Swift Straw Blog

As the Spring unfolds this year, there are many industries that are battling through their peak season. Here is a message from Theodore Roosevelt for all of those who are in the arena fighting the good fight. The critics and naysayers will never know victory nor defeat. But those in the arena will...

The work place is ever evolving which means that leadership must continue to evolve as well.  In order to lead in the future, collaboration must be at the foundation.  Here are seven examples of how to be a collaborative leader versus a traditional leader. 

Last week we were working on a project that required several different pieces of equipment. When it came time to use one particular piece, we realized that we had lost the key. For the rest of the afternoon we searched and even delayed the project until the next morning when a spare was supposed to...

Last night I had the privilege of listening to Hunter Hill speak at Purpose on Tap.  He has a unique set of leadership experience ranging from sports, business, politics and the military...having served three tours over seas.  One foundational piece of scripture for him that has shaped his life is: 

Jon Taffer, the host of Bar Rescue and serial entrepreneur, has discovered the common denominator for failure. After listening to a recent interview, here are some great takeaways: 

• Excuses are the common denominator of all failure. They are the rationalization of failure. If you blame anything...

Last week at Purpose on Tap I had the privilege of hearing a message from Jim Reese, CEO of the Atlanta Mission. Here are a few thoughts after reflecting on his message: 

Matthew Paul Turner wrote a wonderful piece titled “5 Ways to Encourage Your Child to Shine.” Here are the highlights.

Andy Stanley came up with 4 steps to creating high-performance teams. They are...

Rick Warren, the author of the Purpose Driven Life and Pastor of Saddleback which has over 80,000 people on its rolls, had a non-conventional approach to building his church. Instead of finding a facility, hiring musicians and preparing sermons, he went door to door and asked people why they didn’t...

In order to achieve optimal performance, we need to reflect on and create awareness around the activities that energize us and the activities that drain us. Top performers rely on that knowledge so they can major in their strengths and protect themselves from their weaknesses.