2008 • Jeremie Kubicek
I have made the comment a hundred times - “I wish they would be more grateful.” Usually the “they” represents my kids, external family or even employees at times. What I am wanting is that others would gain a healthy perspective of what others have done … More…
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September 11, 2008 • Chris Ediger
The everyday leader is someone who understands the stewardship of time and their own emotional and spiritual tanks. It is Thursday night. The week has been generally positive, but draining. You come home completely exhausted. You decide to “Veg.” That decision means to relax, yet often … More…
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September 09, 2008 • Jeremie Kubicek
The recent news of John Edward’s moral failure has led me to start asking a few questions. I wonder what it is in man that makes us want to play with fire (temptation that is)? I mean no slander towards John Edwards. Quite frankly he is … More…
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September 04, 2008 • Jeremie Kubicek
I consistently tell my team that I will screw up as CEO and leader of our team. My intent is not to cause concern, but to be real with each other. I run hard, we move fast. We must. Decisions need to be made. Sometimes those … More…
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August 22, 2008 • Chris Ediger
I don’t think we take the time to thank people enough, especially those who have impacted us dramatically over the years. With that, I want to thank the following people for your influence in my life in many ways. The list is in order of when … More…
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August 18, 2008 • Chris Ediger
Anxiety is one of the top nemesis to a leader (and all humans for that matter). This issue can paralyze the progress of any organization. After years of working with CEO’s and business owners I have noticed that we all have a pattern for dealing with … More…
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August 07, 2008 • Jeremie Kubicek
Remember the A-Team? What a great show! At the beginning of each episode the narrator would say: “In 1972, a crack commando unit was sent to prison by a military court for a crime they didn’t commit. These men promptly escaped from a maximum security stockade … More…
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August 05, 2008 • Chris Ediger
Say “Vulnerable” five times to yourself, slowly. I must admit that I rarely say the word. As a CEO I rarely think of it. Until today. I have decided to spend time thinking about this word daily. We have been taught that the vulnerable are homeless … More…
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July 31, 2008 • Jeremie Kubicek
“It’s the Economy, Stupid.” The famous phrase used by Bill Clinton and his political machine in the early 90’s was so effective that it swayed a nation into a focus on economic growth as the key issue of the presidential elections. And the people believed. It … More…
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July 24, 2008 • Jeremie Kubicek
At least once a month I talk to an executive or senior leader who inevitably states something like the following… “If I could really do what I wanted to do I would…” or “I’m just making it through until the next big bonus” or “I’m envious … More…
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July 21, 2008 • Jeremie Kubicek
Who gives me the authority to influence someone else? What right do I have as a thirty-something man to impact and influence, say, a 55-year-old man? These questions are common in my discussion with executives entering into the influence business (those desiring to affect and impact … More…
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July 10, 2008 • Jeremie Kubicek
Monday - What is the best thing to get you moving on Mondays? I suggest it starts on Sunday night. What do you want the week to look like? Think for just a few minutes, not about work, but about how you can remain recharged. Plan … More…
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July 07, 2008 • Jeremie Kubicek
Ask yourself this question when you enter a recharge period (evenings or weekends). “How do I want to feel when I go back to work tomorrow or Monday?” Now, take a look at your past week and write down on a piece of paper or in … More…
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July 03, 2008 • Jeremie Kubicek
For most of us, weekends begin on Thursday night - in the mind, that is. The week wears us down so much so that when Thursday arrives we are looking for anything to look forward to. If you are like me you start reviewing the options. … More…
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July 02, 2008 • Jeremie Kubicek
Think of the insecure people you know… What are they like? List the over secure people in your life… How do they treat people? Now, how many secure people do you really know? Write these people down on a peace of paper. What attributes do they … More…
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June 25, 2008 • Jeremie Kubicek
I like mornings. I look forward to them. That may be weird, but I love starting the day off well. For me, I have only a few rituals. I have gotten into the routine of variety, if that makes sense. I do have a base thinking … More…
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June 18, 2008 • Jeremie Kubicek
Today, we had the privilege of hosting David Salyers from Chick-fil-A at GiANT. David spoke on a different style of leadership - serving versus being selfish. There were some powerful moments. A couple of key thoughts… “A selfish leader is money motivated first. A servant leader … More…
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June 13, 2008 • Jeremie Kubicek
My trainer is an animal. This guy is one of the most intense and passionate guys I know. He took me through another grueling workout by using cardio, light weights and ingenuity to get my heart rate up and train my mind to stretch on what … More…