The Hash Browns That Saved Christmas

The Hash Browns That Saved Christmas

The only place worse to be than Times Square on New Year’s Eve, is Christmas Eve at the Dickson, TN Walmart.  And here I am. It’s about 7:30 pm on Christmas Eve, 2014 and the store is absolutely packed.  I’m waiting in a long checkout line holding a frozen bag of...
The Best and Worst Christmas of All Time

The Best and Worst Christmas of All Time

It’s 6:00 AM in early 1987 and I’m getting dressed for work.  I’ve just come back from 45 days of Christmas leave and it’s my first day back on the job. Except that my uniform no longer fits. Now I’m in trouble. Christmas, 1986 was one for the ages.  My first wife and...
Knowledge + Experience = Wisdom

Knowledge + Experience = Wisdom

“Mr. Munro,” the receptionist says, startling me out of my mental preparation. “He’s ready for you.” I stand up and follow her into a large office.  It’s game time. It’s December 22, 1998, and I’m interviewing for my first post-Navy job. It’s for a leadership...
Life Lessons Learned from a Job at Ralphs

Life Lessons Learned from a Job at Ralphs

It’s 3:50 AM, and I’m standing outside the Ralphs grocery store on 17th Street in Santa Ana, CA. My first day on the job. A month or so ago, my mom came home from grocery shopping at that same Ralphs and discovered she had been undercharged a few dollars. She...
Why We Need an INNER CIRCLE

Why We Need an INNER CIRCLE

It’s 9:00 AM and I’m at the bottom of the steps to the second floor in my mom’s apartment complex in Clarksville, TN.  It’s a Friday, any Friday, since I’ve had Lisa block the calendar to keep this day open so I can check in on my mom. Mom lives by herself as she has...
Don’t Trip Over Your Ego

Don’t Trip Over Your Ego

It’s 9:50 AM and I’m getting a little nervous. I’m wrapping up my one-hour breakout session on How to Fix a Poor Performer and Turn Them into a Superstar at the 2016 HR Florida conference in Orlando. This session is based on my most recent book and as soon as my...