Leaders know courage is not the absence of fear. Courage is the judgment that something is more important than fear. ─ Ken Chapman ─ KC&A

In spite of the best possible plans, leaders are often faced with outcomes they couldn’t have predicted and do not desire. At those moments, they embrace flexibility and adaptability. Disappointments and setbacks are inevitable. A leader knows a bend in the road is never the end of the road unless you fail to navigate the curve. ─ Deb Miller ─ Ken Chapman & Associates, Inc

Leaders know and live trust: Do what is right. Deliver what is promised. Be the same person, whatever the circumstances. Be Accountable. Leaders build trust by being trust. ─ Ken Chapman ─ Ken Chapman & Associates, Inc.

By Beth Lanier Ken Chapman & Associates, Inc. Layoffs, job cuts, downsizing or rightsizing: no matter how you phrase it – or how necessary it may be – letting people go is difficult and disheartening. Living through a severance process is hard; leading others through one may well be the biggest challenge of a leader’s career. There are savings to target, costs to lower and staff levels to reach. Employees worry about their futures and their co-workers, while managers (though worried as well) shoulder the additional burden of making the hard decisions that affect both. Employee confidence is shaken on many levels: belief in their own abilities, belief in management and belief in the stability of the company as a whole. Even the best employees in the organization begin searching elsewhere ” just in case.” The only thing becoming more productive in the near-term is the rumor mill. Companies going…

During the Great Depression of the 1930’s, the US. Soil Conservation Service paid Southern farmers to plant a little known Japanese vine called kudzu. It was intended for erosion control. It does control erosion; it, in fact, controls everything it grows over. The runaway vine now dominates over 7 million acres of former farmland that is no longer useable for row crops or forestland. A wise leader makes decisions conscious of likely impacts, knowing effects matter far more than good intentions alone. ─ Derek Conrad Brown ─ Ken Chapman & Associates, Inc

An optimist stays up until midnight to see the New Year in. A pessimist stays up until midnight to make sure the old year leaves. Leaders do neither. Leaders are realists. The past was what it was, the present is what it is, and future will be largely what we make it. ─Ken Chapman, Ph.D.

Leaders master the art of patience. Impatience breeds fear, discouragement, and failure. Leaders know patience creates confidence, decisiveness, and a rational outlook, which given time, leads to success. ─ Ken Chapman ─ Ken Chapman & Associates, Inc.

A local restaurant I frequent has a “Suggestion Box” hanging on a wall. Interestingly, it is made from Plexiglas, so I am able to see into the box. I am certain the same two pieces of folded paper have been in the box at least six months. Every time I see the box, it compels me to reflect on how often I ask for feedback or suggestions yet give the impression that I really do not want input from others. Effective leaders constantly ask for feedback and behave in a way that demonstrates sincerity in wanting the feedback. ─ Christy Beem ─ Ken Chapman & Associates, Inc.

Buddy McClinton, 2017 College Football Hall of Fame nominee, offers one of the keys to a successful team: “You’re only as good as the person beside you.” It’s not enough to be your best. You have to help your team members be the best they can be. Your success as well as theirs depends on it. ─ Deb Miller

Leaders help others become their best by helping others see themselves as the best. The words of those we respect make a difference in the way we see ourselves. Leaders know a well-intentioned person will improve quicker through praise than criticism. Words have weight. Leaders use words to grow not crush an employee. Beth Lanier