What is a ReLeader? Jon Chasteen is Jim Piper's guest today and author of the book, "ReLeader: How To Fix What You Didn't Break".  In this podcast Jon defines the term "ReLeader" and also shares his thoughts on leadership in general.  A quick explanation of a ReLeader is someone who comes into an existing company or organization to assume the leadership role.  That may sound easier than building something new from the ground up but is it?  To be a successful ReLeader requires a willingness to research the original vision and mission.  If things have drifted away from that vision or mission, how do you correct that, should you correct that, should you steer the ship in a new direction?  Most importantly, once you know what should be done, when do you do it and how do you do it?  Was the previous leader a great leader or a terrible leader?  How will you gain the trust of the people you are tasked with leading?  Hmmm.... maybe this ReLeader thing isn't so easy!This episode of The Today Counts is really packed with information and advice that leaders can put to good use in the real world.  The scenarios Jim and Jon discuss are based on their personal experiences and those of their mentors.  These are not hypothetical theories, these are stories based on living life as leaders.  The best part is it's free!  All you have to do is listen and learn.Jon Chasteen has been the Lead Pastor of Victory Church, a multicampus church with campuses in both Oklahoma and Texas, since 2014.  Jon was also President of The King's University from 2018 to 2023.  You can reach Jon Chasteen through the Victory Church website - https://victory.church/Or, through his website - releader.coYou can find Jon's Book, "ReLeader: How To Fix What You Didn't Break" on Amazon, as well as his other book, "Half the Battle: Healing Your Hidden Hurts".Join the Lead Today Community and get our Monday Moments email!Support the show

Jim's guest on this episode of the Today Counts Show is Damon Nailer.  Damon is the Family Resource Center Program Director for the Children’s Coalition for Northeast Louisiana.  The organization is located in Monroe, Louisiana and offers many community services ranging from Early Head Start programs and teacher training to Parenting Education for individuals and groups. Damon works with families that have lost custody of their child, or children, and connects them with the resources they need to work towards putting their families back together.  This may involve first helping a parent get through a substance abuse program or providing mental healthcare services.  Most importantly, Damon teaches and coaches these parents, especially fathers, about parenting.  Unfortunately, many of these parents grew up in broken families so they did not have a model to reference the role of a parent in a child's life.  Damon also grew up in a fatherless home.  That is what drives him to educate and break the cycle of broken families.  It is important work.Jim and Damon also take on the topic of communication.  Damon shares a great, common sense tip on communicating with people.  "Commonalities connect but differences divide".  Work on training yourself to first look for things you have in common with someone instead of what is different.  It is a simple concept but one that could really change how you approach communication. Jim and Damon spend a lot of time on communication and how decisions concerning how much information to share can affect person communication, business communication and even media communication.  Media communication and the public trust, or the lack thereof, sparks a whole discussion in itself!You can find Damon Nailer on LinkedIn at: https://www.linkedin.com/in/damon-nailer-78932b17Find out more about Children’s Coalition for Northeast Louisiana and how you can support their mission at:  https://www.childrenscoalition.org/ Join the Lead Today Community and get our Monday Moments email!Support the show

Angie Taylor started what would become Valor Global Foundation by holding what she thought would be a small meeting with about 10 parents to talk about her vision of a new model for educating our children.  It turned into a meeting with about 300 people, many of whom paid deposits that night to enroll their children in a school that did not exist yet!  That is the power of laying out a clear vision and the way forward to achieve that vision.  Valor Global Foundation now has several brick and mortar schools in the US, several international campus locations and an online school.Jim and Angie spend an hour or so talking about Angie's background and experience, the things that are wrong with the current education model and what motivated her to leave her job and start the foundation.  She explains how the Standardized Testing Industry and the emphasis on test scores is driving a system that is not teaching our children to think, or to be creative, or to understand the connection between what they are learning and how it applies to the real world.  Angie knew there was a better way.  There is so much information presented in this podcast that these show notes could become a text book!  But who wants to read pages of notes when you can get the information straight from the source.Speaking of books, Angie Taylor has written a book titled, "The Way of Valor" that's all about the new movement in education.  Most agree the current system is broken.  This book lays out a new way forward that better educates and prepares children for the real world and life as a productive, responsible adult. The book is available on Amazon.You can reach Angie Taylor on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/angie-taylor-7a213712aor through the Valor Global Foundation website: https://valorglobalfoundation.org/Join the Lead Today Community and get our Monday Moments email!Support the show

Jim's guest on this episode of the Today Counts Show is Ken Cochrum.  Ken is the Executive Vice President of Field Ministries at East-West.  The first words you see on the EastWest.org homepage are,  "Shining God's light into the spiritually darkest places of the world".  The mission of East-West is to mobilize the Body of Christ to evangelize the lost and equip local believers to multiply disciples and churches among the unreached.  East-West deploys teams of missionaries and works with national partners in 44 countries across 10 major world regions.  In his role at East-West Ken works with hundreds of staff and strategic global partners as well as, thousands of volunteers.Ken and Jim have a great discussion that keeps coming back to how some of the finest examples of leadership theory and methods can be found in the bible.  After all, Jesus is the most successful organizational leader in the history of mankind!  Ken has a real passion for preparing the next generation of leaders.  Helping young leaders become more confident and helping them get the knowledge and support they need to be successful.  Also, Ken talks about all leaders learning to be more adaptive in their leadership roles.  Ken believes in the concept of "commanders intent" when it comes to overall leadership philosophy.  It's an idea that comes out of military leadership training.  The guiding principle is this, "plan all you want, and it is necessary to plan, but once you hit the ground in the fog of war all plans change".  Therefore, leaders involved in the mission must understand the objective of the mission, the parameters they are allowed to work within to achieve the objective and most importantly, be prepared to adapt and change the plan to achieve that objective when necessary.  Being a leader who is able to adapt to changing conditions is more important than ever in today's world!You can reach Ken Cochrum on LinkedIn at:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/kencochrum/Find out more about East-West and how to support this global ministry at: EastWest.orgBonus book reference:Jim and Ken both recommend... The Master Plan of Evangelism by  Robert E. Coleman available on Amazon.Join the Lead Today Community and get our Monday Moments email!Support the show

The Today Counts Show is about a lot of things.  Leadership, faith and knowing your purpose, just to name a few.  Today's podcast, with guest Kyle Duford, covers a lot of ground in under an hour.  Kyle is President and ECD of The Brand Leader, a branding, strategy and advertising firm with a national and international footprint. He is also a public speaker and author of the book "Twice Found".Kyle teaches Jim, and all of us, about some of the terminology used in branding.  Is your company culture part of your brand?  Is marketing the same as advertising?  Kyle presents a mental exercise for everyone to prove the power of a well established brand.  Can you imagine what it would look like, or be like, if Nike started an airline? As crazy as that example may seem,  I'll bet you can picture it in our mind!  Nike has spent decades building their brand image and this exercise proves it works.On the topic of leadership, Jim and Kyle have a lengthy discussion about the importance of adapting to the needs of the changing work force.  Millennials were the first generation to make waves in the business world but Gen Z has really thrown many of the old-school management methods out the window.  The interests and needs of Gen Z are simply not the same as previous generations.  As a business leader, you still have to run your business and align your team but you may have to take a different road to get there.  The bottom line here is that leaders should always be growing.In the last segment of today's show, Kyle shares some of his story found in his book, "Twice Found".  The subtitle of the book is "Getting a Second Chance at Life, Love, and Understanding God".  It all started after losing his job, a failed marriage and thoughts of suicide.  He took a trip to Maui to clear his head and find "whatever" higher power might be calling him.  Almost every person, even complete strangers, that he meet in Maui seemed to be pointing him to Jesus.  That lead him to reflect and realize that his whole life had been full of people doing the same thing.  But there is another beautiful twist to this story.  You'll have to listen to the podcast to find out what happened next!You can find Kyle Duford online at: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kyleduford/  or... https://thebrandleader.com/team/kyle-duford/His book "Twice Found" can be found on Amazon or through ComingBackToGod.comJoin the Lead Today Community and get our Monday Moments email!Support the show

Are you concerned about where your money is invested?  Does it matter to you if a company you have invested in is supporting social and political agendas that don't line up with your personal values?  Darryl Lyons, Jim's guest today, is an expert in the field of financial planning and investing.  More specifically, he is an expert in investing from a Christian world view.  Darryl is co-founder and CEO of Pax Financial Group in San Antonio, TX.  He is also an author.  His most recent book is titled, "Biblical Responsible Investing".Jim and Darryl discuss many areas of personal finances and how important it is to have a strategy for your financial future.  They talk about the difference between retirement and "pivoting", they talk about alternatives to traditional health insurance, they talk about figuring out how much is enough money for your future plans.  They even discuss strategies for charitable giving.  That subject really leads to some surprising insight from Darryl that you have probably never heard before.  This information alone makes it worth your time to listen to this episode of the Today Counts Show!You can reach Darryl Lyons through the Pax Financial Group website: paxfinancialgroup.comHis book, "Biblical Responsible Investing" is available on Amazon.Darryl also hosts the podcast, Retire in Texas.  You can find it here: https://paxfinancialgroup.com/podcasts/Join the Lead Today Community and get our Monday Moments email!Support the show

This podcast is certified organic human.  No AI was used in the recording or editing of this show.  As funny as that declaration may sound, according to Titus Blair this might be a requirement in the future to verify you are hearing and/or seeing real humans that are not AI generated!On this episode of the Today Counts Show Jim discusses the current state of AI and where it seems to be headed in the future.  His expert guest on the subject is Titus Blair.  Titus is, first and foremost, a Jesus follower who wants to spread the Good News to the world.  He is also a serial entrepreneur who has started many successful companies and is author of the book, "AI to the Rescue".  Some of the information Titus brings to the discussion about the possible future of AI is disturbing.  It sounds like a science fiction movie yet it's getting closer and closer to reality. Titus also shares some of his personal story including how he moved to New Zealand to work with a church and found many of the people there in desperate need of hope.  The society has been so stripped of God and faith that many believe the Bible is nothing more than fairy tales.  You can reach Titus Blair at his website: TitusBlair.comHis book, "AI to the Rescue" is available on Amazon.Join the Lead Today Community and get our Monday Moments email!Support the show

This episode of the Today Counts Show is really fascinating and sad at the same time.  Jim welcomes Peter Young to the podcast. Peter played college basketball at George Washington University and briefly coached basketball before embarking on a career as a sports broadcaster. He is the author of two books, "The Blue Team" and "Stop The Tall Man, Save The Tiger".  That "micro" bio sounds normal and to most of Peter's friends and co-workers, his life with his wife and five children was normal.  However, it was anything but normal.  Jim and Peter discuss Peter's book, "Stop The Tall Man, Save The Tiger".  The book is not fiction it is a memoir.  It is the story of his journey in and out of a cult.  Even more bizarre is the cult itself.  A small family cult led by the strange and ultimately manipulative Uncle Robert (of no actual family relation) that Peter's wife had know her entire life.  When Jim asks Peter how he let himself get involved Peter says that, like all cult leaders, Uncle Robert didn't seem radical at first.  Cult leaders lure you in with normal, reasonable ideas at first and then slowly twist scripture and teachings and manipulate you over time.  As Peter says, "You never know you are in a cult; you only know you were in a one."  You have to listen and hear this story straight from the man who lived it.  It will seem like an unbelievable movie plot but unfortunately for Peter and his now broken family, it is true.You can reach Peter Young through his website:  authorpeteryoung.comYou can buy his books "The Blue Team" and "Stop The Tall Man, Save The Tiger" on Amazon.Join the Lead Today Community and get our Monday Moments email!Support the show

Today's episode is a one-on-one session with you and Jim.  The topic is, what do you believe?  At first glance you might think this podcast is all about faith and religion.  Well, you would be partially right but the concept is much broader.  Jim directs the question to your work life and your home life, as well as, your faith.  At work do you believe in the competency of your leaders, the direction of your company, the way operations are run?  At home do you believe in the importance of family, having a good marriage?  All of those things may be influenced by your faith.  Is faith the most important question about belief?  It's all connected and determines your behavior, your decisions, your priorities.  Definitely a question worth thinking about!Join the Lead Today Community and get our Monday Moments email!Support the show

This is a very special episode of the Today Counts Show.  Today Jim Piper celebrates his milestone 100th podcast!  It's a big commitment to consistently produce a weekly podcast and stick with it long enough to reach 100 episodes.  About 44% percent of podcasters never get past 3 episodes and only about 4 % produce a weekly podcast!  If you listen to this podcast, know Jim or have ever meet Jim, the fact that he has reached "overachiever" status is no surprise. Jim welcomes Justin Irving back for this 100th episode of the Today Counts Show to talk about some of the ideas in Justin's latest book, "Healthy Leadership for Thriving Organizations".  Over 200 executive leaders were surveyed as part for the research for this book.  This provided real world data about the challenges and priorities of today's leaders.  While many concepts of leadership are evergreen and as applicable now as they were 20 or 30 years ago,  some concepts do require adaptation or modification to be effective in today's world.  For example; Justin shares some thoughts on the differences in the need for affirmation between generations of employees.  A seasoned 50-something employee might be fine with a little recognition every 6 months while a 20-something employee who's new to the workplace might need attention weekly or even daily.  These kinds of situations require a leader to be more aware and in touch with his organization.  The theme of self-leadership is a topic that both Jim and Justin keep revisiting in their discussion.  While a specific percentage of time a leader should spend in this area might be up for debate, there is no doubt that it is critical for leaders to set aside time to work on themselves.  Mentally, physically and spiritually.  You can't achieve healthy leadership without it.  You can reach Justin Irving on LinkedIn at: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jairvingHis book, Healthy Leadership for Thriving Organizations is available on Amazon.If you missed Justin Irving's first appearance on the Today Counts Show, you can find it here:  Ep. 65 - Dr. Justin Irving: Leadership in Christian PerspectiveJoin the Lead Today Community and get our Monday Moments email!Support the show

Today Jim is joined by co-host Chase Stinson (his assistant producer).  Together they welcome Allison Eide to the Today Counts Show.  Allison is an amazing, up and coming Christian artist who is not afraid to write songs about the struggles of real life.  Her song "Love Who I Am" went viral and reached over a million people in just a few weeks!  Allison has a heart for people that struggle with mental illness and hopes to use her music to help lift them out of isolation.  She shares stories about how she started her music career performing with her dad Peder Eide (a nationally known songwriter and worship artist for 25+ years) and how she put her music career on hold for four years while she played college basketball.Allison also talks about her own struggles with mental illness and how debilitating it can be to deal with intrusive thoughts that distort reality even when you know they are not real.  All the while, to the outside world, all seems normal.  This is the weight of mental illness in many people's lives.  It attacks you when you are alone and vulnerable. Allison also has a ministry called "Moment Ministries".  Moment Ministries mission is to inspire and equip young women to live in their Christ-centered Identity.  Their camps for Middle School and High School girls are packed with conversation, team-building, one-on-one discipleship, and emotional and spiritual healing.  The goal is for each girl to walk away with a freedom and confidence that cannot be shaken by the world.You can reach out to Allison Eide and find out more about her and her ministry at: https://www.allisoneide.com/Check out her songs on YouTube:"Love Who I Am" "Real Life"Join the Lead Today Community and get our Monday Moments email!Support the show

Jim Piper continues his theme of bringing in new people to share their knowledge and wisdom with the Today Counts Show family.  Today's guest is Adam Mabry.  Adam is a scholar, teacher, author, pastor and church planter, just to name of few of his many skills and talents!  Adam is the founding Senior Pastor of Aletheia Church in Boston, MA — a multi-site, diverse church passionately committed to bringing the truth, grace, and the changing power of the Gospel for the glory of God and the good of all people.Jim and Adam talk about Aletheia Church as well as Adam's new book, "When God Seems Gone".  Adam shares that he wrote the book because of his own struggles with the pain of knowing that God is always there but at times not feeling his presences.  Feeling as though there's no connection.  With all of the constant, never ending distractions of our modern world, plus the ups and downs of relationships and work stress, it's easy for people to lose hope and give up on faith.  If you know someone who's struggling with life and feeling hopeless and alone, this book could be their saving grace. You can buy Adam Mabry's most recent book, "When God Seems Gone" on Amazon.You can reach Adam though his website - AdamMabry.orgFind out more about Alethea Church and how you can support the ministry at - Aletheia.orgJoin the Lead Today Community and get our Monday Moments email!Support the show

Blake Coffee is Jim's guest on this episode of the Today Counts Show.  Blake is founder and Executive Director of One Another Project.  One Another Project aims to be an organization where people, families, churches and entire communities discover pathways to healing, togetherness and peace in a fractured world.  Blake Coffee is also an attorney/mediator and author.  Jim and Blake discuss the importance of relationships in all aspects of life.  Your personal life, church life and business life all work better with good relationships.  It's the foundation of trust and hope.  If you are a leader who wants to learn more about developing good relationships, Blake offers a program called "Five Conversations" for free that will guide you through the process!  This is a full program supported with videos and written guides designed for small group meetings.  As Blake describes it, building relationships is an ongoing journey.  It's like working out to develop your physical health.  You don't go once and your done.  You work at it over time consistently.  What a great resource for anyone who wants to learn and grow as a person.  Of course Blake Coffee is available to work with churches and organizations large or small to help develop or heal relationships and build a culture based on Biblical principles. You can find out more about One Another Project at:  https://www.oneanotherproject.com/ You can reach Blake directly at:  blake@oneanotherproject.com or on LinkedIn at:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/blakecoffee/ Blake Coffee's books, "Trusting God’s People… Again" and "Five Principles of Unity" are available here:  https://www.oneanotherproject.com/store/Join the Lead Today Community and get our Monday Moments email!Support the show

Jim Piper welcomes a new friend and colleague to the show today.  His name is Gary Harpst. Gary is the founder and CEO of LeadFirst.  The website describes LeadFirst as a faith-driven leadership platform that equips leaders to integrate faith, business management, and whole-person care.​  (Those should be familiar concepts to regular listeners of the Today Counts Show.)   Gary is also an author.  His most recent book is titled "Built to Beat Chaos: Biblical Wisdom for Leading Yourself".  The similarities in philosophy and faith are apparent throughout this thoughtful, spontaneous conversation.  Even though Jim and Gary just meet, they sound like old friends talking about their shared passions and experiences.  Gary shares some of the wisdom from his book "Built To Beat Chaos" and explains how his own experience of building his first business from one employee to hundreds gave him the first hand knowledge of what it's like for the business leader, or owner, going through the growing pains expansion.  His years of experience have also led him to believe that leaders who have a clear purpose and learn to work with and care for their employees based on Biblical principles will succeed.  These leaders will learn not to fear chaos but to expect it and control it.  If you would like to reach out to Gary Harpst or learn more about LeadFirst,  go to: LeadFirst.ai (https://www.leadfirst.ai/)His book, "Built to Beat Chaos: Biblical Wisdom for Leading Yourself" is available on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Built-Beat-Chaos-Biblical-Yourself/dp/1394158408Join the Lead Today Community and get our Monday Moments email!Support the show

Jim is flying solo on this episode of the Today Counts Show.  This is another one-on-one coaching session where Jim Piper is speaking directly to you!  Here's a quick overview of what to expect:Everybody likes winning, right?  Well guess what trait most successful, consistent winners share?  They are resilient.  Good or bad, up or down they don't quit. They are resilient.  So today Jim is sharing a model, a method, a roadmap to help you build a resilient, winning perspective in your life. Imagine a target with 3 layered rings representing 3 areas in your life...  The inner ring represents your Person, you, yourself.  This where it all starts. Working on yourself.  Here you consider things like:·         What is your life's vision, your purpose?·         If nothing else gets done this year (or this month or this quarter), what is the one goal, the one thing that you will get done?·         What kind of person do you need to become to accomplish this one goal, this vision?The second ring, surrounding the inner ring, represents your People.  This is where you focus on choosing the people in your life.  You must learn that you have limitations in the amount of time and energies you have available.  Choose wisely and consider this advice:·         Choose people who will help you and support you.·         Consciously choose your family. Make the commitment to be in their lives.·         Choose someone you can help.  The third outer ring, represents your Place.  Your season in life, your job, your physical location.  Remember these points:·         Embrace your place.  Good or bad identify it.  This process will lead to a place where you can visualize another place and how to get there. ·         Remember that your place is temporary.  Nothing in this world is forever.  Some things will be under your control and some things not but they will change.  There's a lot of great information here distilled down to less than 30 minutes.  Start working on your Person today!Join the Lead Today Community and get our Monday Moments email!Support the show

Winston Harris returns as guest host for this episode of the Today Counts Show.  He leads Jim Piper in a discussion of the Principles of Success.  Success means many different things to different people but how you arrive at that "definition of success" leads right into the first topic.  Here's an overview of four main topics:·         The most difficult person to lead is yourself.  Know who you want to be, what you want to do to support that and why.  Everything else really depends on that foundation. ·         The power of one... focus on one thing at a time. One goal, one person, one battle, etc... That mindset will help filter out the distractions.  It will make it easier to say no to the things that lead you away from your intended destination.·         Have a teachable spirit.  Be willing to admit that you don't know everything, be willing to learn from anybody or any situation.  Remember that people like humble people.·         Talent alone is not enough.  Without interpersonal skills at some point you will hit the glass ceiling.  If you don't work on your ability to work with difficult people, if you don't learn to navigate compromise and differing opinions, you will be limited no matter how valuable your talents might be.  Of course those are only the broad topics.  Each of those is fleshed out with much discussion and many real-world examples.  As always this time of year, many of us think about what we want to accomplish in the new year.  Use these Principles of Success as a guide to help you plan and execute an amazing year filled with learning and new challenges!Join the Lead Today Community and get our Monday Moments email!Support the show

Today's episode is a total role reversal for Jim Piper.  Our special guest host, Winston Harris, interviews Jim on his journey in 2023 as the host of the Today Count Show.  When you get the opportunity to talk one-on-one with many successful, fascinating people, you're bound to learn something!  Together, Winston and Jim expand on some of the biggest take-away moments that really left an impression on Jim in 2023.  Here's the list of episodes mentioned:EPISODE 58: JOHNNY SIRPILLA ON LEADERSHIPEPISODE 90: DEALING WITH DIFFICULT PEOPLE: INSIGHTS FROM CLINT PIESEPISODE 69: HALL OF FAME LEADERSHIP – SHERRI COALEEPISODE 89: RESILIENCY AND REFLECTION: MENTAL HEALTH TALK W/ROBIN FINNEYEPISODE 68: THE AFTERLIFE – DR. MARK STRAUSSEPISODE 38: LEADERSHIP IN THE POST-PANDEMIC WORLD WITH ERIN PORTEOUSEPISODE 53: MATT & JENNIFER MARTIN – SECOND CHAIR LEADERSHIPEPISODE 66: LIFE CHANGE STORY: ELIJAH & CARRIEEPISODE 70: WHAT IS A WORLDVIEW: DR. GLEN SCHULTZEPISODE 75: RAISING KIDS WHO WIN!You'll have to listen to the podcast to find out what made each of these episodes so special!Join the Lead Today Community and get our Monday Moments email!Support the show

This episode of the Today Counts Show is all about leadership training.  Jim talks us through the core competencies of a high capacity leader.  This coaching session is divided into 6 topics:·         Clear and consistent communication·         Time and energy management·         Intentional personal and professional growth·         People development·         Commitment to the enterprise·         DecisivenessLearn the difference between delegation and empowerment.  Why is one better than the other?  As a leader, how do you focus your employees on the bigger vision and make them feel like an important member of the team?  Be totally committed to the enterprise but don't neglect your own health and well being.  Intentionally working on yourself is essential.  How can you coach other people to work on their skills if you aren't working on your own.  Lead by example!  Listen to this podcast and share it with your team.Join the Lead Today Community and get our Monday Moments email!Support the show

John Hewitt is Jim's guest this week!  It's hard to know where to start to introduce John but let's just say if you have ever used a tax preparation company to do your income taxes, there's a good chance you have done business with one of his companies.  John Hewitt co-founded Jackson Hewitt, founded Liberty Tax Service and founded Loyalty Brands.  He is a master at building and growing businesses through franchising.   The two tax companies he founded represent two out of three of the largest tax service companies!  He is also author of the book "iCompete: How My Extraordinary Strategy for Winning Can Be Yours" in which he shares many of his mistakes and successes throughout his long successful career as an entrepreneur. John tells Jim about his "not so normal" personality and how he can't relate to people who aren't willing to take risks and go for big hairy audacious goals!  John thinks of it like this, "Not everyone that sets high goals is a high achiever but no one that sets low goals is high achiever".  A statement everyone will agree with but only a few have the determination to follow through. The conversation between Jim and John covers everything from sports to business strategies to faith.  How often do you get the opportunity to hear a one on one conversation with a business leader who has built not one... but two nationally branded companies and sold them for hundreds of millions of dollars?  Don't miss out on this entertaining, educational free resource.You can find out more about the franchise opportunities offered by John's company Loyalty Brands here:  https://loyaltybrands.com/You can reach out to John Hewitt on LinkedIn at: https://www.linkedin.com/in/john-t-hewitt-9917b7149Also, speaking of resources, John Hewitt's book "iCompete: How My Extraordinary Strategy for Winning Can Be Yours" is available on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/iCompete-Extraordinary-Strategy-Winning-Yours/dp/1682610063or...Email John Hewitt at John@Loyaltybrands.com and he'll send you a copy of the book for free! Join the Lead Today Community and get our Monday Moments email!Support the show

We can all think of situations in our lives where we were faced with dealing with a difficult person.  At work or in our personal lives.  Some situations created by difficult people are low risk/low stakes while others can have a significant negative impact on team dynamics at work or even our family relationships.This episode of the Today Counts Show is all about dealing with difficult people.  To guide us through this very challenging topic, Jim welcomes Clint Pies.  Clint Pies is currently the Chief People Officer for MasTec Power Delivery.  MasTec is a large, publicly traded, energy infrastructure company.  Clint has decades of experience dealing with personnel at all levels in some very large Fortune 500 corporations.  Early on in the conversation Clint drops this catchy bit of wisdom, "What you ignore becomes more.  What you address becomes less".  That is the sometimes uncomfortable truth!  Clint explains that unresolved conflict can drain the mind and body of energy. Life is better lived when problems are resolved.  Working in a positive way to find a resolution not only means good outcomes but a more positive journey to achieve them.  Jim and Clint talk about the traits that might get someone labeled as difficult,  looking deeper to possibly find the cause of difficult behavior, and how to approach the hard conversations to resolve conflicts.Another valuable piece of the puzzle that comes out of this exchange of ideas between Jim and Clint... The difficult person might be you!  Self examination is key to growth as a leader.  Work on yourself so you can better serve others.You can find Clint Pies on LinkedIn at:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/clint-piesJoin the Lead Today Community and get our Monday Moments email!Support the show