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08.07.26
Be Coachable: Ten Truths of Being Coachable
SPORTS analyst Ric Bucher wondered, after rubbing shoulders with some of the greatest athletes, which traits separate the best from the rest? The common denominator was: I was coachable. In Coachable, Bucher explores ten truths of coachability through the stories of all-time great athletes. The truths are applicable to all walks of life. What is coachability? “Synthesizing your vision of who and what you want to be with someone else’s vision of who and what you can be by collaborating to realize that shared vision.” TRUTH 1: Giving In Is Not Giving Up Change is a constant in the short and long term. Sometimes what you set out to do is not what you should be doing. Giving in to a pivot may be just the best thing. It’s not giving up on your dream; it’s growing. “Being coachable is fundamentally about self-improvement. I want to get better, and I’m willing to go backward to go forward.” TRUTH 2: A Fixed Flaw Is a Fountain of Faith Humility to take correction and do something with it. Every problem is there to teach us something—to move us forward. The frustration of having to reconstruct something as fundamental as his shot led Stephen Curry to learn to have faith in the process. He told Bucher, “There’s faith that comes with going through that, working toward that intended outcome of who I want to be. But that whole process, for me, requires having trust in myself to be able to solve whatever challenges are in front of me. But you also have to have the resources around you and the openness to say, ‘Okay, I don’t know everything, I don’t have all the answers, but I’m curious.’” TRUTH 3: No One Knows Your Priorities Better Than You What you do is different from who you are. By prioritizing your personal development along with your ambitions, you create a deeper and lasting identity. The path matters as much as the goal. The relationship between a coach and the protégé is a two-way street. TRUTH 4: Who You Are, Not Where You Are, Will Decide What You Are Moving forward is about making thousands of right decisions that eventually add up to something. It’s all about what is inside and knowing you have room for improvement. Basketball athlete Fred VanVleet said, “Being coachable starts with accountability. If you don’t have an issue with accountability, then you’re not going to have an issue with coaching. If I know I’m wrong before the coach gets to me, then I’m going to receive his message versus being surprised that somebody’s yelling at me. You’re not paying attention to how that message is delivered, you’re thinking more about ‘How do I get it right?’And once you’re on that track, you start to understand what coaching is.” The challenge is not to find the ideal or most attractive building blocks but to fully utilize those readily available. And, as Fred demonstrates, when we exhaust our resources, there is inevitably someone offering new ones out of respect for anyone with a track record of making the most of their opportunities. TRUTH 5: Humble or Humbled, It’s Your Choice To be talented and humble means you have to be held to a higher standard. When you think you’ve arrived, you haven’t. Great talent easily turns to entitlement. SO you need an environment that keeps you humble. Sports psychologist Michel Lardon said, “Most super-elite athletes have been able to maintain a core group that keeps them grounded. Because if you have sycophants everywhere, you go from swagger to arrogance. You develop an ‘I don’t need to learn anything; I don’t need anybody’ attitude. And then you get in trouble.” Bucher adds. “There are two essential parts to a performer realizing their absolute best: they need someone willing to pull it out of them, and they need to have the hunger and courage to have it pulled.” And that takes humility. TRUTH 6: Tunnel Vision Is a Black Hole Great performance requires a larger perspective. See yourself as part of a bigger picture. Experiment and determine what is effective for your growth. Coach Holger believed that “Learning atypical physical acts enhanced an athlete’s brain to execute more traditional ones.” The same is true for any of us. Get outside your head. TRUTH 7: Anyone Can Be the Answer to a Need Being teachable allows you to maximize your circumstances or position. Learning to do the things that coaches and leaders will notice will set you apart. “You need to understand what important people value and how you can help fulfill that value.” John Staton III realized that there are some things more important than the score and often reminded his son, John IV, of that. “There was a skill set to learn—resilience, situational awareness, sportsmanship—that you could take into life to face real-world challenges with that same competitive nature. If you could come out with that competitive edge a little smoother, your chances of success and having an impact on society were probably greater because you would have a more enhanced skill set than someone else.” “Success can’t, and shouldn’t, be measured by how high we climb but whether or not we climbed as high as we were capable of climbing.” TRUTH 8: The Greatest Goals Are the Ones You Can’t Reach by Yourself It can be years before you see the payoff from the behaviors your coaches tell you to do. By doing it, it prepares you to go the distance. It’s a leap of faith. “There are legions of athletes—and doctors, musicians, and executives—who were materially successful but couldn’t build on it because of the way they achieved it.” TRUTH 9: Why Is More Important Than How When the protégé knows why the coach is asking them to do something, even when they don’t get it right, they will follow them anywhere. Anything that pushes us out of our comfort zone has value. But there shouldn’t be any confusion about what a coach is asking a performer to do or how it contributes to the collective goal; if there is, that’s leaving that performer without a North Star for motivation and improvement. No one ever gets to play their desired role in every situation. But the purpose of every role has to be clear to the person filling it; if it’s not, the question “Is there a purpose?” will surface. Followed by the person in that role questioning if they have a purpose. When a relationship with a coach or an organization doesn’t work or isn’t fruitful, it’s inevitably because of one primary reason: the athlete and coach didn’t have a common goal. TRUTH 10: Tough Love Is Still Love Take the message and ignore the delivery. Often, to get where you want to go costs you a lot, but you pay a higher price by not listening. The idea of not listening to an accomplished coach may sound absurd, but elite athletes often consider and sometimes indulge in it. Their physical superiority has allowed them to advance and possibly even excel without following protocol or directions, and some come to believe doing so is actually an essential part of their success. Many have never completely committed themselves to someone else’s vision and, having gotten away with it, are convinced it’s not necessary-until they reach a level where their innate talent isn’t enough. And by then it’s usually too late. Listening sometimes means letting go of what you think you know. Know that you don’t know. “The hidden value of being challenged to let go of what we do best—or we think we do best—is that it creates space to get good at something else. We don’t lose the first talent; we complement it.” In detail, Coachable provides the nuts and bolts for anyone in any field or position looking to realize the best version of themselves. Bucher says begin the coaching conversation with “What is it I’m not doing that would help if I did?”   Follow us on Instagram and X for additional leadership and personal development ideas.
Posted by Michael McKinney at 09:07 AM
08.06.26
Leading Thoughts for August 6, 2026
IDEAS shared have the power to expand perspectives, change thinking, and move lives. Here are two ideas for the curious mind to engage with: Jeremy Pollack on certainty: “Certainty is the nemesis of peace. Our drive toward certainty, which underlies our subconscious and conscious desires to be right, is antithetical to our capacities for flexibility, open-mindedness, and collaboration with those we perceive as sources of conflict. And the unfortunate news is that our brains are certainty-seeking machines.” Source: Wired for Peace: Using 7 Neuroscience-Based Principles to Resolve Conflicts Phil Le-Brun and Jana Werner on organizational slogans: “Your organization’s clarity isn’t found in your mission statement; your employees and stakeholders find it in what they experience. They find clarity in the last difficult decision a leader made and how it made sense given their understanding of the business. They find clarity in the project that got funded (and those that didn’t) and how it matches the mission as everyone understands it. They find clarity in the last person who got promoted because they operate in a way that reflects desired values. These actions are the signals that communicate ‘what matters here.’ If your stated clarity contradicts these lived realities, the slogans are worthless.” Source: The Octopus Organization: A Guide to Thriving in a World of Continuous Transformation Look for these ideas every Thursday on the Leading Blog. Find more ideas on the LeadingThoughts index. Follow us on Instagram and X for additional leadership and personal development ideas.
Posted by Michael McKinney at 06:38 AM
08.03.26
The Hidden Leadership Trap: When Your Definition of Success Isn’t Really Yours
AS an executive coach, I’ve noticed something interesting. People almost never hire me because they’re questioning their definition of success. Business owners call because they want to grow their business or prepare for an exit. Executives call because they want to become a better leader, figure out why their team isn’t performing, or be more influential. But coaching never stays in one place, and business is always personal. A good coach will never help anyone build a strategy without digging into the reason for the intended growth. I’ve had leaders sit across from me with thriving companies, respected reputations, and everything they once thought would make them happy, only to finally find the courage to ask me, “Why doesn’t this feel like success?” And admit “I’m not sure I even want this.” It’s rarely because something has gone terribly wrong. In fact, it’s usually the opposite. Their business is growing. Their career is thriving. People admire them. They’re well compensated for their efforts. They’ve achieved goals they once only dreamed about. The problem isn’t that they aren’t successful. The problem is they never stopped to ask whether they were chasing their definition of success—or someone else’s. From an early age, many of us absorb a remarkably consistent message about what success should look like: a bigger title, more responsibility, a larger paycheck, constant growth, a reputation for always being available, and always achieving. What many people don’t realize is that the way leaders define success shapes every decision they make, the culture they create, and the lives of everyone around them. So, when we work together, we get very clear on whether or not your definition of success still fits. Here are five signs it may be time to redefine what success means for you. 1. Your decisions are driven more by expectations than by values. Many leaders don’t realize how often they measure themselves against invisible standards. We, as humans, love to compare ourselves to others. You compare yourself to competitors, to colleagues, to neighbors, or even to previous versions of yourself without even realizing it. And because of that comparison game, you find yourself feeling like you need a bigger company, more revenue, a bigger team, or more recognition. Then somewhere along the way, you lost sight of why you wanted to lead this team to begin with, and you’re not sure you even recognize yourself. Try this: Before making your next major decision, ask yourself, “If nobody else ever knew about this choice, would I still make it?” Your answer may reveal whose expectations you’re actually serving. 2. Achievement no longer creates energy—it only creates the next expectation. Many high achievers discover that reaching the next milestone doesn’t bring the satisfaction they expected. You got the promotion. You have the title. You have the car. Your company is respected. You have everything you thought you wanted, and maybe you could rest. Instead, every accomplishment immediately gives way to the next goal. This promotion leads to wondering how and when you’ll get the next promotion. This revenue target leads to a larger revenue target. The business doubles, and suddenly the expectation is to double it again. It’s a never-ending cycle. Try this: Instead of immediately asking, “What’s next?” spend time celebrating the work you’ve done, then reflecting on where the energy was highest. Decide 3. Your identity has become fused with your title. I have found that many leaders struggle to separate who they are from what they do. Whether it’s CEO, Partner, Founder, Business Owner, CFO, COO, etc. – the role slowly becomes their identity. When that happens, every company decision, every piece of feedback, every promotion (or missed promotion) feels personal – when really, it’s business. Healthy leadership requires enough distance to recognize that your title describes your work—not your worth. Try this: Complete this sentence without mentioning your profession: “I am someone who...” If that’s difficult, it may be time to reconnect with who you are outside your role. 4. You “should” yourself out of wanting something different. This is one of the most common internal conflicts I hear: “I’m not sure I’m happy, but I shouldn’t complain. I have so much. Others would love to be in my position.” Gratitude is important. But gratitude doesn’t require you to ignore the voice telling you something no longer fits. Too many leaders convince themselves they must continue living a life that no longer aligns simply because they’ve worked hard to build it. Being grateful for your opportunities and wanting something different are not mutually exclusive. Try this: Swap “What will they think if I /change?” for “What will I think of myself if I don’t change?” 5. You tell yourself, “I’ll be happy when___.” Many leaders unknowingly postpone living until some future version of success finally arrives. The problem is that every milestone simply creates another one, and “when” never comes. If fulfillment always lives on the other side of the next achievement, you’ll spend your entire career chasing a horizon that keeps moving. The goal is to find happiness now. Why wait? Try this: If you find yourself saying, “I’ll be happy when ____” ask yourself, “What’s keeping me from being happy now?” Your answer may reveal that many of the things you value most are available long before your next accomplishment. Your Team Is Watching The definition of success you choose shapes your leadership. Leaders who constantly pursue “more” often create organizations where everyone feels pressure to do the same. Teams begin believing that achievement is valued more than purpose, output more than sustainability, and growth more than meaning. Whether you intend it or not, people learn what success looks like by watching you. If you define success only by external accomplishment, your culture will eventually reflect that definition. But when leaders model thoughtful boundaries, purposeful ambition, healthy relationships, and values-driven decisions, they give others permission to do the same. Now What? The first thing you can do for yourself is define your own definition of success. The company will certainly have goals, and part of your success may be defined by those goals. But those aren’t your only measures. Take some dedicated time to write down what you think success looks like for you, and to deep-dive into how these align with your core values. Your definition may include going to soccer games or taking time off to be with your family. That’s okay! That’s the point of the exercise! Find what matters to you so you can design the life you want – not the one handed to you by others. You are not alone if you’re wondering if the definition you’ve been living by still fits -- if the ambition inadvertently altered the trajectory of the business and your future. The goal is to ensure that the ambition that drives you is aimed at somewhere you actually want to go.  Follow us on Instagram and X for additional leadership and personal development ideas.
Posted by Michael McKinney at 06:34 PM
08.01.26
First Look: Leadership Books for August 2026
HERE'S A LOOK at some of the best leadership books to be released in August 2026 curated just for you. Be sure to check out the other great titles being offered this month.
After decades of organizational transformation efforts, the failure rate remains stubbornly high: over 70%. What’s missing? The human element. In Practice Makes Culture, you'll discover why most transformations still fail and how to ensure yours succeeds by addressing what other approaches miss: the emotional dynamics, hidden narratives, and everyday behaviors that truly shape your organization. This practical guide introduces a powerful framework centered on three critical focus areas: Elephants: Address the emotional aspects of change, recognize diverse perspectives, and tackle difficult conversations that most leaders avoid. Ownership: Create transformation that people actually want by ensuring those affected by change are the ones steering it. Practice: Transform meetings into powerful practice fields for cultural change through consistent, daily reinforcement of desired behaviors.
Most teams don't fail because of conflict. They fail because they avoid it. In Inviting Genius: How Good Leaders Use Conflict to Become Great, Matthew Abrams offers a roadmap for leaders who want to build high-performing teams without sacrificing humanity. After 15 years working with visionary leaders, Abrams shows that tension isn't the problem. It's the path. As you apply the concepts within Inviting Genius, you will Stop avoiding the conversations that matter most — Build a healthy leadership team that decides faster and executes better. — Unlock the full intelligence, innovation, and passion that already lives within your team. — Build a culture where people stay, grow, and do their best work. This isn't a book about managing conflict. It's about using it.
Right now, your brain is selling you a story about who you are, what's true, and what you should believe. And you're buying it, even when it sabotages your success. In Inner Propaganda, psychologist Owen Fitzpatrick reveals the internal persuasion system shaping your thoughts, your decisions, and your reality. After decades studying external propaganda, from witnessing first-hand modern influence operations in North Korea, Afghanistan, and Washington D.C., to analyzing the incredible double agent who helped change the outcome of World War II, Fitzpatrick reached a startling conclusion: The same tactics that sway nations also operate inside each of us. But understanding your own propaganda is the key to understanding everyone else's. Once you see how your brain manipulates you, you finally understand why others believe what they believe. As the current media landscape fragments our relationships, this can help you bridge divides rather than deepen them. To do this, he offers a deceptively simple framework: Feels Right, Fits In, Makes Sense—three forces that explain why ideas take hold, why we cling to them even when they harm us, and how to reshape beliefs that actually support better mental health, clearer decision-making, and stronger leadership.
A revealing look at the decline in formal employment in favor of hiring contractors, freelancers, temps, and marginal workers, who are excluded from traditional benefits and career ladders. Companies cannot exist without workers, but they are increasingly reluctant to have employees. Instead of providing the benefits and protections that have traditionally come with employee status, businesses are turning to tactics that let them treat people as interchangeable parts, to be used and discarded as needed. Drawing on an original survey of over 6,000 workers, Disposable Workers reveals the striking extent of this transformation across the occupational hierarchy, affecting everyone from janitors to nurses. Paul Osterman identifies three distinct categories of disposable workers: contractors, freelancers, and marginal employees. The marginal category, unique to Osterman’s analysis, describes workers who are employees from a narrow legal standpoint but are held at arm’s length by their firm―left without job security, skill training, or opportunities for promotion.
The Radical Promise delivers a story-driven framework for leaders to increase their trust and credibility or rebuild it when their actions don’t match their words. The storyline and concepts are equally applicable to every person, regardless of title or position, who is challenged to keep promises and commitments to make sure that what they "say" (promise) is what they do. The Radical Promise is an entertaining and thought-provoking book for today's leaders, as well as those aspiring to be or become even better leaders, seeking key lessons they can apply to their own organizations and professional lives.
   
“Books are the quietest and most constant of friends; they are the most accessible and wisest of counselors, and the most patient of teachers.” — Charles W. Eliot
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Posted by Michael McKinney at 06:42 AM
07.31.26
LeadershipNow 140: July 2026 Compilation
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Posted by Michael McKinney at 08:07 AM
07.30.26
Leading Thoughts for July 30, 2026
IDEAS shared have the power to expand perspectives, change thinking, and move lives. Here are two ideas for the curious mind to engage with: Chris Hodges on growth: “Growth is rarely impressive in the moment. Most days it looks ordinary. Quiet. Unnoticed. It’s choosing to learn when it would be easier to coast. Choosing to reflect when reacting feels faster. Choosing to stretch when settling feels comfortable. I’ve had to make those choices more times than I can count. Start where you are. Use what you have. You don’t need to see the whole path or have everything figured out. You just need the humility to stay teachable and the courage to take the next step.” Source: Legacy Letters: Timeless Principles I Learned, Lived, and Leave Behind Ron Friedman on feedback: “When feedback is tied to a formal review, the conversation shifts from growth to judgment. That shift triggers anxiety and defensiveness, two emotions that make it almost impossible to learn. Busy managers often assume that no feedback communicates that everything is fine. But employees tend to interpret silence differently. A lack of feedback makes them feel invisible. Feedback is therefore About more than just guidance. It’s a signal that we’re valued, respected, and seen.” Source: Superteams: The Science and Secrets of High-Performing Teams Look for these ideas every Thursday on the Leading Blog. Find more ideas on the LeadingThoughts index. Follow us on Instagram and X for additional leadership and personal development ideas.
Posted by Michael McKinney at 07:07 AM
07.27.26
You Can Just Do Things
PERSONAL agency is the ability to see choices and the belief in your ability to act on them. Agentic people take ownership of their own lives. You Can Just Do Things author Cate Hall believes that personal agency is learnable. And while agency may not matter on an average day, “agency really matters when you’re faced with an opportunity that could change your life completely. A little moment when choosing to deviate from your routine could have outrageous results.” You Can Just Do Things provides valuable insights into growing our agency and living an intentional life. Hall says that most people are selectively agentic. That is, they don’t apply the same can-do approach and resourcefulness equally in all areas of their life. If you divide life into three areas: work, relations of all types, and self-relationship, which includes health, mindset, and spirituality, then you might be high-agency in one but not the others. “The exertion of willpower makes you feel like you’re trying. But the feeling of effort doesn’t mean that you’re Actually Trying.” You may think that you’re really struggling to deal with problems in the other areas of your life. “But struggling is not evidence that you’ve tried everything. To the contrary, the continuous need for willpower may be the sign of a badly engineered life.” I’ve talked with people who don’t think they have a choice. They just take has been handed to them. “The human default is to voluntarily accept constraints, convincing ourselves that they are mandatory. We choose to accept a set of expectations placed on us by others—or that we imagine others are placing on us. Then, we act as if we’re stuck indefinitely.” We must habitually question our thinking and challenge the path we are on. Is this what we really want? In this way, we can in real-time decide if a change needs to be made and of what variety. One of our most valuable tools is feedback. “You cannot expect to reliably progress in areas where you’re not getting reliable feedback.” Avoid binary responses to feedback. “Instead, embrace mental fluidity, examining all of the possibilities between ‘they’re completely wrong’ and ‘the worst-case scenario is true, and now I must die of shame.’” Failure is just part of growth. Iras Glass once said, “‘If you’re not failing all the time, you’re not creating a situation where you can get super lucky.” Hall adds that most people “take failure extremely personally, rather than as a prompt to consider radical re-invention.” “‘This is the way I am’ is an all-purpose excuse. It’s easy, credible, and hugely limiting. Instead, I find that adopting the belief that traits are changeable, working at them as though they are, and seeing what happens is a much more useful way to approach life, one that will over the long term reliably yield more freedom than adopting the opposite belief.” If you think you are unreliable, observe someone who has a reputation for reliability and ask “‘What kinds of things do reliable people do that I could adopt?’ Reliability is made of micro-actions. For some people, these micro-actions do seem to come more naturally than for others. But they are clearly learnable behaviors.” As we go through life, we might learn the wrong lesson from our limited experiences. Hall advises us to “Be skeptical of what you’re ‘learning’ when the personal stakes are high. Once you’ve really invested in the wrong lesson, it can take years—or a lifetime—to unlearn, unless you make a point of becoming aware of your conditioning.” When it comes to the emotions we try to avoid at all costs—what she calls the Cringe Minefields—they are where our biggest self-improvement gains are likely to come from. “You simply cannot see the landscape of options in your life objectively-the possibilities on the other side-if the cringe is controlling you.” You can increase your chances for luck. “The more times you interact with the outside world, the more chances you have to get lucky-to find the collaborators, friends, and projects that, together, provide the right soil for you to bloom.” We humans are unfortunately hardwired to readily reject options that will require effort when we think the chances are good that we won’t succeed. Flipping the script from ‘That won’t work’ to ‘How do I make this work?’ can help you discover degrees of agency you didn’t realize you had. Even the most successful-looking people are winging it to some degree just like us. “They all feel self-doubt and confusion at times. They’ve all wasted a ton of time and made bad decisions.” And that’s inspiring. “Because if the world is being shaped by scared, insecure, confused, irresponsible people like us, then we too can shape the world.” Follow us on Instagram and X for additional leadership and personal development ideas.
Posted by Michael McKinney at 05:43 PM
07.24.26
Your Business Has a Pest Problem
I’VE SPENT 45 years in the pest control industry: 30 in corporate leadership and 15 building my own company, Pied Piper Pest & Lawn, from the ground up. In that time, I’ve seen just about every kind of infestation imaginable. But some of the worst ones never required a spray wand. Early in my management career, I started noticing something strange: the same thought processes I used to assess and control pest infestations worked just as well for diagnosing problems with employees, clients, and suppliers. The behaviors were almost identical. The strategies for dealing with them? Surprisingly similar. Whether you’re managing a cockroach or a coworker who helps themselves to whatever they want, understanding their behavior is the key. Once you know what motivates them, what they’re scared of, and what their kryptonite is, you can manage your environment and make your business a place where good people actually want to stay. Here are four field-tested principles I use to keep both kinds of pests from taking over. 1. Know your pest before you decide how to control it. In pest control, the biggest mistake an amateur makes is the shotgun approach: buy whatever’s on the shelf, apply it everywhere, and hope for the best. It rarely works. That’s because different pests require completely different treatment methods. What eliminates a flea infestation will do nothing for termites. The same logic applies to managing difficult people. In my book Infested, I break workplace pests into four categories: Bloodsuckers (those who drain the energy and resources of everyone around them), Raiders (those who take without giving), Saboteurs (those who quietly undermine systems and morale), and Assailants (those who actively attack the organization or the people in it). Misidentifying the type of pest is where most managers go wrong. A passive-aggressive underperformer who does the bare minimum to avoid being fired is a Saboteur, not a Bloodsucker. Treating them the same way will get you nowhere. Take the time to honestly assess the behavior pattern before you act. Observe, gather data, and resist the urge to react emotionally. 2. Look in the mirror: Sometimes the infestation starts at the top. Here’s an uncomfortable truth I learned early: some pests, like roaches and rats, thrive specifically in dirty, poorly maintained environments. If your building is clean and well-managed, they have nowhere to hide. If it isn’t, you’re practically rolling out the welcome mat. The same dynamic plays out in business. Toxic employees tend to flourish in organizations with weak management, unclear expectations, and inconsistent accountability. Difficult clients and suppliers take advantage of vague contracts and disorganized processes. Before you zero in on a problem person, ask yourself: What conditions in my business are allowing this behavior to continue? One thing pest control and management have in common is the need for honest assessment. You have to judge situations on what is actually there—not what you hope might be there or what you think should be there. Base your decisions on real, verified data. And always be willing to consider that the problem might partly be you. 3. Build systems, not just solutions. In pest control, a one-time treatment rarely solves the problem permanently. The real goal is to create conditions that prevent reinfestation. That means sealing entry points, eliminating food sources, and implementing a regular monitoring protocol. You don’t wait until you have a rat problem to start thinking about rats. Healthy businesses work the same way. Once you’ve addressed a problem—whether it’s a toxic employee, a predatory client, or a supplier who’s been quietly taking advantage of you—your job isn’t done. You need to put checks and balances in place so the problem can’t recur unchecked. At Pied Piper, I put simple systems in place like color-coded tool tracking to tighten up our inventory and stop equipment theft, post-service client calls within 48 hours to catch service failures early, and clear written expectations for every role so that underperformers couldn’t hide behind ambiguity. These aren’t complicated or expensive. They just need to exist, be consistently followed, and updated as the business evolves. A system that nobody enforces is just a document. 4. Fix before you fire—but know when it’s time to relocate the raccoon. In pest control, the goal isn’t total elimination. It’s control and balance. Most of the animals we call pests aren’t evil; they’re just in the wrong environment. A raccoon in the wild is doing exactly what raccoons do. A raccoon in your attic is a different matter entirely. I apply the same philosophy to managing people. My first instinct is never to fire—it’s to fix. Firing someone has consequences that ripple through the rest of your team. It creates anxiety, disrupts operations, and signals that the organization is unstable. Whenever possible, I try to get to the root of the behavior and address it head-on. Sometimes a conversation, a role change, or clearer expectations is all it takes. But sometimes the raccoon just has to go. If someone is actively harmful to your team, your clients, or your culture, and genuine attempts to correct the situation haven’t worked, the most humane thing—for everyone, including them—is to part ways. Just do it ethically, with documentation, and without drama. In pest control, we’re careful with how we handle animals even when we’re removing them. The same standard applies here. A healthy ecosystem is built, not found. A thriving business, like a healthy natural ecosystem, doesn’t happen by accident. It requires the right balance of people, clear systems, consistent accountability, and a leader willing to take an honest look at what’s working and what isn’t. The best businesses—and the most pest-free homes—aren’t the ones that react fastest when things go wrong. They’re the ones that make it hardest for things to go wrong in the first place. Follow us on Instagram and X for additional leadership and personal development ideas.
Posted by Michael McKinney at 06:44 AM
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Practice Makes Culture
Inviting Genius
Inner Propaganda
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