tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-55053897292897305452011-07-08T05:55:38.510-04:00This Blog is dedicated to all those who have the courage to lead. Leadership is not reserved for top executives or those with formal authority, leadership is the art and process of serving others. All post on this site will reflect our personal belief and strong commitment to the principles of Servant Leadership.Rick Piercehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15449493753698769732noreply@blogger.comBlogger501100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5505389729289730545.post-18358263671148445742009-10-05T05:33:00.002-04:002009-10-05T05:40:08.815-04:00

"If you could attain to what you are not yet, you must always be displeased by what you are. For where you are pleased with yourself there you have remained. Keep adding, keep walking, keep advancing." -- Saint AugustineChallenge:What aspects of your life are you most pleased with? What aspects are you most displeased with?Both aspects need to be evaluated for possible growth/change.What is it

Rick Piercehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15449493753698769732noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5505389729289730545.post-50077785026824301792009-08-03T07:00:00.004-04:002009-08-03T07:11:36.455-04:00

"Nearly all men can stand adversity, but if you want to test a man's character, give him power." -- Abraham LincolnChallenge:What are the biggest challenges you face when placed in a leadership or supervisory position?How have you dealt with the pressures that come along with leadership?As Servant Leaders, we must be continuously asking ourselves how are we doing as leaders/supervisors? We need

Rick Piercehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15449493753698769732noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5505389729289730545.post-24740557541826871592009-07-13T06:04:00.002-04:002009-07-13T06:25:10.102-04:00

"When we are no longer able to change a situation, we are challenged to change ourselves." -- Victor FranklChallenge:What are some of the biggests challenges you have in dealing with your staff or employees?Have you been honest in your evaluation fo the situation?What role, if any, did you play in creating the situation?What roles, if any, are you currently playing in maintaining the situation?

Rick Piercehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15449493753698769732noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5505389729289730545.post-6603365753235664262009-06-29T00:04:00.001-04:002009-06-29T00:06:02.467-04:00

"In matters of style, swim with the current; In matters of principle, stand like a rock." -- Thomas JeffersonChallenge:Experience has taught us that at times, both values and needs come into conflict. For example, Jim and I believe that FAMILY is an extremely important value and have included it in our statement of shared values. However, we also believe that CUSTOMER SERVICE is an extremely

Rick Piercehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15449493753698769732noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5505389729289730545.post-24431131475063967432009-06-22T07:57:00.001-04:002009-06-22T07:59:29.988-04:00

"In times of rapid change, experience could be your worst enemy." -- Jean Paul GettyChallenge:Walk into almost any business today and one thing will become immediately apparent … the great diversity of today’s workforce. One aspect of this diversity is the generational differences among today’s workers. According to most experts, for the first time in history, we are seeing members of four

Rick Piercehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15449493753698769732noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5505389729289730545.post-92145042604646008962009-06-09T09:27:00.002-04:002009-06-09T09:30:43.254-04:00

What lies behind us, and what lies before us are small matters compared to what lies within us. -- Ralph Waldo EmersonChallenge:As servant leaders, we must be continuously asking ourselves how we are doing as a leader/supervisor. We need to ask ourselves how we can be better at what we do. We need to identify what changes we need to make in order to better serve both our staff and our

Rick Piercehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15449493753698769732noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5505389729289730545.post-33493590245119601132009-05-26T11:40:00.003-04:002009-05-26T11:43:44.517-04:00

Doubt is not a pleasant condition, but certainty is absurd. -- VoltaireChallenge:As servant leaders, we must be continuously asking ourselves how we are doing as a leader/supervisor. We need to ask ourselves how we can be better at what we do. We need to identify what changes we need to make in order to better serve both our staff and our organization. At Rising Sun, we like to ask ourselves: “

Rick Piercehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15449493753698769732noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5505389729289730545.post-49473714793785553602009-05-11T17:41:00.000-04:002009-05-11T17:42:56.228-04:00

Managers are people who do things right, while leaders are people who do the right thing. -- Warren BennisChallenge:You probably see it every day, but when was the last time that you actually read your organization’s mission statement and reflected on each word? When was the last time you read your organization’s vision statement or statement of shared values? How well do you know what your

Rick Piercehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15449493753698769732noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5505389729289730545.post-12480924877124216032009-04-20T05:22:00.002-04:002009-04-20T05:25:34.697-04:00

Remember there's no such thing as a small act of kindness. Every act creates a ripple with no logical end. -- Scott AdamsUnfortunately, many leaders today still do not understand that in order to be successful, in order to inspire and motivate people, it takes more than telling them what to do and giving them a paycheck. The days of employees being grateful to their bosses because they were given

Rick Piercehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15449493753698769732noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5505389729289730545.post-23782049195719934792009-04-13T04:49:00.000-04:002009-04-13T04:51:09.755-04:00

For many people a job is more than an income – it's an important part of who we are. So a career transition of any sort is one of the most unsettling experiences you can face in your life. -- Paul ClitheroeLike all transitions, career transitions, or even the fear of career transitions, must be faced and experienced as a form of personal loss. Challenge:How is the economy affecting either you or

Rick Piercehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15449493753698769732noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5505389729289730545.post-13001177553236930892009-04-06T18:54:00.001-04:002009-04-06T18:56:33.272-04:00

If we all did the things we are capable of doing, we would literally astound ourselves. -- Thomas EdisonChallenge:When is the last time you challenged yourself to do something new or difficult? What is the one thing that has been on your to-do-list that you have been avoiding doing?Pick just one thing that you have either been wanting to do or have been avoiding doing and JUST DO IT!! Do you

Rick Piercehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15449493753698769732noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5505389729289730545.post-10555522807459496292009-03-23T08:17:00.001-04:002009-03-23T08:18:28.500-04:00

The only limit to our realization of tomorrow will be our doubts of today. -- Franklin D. RooseveltWhat is holding you back? Are you more afraid of today or tomorrow? Challenge:These are definitely challenging times … however, will you choose the see the glass as half full and build a stronger tomorrow … or will you choose to see the glass as half empty and be too afraid to make a move?

Rick Piercehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15449493753698769732noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5505389729289730545.post-11000999365450372242009-03-16T05:51:00.001-04:002009-03-16T05:53:29.619-04:00

"Not everything that is faced can be changed. But nothing can be changed until it is faced." -- James BaldwinIn this time of economic crisis it is easy to bury your head in the sand and pretend that things aren’t so bad. Maybe things are not for you – but look around you, many people you know are suffering. Maybe you’re surviving, but at what cost to your friends, family and employees?This is a

Rick Piercehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15449493753698769732noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5505389729289730545.post-23733313340201285332009-03-09T07:48:00.000-04:002009-03-09T07:49:26.758-04:00

“If you would attain to what you are not yet, you must always be displeased by what you are. For where you are pleased with yourself there you have remained. Keep adding, keep walking, keep advancing.” -- Saint AugustineAs servant leaders, we must be continuously asking ourselves how we are doing as a supervisor. We need to ask ourselves how we can be better at what we do. We need to identify

Rick Piercehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15449493753698769732noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5505389729289730545.post-85983379918842665912009-03-02T12:48:00.000-05:002009-03-02T12:50:06.921-05:00

“Destiny is no matter of chance. It is a matter of choice. It is not a thing to be waited for, it is a thing to be achieved.” -- William Jennings BryanAccording to Rising Sun’s 10 Keys of Effective Supervision™, effective supervisors encourage employees to both learn from and be challenged by their work. This can be accomplished by helping to create a “learning community” and by helping

Rick Piercehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15449493753698769732noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5505389729289730545.post-78034148247330164072009-02-24T07:54:00.000-05:002009-02-24T07:55:32.248-05:00

“If we want to produce people who share the values of a democratic culture, they must be taught those values and not be left to acquire them by chance.” -- Cal ThomasYou probably see it every day, but when was the last time that you actually read your organization’s mission statement and reflected on each word? When was the last time you read your organization’s vision statement or statement of

Rick Piercehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15449493753698769732noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5505389729289730545.post-89656179047133556052009-02-16T17:23:00.001-05:002009-02-16T17:25:50.663-05:00

“Because things are the way they are, things will not stay the way they are.” -- Bertold BrechtOne of the most challenging issues in organizations and business today is change. Some people love it and others hate it. But one thing is for sure, change takes time. We either make change happen so quickly that people don’t have time to get on board and make it happen effectively or we’re not given

Rick Piercehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15449493753698769732noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5505389729289730545.post-58775774486653684182009-02-02T15:35:00.000-05:002009-02-02T15:36:01.835-05:00

“Self-esteem is a huge piece of my work. You have to believe it's possible and believe in yourself. Because after you've decided what you want, you have to believe it's possible, and possible for you, not just for other people. Then you need to seek out models, mentors, and coaches.” -- Jack CanfieldDo you believe you are capable of being the best at what you do? Do you evaluate yourself on a

Rick Piercehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15449493753698769732noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5505389729289730545.post-78481996338774491912009-01-12T01:02:00.002-05:002009-02-02T15:37:10.262-05:00

“Learning is an active process. We learn by doing. Only knowledge that is used sticks in your mind.” -- Dale CarnegieWhen is the last time you “got out on the floor” and worked side by side with your employees?Do you evaluate your employees from your comfortable chair in the head office, or do you have the hands on knowledge to evaluate them for the work they are actually doing?Do you ever hear

Rick Piercehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15449493753698769732noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5505389729289730545.post-72290339348584786072009-01-05T22:31:00.002-05:002009-02-02T15:37:31.889-05:00

“Part of the issue of achievement is to be able to set realistic goals, but that's one of the hardest things to do because you don't always know exactly where you're going, and you shouldn't.” -- George LucasWriting down your Goals is an important first step towards achieving them. First, because by writing them down it forces you visualize your Goals. And second, because the act of writing them

Rick Piercehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15449493753698769732noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5505389729289730545.post-85956790057354343492008-12-29T11:40:00.000-05:002008-12-29T11:42:02.862-05:00

“If you think you can, you can. And if you think you can't, you're right.” -- Henry FordVisualization and repeating affirmations are important stepping stones to achieving success. When you visualize and affirm you focus and channel your energies toward your goals, your mind becomes focused on finding solutions to bring your goals to life. When you visualize and affirm your goals or write them

Rick Piercehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15449493753698769732noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5505389729289730545.post-89576983096956433992008-12-22T08:07:00.000-05:002008-12-22T08:08:35.812-05:00

“The greatest problem in communication is the illusion that it has been accomplished.” -- George Bernard ShawThink back to a time when an important decision needed to be made in the workplace. What was your reaction? Did you make the decision on your own or did you seek the advice of others that report to you? If it was a group effort, was this the norm in your decision making process? If

Rick Piercehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15449493753698769732noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5505389729289730545.post-53896821897242300652008-12-15T12:12:00.000-05:002008-12-15T12:13:46.730-05:00

“In order to have a winner, the team must have a feeling of unity; every player must put the team first – ahead of personal glory.” -- Paul Bear BryantIn addition to building a positive relationship between you and your employees, we believe that cultivating positive relationships between and among employees is one of the most important, yet challenging goals facing today’s leaders. Building a

Rick Piercehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15449493753698769732noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5505389729289730545.post-36435898072559662802008-12-08T05:28:00.002-05:002008-12-08T05:29:54.094-05:00

“A successful life is one that is lived through understanding and pursuing one's own path, not chasing after the dreams of others.” -- Chin-Ning ChuAs a servant leader, you probably already have an idea of what your strengths are, as well as growth areas. For some leaders, creative visioning may be a stretch and, therefore, they chose to stick to the duties at hand. Other leaders would rather

Rick Piercehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15449493753698769732noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5505389729289730545.post-60004672071635541982008-12-01T12:29:00.000-05:002008-12-01T12:30:45.885-05:00

“I remind myself every morning: Nothing I say this day will teach me anything. So if I'm going to learn, I must do it by listening.” -- Larry KingEffective supervisors are proactive in their pursuit of employee feedback. They know and believe that their employees are an important source of information about how to do a job and how to do it better. They do not wait for their employees to come to

Rick Piercehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15449493753698769732noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5505389729289730545.post-55507061397022634822008-11-25T12:07:00.000-05:002008-11-25T12:08:07.144-05:00

“The three great essentials to achieve anything worth while are, first, hard work; second, stick-to-itiveness; third, common sense.” -- Thomas EdisonFor us, the fourth great essential is finding time to spend with family and friends …We wish everyone a Happy Thanksgiving ….

Rick Piercehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15449493753698769732noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5505389729289730545.post-42619058018413112532008-11-17T07:12:00.000-05:002008-11-17T07:15:43.322-05:00

“The resentment that criticism engenders can demoralize employees, family members and friends, and still not correct the situation that has been condemned.” -- Dale CarnegieAs the old saying goes, “You can catch more flies with honey than you can with vinegar.” In other words, you will get far more from your employees by catching them doing what’s right, rather than catching them doing what’s

Rick Piercehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15449493753698769732noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5505389729289730545.post-90551692027721420942008-11-10T00:43:00.001-05:002008-11-10T00:44:41.301-05:00

“If there is any great secret of success in life, it lies in the ability to put yourself in the other person’s place and to see things from his point of view – as well as your own.” -- Henry FordThe point to be made here is that the way in which we listen to others, listen to their thoughts, their feelings and their needs is crucial in creating a workplace community where people feel valued. The

Rick Piercehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15449493753698769732noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5505389729289730545.post-27731227935715973422008-11-03T20:10:00.000-05:002008-11-03T20:12:04.268-05:00

“On a personal level, everyone must answer the following question: What is my highest aspiration? The answer might be wealth, fame, knowledge, popularity, or integrity. But if integrity is secondary to any of the alternatives, it will be sacrificed in situations in which a choice must be made. Such situations will inevitably occur in every person's life.” -- Murphy SmithWhat are your values?How

Rick Piercehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15449493753698769732noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5505389729289730545.post-17014607046621949202008-10-27T06:05:00.000-04:002008-10-27T06:06:20.047-04:00

“You must elevate the growth and development of people from a ‘means’ to an ‘end’ goal of equal importance to the product or service mission of the organization. Servant leadership requires a level of intimacy with the needs and aspirations of the people being led that might be beyond the level of intimacy an ego-driven leader is willing to sustain.” - Ken BlanchardNothing is more important to

Rick Piercehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15449493753698769732noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5505389729289730545.post-27402397621576339182008-10-20T07:17:00.000-04:002008-10-20T07:18:55.473-04:00

"A genuine leader is not a searcher for consensus but a molder of consensus." - Martin Luther King, Jr.Like all great Servant Leaders, King knew the value of the art of gentle persuasion. This concept sets servant leadership apart from past leadership styles in the fact that instead of dictating to staff members the decisions that are made, buy-in is obtained by the leader setting the stage

Rick Piercehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15449493753698769732noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5505389729289730545.post-81866514343983556572008-10-13T11:25:00.003-04:002008-10-13T11:38:26.630-04:00

"The best executive is the one who has sense enough to pick good men to do what he wants done, and self-restraint to keep from meddling with them while they do it." - Theodore RooseveltHow well do you know those you lead? You are probably surrounded with an abundance of talented individuals, unique to your workplace, whose expertise possibly has gone virtually untouched. According to the

Rick Piercehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15449493753698769732noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5505389729289730545.post-57095293747232465712008-10-06T06:44:00.004-04:002008-10-13T11:26:58.328-04:00

Hello Everyone ...We apologize for length of time we have not been adding to this Blog ... but we are back.Since we have been gone for a while, we thought it might be a good idea to repeat our original Thought of the Week ..."Leaders are made, not born. You learn to become a leader by doing what other excellent leaders have done before you. You become proficient in your job or skill, and then you

Rick Piercehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15449493753698769732noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5505389729289730545.post-79463566916375238812008-06-16T06:01:00.002-04:002008-06-16T06:06:18.738-04:00

“Outstanding leaders go out of their way to boost the self-esteem of their personnel. If people believe in themselves, it's amazing what they can accomplish.” -- Sam WaltonAs the old saying goes, “You can catch more flies with honey than you can with vinegar.” In other words, you will get far more from your employees by catching them doing what’s right, rather than catching them doing what’s

Rick Piercehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15449493753698769732noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5505389729289730545.post-61301445694896203182008-06-09T14:53:00.005-04:002008-06-09T14:59:13.687-04:00

Conformity is the jailer of freedom and the enemy of growth. -- John F. KennedyIf you’ve hired someone for a particular job, you must have believed they were capable of doing that job. So why not get out of the way and let them do it? You hired them because you believed they were going to do the job, and you need to maintain that belief and treat them as such. The day that you believe that they

Rick Piercehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15449493753698769732noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5505389729289730545.post-20781180991690032562008-06-02T06:28:00.002-04:002008-06-02T17:35:41.777-04:00

It has become dramatically clear that the foundation of corporate integrity is personal integrity. --Sam DiPiazzaWe all have a set of values and beliefs that drive and motivate our actions. Values are at theart of all great organizations. They define what we stand for, what we believe in and what people can expect from us.Everything we do in life is based on what we think, feel, and believe.

Rick Piercehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15449493753698769732noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5505389729289730545.post-67697128751484000712008-05-26T17:04:00.004-04:002008-05-26T17:22:57.103-04:00

Effective teamwork is all about making a good, well-balanced salad not whipping individuals into a single batch of V8. -- Sandra RichardsonComing from a Servant Leadership perspective, we believe that cultivating positive relationships between and among employees is one of the most important, yet challenging goals facing today’s leaders. Building a successful organization depends on the ability

Rick Piercehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15449493753698769732noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5505389729289730545.post-38009135316737829132008-05-19T08:37:00.002-04:002008-05-19T08:52:44.645-04:00

If you want to build a ship, then don't drum up men to gather wood, give orders, and divide the work. Rather, teach them to yearn for the far and endless sea. - Antoine de Saint-ExuperyLat week we shared some initial thoughts on training and professional development. Here are a few more ...Nothing is more important to the success of an organization than the quality or professionalism

Rick Piercehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15449493753698769732noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5505389729289730545.post-34891629057493679532008-05-12T06:30:00.003-04:002008-05-19T08:37:19.045-04:00

Of all the things that can have an effect on your future, I believe personal growth is the greatest. We can talk about sales growth, profit growth, asset growth, but all of this probably will not happen without personal growth. - Jim RohnOne of our associates, Lynn Lehman, wrote a white paper in which she stated that in every organization, people have to learn how to do their jobs. People are

Rick Piercehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15449493753698769732noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5505389729289730545.post-62720669879431400592008-05-05T00:04:00.000-04:002008-05-05T00:05:38.265-04:00

"If you don’t understand that you work for your mislabeled subordinates, then you know nothing of leadership. You know only tyranny." - Dee HockAs we have stated many times, the world of the 21st Century leader is a very different world than that in which many of us grew and developed into our leadership roles. According to most experts, for the first time in history, we are seeing members of

Rick Piercehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15449493753698769732noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5505389729289730545.post-83497389612923974792008-04-28T07:13:00.001-04:002008-04-28T07:14:45.625-04:00

"The true leader serves. Serves people. Serves their best interests, and in doing so will not always be popular, may not always impress. But because true leaders are motivated more by loving concern than a desire for personal glory, they are willing to pay the price." - Eugene B. HabeckerOver the past four decades, a “quiet revolution has been taking place in workplaces around the world” (Spears,

Rick Piercehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15449493753698769732noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5505389729289730545.post-24156154072778734122008-04-21T02:12:00.000-04:002008-04-21T02:13:04.799-04:00

"Teamwork is the ability to work together toward a common vision. The ability to direct individual accomplishments toward organizational objectives. It is the fuel that allows common people to attain uncommon results." - Andrew CarnegieAs we have stated many times in previous posts, the heart of Servant Leadership is an emphasis on others first, above or beyond self. In other words, it is the

Rick Piercehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15449493753698769732noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5505389729289730545.post-25010586071456567132008-04-14T07:26:00.001-04:002008-04-14T07:29:00.461-04:00

"The key to successful leadership today is influence, not authority." - Ken BlanchardIn our original post, we made the statement that: "More and more leaders today still do not understand that in order to be successful, in order to inspire and motivate people, it takes more than being told what to do and given a paycheck. It is simply no longer acceptable to lead through negative manipulation,

Rick Piercehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15449493753698769732noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5505389729289730545.post-493528188937498422008-04-07T06:26:00.003-04:002008-04-07T09:54:54.093-04:00

"The manager asks how and when; the leader asks what and why." - Warren BennisOne would think that the question: “What’s the difference between a manager and a leader?” would have a simple answer. However, the reality is that there is a great deal of confusion and disagreement about the differences between a manager and a leader. The quote cited above would suggest that a leader is a visionary

Rick Piercehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15449493753698769732noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5505389729289730545.post-77801666645415722192008-03-31T13:32:00.003-04:002008-04-07T06:30:53.748-04:00

"The first responsibility of a leader is to define reality. The last is to say thank you. In between, the leader is a servant." - Max DePreeMany of the leaders we talk to and work with are apprehensive about the concept of Servant Leadership. Actually, it is not the "concept" of Servant Leadership that they are uncomfortable about, it is the implementation.We believe that one of the hardest

Rick Piercehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15449493753698769732noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5505389729289730545.post-2110310764782545292008-03-24T02:54:00.004-04:002008-04-07T06:30:26.901-04:00

“Seek First to Understand, Then to be Understood.” – Stephen CoveyWe have often heard that effective communication is a critical skill needed for success. Whether we are leading, supervising, teaching, selling or any other job, communication skills are important.We believe, however, that there is an even more important skill ... the skill of silence.Are you willing to simply listen? How much more

Rick Piercehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15449493753698769732noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5505389729289730545.post-73198163746155260492008-03-20T18:11:00.007-04:002008-03-20T20:04:36.745-04:00

In discussing the topic of “Leading the "Shift" in International Education: Managing Change and Transition,” the first question which needs to be answered is: “What is Internal Education”? Not as easy a question to answer as it might seem. In fact, it seems the more I research the field of International Education, the more definitions I seem to fine. However, for our purposes, I will simply

Rick Piercehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15449493753698769732noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5505389729289730545.post-71419820746250761482008-03-18T18:32:00.004-04:002008-03-18T18:37:59.933-04:00

One of the most exciting things which has happened to us as a business this past year is that we have the good fortune to be working with a very exciting new international secondary school (Hsinchu International School) located in Hsinchu, Taiwan. This has been a very rewarding experience which has resulted in the decision that one member of our team (Rick Pierce) will be spending the current

Rick Piercehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15449493753698769732noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5505389729289730545.post-81490247722161933732008-03-14T19:27:00.008-04:002008-03-17T21:09:25.383-04:00

"Leaders are made, not born. You learn to become a leader by doing what other excellent leaders have done before you. You become proficient in your job or skill, and then you become proficient at understanding the motivations and behaviors of other people." - Brian TracyThere is an old saying that suggests "when a mind opens, a teacher will appear." It is our hope and desire that this Blog can

Rick Piercehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15449493753698769732noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5505389729289730545.post-3440079505594627972008-03-13T00:14:00.012-04:002008-03-14T21:50:54.579-04:00

I wasn’t quite sure what I was doing there. I knew that the C.E.O. felt that “things just weren’t going right” within his organization, but it was difficult to pin him down on exactly what that meant. However, while sitting at lunch later that day in the XYZ Corporation cafeteria, I overheard the following conversation: (John) “No one understands me. They don’t know what I am capable of doing for

Rick Piercehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15449493753698769732noreply@blogger.com2