Frank Thomas was inducted last weekend into the Baseball Hall of Fame, along with two others with fairly strong Chicago-area ties: Greg Maddux (Cubs) and Tony LaRussa (White Sox). Having been a former college and semi-pro pitcher, when Frank Thomas came to the White Sox, I thought he really looked like an excellent hitter. So,…
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After winning four Cy Young Awards and 355 baseball games – mostly with the Braves and Cubs – Greg Maddux was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame on Sunday. Two things were told to me about Maddux from former major league players that can be insightful for leaders. Steve Parris, a University of St.…
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Developing a system of work may be something for leaders to think about. And keeping that system simple may be the key to execution. Earlier this month, the German soccer team beat Brazil in the semi-finals of the World Cup by the unprecedented score of 7 – 1. According to former German soccer players, their…
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The above was the score of the German – Brazil match in the semi-finals of the 2014 World Cup. And, to make matters worse, in a country where soccer is a religion, the Brazilians suffered the humiliation at home. It wasn’t a loss; it was a total embarrassment in front of thousands of rabid fans…
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Guest Blog by Bonnie J. Covelli and Jeanne Washburn “Sustainability” is one of those modern day words that is often overused and abused. Every business proposal, grant opportunity, reorganization plan contains the word sustainable. After all, why would you make a change or receive funding if you cannot prove sustainability? Despite the word’s bad reputation,…
DetailsFormer Pittsburgh Steeler coach, Chuck Noll, passed away June 13, 2014. He certainly was a leader. When he accepted the Steeler head coaching position in 1969, they were the worst franchise in the NFL. In the previous 34 seasons, they had no championships and only a single playoff appearance. In his first year they won…
DetailsI was at the sixth game of the Bulls/Pistons series in Chicago’s United Center. I’ll never forget Michael Jordan’s performance at the game’s end. In the Bulls last eight possessions of the game, he scored on seven of them and had an assist on one. The intensity in the arena was incredible. The Pistons were…
DetailsJohn Wayne made the movie but my dear friend, Dr. Gene Curran, lived it. “The quiet man who spoke so loudly.” This was the refrain used by the homilist for Gene during his eulogy. Gene never spoke about all he did for others; he just did it and did it regularly. He was a local…
DetailsPerhaps the most relevant word to describe the Spurs winning the 2014 NBA championship is “humility.” John Wooden used to say, “Give all the credit away.” You are the leader. Everyone knows you are the leader. The endeavor was successful. Why do you need the credit? I think humility and credit go hand-in-hand. When the…
DetailsKen Babcock wrote, “You can tell the value of a man by the way he treats someone who can do nothing for him.” This quote made me think of the San Antonio Spurs coach, Gregg Popovich. When the Nike Basketball Clinics would come to Chicago, our team at the University of St. Francis would demonstrate…
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