Leaders know that while we are only young once, immaturity can last a lifetime. Leaders can see maturity in the young and immaturity in the old—and understand the implications of both. ─ Ken Chapman ─ Ken Chapman & Associates, Inc.

It is often said that wisdom comes with age. It has been my observation that age sometimes comes alone. Not everyone grows up on the preferred timetable. An employee can be old (as in wise) when young. An employee can be young (as in immature) when old. Take the time to consider the ideas of your youngest employees. When necessary, do not hesitate to mentor the employee who is older than you. ─ Ken Chapman ─ Ken Chapman & Associates, Inc.

As temperatures rise, so do tempers. Leaders know the value of a “time out” — they take time outs and encourage their team to do the same. A cooling off period can provide relief from the weather and stress. This simple strategy — along with hydration — helps everyone keep their cool. ─ Christy Beem ─ Ken Chapman & Associates, Inc.

Did someone in your past make a lasting impression on you? Is there someone who mentored you or invested in your success by sharing helpful feedback? If so, have you taken the time to thank them for the meaningful role they played? Consider this leadership challenge: Write a note today to someone who was influential in your success. An email or text does not qualify. It should be a hand-written note mailed the old-fashioned way. Leaders value relationships. They know relationships whether personal or professional make all the difference in a life well lived. ─ Deb Miller ─ Ken Chapman & Associates, Inc.

Charlie Chaplin once lost a Charlie Chaplin look-alike contest. He failed to make even the top three. Leaders know the obvious is not always obvious. Leaders compensate by asking at least a question or two about their own assumptions. ─ Ken Chapman

Marvin Pipkin was a legendary engineer at General Electric. When he first got started at GE, a few of the other engineers decided to play a joke on him. They gave Pipkin this assignment: Figure out a way to “frost” electric light bulbs from the inside. To the other engineers, this was an impossible task. They watched with amusement as Pipkin set about trying to accomplish the task. Not knowing that the task was supposed to be impossible, Pipkin went right to work. Pipkin not only figured out a way to frost bulbs from the inside, but also came up with a way to give the bulbs added strength — all in a single step! Leaders know the value of a “fresh set of eyes” on an old issue. ─Ken Chapman─ KC&A

By Ken Chapman Ken Chapman & Associates, Inc. Almost inevitably, one or more of the people who report to you will act in an unacceptable way. An hourly worker is repeatedly late; a service rep blows up at a customer; a manager makes an inappropriate comment to a report. Occasionally, such actions are so egregious that the offending employee must be summarily terminated. Far more often, though, the faulty behavior doesn’t call for such an extreme step, but it is up to the leader to take appropriate corrective action. The first thing to be clear about here is what you want to achieve. Should the goal of company disciplinary policies be to punish, to mete out some form of justice? Or instead should it be to propel employees toward better behavior? Consider that the words “discipline” and “disciple” share an etymological root focused on teaching or molding. As opposed to…

A leader values diversity and knows that each person has a unique life lens full of experience including joy, sorrow, accomplishment, failure, inspiring mentors, and harmful foes. A leader understands that each idea brought to the table pushes the team towards that one superior idea. Diversity in the team introduces new ideas, new perspectives, and new energy. ─Christy Beem─ Ken Chapman & Associates, Inc.

Carly Fiorina, the first female to assume leadership of a Fortune 100 Company, notes personal accountability as important to her success. She quickly became an influential leader due to her belief that we are “Always on Stage.” Fiorina leads by example. ─ Christy Beem ─ Ken Chapman & Associates, Inc.

Upon hearing of his reported death, Mark Twain famously commented: Rumors of my demise are greatly exaggerated. Leaders’ know that “saying it’s so, don’t make it so!” An opinion can be as unqualified as a rumor. And, an opinion can carry the gravitas of knowledge, experience and wisdom. Leaders’ know the difference. ─Ken Chapman ─ Ken Chapman & Associates, Inc.