This book is my attempt to capture some of the most memorable, real-life leadership stories that I’ve heard, learned from others, read about, or personally experienced and benefited from in my own growth as a man, a son, a brother, a husband, a father, and a leader. My intention is to use these stories as a tool for others looking to manage and lead others. Ever since I was a kid, I’ve used analogies, stories, and anecdotes as a way to help me get my messages across in a more fun and succinct manner. I’ve learned that people tend to relate to information differently, and by that, I mean more effectively when they have perspective; when the information being shared with them is something they can relate to. As I grew up working countless blue-collar jobs between the ages of twelve and twenty-one, I began to learn how to use this technique as a means to build relationships, establish credibility, and create a personal brand for myself. When I entered the corporate world, I was pleased to find that these skills were easily transferable into the business world. This book is filled with real-world experiences and lessons you can easily apply to your own situation to help you become a more effective leader, whether in business, family, or life in general.
Targeted Age Group:: 12-99
What Inspired You to Write Your Book?
I've been inspired throughout my career in leadership by so many people. I felt compelled to share my experiences and tell the stories that helped me and my success along my leadership journey.
Book Sample
Very early on when I began my career as a front-line associate helping to setup new clients to on-board to our firm for payroll and HR services, I quickly understood just how important my job was. I didn’t need a corporate engagement seminar or a class on company values or culture to realize that if I made a mistake, real people like you and me were not going to be paid. This was a profound realization for me because I grew up in a very lower-middle class family. We were the definition of what it means to live paycheck to paycheck. I remember multiple occasions when my mother would have to sacrifice heating our house in the winter to a bearable temperature so we could put dinner on the table a few more times that week. Now that I was working and earning my own paycheck, I had an even greater appreciation for not only what it meant to be a part of the working class, but to be on the service provider end of things, helping to make sure other’s like me and my family were being paid accurately and timely. I remember that I would make up stories in my mind that would keep me sharp. I used to convince myself that this payroll I was setting up might be paying a deadbeat dad who always makes his kids promises that he never follows through on. I would imagine that this time, he was fully committed. He promised his kids he would bring them to the movies this weekend; the only thing he needed to do was get paid on Friday. What if I get this wrong? What if I fail to double check something and this person isn’t paid? What would those kids do? Would that father have lost the chance to spend time with his kids ever again because for reasons out of his control, he failed again to follow-through on his promises? On other occasions I would imagine that the people being paid needed the money for medicine or medical treatments. I would put the weight of the world on my shoulders, imagining that if I made a mistake, there could be actual physical/medical consequences. Those people who were depending on their paycheck might not be able to afford the medicine they need and might get more sick, or worse. I was too young and immature to realize what I was doing at the time, but it is easy to reflect back now and realize I was working hard to do a good job because I understood that my role had purpose. That purpose drove me to hold myself to a higher standard. I created an intense amount of accountability on myself to perform well for the sake of making sure I was taking care of others. I realize this probably comes more naturally for doctors, or law enforcement officials, or firefighters. In those careers, you know from day one your savings lives. I don’t believe most of us in the corporate world are able to quickly connect the dots and comprehend the positive contributions we’re making in the world. Nobody reads stories about the data-entry clerk who saved the day, or the account executive who helped prevent a company from filing bankruptcy, savings hundreds of jobs. These office jobs don’t have the sizzle or glamour some other jobs do, but that doesn’t make them any less critical towards the positive impact they have on society and individuals. I conserve myself to have been very fortunate that without knowing it at the time, my younger self was able to figure that out. Unfortunately I’ve seen so many people fail to make that connection and end up unhappy or unsuccessful because they feel like their job has no meaning, no purpose. I’m here to tell you that is a self-fulfilling prophecy.
Links to Purchase Print Books
Buy Don’t Wait, Lead Now Print Edition at Amazon
Links to Purchase eBooks – Click links for book samples and reviews
Buy Don’t Wait, Lead Now On Amazon
All information was provided by the author and not edited by us. This is so you get to know the author better.
