Blue Collar Leadership: Recent Episodes

Mack Story

Leadership development for everyone in the blue collar workforce, those who support them, and those who lead them. Leadership is influence. Influence is built daily, not in a day.

There are two types of influence: 1) Artificial influence which comes with a title, position, or rank and is reserved for those who have formal authority over others; and 2) Authentic influence which is based on a person's character and the relationships they build, and it's available to anyone with or without a position of authority because it's based on moral authority (who you are and how you do what you do).

Ever caught yourself pushing your team harder for your own deadlines without considering what’s in it for them?

This episode draws from Mack Story's insights in "Defining Influence" to highlight the power of intent in blue-collar leadership, distinguishing low-impact manipulation from high-impact motivation.

Perfect for mechanics, welders, or any hands-on foreman, Mack will break down why believing "I'm here to serve others" fosters trust and moves your crew to action, while a self-serving attitude creates distrust and reduces your influence in the workplace.

Engage with key "Stop and Think" reflections: Does self-concern build or destroy trust, and how does that affect your influence?

Mack covers how principles—like adapting to individual differences—outperform one-size-fits-all practices, using examples from parenting parallels to workplace dynamics.

Discover the value of empathy in recognizing what truly benefits your team, and learn from personal stories of transformation to elevate your leadership.

By focusing on mutual gains and demonstrating genuine care, you'll increase your effectiveness, strengthen relationships, and lead with the kind of integrity that transforms groups of people working together into empowered teams making things happen together.

Find out what kind of leader you are and what kind of leader you report to at The5TypesOfLeaders.com

In this episode, Mack Story dives into the core of what makes a great leader in the trades and the impact of the intent behind your actions and words.

Drawing from his insights in "Defining Influence," he explore how your inner character shapes your influence with co-workers. Whether you're a foreman directing a construction team or a mechanic leading those working under the hood, understanding that intent is the bedrock of trust can transform how your team responds to you.

Mack will break down why first impressions hinge on your motives and how hiding a shady agenda can erode your authority fast.

He’ll also tackle real-world scenarios with thought-provoking questions to help you stop and think: When a coworker builds trust with you, does their influence grow? Flip it around—what happens when distrust creeps in?

By internalizing these principles, you'll learn to shift from manipulation to genuine motivation, boosting your effectiveness and opening up more options in your blue-collar career. Tune in to discover how aligning your 'why' with honest intent can elevate your leadership game and foster unbreakable team bonds.

Find out what kind of leader you are and what kind of leader you report to at The5TypesOfLeaders.com

Explore how negative self-talk erodes hope and often leads to life-altering despair. Then, consider how modeling unshakeable character allows you to increase your influence. Learn to borrow belief from others and cultivate habits that reflect integrity which will allow you to turn personal struggles into powerful examples of resilience.

Looking for resources? You'll find them at BlueCollarLeadership.com

In this no-nonsense episode, Mack Story gets real about the mental grind that powers your daily hustle—because if you knew exactly what to do, you'd already be running the show instead of punching the clock.

Mack draws from his blue-collar roots in small-town Tallassee, Alabama (pop. under 6,000), and breaks down the Choice Formula: Thought + Emotion + Action = Choice.

Thoughts harden into habits that build your circumstances, good or bad. Whether you're swinging a hammer or calling the shots as a foreman, tune in for a dose of straight-talk that will help you toughen your thinking, own your actions, and turn everyday choices into the wins that will launch you from where you are to where you want to be.

Looking for resources? You'll find them at BlueCollarLeadership.com

You were born a leader! Your awareness of self, others, and your environment has been increasing since your birth.

Your influence increased the most in your early years. For many people, it seems to slow down dramatically as they reach adulthood.

How much influence do you have with others at this moment?

Your influence today is based on the choices you made in the past. Your influence in the future will increase or decrease based on the choices you make today.

Choose wisely!

Want to dive deeper into leadership and influence?

Don't miss our FREE 2-hour course at The5TypesOfLeaders.com which comes with an 8 page downloadable Participant's Guide. Once complete, you'll receive an official Certificate of Completion.

Be sure to add that to your resume or as an achievement on your LinkedIn profile to begin separating yourself from your competition as you strive to climb the leadership mountain.

Here's what some of those who have completed the FREE course had to say...

“Excellent learning opportunity!“ ~ Thomas Armitage

“A great training I did about a month ago! I would recommend Blue Collar Leadership to anyone who’s already in leadership in a formal or informal position. Mack Story will give the avenue to a great learning experience!” ~ Jamel Wofford

“Just took this course. Great information here and would recommend this to anyone looking to invest in themselves!” ~ Lane Goos

“Mack & Ria, I wanted to reach out and thank you for your free course “The 5 Types Of Leaders!” This was very eye-opening for me. I have been in management for civil construction for 18 years, and your course just turned a light on for me. I appreciate you taking the time to share and look forward to listening to your podcast and taking more courses! Keep on rocking it have a great day!”

Thank you, Paul Campbell lll

Join Mack and Ria Story as they dive into a compelling LinkedIn post that sparked Mack’s curiosity.

The story centers on a frustrated equipment operator who boldly marched into their boss’s office, demanding a raise and threatening to walk out if their demands weren’t met.

In this episode, Mack and Ria unpack the operator’s frustration, explore how the boss responded, and discuss what could have been done to avoid this high-stakes showdown.

They’ll also reflect on a bigger question: How many people quietly leave their jobs without ever speaking up?

This scenario plays out in workplaces everywhere, and Mack and Ria’s insights will leave you thinking about communication, leadership, and how to address frustration before it leads to farewells.

Tune in for a thought-provoking conversation that’s sure to resonate with anyone navigating workplace dynamics!

Want to dive deeper into leadership and influence?

Don't miss our FREE 2-hour course at The5TypesOfLeaders.com which comes with an 8 page downloadable Participant's Guide. Once complete, you'll receive an official Certificate of Completion.

Be sure to add that to your resume or as an achievement on your LinkedIn profile to begin separating yourself from your competition as you strive to climb the leadership mountain.

Here's what some of those who have completed the FREE course had to say...

“A great training I did about a month ago! I would recommend Blue Collar Leadership to anyone who’s already in leadership in a formal or informal position. Mack Story will give the avenue to a great learning experience!” ~ Jamel Wofford

“Just took this course. Great information here and would recommend this to anyone looking to invest in themselves!” ~ Lane Goos

“Excellent learning opportunity!“ ~ Thomas Armitage

“Mack & Ria, I wanted to reach out and thank you for your free course “The 5 Types Of Leaders!” This was very eye-opening for me. I have been in management for civil construction for 18 years, and your course just turned a light on for me. I appreciate you taking the time to share and look forward to listening to your podcast and taking more courses! Keep on rocking it have a great day!”

Thank you, Paul Campbell lll

Dive into this episode and discover what type of leader YOU are and learn what kind of leader you report to.

You’ll learn what type of leader is most effective.

And, you'll learn how character and competency impact each type of leader.

Want to dive deeper?

Don't miss our FREE 2-hour course at The5TypesOfLeaders.com which comes with an 8 page downloadable Participant's Guide. Once complete, you'll receive an official Certificate of Completion.

Be sure to add that to your resume or as an achievement on your LinkedIn profile to begin separating yourself from your competition as you strive to climb the leadership mountain.

Here's what some of those who have completed the FREE course had to say...

“A great training I did about a month ago! I would recommend Blue Collar Leadership to anyone who’s already in leadership in a formal or informal position. Mack Story will give the avenue to a great learning experience!” ~ Jamel Wofford

“Just took this course. Great information here and would recommend this to anyone looking to invest in themselves!” ~ Lane Goos

“Excellent learning opportunity!“ ~ Thomas Armitage

“Mack & Ria, I wanted to reach out and thank you for your free course “The 5 Types Of Leaders!” This was very eye-opening for me. I have been in management for civil construction for 18 years, and your course just turned a light on for me. I appreciate you taking the time to share and look forward to listening to your podcast and taking more courses! Keep on rocking it have a great day!”

Thank you, Paul Campbell lll

Are your front-line leaders struggling to lead effectively? You’re not alone.

In this powerful episode, we dive deep into a common frustration voiced by top leaders, HR professionals, and Learning & Development experts: “I need help getting front-line leaders to lead!”

Inspired by Gino Wickman’s insight—“Most leaders spend their time overwhelmed, tired, and buried in the day-to-day, unable to see beyond tomorrow”—we uncover the real root of the problem. Spoiler: it’s not just the front-line leaders. The issue often traces back to the top, where leaders may be failing to set expectations, provide development, or take responsibility.

In this episode, you’ll discover:

Why blaming front-line leaders misses the mark and where the true responsibility lies.
Practical examples of what top leaders are (or aren’t) doing that holds organizations back.
How to shift from casting blame to fostering a culture of high-impact leadership.
Actionable strategies to implement continuous leadership development at every level.

Featuring key insights from leadership experts like Gino Wickman, Myron Golden, and Amir Ghannad, this episode challenges leaders to stop pointing fingers and start looking in the mirror. Learn why responsibility flows up the org chart and how to unleash your team’s potential with proven leadership principles.

Click to listen now and explore the Blue-Collar Leadership & Culture: The 5 Components for Building High Performance Teams to transform your organization from the top down.

Don’t miss this chance to rethink leadership and drive real change!

Breaking Free: The Journey from Blaming Others to Owning His Story

In this interview, Jamel Wofford discusses:

His personal development journey
The struggles he had as a teen
Overcoming himself as an adult
Getting support from others
Choosing to responsibility over victimhood
His professional journey

Jamel lives in Indianapolis, IN and has become a lifetime student of personal growth and leadership development content. His current role is a certified Water Treatment Operator for the Town of Bargersville, IN. He is WT3 certified by the State of Indiana for Water Treatment.

Jamel is a recent graduate of the Apprenticeship Program through the Alliance of Indiana Rural Water Association. In addition to graduating from the program, he is now a mentor in the program to help future and upcoming operators.

Jamel’s duties are to monitor flow and levels of specific towers and tanks, perform laboratory testing, chemical adjusting, and operating various pumps throughout the water plant. He also records data for the MRO which is turned into the state for compliance.

Don't miss the 34th episode of the "Real People Getting Real Results!" interview video series featuring Jamel Wofford interviewed by Mack Story.

Visit the Blue-Collar Leadership YouTube channel at YouTube.com/@BlueCollarLeadership and check out this and previous interviews in this series which can be found under the playlist titled "Real People Getting Real Results!"

Be sure to subscribe while you're there, and tap the 🔔 to be notified of future releases in this series.

#leadershiptips #leadershippodcast #leadershipmindset #success #resultsdriven #successmindset #leadership #bluecollarleadership #growthmindset #watertreatment #waterindustry

(Part 31 of 31) Ch. 30: Keep Climbing

The Ladder of Influence: 5 Steps for Climbing to the Next Level and Beyondby Ria Story provides a powerful, yet simple, framework to help you realize the practical steps you can take to increase your influence with the people around you: family, friends, co-workers, your boss, team members, community members, children, spouses, and maybe even ex-spouses too!

(Part 30 of 31) Ch. 29: Mountain Moments

The Ladder of Influence: 5 Steps for Climbing to the Next Level and Beyondby Ria Story provides a powerful, yet simple, framework to help you realize the practical steps you can take to increase your influence with the people around you: family, friends, co-workers, your boss, team members, community members, children, spouses, and maybe even ex-spouses too!

(Part 29 of 31) Ch. 28: Mastering the Fifth Step

The Ladder of Influence: 5 Steps for Climbing to the Next Level and Beyondby Ria Story provides a powerful, yet simple, framework to help you realize the practical steps you can take to increase your influence with the people around you: family, friends, co-workers, your boss, team members, community members, children, spouses, and maybe even ex-spouses too!

(Part 28 of 31) Ch. 27: The Fifth Step at Work

The Ladder of Influence: 5 Steps for Climbing to the Next Level and Beyondby Ria Story provides a powerful, yet simple, framework to help you realize the practical steps you can take to increase your influence with the people around you: family, friends, co-workers, your boss, team members, community members, children, spouses, and maybe even ex-spouses too!

(Part 27 of 31) Ch. 26: The Fifth Step at Home

The Ladder of Influence: 5 Steps for Climbing to the Next Level and Beyondby Ria Story provides a powerful, yet simple, framework to help you realize the practical steps you can take to increase your influence with the people around you: family, friends, co-workers, your boss, team members, community members, children, spouses, and maybe even ex-spouses too!

(Part 26 of 31) Ch. 25: Climbing to the Fifth Step

The Ladder of Influence: 5 Steps for Climbing to the Next Level and Beyondby Ria Story provides a powerful, yet simple, framework to help you realize the practical steps you can take to increase your influence with the people around you: family, friends, co-workers, your boss, team members, community members, children, spouses, and maybe even ex-spouses too!

Check out the related ~7.5 hour online video course at BlueCollarLeadership.com/Academy (Don't miss our FREE 2-hour course on "The 5 Types of Leaders" in the "Individuals" section while you're there. It comes with an 8 page Participant's Guide, and you'll receive a Certificate of Completion once you finish up. Be sure to add that to your resume or as an achievement on your LinkedIn profile!)

(Part 25 of 31) Ch. 24: Fifth Step: Influence Based on Contribution of Service Over Time

The Ladder of Influence: 5 Steps for Climbing to the Next Level and Beyondby Ria Story provides a powerful, yet simple, framework to help you realize the practical steps you can take to increase your influence with the people around you: family, friends, co-workers, your boss, team members, community members, children, spouses, and maybe even ex-spouses too!

Check out the related ~7.5 hour online video course at BlueCollarLeadership.com/Academy (Don't miss our FREE 2-hour course on "The 5 Types of Leaders" in the "Individuals" section while you're there. It comes with an 8 page Participant's Guide, and you'll receive a Certificate of Completion once you finish up. Be sure to add that to your resume or as an achievement on your LinkedIn profile!)

(Part 24 of 31) Ch. 23: Mastering the Fourth Step

The Ladder of Influence: 5 Steps for Climbing to the Next Level and Beyondby Ria Story provides a powerful, yet simple, framework to help you realize the practical steps you can take to increase your influence with the people around you: family, friends, co-workers, your boss, team members, community members, children, spouses, and maybe even ex-spouses too!

Check out the related ~7.5 hour online video course at BlueCollarLeadership.com/Academy (Don't miss our FREE 2-hour course on "The 5 Types of Leaders" in the "Individuals" section while you're there. It comes with an 8 page Participant's Guide, and you'll receive a Certificate of Completion once you finish up. Be sure to add that to your resume or as an achievement on your LinkedIn profile!)

(Part 23 of 31) Ch. 22: The Fourth Step at Work

The Ladder of Influence: 5 Steps for Climbing to the Next Level and Beyondby Ria Story provides a powerful, yet simple, framework to help you realize the practical steps you can take to increase your influence with the people around you: family, friends, co-workers, your boss, team members, community members, children, spouses, and maybe even ex-spouses too!

Check out the related ~7.5 hour online video course at BlueCollarLeadership.com/Academy (Don't miss our FREE 2-hour course on "The 5 Types of Leaders" in the "Individuals" section while you're there. It comes with an 8 page Participant's Guide, and you'll receive a Certificate of Completion once you finish up. Be sure to add that to your resume or as an achievement on your LinkedIn profile!)

(Part 22 of 31) Ch. 21: The Fourth Step at Home

The Ladder of Influence: 5 Steps for Climbing to the Next Level and Beyondby Ria Story provides a powerful, yet simple, framework to help you realize the practical steps you can take to increase your influence with the people around you: family, friends, co-workers, your boss, team members, community members, children, spouses, and maybe even ex-spouses too!

Check out the related ~7.5 hour online video course at BlueCollarLeadership.com/Academy (Don't miss our FREE 2-hour course on "The 5 Types of Leaders" in the "Individuals" section while you're there. It comes with an 8 page Participant's Guide, and you'll receive a Certificate of Completion once you finish up. Be sure to add that to your resume or as an achievement on your LinkedIn profile!)

(Part 21 of 31) Ch. 20: Climbing to the Fourth Step

The Ladder of Influence: 5 Steps for Climbing to the Next Level and Beyondby Ria Story provides a powerful, yet simple, framework to help you realize the practical steps you can take to increase your influence with the people around you: family, friends, co-workers, your boss, team members, community members, children, spouses, and maybe even ex-spouses too!

Check out the related ~7.5 hour online video course at BlueCollarLeadership.com/Academy (Don't miss our FREE 2-hour course on "The 5 Types of Leaders" in the "Individuals" section while you're there. It comes with an 8 page Participant's Guide, and you'll receive a Certificate of Completion once you finish up. Be sure to add that to your resume or as an achievement on your LinkedIn profile!)

(Part 20 of 31) Ch. 19: The Fourth Step - Influence Based on Commitment to Developing Others

The Ladder of Influence: 5 Steps for Climbing to the Next Level and Beyondby Ria Story provides a powerful, yet simple, framework to help you realize the practical steps you can take to increase your influence with the people around you: family, friends, co-workers, your boss, team members, community members, children, spouses, and maybe even ex-spouses too!

Check out the related ~7.5 hour online video course at BlueCollarLeadership.com/Academy (Don't miss our FREE 2-hour course on "The 5 Types of Leaders" in the "Individuals" section while you're there. It comes with an 8 page Participant's Guide, and you'll receive a Certificate of Completion once you finish up. Be sure to add that to your resume or as an achievement on your LinkedIn profile!)

(Part 19 of 31) Ch. 18: Mastering the Third Step

The Ladder of Influence: 5 Steps for Climbing to the Next Level and Beyondby Ria Story provides a powerful, yet simple, framework to help you realize the practical steps you can take to increase your influence with the people around you: family, friends, co-workers, your boss, team members, community members, children, spouses, and maybe even ex-spouses too!

Check out the related ~7.5 hour online video course at BlueCollarLeadership.com/Academy (Don't miss our FREE 2-hour course on "The 5 Types of Leaders" in the "Individuals" section while you're there. It comes with an 8 page Participant's Guide, and you'll receive a Certificate of Completion once you finish up. Be sure to add that to your resume or as an achievement on your LinkedIn profile!)

(Part 18 of 31) Ch. 17: The Third Step at Work

The Ladder of Influence: 5 Steps for Climbing to the Next Level and Beyondby Ria Story provides a powerful, yet simple, framework to help you realize the practical steps you can take to increase your influence with the people around you: family, friends, co-workers, your boss, team members, community members, children, spouses, and maybe even ex-spouses too!

Check out the related ~7.5 hour online video course at BlueCollarLeadership.com/Academy (Don't miss our FREE 2-hour course on "The 5 Types of Leaders" in the "Individuals" section while you're there. It comes with an 8 page Participant's Guide, and you'll receive a Certificate of Completion once you finish up. Be sure to add that to your resume or as an achievement on your LinkedIn profile!)

(Part 17 of 31) Ch. 16: The Third Step at Home

The Ladder of Influence: 5 Steps for Climbing to the Next Level and Beyondby Ria Story provides a powerful, yet simple, framework to help you realize the practical steps you can take to increase your influence with the people around you: family, friends, co-workers, your boss, team members, community members, children, spouses, and maybe even ex-spouses too!

Check out the related ~7.5 hour online video course at BlueCollarLeadership.com/Academy (Don't miss our FREE 2-hour course on "The 5 Types of Leaders" in the "Individuals" section while you're there. It comes with an 8 page Participant's Guide, and you'll receive a Certificate of Completion once you finish up. Be sure to add that to your resume or as an achievement on your LinkedIn profile!)

(Part 16 of 31) Ch. 15: Climbing to the Third Step (competency development)

The Ladder of Influence: 5 Steps for Climbing to the Next Level and Beyondby Ria Story provides a powerful, yet simple, framework to help you realize the practical steps you can take to increase your influence with the people around you: family, friends, co-workers, your boss, team members, community members, children, spouses, and maybe even ex-spouses too!

Check out the related ~7.5 hour online video course at BlueCollarLeadership.com/Academy (Don't miss our FREE 2-hour course on "The 5 Types of Leaders" in the "Individuals" section while you're there. It comes with an 8 page Participant's Guide, and you'll receive a Certificate of Completion once you finish up. Be sure to add that to your resume or as an achievement on your LinkedIn profile!)

(Part 15 of 31) Ch. 14: Third Step - Influence Based on Competency Development

The Ladder of Influence: 5 Steps for Climbing to the Next Level and Beyondby Ria Story provides a powerful, yet simple, framework to help you realize the practical steps you can take to increase your influence with the people around you: family, friends, co-workers, your boss, team members, community members, children, spouses, and maybe even ex-spouses too!

Check out the related ~7.5 hour online video course at BlueCollarLeadership.com/Academy (Don't miss our FREE 2-hour course on "The 5 Types of Leaders" in the "Individuals" section while you're there. It comes with an 8 page Participant's Guide, and you'll receive a Certificate of Completion once you finish up. Be sure to add that to your resume or as an achievement on your LinkedIn profile!)

(Part 14 of 31) Ch. 13: Mastering the Second Step (character development)

The Ladder of Influence: 5 Steps for Climbing to the Next Level and Beyondby Ria Story provides a powerful, yet simple, framework to help you realize the practical steps you can take to increase your influence with the people around you: family, friends, co-workers, your boss, team members, community members, children, spouses, and maybe even ex-spouses too!

Check out the related ~7.5 hour online video course at BlueCollarLeadership.com/Academy (Don't miss our FREE 2-hour course on "The 5 Types of Leaders" in the "Individuals" section while you're there. It comes with an 8 page Participant's Guide, and you'll receive a Certificate of Completion once you finish up. Be sure to add that to your resume or as an achievement on your LinkedIn profile!)

(Part 13 of 31) Ch. 12: The Second Step at Work

The Ladder of Influence: 5 Steps for Climbing to the Next Level and Beyondby Ria Story provides a powerful, yet simple, framework to help you realize the practical steps you can take to increase your influence with the people around you: family, friends, co-workers, your boss, team members, community members, children, spouses, and maybe even ex-spouses too!

Check out the related ~7.5 hour online video course at BlueCollarLeadership.com/Academy (Don't miss our FREE 2-hour course on "The 5 Types of Leaders" in the "Individuals" section while you're there. It comes with an 8 page Participant's Guide, and you'll receive a Certificate of Completion once you finish up. Be sure to add that to your resume or as an achievement on your LinkedIn profile!)

(Part 12 of 31) Ch. 11: The Second Step at Home

The Ladder of Influence: 5 Steps for Climbing to the Next Level and Beyondby Ria Story provides a powerful, yet simple, framework to help you realize the practical steps you can take to increase your influence with the people around you: family, friends, co-workers, your boss, team members, community members, children, spouses, and maybe even ex-spouses too!

Check out the related ~7.5 hour online video course at BlueCollarLeadership.com/Academy (Don't miss our FREE 2-hour course on "The 5 Types of Leaders" in the "Individuals" section while you're there. It comes with an 8 page Participant's Guide, and you'll receive a Certificate of Completion once you finish up. Be sure to add that to your resume or as an achievement on your LinkedIn profile!)

(Part 11 of 31) Ch. 10: Climbing to the Second Step (character development)

The Ladder of Influence: 5 Steps for Climbing to the Next Level and Beyondby Ria Story provides a powerful, yet simple, framework to help you realize the practical steps you can take to increase your influence with the people around you: family, friends, co-workers, your boss, team members, community members, children, spouses, and maybe even ex-spouses too!

Check out the related ~7.5 hour online video course at BlueCollarLeadership.com/Academy (Don't miss our FREE 2-hour course on "The 5 Types of Leaders" in the "Individuals" section while you're there. It comes with an 8 page Participant's Guide, and you'll receive a Certificate of Completion once you finish up. Be sure to add that to your resume or as an achievement on your LinkedIn profile!)

In this interview, Andy Garver discusses:

How he got is start in the construction business
How he discovered Blue-Collar Leadership and why he wanted to introduce it to his leadership team
What happened while he was at the company’s annual leadership development conference in Savannah, GA
The power of pausing before responding
The impact of being an Eagle Scout
Tips on standing out in the job interview process
His favorite question to ask during an interview
How he looks for character when interviewing others

Andy Garver is a Sr. Vice-President at Pullman Services and has been in construction for ~30 years! He is a leader who is developing himself with the intent of developing others.

Andy is a high impact leader who started at the bottom and has been climbing the corporate ladder ever since. He’s done the physical work that many on his teams are doing now. He’s been in the leadership positions that those on his team are in now. He knows what it’s like to be where they are.

Andy cares about his team members and wants to help them think at the next level, so they can perform at a higher level…at home and at work.

Don't miss the 33rd episode of the "Real People Getting Real Results!" interview series featuring Andy Garver interviewed by Mack Story.

You can also watch the video recording of this episode by visiting the Blue-Collar Leadership YouTube channel at ⁠https://www.youtube.com/@bluecollarleadership⁠ where you can check out this interview and previous interviews in this series. Both can be found under the playlist titled "Real People Getting Real Results!"

Be sure to subscribe while you're there, and tap the 🔔 to be notified of future releases in this series.

(Part 10 of 31) Ch. 9: Second Step: Influence Based on Character Development

The Ladder of Influence: 5 Steps for Climbing to the Next Level and Beyondby Ria Story provides a powerful, yet simple, framework to help you realize the practical steps you can take to increase your influence with the people around you: family, friends, co-workers, your boss, team members, community members, children, spouses, and maybe even ex-spouses too!

Check out the related ~7.5 hour online video course at BlueCollarLeadership.com/Academy (Don't miss our FREE 2-hour course on "The 5 Types of Leaders" in the "Individuals" section while you're there. It comes with an 8 page Participant's Guide, and you'll receive a Certificate of Completion once you finish up. Be sure to add that to your resume or as an achievement on your LinkedIn profile!)

(Part 9 of 31) Ch. 8: Mastering the First Step

The Ladder of Influence: 5 Steps for Climbing to the Next Level and Beyondby Ria Story provides a powerful, yet simple, framework to help you realize the practical steps you can take to increase your influence with the people around you: family, friends, co-workers, your boss, team members, community members, children, spouses, and maybe even ex-spouses too!

Check out the related ~7.5 hour online video course at BlueCollarLeadership.com/Academy (Don't miss our FREE 2-hour course on "The 5 Types of Leaders" in the "Individuals" section while you're there. It comes with an 8 page Participant's Guide, and you'll receive a Certificate of Completion once you finish up. Be sure to add that to your resume or as an achievement on your LinkedIn profile!)

(Part 8 of 31) Ch. 7: The First Step at Work

The Ladder of Influence: 5 Steps for Climbing to the Next Level and Beyondby Ria Story provides a powerful, yet simple, framework to help you realize the practical steps you can take to increase your influence with the people around you: family, friends, co-workers, your boss, team members, community members, children, spouses, and maybe even ex-spouses too!

Check out the related ~7.5 hour online video course at BlueCollarLeadership.com/Academy (Don't miss our FREE 2-hour course on "The 5 Types of Leaders" in the "Individuals" section while you're there. It comes with an 8 page Participant's Guide, and you'll receive a Certificate of Completion once you finish up. Be sure to add that to your resume or as an achievement on you LinkedIn profile!)

(Part 7 of 31) Ch. 6: The First Step at Home

The Ladder of Influence: 5 Steps for Climbing to the Next Level and Beyondby Ria Story provides a powerful, yet simple, framework to help you realize the practical steps you can take to increase your influence with the people around you: family, friends, co-workers, your boss, team members, community members, children, spouses, and maybe even ex-spouses too!

Check out the related ~7.5 hour online video course at BlueCollarLeadership.com/Academy (Don't miss our FREE course on "The 5 Types of Leaders" while you're there.)

(Part 6 of 31) Ch. 5: Climbing to the First Step

The Ladder of Influence: 5 Steps for Climbing to the Next Level and Beyondby Ria Story provides a powerful, yet simple, framework to help you realize the practical steps you can take to increase your influence with the people around you: family, friends, co-workers, your boss, team members, community members, children, spouses, and maybe even ex-spouses too!

Check out the related ~7.5 hour online video course at BlueCollarLeadership.com/Academy (Don't miss our FREE course on "The 5 Types of Leaders" while you're there.)

(Part 5 of 31) Ch. 4: The First Step - Influence Based on Control of Self

When it comes to developing authentic influence, self-control is the starting point.

The Ladder of Influence: 5 Steps for Climbing to the Next Level and Beyondby Ria Story provides a powerful, yet simple, framework to help you realize the practical steps you can take to increase your influence with the people around you: family, friends, co-workers, your boss, team members, community members, children, spouses, and maybe even ex-spouses too!

Check out the related ~7.5 hour online video course at BlueCollarLeadership.com/Academy (Don't miss our FREE course on "The 5 Types of Leaders" while you're there.)

(Part 4 of 31) Ch. 3: Climbing the Steps

Develop an understanding of why we should and how we can climb The Ladder of Influence.

The Ladder of Influence: 5 Steps for Climbing to the Next Level and Beyondby Ria Story provides a powerful, yet simple, framework to help you realize the practical steps you can take to increase your influence with the people around you: family, friends, co-workers, your boss, team members, community members, children, spouses, and maybe even ex-spouses too!

Check out the related ~7.5 hour online video course at BlueCollarLeadership.com/Academy

(Part 3 of 31) Ch. 2: Why a Ladder?

Discover why Ria Story chose a ladder to illustrate the journey of intentionally and methodically developing influence.

The Ladder of Influence: 5 Steps for Climbing to the Next Level and Beyondby Ria Story provides a powerful, yet simple, framework to help you realize the practical steps you can take to increase your influence with the people around you: family, friends, co-workers, your boss, team members, community members, children, spouses, and maybe even ex-spouses too!

Check out the related ~7.5 hour online video course at BlueCollarLeadership.com/Academy

(Part 2 of 31) Ch. 1: The Ladder of Influence

Before you begin to intentionally climb The Ladder of Influence, you must understand the following three truths:

You can't change anyone except yourself.
There will be people you simply cannot influence.
You will never stop climbing.

The Ladder of Influence: 5 Steps for Climbing to the Next Level and Beyondby Ria Story provides a powerful, yet simple, framework to help you realize the practical steps you can take to increase your influence with the people around you: family, friends, co-workers, your boss, team members, community members, children, spouses, and maybe even ex-spouses too!

Check out the related ~7.5 hour online video course at BlueCollarLeadership.com/Academy

(Part 1 of 31) Introduction to The Ladder of Influence

Mack Story kick's off a 31 part series by introducing "The Ladder of Influence: 5 Steps for Climbing to the Next Level and Beyond" which was published by his wife, Ria Story, in 2023. Be sure to check out Episode #334 to hear Ria discuss the book.

The Ladder of Influence provides a powerful, yet simple, framework to help you realize the practical steps you can take to increase your influence with the people around you: family, friends, co-workers, your boss, team members, community members, children, spouses, and maybe even ex-spouses too!

Check out the related ~7.5 hour online video course at BlueCollarLeadership.com/Academy

Make it happen or someone else will. It might as well be YOU!

As you prepare for 2025, Mack Story wants you to consider 3 things: 1) What do you need to STOP DOING?; 2) What do you need to KEEP DOING?; and 3) What do you need to START DOING?

Mack also shares his thoughts on quotes from Jim Rohn, Russell H. Conwell, and John C. Maxwell to help you shift your mindset as you prepare to make 2025 better than 2024.

As you prepare to climb to the next level in 2024, be sure to check out this episode that Mack Story filled with quotes and thoughts on "preparation" to help you start out the new year.

Mack published a related Blue-Collar Leadership Tips newsletter on December 3, 2024 and was inspired to expand it into podcast. Check out the newsletter on LinkedIn and be sure to subscribe at https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/luck-favors-those-who-preparing-while-others-sleeping-mack-adsae/?trackingId=AEC01zRFT%2B6i%2BmhlXKZjdA%3D%3D

Too many people are spending major time on minor things when they're not at work. Are you one of them?

The key to living an above average life is to work harder on yourself than you do on your job.

Dive into this thought-provoking episode and prepare to start climbing to the next level and beyond in 2025!

personalgrowth #personaldevelopment #selfhelp #HVAC #bluecollar #bluecollarleadership #workforcedevelopment #leadershipdevelopment #leadership #successmindset #growthmindset

Mack Story shares thoughts related to some of his favorite quotes from Stephen M. R. Covey, author of "The Speed of Trust" and son of Stephen R. Covey author of "The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People".

Many of the quotes and thoughts are focused on the cost associated with distrust and disengagement.

Trust decreases costs throughout the organization. Distrust increases costs throughout the organization.

The cost to build trust is high. However, the cost of creating distrust is even higher. Either way, there's a price to pay.

buildingtrust #trustbuilding #culturechange #culturaltransformation #leadershipdevelopment #bluecollarleadership #bluecollar

Discover the importance of trust relative to cultural transformation and consider a few thought-provoking questions about building trust and creating distrust.

If you're in a leadership position, you'll develop a deeper understanding of why intentionally and methodically building trust with your team members and among your team is your responsibility.

Mack Story also shares about his 3 book bundle holiday sale featuring 3 of his most popular blue-collar books at a 28% discount.

Direct link to purchase before sale ends on 12/25/24: https://bluecollarleadership.com/store/Blue-Collar-Leadership-3-Book-Bundle-p709254755

Mack also shares the news that online video training courses in the Blue-Collar Leadership Academy will now be available for individuals which will allow those who go through the courses to begin separating themselves from the masses.

Participants will receive a "Certificate of Completion" which will validate that they've been focused on developing themselves which will also elevate them during the interview and job application process. Learn more about these courses at: https://bluecollarleadership.com/academy/

You can preview the 7 different courses on the Blue-Collar Leadership YouTube channel at: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLucv5rCMssLio7-iXBwweokuCinopNPoo&feature=shared

culturechange #culturaltransformation #BlueCollarLeadership #leadershipdevelopment

Look in the mirror and take responsibility as Mack Story shares some thought-provoking quotes from Jim Rohn (1930-2009) and his mentor Earl Shoaff (1916-1965) that will raise your awareness and help you wipe the fog off of your mirror.

bluecollarleadership #leadershippodcast #takeresponsibility #intentionalliving #successmindset #growthmindset #leadyourlife #success #leadership #personalgrowth #selfhelp

When it comes to cultural transformation, too many leaders are dropping the ball!!

When the leader drops the ball, what could have been true cultural transformation becomes just another "program of the month" initiative.

The worst leaders cast blame and accuse their teams of dropping the ball. However, their teams were never carrying the ball.

The leader is the only one who carries this ball.

If the ball is dropped, it is the leader who dropped it.

Check out this episode to discover why leaders drop the ball along with 5 specific key reasons that cause leaders to drop the ball.

To read the related Blue-Collar Leadership Tips newsletter (be sure to subscribe) on LinkedIn, visit https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/far-too-often-its-leaders-who-cant-get-ball-across-mack-zfvse/?trackingId=8OFXVmCsQKizHj5hQN9wWw%3D%3D

leadership #leadershippodcast #bluecollarleadership #leadershipdevelopment #culturaltransformation #culturechange

In this follow up interview, Rene Duron (Real People Getting Real Results! Episode #2 or Podcast Episode #380) shares what he’s accomplished since his first interview nearly 8 months ago. He’s been making things happen, professionally and personally.

This episode highlights the results he’s been getting over the past 8 months.

• He’s remained intentional about his personal development.

• He’s been promoted twice!

• He gave himself a challenging goal of competing in a Spartan Ultra 50K race with over 30 miles of running and 60 obstacles to conquer. He made it happen!

Rene is a Father, Husband, Disciple, Podcast Editor, and Field Utility Coordinator at San Antonio Water System in San Antonio, TX.

He's still in "sponge mode" soaking up all kinds of knowledge as he intentionally climbs from one level to the next.

Contact Rene by email at Rene.Duron@DuronStyle.com

Don't miss the 32nd episode in the "Real People Getting Real Results!" interview series featuring a follow up conversation Rene "the Sponge" Duron interviewed by Mack Story.

Watch it on the Blue-Collar Leadership YouTube channel at YouTube.com/@BlueCollarLeadership and check out the other interviews in this series which can be found under the playlist titled "Real People Getting Real Results!"

overcomingobstacles #overcomechallenges #lifeisajourney#personaltransformation#personalsuccess#personalstory#personalstories#growthmindset#successmindset#motivationalstory#inspirationalstory #transformation #spartan #spartanultra

Mack Story shares some thought-provoking content on workplace bullies and how they impact those they work with or report to.

Most often, bad bosses are nothing more than bullies that have made it into leadership positions.

If you're following a bad boss, why?

If you're a boss and allowing bullies to be on your team at any level, why?

Become a leader worth following! Preview 5 minutes samples of our audiobooks at TopStoryLeadership.com/audiobooks

Mack Story continues where he left off last week sharing some of the latest personal growth and leadership quotes that he's added to his collection. He'll also share his own thoughts related to the quotes to help provoke additional thought and to raise your awareness.

Preview 100+ pages of excerpts from Mack and Ria Story's books at BlueCollarLeadership.com/download

Mack Story shares some of the latest personal growth and leadership quotes that he's added to his collection. He'll also share his own thoughts related to the quotes to help provoke additional thought and to raise your awareness.

Preview 100+ pages of excerpts from Mack and Ria Story's books at BlueCollarLeadership.com/download

When high impact leaders create momentum, they don't rest upon it. They build upon it.

When momentum (Big Mo) shows up, he doesn't travel alone. He travels with his friends: High Speed, High Impact, High Energy, Big Advantage, Big Return, and Big Time. Big Mo doesn't just show up. Someone must invite him to the party.

Note: This is episode is based on content from "10 Values of High Impact Leaders" by Mack Story. You can learn more about this leadership development resource at BlueCollarLeadership.com/10Values

leadership #leadershipdevelopment #leadershiptraining #bluecollarleadership

In this interview, Tanner Lyons discusses:

His early years growing up as a teen in foster care
Being homeless as a teen and as an adult
Meeting his wife at an early age and how important she is to him
His journey of personal growth and transformation
How Blue-Collar Leadership books helped raise his awareness
Being diagnosed with Complex PTSD
What it means to live with purpose
Starting his non profit “Ascending Phoenix”

Tanner Lyons is a man on a mission. He has brought his mission to life through his non-profit “Ascending Phoenix.” Learn more at MissionAscendingPhoenix.org

Tanner understands the importance of raising awareness about Complex Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (CPTSD) cannot be overstated. He believes many individuals remain unaware that their struggles are rooted in complex trauma, leading to feelings of isolation and hopelessness.

By advocating for greater recognition and understanding of CPTSD, Tanner not only validates the experiences of those affected but also strives to provide a supportive community that promotes healing.

Don't miss the 31st episode of the "Real People Getting Real Results!" interview series featuring Tanner Lyons interviewed by Mack Story.

You can also watch the video recording of this episode by visiting the Blue-Collar Leadership YouTube channel at ⁠https://www.youtube.com/@bluecollarleadership⁠ where you can check out this interview and previous interviews in this series. Both can be found under the playlist titled "Real People Getting Real Results!"

Be sure to subscribe while you're there, and tap the 🔔 to be notified of future releases in this series.

#leadershiptips #leadershippodcast #leadershipmindset #success #resultsdriven #successmindset #leadership #bluecollarleadership #growthmindset #PTSD #CPTST #PostTraumaticStress #personaltransformation #personalgrowth #overcomingadversity

In this interview, Mike Hough discusses:

Starting out working at McDonald’s
Being told early in his career that he wasn’t meant to be in a leadership role
How he ended up in the airline industry
How he has used book studies consistently for 5 years to develop his leadership team
How book studies are cascaded through the entire organization
The top character traits he looks for in others
His personal transformation and his passion for helping others transform themselves
How his transformation has impacted his team and his family

Mike Hough has been the CEO at GAT Airline Ground Support since 2017 and is Founder at LifeByDesignForMen.com Connect/Follow Mike on LinkedIn at LinkedIn.com/in/MikeHough

Mike is a high impact blue-collar leader who started at the bottom loading luggage onto planes. Today, he leads the team of ~6,400 team members at GAT as they constantly and consistently grow each other and GAT. Learn more about GAT at WeAreGAT.net

Mike’s mission with Life by Design for Men is to provide a safe and uplifting space for men to inspire, support, and empower each other on their journey to becoming the best version of themselves. Guided by the principles of positivity, respect, and continuous self-improvement, he focuses on the Core 4 pillars—family, faith, finance, and fitness. His goal is to cultivate an environment where every member is dedicated to being 1% better each day, fostering a community that uplifts, motivates, and celebrates the achievements of each individual.

Don't miss the 30th episode of the "Real People Getting Real Results!" interview series featuring Mike Hough interviewed by Mack Story.

You can also watch the video recording of this episode by visiting the Blue-Collar Leadership YouTube channel at ⁠https://www.youtube.com/@bluecollarleadership⁠ where you can check out this interview and previous interviews in this series. Both can be found under the playlist titled "Real People Getting Real Results!"

Be sure to subscribe while you're there, and tap the 🔔 to be notified of future releases in this series.

#leadershiptips #leadershippodcast #leadershipmindset #success #resultsdriven #successmindset #leadership #bluecollarleadership #growthmindset #personsaltransformation #CEO #teambuilding #airlineindustry #groundsupport #airportsoperations

In this interview, Brandon Kluthe discusses:

How discovering the Blue-Collar Leadership Podcast impacted him
Why he feels it’s so important to be developing yourself and your team
How he began applying what he was learning
Seeking support from his leaders to begin developing others
Stepping up as a front line team member and leading multiple book studies without being in a formal leadership role
Why he wanted to lead book studies in the first place
How his co-workers responded to the book studies
How he plans to continue developing himself and his team moving forward

Brandon Kluthe is in a Safety Coordinator role in the electrical division within the City of Grand Island Utilities in Nebraska.

Brandon spent most of his 20+ year electrical career working on the front lines, literally in the trenches doing the hard, hot/cold, and dirty work. For 14+ years, he installed and replaced high voltage underground cables, transformers, and related equipment while also operating trenchers, backhoes, cranes, etc.

Connect with Brandon on LinkedIn at LinkedIn.com/in/BrandonKluthe

Don't miss the 29th episode of the "Real People Getting Real Results!" interview series featuring Brandon Kluthe interviewed by Mack Story.

You can also watch the video recording of this episode by visiting the Blue-Collar Leadership YouTube channel at ⁠https://www.youtube.com/@bluecollarleadership⁠ where you can check out this interview and previous interviews in this series. Both can be found under the playlist titled "Real People Getting Real Results!"

Be sure to subscribe while you're there, and tap the 🔔 to be notified of future releases in this series.

#leadershiptips #leadershippodcast #leadershipmindset #success #resultsdriven #bluecollarleadership #safety #safetyindustry #electricalindustry #teambuilding #leadershipvideos #utilities #successmindset #leadership

In this interview, Carlos Cody discusses:

His passion for personal development
How intentional development has impacted him personally and professionally
The impact of personal development on his income
How leading book studies has benefited him and his team
How he’s learned to deal with toxic team members
How personal development will make you stand out when applying for jobs
Many of his favorite books and why reading is so important

Carlos Cody is a seasoned operations leader with a track record of driving efficiency, profitability, and operational excellence. He thrives on optimizing supply chain processes and leading high-performance teams that exceed organizational goals. With a solid background in managing multi-site operations, P&L optimization, and implementing Lean Six Sigma methodologies. Carlos has consistently delivered results that enhance business growth and customer satisfaction.

Carlos is committed to developing others and fostering a culture of engagement which always leads to significant improvements in employee morale and retention. He also publishes the “Leadership Operating System” newsletter biweekly on his LinkedIn profile.

Connect with Carlos on LinkedIn at Linkedin.com/in/CarlosCody

Don't miss the 28th episode of the "Real People Getting Real Results!" interview series featuring Carlos Cody interviewed by Mack Story.

You can also watch the video recording of this episode by visiting the Blue-Collar Leadership YouTube channel at ⁠https://www.youtube.com/@bluecollarleadership⁠ where you can check out this interview and previous interviews in this series. Both can be found under the playlist titled "Real People Getting Real Results!"

Be sure to subscribe while you're there, and tap the 🔔 to be notified of future releases in this series.

#leadershiptips #leadershippodcast #leadershipmindset #success #resultsdriven #successmindset #leadership #bluecollarleadership #growthmindset #warehousemanagement #supplychain #logistics #teambuilding #culturaltransformation #leadershipdevelopment #leadershipvideos

In this interview, Justin Poss discusses:

His 15 year journey from entry-level worker to operations leader
Taking ownership and developing yourself
His passion for developing others
Feeding the “hungry”
How he intentionally mentors his leadership team
Caring about those on the frontlines
The importance of working hard and producing results
How learning about he “pause button” changed his life
How leadership has made him a better father, husband, and friend
Some of his favorite leadership principles

Justin Poss is a high impact leader with a strong desire to develop himself and his team. He’s also got a track record to prove it.

Justin started on the front lines at Chobani in an entry-level position. Today, he’s the Director of Manufacturing in a Chobani facility working with ~1,200 team members.

Don't miss the 27th episode of the "Real People Getting Real Results!" interview series featuring Justin Poss interviewed by Mack Story.

You can also watch the video recording of this episode by visiting the Blue-Collar Leadership YouTube channel at ⁠https://www.youtube.com/@bluecollarleadership⁠ where you can check out this interview and previous interviews in this series. Both can be found under the playlist titled "Real People Getting Real Results!"

Be sure to subscribe while you're there, and tap the 🔔 to be notified of future releases in this series.

#leadershiptips #leadershippodcast #leadershipmindset #success #resultsdriven #successmindset #leadership #bluecollarleadership #growthmindset #manufacturing #leadershipdevelopment #workforcedevelopment #Chobani #yogurt #teambuilding #ChobaniYogurt

In this interview, Eric Alonso-Bernal discusses:

Growing up in Mexico City, Mexico
Losing his dad at an early age
Growing up alone with his brother while his mom worked 3 jobs
His journey to become a US citizen
Learning to speak English
His time working in a restaurant and serving as a Texas Corrections Officer
Joining the the Air Force and his growth journey from an E-1 Airman to an O-5 Lt. Colonel
Thoughts on leadership

Eric Alonso-Bernal (Retired USAF, Lt Colonel) was born in Mexico City, Mexico. After serving in the enlisted ranks as an accounting and finance technician from 2000 to 2004, he received his commission from the Air Force Officer Training School. Today, he’s supporting the Air Force JROTC program as a Senior Aerospace Science Instructor.

Ret. Lt Col Alonso-Bernal previously served as a Level III Acquisition Professional. His contracting experience included serving as SquadronCommander, Director of Business Operations, Contracting Officer, Flight Commander, Deputy Chief, and Contracts Manager.

Don't miss the 26th episode of the "Real People Getting Real Results!" interview series featuring Eric Alonso-Bernal interviewed by Mack Story.

Visit the Blue-Collar Leadership YouTube channel at https://www.youtube.com/@bluecollarleadership and check out the previous interviews in this series which can be found under the playlist titled "Real People Getting Real Results!"

Be sure to subscribe while you're there, and tap the 🔔 to be notified of future releases in this series.

#leadershiptips #leadershippodcast #contracts #leadershipmindset #success #resultsdriven #successmindset #leadership #bluecollarleadership #growthmindset #USAF #AirForce #USAirForce

In this interview, Chris Boyd discusses:

How he has progressed during his nearly 29 year career
Leading as an introvert
Choosing to intentionally get out of his comfort zone
Leading his team through weekly book studies
How his team has responded to book studies
How facilitating book studies has helped him grow
How participating in book studies has helped his team strengthen their relationships
Opportunities within the City of Roswell, GA

Chris Boyd has been with the City of Roswell, GA for almost 29 years and held many positions as he climbed his way to his current position, Water Utility Manager.

Chris believes the key to great leadership is to be intentional about building a strong culture based on character development at every level.

Connect with Chris on LinkedIn at:

LinkedIn.com/In/ChrisBoyd123

Email Chris at: Cboyd@roswellgov.com

Learn more about the City of Roswell, GA at: RoswellGov.com

Don't miss the 25th episode of the "Real People Getting Real Results!" interview series featuring Chris Boyd interviewed by Mack Story.

Visit the Blue-Collar Leadership YouTube channel at https://www.youtube.com/@bluecollarleadership and check out the previous interviews in this series which can be found under the playlist titled "Real People Getting Real Results!"

Be sure to subscribe while you're there, and tap the 🔔 to be notified of future releases in this series.

#leadershiptips #leadershippodcast #leadershipmindset #success #resultsdriven #successmindset #leadership #bluecollarleadership #growthmindset #teambuilding #waterindustry #wastewater #stormwater #utilityindustry

In this interview, Mack Story discusses:

Having to rebuild the relationship with his teenage son
The greatest leadership principle he’s ever learned
Overcoming his short temper
What he finds to be most rewarding
The impact of taking personal responsibility, personally and professionally
Leading 110 leaders in a $1 Billion organization through a book study
The importance of maintaining a “leadership drip” within an organization
The power of facilitating a book study

Mack Story helps leaders engage the front line to improve the bottom line by developing high performance team players at every level, from the top of the organizational chart to the entry-level, front line workforce and those who lead and support them.

Mack and his wife Ria conduct on site development sessions and speak at conferences and seminars of all sizes and types across all industries. You've got enough things to deal with, so Mack makes developing your team easy by offering a flat fee within the USA which includes free books and all of his related travel expenses.

After 20 years in the manufacturing industry, Mack started his own business in 2008. Some of his clients include: Chick-fil-A, the US Military, Association for Talent Development, Auburn University, Blue Bird Bus, various city and county governments, Koch Industries, and many more large and small organizations. Highlights for Mack was receiving a personal invitation from Les Brown to speak at one of his speaker training event in Los Angeles, CA in 2014 and speaking at Yale University’s School of Management in 2018.

Website: BlueCollarLeadership.com

Preview Mack’s Books: BlueCollarLeadership.com/download

Online Video Courses: BlueCollarLeadership.com/Academy

Cell: (334) 728.4143

Email: Mack@MackStory.com

Don't miss the 24th episode of the "Real People Getting Real Results!" interview series featuring Mack Story interviewed by Ria Story.

Watch this episode on the Blue-Collar Leadership YouTube channel at https://www.youtube.com/@bluecollarleadership and check out the previous interviews in this series which can be found under the playlist titled "Real People Getting Real Results!"

Be sure to subscribe while you're there, and tap the 🔔 to be notified of future releases in this series.

In this interview, Ria Story discusses:

Overcoming an unimaginable childhood
Beginning her career as a server at Pizza Hut and choosing to start climbing
Her professional journey and the various jobs she had along her climb
Getting it wrong by being confident but arrogant early in her career
Understanding that if we want life to be different, we must do something different
How personal growth and development allows us to avoid and/or overcome problems
Sharing her personal story on stage in front of hundreds for the first time in 2013
Les Brown inviting her to speak at an event he was hosting in Los Angeles, CA
How her growth led to her speaking at Yale and the U.S. Capitol

Ria Story is a leadership speaker, author, and trainer. She loves eating healthy and fitness. She ran many marathons including the Boston Marathon and is 4X state mountain bike champion. Be sure to check out her newsletter (LinkedIn), her podcast (Spotify and most other podcast apps), and her YouTube channel for tons of FREE content.

Ria understands first hand the frustration and challenges leaders face. She understands, from experience, the discouragement of vague, confusing, and theoretical “leadership” materials that don’t help you understand how to develop the team you want to lead and become the leader they want to follow. Ria understands the sacrifices of leadership, and she believes leaders deserve simple and effective leadership tools that will help them be successful. Ria specializes in helping you Become the Leader You are Destined to Be.®

Ria is a motivational leadership speaker, TEDx Speaker, certified leadership trainer, and author of 20 books and journals, including: Leadership Gems for Women, and The Ladder of Influence®. She has spoken on leadership at Yale University and on Capitol Hill. Ria has spoken several times at International John Maxwell Certification Events and with motivational speaker Les Brown in Los Angeles, CA. Ria has an MBA, a BS in Human Resources Management, and has more than 20 years of experience in leadership and management.

Ria’s website: RiaStory.com

Email: Ria@RiaStory.com

Cell: (334) 332.3526

Watch her powerfully inspiring TEDx video: RiaStory.com/TEDx

Preview her books: RiaStory.com/download

Don't miss the 23rd episode of the "Real People Getting Real Results!" interview series featuring Ria Story interviewed by Mack Story.

Watch this episode on the Blue-Collar Leadership YouTube channel at https://www.youtube.com/@bluecollarleadership and check out the previous interviews in this series which can be found under the playlist titled "Real People Getting Real Results!"

Be sure to subscribe while you're there, and tap the 🔔 to be notified of future releases in this series.

In this interview, Denise Williams discusses:

Being raised in her family’s blue-collar salvage business
How her father and grandfather modeled different styles of leadership
The importance of intentionally developing our character
How we can impact others at work no matter our title or position
How having a mission to help develop others changes the way you show up
How having a desire to make things happen motivates her
How she connects with those working on the frontlines
Leveraging humility to build trust

Denise Williams has gained a lot of experience during her time working in the railroad industry. She’s currently in a Project Manager and Industrial Development role. She’s a high impact team player who values growing and developing herself with the intention of growing and developing others.

Denise was chosen as one of eight individuals to undertake a three-year rotational assignment across various functions within her organization. This journey began in 2021 with a one-year immersive assignment in Health, Safety & Environmental. In 2022, she transitioned into working in leadership roles in four areas of Operations (Network Operations, Transportation, Mechanical, and Engineering). Then in 2023, Denise joined the Leadership Development team in support of operations leadership training and development.

Through her participation in the “LEAD Program,” Denise honed her leadership skills, gained extensive cross-functional experience, and developed a strong understanding of the inner-connected functions across a Class I Railroad Network.

Don't miss the 22nd episode of the "Real People Getting Real Results!" interview series featuring Denise Williams interviewed by Mack Story.

Watch this episode on the Blue-Collar Leadership YouTube channel at https://www.youtube.com/@bluecollarleadership and check out the previous interviews in this series which can be found under the playlist titled "Real People Getting Real Results!"

Be sure to subscribe while you're there, and tap the 🔔 to be notified of future releases in this series.

In this interview, Kevin Creedon discusses:

How developing people creates a competitive advantage
How developing people leads to more and better referrals when jobs need to be filled
How facilitating book studies helps his team work better together
Why intentionally developing his team is a priority
How developing the workforce and the leadership team has enhanced organizational culture
How leadership development helped the leaders better understand their teams

Kevin Creedon is a Partner and VP of Sales and Business Development at Element Designs, a manufacturer located near Charlotte, NC.

Element Designs has been in business over 20 years and is an industry leader in providing premium, contemporary aluminum, glass, and acrylic surfacing materials and components to the top kitchen, office and closet manufacturers. Custom products include NEW protective glass panels, aluminum frame cabinet doors, back painted glass, marker boards (glass whiteboards), high gloss solid acrylic, aluminum frame base systems, sliding door systems, decorative hardware, shelving and organization solutions that are proudly manufactured right here in the United States.

Kevin became intentional about developing himself and his team in 2018 after Mack & Ria Story conducted on site workforce and leadership development sessions. After the visit, he was inspired to begin reading personal growth and leadership development books and facilitating book studies with his team. For the past several years, he and his front office administrative team have been participating in book studies on a weekly basis.

Connect with Kevin on LinkedIn: LinkedIn.com/in/KevinCreedon

Company Website Element-Designs.com

Don't miss the 21st episode of the "Real People Getting Real Results!" interview series featuring Kevin Creedon interviewed by Mack Story.

Watch this episode on the Blue-Collar Leadership YouTube channel at https://www.youtube.com/@bluecollarleadership and check out the previous interviews in this series which can be found under the playlist titled "Real People Getting Real Results!"

Be sure to subscribe while you're there, and tap the 🔔 to be notified of future releases in this series.

In this interview, Maggie Jean discusses:

What a professional coach is
How a professional coach can help
Who needs a professional coach
What it takes to climb to the next level and beyond
Her passion for helping you get better, so you can live a better life
When you get better, everyone around you wins
The importance of being able to communicate well
DISC personality profiling and why it’s important
How having a coach will elevate you within your organization

Maggie Jean is empowering organizations, professionals and leaders for unprecedented success through personalized coaching and strategic training, challenging potential and propelling success beyond expectations.

As a seasoned Leadership Accountability Coach, Speaker, and Team Trainer, Maggie specializes in guiding executives and their teams towards unparalleled success. Her mission is to pinpoint and overcome obstacles hindering progress, enabling leaders to exceed expectations and deliver exceptional results.

With a wealth of experience and expertise, Maggie offers tailored solutions to reignite enthusiasm and drive among employees, encouraging a culture of productivity and unparalleled quality customer care. Through a dynamic blend of cutting-edge training techniques and personalized coaching, she empowers individuals and teams to surpass predefined objectives.

Website: MaggieJeanCoaching.com

Don't miss the 20th episode of the "Real People Getting Real Results!" interview series featuring Maggie Jean interviewed by Mack Story.

Watch this episode on the Blue-Collar Leadership YouTube channel at https://www.youtube.com/@bluecollarleadership and check out the previous interviews in this series which can be found under the playlist titled "Real People Getting Real Results!"

Be sure to subscribe while you're there, and tap the 🔔 to be notified of future releases in this series.

In this interview, Brian Brogen discusses:

How his passion for building people is like his passion for building buildings
How he started his side hustle (coaching, training, & speaking) in 2018
How our past doesn’t have to be our prison
How our struggles can be stepping stones to help us grow
How his personal journey began in a youth home at 14 years old
Making Excuses vs Getting Results
Conducting book studies with his team when is he was the VP of Field Operations
DISC Personality profiles/assessments and why they’re important
His “Voices of Leadership” book series

Brian Brogen was the VP of Field Operations in a large Construction and Maintenance organization where he invested 28 years of his life. However, his passion for personal growth and leadership development led him to change course in 2022 when he left the construction industry and started his own business, BUILD Consulting Services.

Brian joined the Maxwell Leadership Team in 2018. He is the Founder of the “Voices for Leadership” book series and is currently working on Volume 3 which will be a youth edition. Brian is also the host of The Build Your Success Podcast.

Brian says, “Building Leaders in your organization, using John Maxwell's training combined with years of Experience in Project Management, we will define your goals, set realistic milestones and celebrate your success along the journey. You and your team members will become the leaders that you have always wanted to become. Not just encouraged by a lift me up speech or presentation, but a true leadership improvement journey with proven processes and accountability. Leadership Game, DISC Assessments, Mastermind Workshop Groups and much more.... Let's have fun and improve each individual in your team!”

Don't miss the 19th episode of the "Real People Getting Real Results!" interview series featuring Brian Brogen interviewed by Mack Story.

Watch this episode on the Blue-Collar Leadership YouTube channel at https://www.youtube.com/@bluecollarleadership and check out the previous interviews in this series which can be found under the playlist titled "Real People Getting Real Results!"

Be sure to subscribe while you're there, and tap the 🔔 to be notified of future releases in this series.

In this interview, Kym Hernandez discusses:

The importance of intentionally developing organizational culture
The impact of leadership development at all levels
How and why she uses Blue-Collar Leadership to develop all associates
Incorporating leadership development at home
The impact of conducting book studies at home
The power of self-reflection
How to make an impact during an interview

Kym Hernandez is a high impact HR Director at Element Designs near Charlotte, NC.

Kym is an accomplished HR Director with over 15 years of extensive expertise in managing all facets of HR, including talent acquisition, benefits administration, compensation planning, employee relations, and leadership development training. She has a proven track record of successfully managing HR functions as a department of one, creating processes, and promoting employee engagement which resulted in lower turnover rates.

Element Designs is an industry leader in providing premium, contemporary aluminum, glass, and acrylic surfacing materials and components to the top kitchen, office and closet manufacturers. Custom products include protective glass panels, aluminum frame cabinet doors, back-painted glass, marker boards (glass whiteboards), high gloss solid acrylic, aluminum frame base systems, sliding door systems, decorative hardware, shelving and organization solutions that are proudly manufactured in the USA.

Don't miss the 18th episode of the "Real People Getting Real Results!" interview series featuring Kym Hernandez interviewed by Mack Story.

Watch this episode on the Blue-Collar Leadership YouTube channel at https://www.youtube.com/@bluecollarleadership and check out the previous interviews in this series which can be found under the playlist titled "Real People Getting Real Results!"

Be sure to subscribe while you're there, and tap the 🔔 to be notified of future releases in this series.

In this interview, Felipe Engineer discusses:

How his personal development journey began
His thoughts on leadership
His passion for Lean & Scrum
What Scrum is and how to use it to increase throughput
His book “Construction Scrum”
The value and power of a facilitating book studies
Respect for People & Continuous Improvement
What makes a great leader
Why leaders need to keep growing
The importance of leadership development in construction

Felipe Engineer-Manriquez lives in the greater Sacramento, CA area. He’s a high impact leader and Director at the Boldt Company, a large construction contractor. Overcoming personal challenges of overworking and burnout, Felipe developed a keen interest in Agile and Lean Construction strategies for easier, better, and faster value delivery.

Felipe is an international keynote speaker and excels in guiding individuals, teams, and organizations to efficiently deliver value within the construction industry. He brings decades of experience to life through intentional storytelling about Scrum in design and construction, process improvement, project planning, execution, change management, and employee engagement.

With experience in projects ranging from thousands to billions of dollars, Felipe has implemented agile strategies worldwide, accumulating extensive knowledge and expertise. As a Registered Scrum Trainer™, Master™, Product Owner™, and Scrum@Scale Practitioner™, he is exceptionally equipped to assist organizations in adopting agile practices.

Felipe's dedication to the Lean Construction Institute (LCI) earned him the 2019 Chairman's Award. He actively volunteers for their conferences, instructs all LCI courses, and pioneered the first LCI Scrum course for design and construction professionals.

Felipe is the author of “CONSTRUCTION SCRUM: How Deliver Projects Easier, Better, and Faster” and is passionate about helping others learn how to leverage Scrum in the construction industry. He’s also the host of “The EBFC Show” podcast where he and his guests help construction professionals deliver projects “Easier, Better, Faster, and Cheaper.”

Website: ConstructionScrum.com

Podcast: TheEBFCshow.com

Email: Felipe@LeanEBFC.com

Lean Construction Institute: LeanConstruction.org

Don't miss the 17th episode of the "Real People Getting Real Results!" interview series featuring Felipe Engineer interviewed by Mack Story.

Watch this episode on the Blue-Collar Leadership YouTube channel at https://www.youtube.com/@bluecollarleadership and check out the previous interviews in this series which can be found under the playlist titled "Real People Getting Real Results!"

Be sure to subscribe while you're there, and tap the 🔔 to be notified of future releases in this series.

In this interview, Chad Cox discusses:

Growing up with a drug addicted mother and an alcoholic father
Being in dark places with a bad attitude and a short temper
How Blue-Collar Leadership has helped him improve himself and his life
How he learned to pause and think before acting
Without commitment you’ll never start; without consistency you’ll never finish
How he’s been tested not only professionally, but also personally
Focusing on PPM (Personal Protective Mindset)
Suicide within the construction industry
The need to listen to the blue-collar voices

Chad Cox is a high impact leader with 30+ years of experience in the construction industry. He is the Director of Trenchless Operations at Brent Scarbrough & Company in Newnan, GA. Chad oversees and manages all aspects of the trenchless division, including project planning, execution, quality control, safety, and budgeting.

Chad specializes in trenchless methods such as pilot tubing, TBM tunnel boring machines, horizontal directional drilling, pipe bursting, and slip lining. He has successfully completed hundreds of projects for various clients, such as municipalities, utilities, and private developers, delivering high-quality and cost-effective solutions.

Chad is a high impact leader who has assembled and developed a highly skilled and dedicated high performance team. He and his team foster a culture of excellence, collaboration, and continuous improvement.

Chad is passionate about innovating and advancing the field of trenchless technology. He’s always eager to learn new skills and techniques. His core competencies include team building, supervisory/leadership skills, training, problem-solving, and communication. Chad has become a student of personal growth and leadership development.

Don't miss the 16th episode of the "Real People Getting Real Results!" interview series featuring Chad Cox interviewed by Mack Story.

Watch this episode on the Blue-Collar Leadership YouTube channel at https://www.youtube.com/@bluecollarleadership and check out the previous interviews in this series which can be found under the playlist titled "Real People Getting Real Results!"

Be sure to subscribe while you're there, and tap the 🔔 to be notified of future releases in this series.

In this interview, Steve Gaither discusses:

How he transitioned from being a service manager in a motorcycle and ATV shop to selling houses
How many of his friends told him there was an “epic failure” on the horizon waiting on him
Books that have helped him get results
If you do the right things, you’ll get paid through sales and referrals.
How and why he works with other realtors to sell homes as a team
How to overdeliver by doing more than expected

Steve Gaither is a blue-collar guy who is also a high impact realtor with Exit Realty Preferred in Prattville, AL and serves the Montgomery, Elmore & Autauga tri-county area.

Steve specializes in the buying process and has the expertise to assist clients from A to Z with their real estate purchase. He also manages many rental properties. Steve is also a member of the NAR, MAAR, and MLS.

Steve enjoys cycling (road & trail), hiking, sightseeing, billiards and anything racing related.

Steve’s contact info:

(334) 399.7298

scgaither71@gmail.com

Exit Realty Preferred

660 McQueen Smith Rd. N

Suite D

Prattville, AL 36066

Don't miss the 15th episode of the "Real People Getting Real Results!" interview series featuring Steve Gaither interviewed by Mack Story.

Watch this episode on the Blue-Collar Leadership YouTube channel at https://www.youtube.com/@bluecollarleadership and check out the previous interviews in this series which can be found under the playlist titled "Real People Getting Real Results!"

Be sure to subscribe while you're there, and tap the 🔔 to be notified of future releases in this series.

In this interview, Daniel Gammill discusses:

When and why he started his personal growth journey
How reading books has helped him personally and professionally
How he discovered and became engaged with Blue-Collar Leadership
How developing people shows that leaders care about the people
Advice for a young person just starting out in a sales job
Character traits that allow him to be successful in a sales role
How seeing leadership development implemented in an organization has impacted him
The benefits of participating in leadership development sessions with one of his customers
Ways that he over delivers for his customers and why he does it

Daniel Gammill has served in an Outside Sales role with Lonestar Electric Supply in Ft. Worth, TX since 2020. He is ready to MAKE IT HAPPEN by out hustling his competition while taking the extra steps that others aren't willing to take. Some of the traits at the top of his list are honesty, integrity, perseverance, and love for others.

Daniel graduated from The University of Texas at Arlington with a Bachelor of Business Administration, concentration in Marketing, December 2009.

Don't miss the 14th episode of the "Real People Getting Real Results!" interview series featuring Daniel Gammill interviewed by Mack Story.

Watch this episode on the Blue-Collar Leadership YouTube channel at https://www.youtube.com/@bluecollarleadership and check out the previous interviews in this series which can be found under the playlist titled "Real People Getting Real Results!"

Be sure to subscribe while you're there, and tap the 🔔 to be notified of future releases in this series.

In this interview, George Grieb discuses:

How and why he wants to lead his team through cultural transformation
How and why he focused on his own mental and physical transformation first (he lost 50 lbs!)
How bringing in Mack & Ria Story engaged his team at an entirely new level
How and why bringing workforce and leadership development to all of his team members has been something he’s dreamed of doing for many years
How the offsite workforce and leadership development workshop impacted his son who is a Lynn Electric team member
How he plans to implement company wide book studies immediately
Why he wants to maintain the momentum going forward

George purchased 500 books (various titles) for his ~50 team members and brought Mack & Ria Story in to speak to them for 4 hours on May 3rd, 2024. But, he didn’t stop there. He intentionally started facilitating book studies with everyone from top to bottom. Be sure to visit BlueCollarLeadership.com/BookStudyTraining to learn more about facilitating high impact book studies.

George Grieb is the CEO/Owner of Lynn Electric which was founded in 1981 in Lawrence, Kansas. George purchased the company in 1999. At that time, Lynn Electric had 7 team members and less than $1 million in revenue. Today, there are ~40 team members and $20 million in revenue. They focus on the following type projects: large commercial, multi-use, multi-family, industrial, sports, office buildings, parking lot lighting, etc.

George also started Freedom Excavating & Trenching in 2019 which has grown to ~10 team members in 2024. They perform horizontal directional drilling and traditional underground utility installations for the power, gas, and water markets.

Don't miss the 13th episode of the "Real People Getting Real Results!" interview series featuring George Grieb interviewed by Mack Story.

Watch this episode on the Blue-Collar Leadership YouTube channel at https://www.youtube.com/@bluecollarleadership and check out the previous interviews in this series which can be found under the playlist titled "Real People Getting Real Results!"

Be sure to subscribe while you're there, and tap the 🔔 to be notified of future releases in this series.

(Part 30 of 30) Who's Buying You? Until You Sell Yourself, You Won't Sell Much...Ch. 30 Sold! Now, it's time to over deliver!

Preview the first 5 chapters of this and other books at BlueCollarLeadership.com/download

In this interview, Danielle Smythe discusses:

How books studies at work have inspired her to be a better mother at home
How parents are often the first bullies that children encounter
How book study participants are apprehensive at first become engaged as time passes
How she embraces doing a very physical and dirty job
How she’s a woman in a man’s industry
How she’s gained confidence doing jobs that have traditionally been reserved for men
How and why she wants to operate all of the equipment in her work area…and loves it!

Danielle Smythe is a highly motivated and engaged front line team member at the City of St. Peters, MO. She overflows with enthusiasm and positive. She is currently a high performance “Recycle City” team member performing various recycling duties and loves it!

Danielle doesn’t have a formal leadership position. However, she is developing her leadership skills by participating in weekly book studies and even facilitates them occasionally. Be sure to visit BlueCollarLeadership.com/BookStudyTraining to learn more about facilitating high impact book studies.

Don't miss the 12th episode of the "Real People Getting Real Results!" interview series featuring Danielle Smythe interviewed by Mack and Ria Story.

Watch this episode on the Blue-Collar Leadership YouTube channel at https://www.youtube.com/@bluecollarleadership and check out the previous interviews in this series which can be found under the playlist titled "Real People Getting Real Results!"

Be sure to subscribe while you're there, and tap the 🔔 to be notified of future releases in this series.

(Part 29 of 30) Who's Buying You? Until You Sell Yourself, You Won't Sell Much...Ch. 29 What if they don't Buy? Don't forget: You'll still be selling tomorrow!

Preview the first 5 chapters of this book at BlueCollarLeadership.com/download

In this interview, Jim McEwen discusses:

His passion for helping people live a better life at home and at work
Why everyone deserves to be led well
Why leadership support is critical to the success of his team
How upper level leaders can demoralize or inspire a team
How and why he leads his 10 person team through high impact book studies
How participating in high impact books studies changes your mindset and makes you a better person at home and at work
How facilitating high impact book studies build relationships between team members
Why he believes book studies should be mandatory within an organization

Jim McEwen is a highly motivated, truly dedicated, inspirational front line team member at the City of St. Peters, MO. Jim joined the City of St. Peters team in 2007 and is currently a Machine Operator baling recycled materials at “Recycle City” and performs many other functions too.

Jim doesn’t have a formal leadership position. But, he hasn’t let that stop him from being a high impact leader. He embraced leading book studies a few years ago and leads his ~10 person team through two 30-45 minute book study sessions per week. Be sure to visit BlueCollarLeadership.com/BookStudyTraining to learn more about facilitating high impact book studies.

Don't miss the 11th episode of the "Real People Getting Real Results!" interview series featuring Jim McEwen. interviewed by Mack Story.

Watch this episode on the Blue-Collar Leadership YouTube channel at https://www.youtube.com/@bluecollarleadership and check out the previous interviews in this series which can be found under the playlist titled "Real People Getting Real Results!"

Be sure to subscribe while you're there, and tap the 🔔 to be notified of future releases in this series.

(Part 28 of 30) Who's Buying You? Until You Sell Yourself, You Won't Sell Much...Ch. 28 Networking Sells: Networking is about selling yourself, not your products and services.

Preview the first 5 chapters of this book and others at BlueCollarLeadership.com/download

In this interview, Ken Kilgore Sr. discusses:

His roller coaster of a career from starting out on the front lines to becoming a business executive
His first construction job carrying shingles for a nickel a bundle at 10 years old
How he didn’t like to read and wasn’t a great student in school but became an avid reader of personal growth content
Why you should be willing to do anything you ask others to do
Why he’s still fully engaged at 77 years old with no plans on retiring
Why he remains growth-oriented at this stage of his career

Ken Kilgore Sr. is former CEO and currently an Executive Vice-President with Kilgore Industries headquartered in Houston, TX. He earned his Journeyman Electrician License in 2023, turned 77 in 2024, and is currently working toward his Master Electrician License.

Ken is still working full-time, goes to the gym a few times each week, and teaches several classes each week.

Website: https://kilgoreind.com/

Email: kkilgoresr@kilgoreind.com

Cell Phone: (713) 516-3565

Don't miss the 10th episode of the "Real People Getting Real Results!" interview series featuring Ken Kilgore Sr. interviewed by Mack Story.

Watch this episode on the Blue-Collar Leadership YouTube channel at https://www.youtube.com/@bluecollarleadership and check out the previous interviews in this series which can be found under the playlist titled "Real People Getting Real Results!"

Be sure to subscribe while you're there, and tap the 🔔 to be notified of future releases in this series.

(Part 27 of 30) Who's Buying You? Until You Sell Yourself, You Won't Sell Much...Ch. 27 Responsibility Sells: Losers find an excuse; winners find a way.

In this interview, Bren Briggs discusses:

Having to have his face rebuilt after an accident in a combat zone
How being lonely in ICU while going through 6 surgeries led him to create The Eden Project
Getting a divorce and being homeless
The Eden Project’s Peer Program
Warrior Centric Holistic Reintegration

With 28 years of military service (8 years USMC; 20 years ARMY), Bren Briggs is the Founder and Director at The Eden Project, A Warrior Support Foundation, a registered 501 (c) 3. His desire is to inspire through example, act with integrity, and lead with honor.

The mission of The Eden Project, is “to provide world class, community-based, reintegration programs for the warrior and his or her support group.”

The Eden Project’s philosophy is to create this holistic, multi-disciplinary support network in each community to facilitate reintegration for warriors and their families.

The Eden Project’s primary emphasis is on Encouraging, Engaging, and Empowering the warrior and his or her support system to promote and sustain the reintegration process. The transition from a military to a civilian career can be a difficult journey, but it doesn’t have to be. It is made even more difficult if the warrior has experienced physical and/or emotional trauma, long or multiple deployments away from their family or both.

The Eden Project believes the path to healing starts with a foundation that consists of four main pillars; adequate health care, a strong support system, a sense of purpose, and faith.

The Eden Project has begun assembling a coalition of veteran focused organizations and will lead this partnership as it addresses the needs of our veteran community.

Website: https://eden-project.com/

Watch this and feel what the Eden Project is doing: https://eden-project.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/Britt-Family-V2_n.mp4

Email: bbriggs@eden-project.com

Don't miss the 9th episode of the "Real People Getting Real Results!" interview series featuring Bren Briggs interviewed by Mack Story.

Watch this episode on the Blue-Collar Leadership YouTube channel at https://www.youtube.com/@bluecollarleadership and check out the previous interviews in this series which can be found under the playlist titled "Real People Getting Real Results!"

Be sure to subscribe while you're there, and tap the 🔔 to be notified of future releases in this series.

(Part 26 of 30) Who's Buying You? Until You Sell Yourself, You Won't Sell Much...Ch. 26 Attitude Sells: Don't whine...shine!

In this interview, Adam Hoots discusses:

Helping people discover their own answers
The importance of asking well designed questions, more open-ended questions to inspire thought
Thoughts on white-collar and blue-collar people
The challenge of defining who he really is and then doing the work to improve
How we (Mack and Ria Story) have inspired him to improve his marriage

With over 20 years of experience in the architectural and construction industries, he is a passionate advocate and practitioner of lean construction principles. Adam is currently a Professor and PhD Candidate at Clemson University, where he teaches and researches topics related to construction science and management.

Adam is the Lean Shepherd at Construction ACHE Solutions, a licensed general contractor in South Carolina that helps clients apply lean manufacturing principles to the construction industry.

He also hosts “The Lean Builder” podcast where he shares insights and best practices on lean construction.

Adam is a TedX speaker, co-author of the “Old Dawg Lean Thesaurus: Making Lean Simple,” and a kidney transplant survivor.

Website: ConstructionACHEsolutions.com

Website: OldDawgLeanThesaurus.com

Don't miss the 8th episode of the "Real People Getting Real Results!" interview series featuring Adam Hoots interviewed by Mack Story.

You can also watch the video version of this episode on the Blue-Collar Leadership YouTube channel at https://www.youtube.com/@bluecollarleadership and check out the previous interviews in this series which can be found under the playlist titled "Real People Getting Real Results!"

Be sure to subscribe while you're there, and tap the 🔔 to be notified of future releases in this series.

(Part 25 of 30) Who's Buying You? Until You Sell Yourself, You Won't Sell Much...Ch. 25 Supporting Sells: When you're there for your customer, they'll be there for you.

In this interview, Matthew McGrath reveals:

New leaders who overestimate themselves and underestimate the difficulty of their new job do the worst.
30% of newly promoted leaders will fail or lose their job within the first 1 1/2 years.
Every new leader doesn’t have the ability to say…”I’m a beginner. I don’t know.”
Leaders should see every promotion as a brand new job, a brand new career.
Character, discipline, hard work are blue-collar values, and that’s the kind of influence I need.
We all have a calling, a purpose: When the phone rings, are you going to answer?

Over the past 20 years, Matthew has coached over a thousand individuals globally. What gets him out of bed is the motivation of seeing others succeed through his coaching.

Matthew has coached leaders at all levels, including C-Level executives, founders and entrepreneurs, but the place where he feels he can most impact the world's leadership is right where it starts: with newly promoted managers.

Today, Matthew is on a mission to build the world’s premiere community of first-time managers and help them be awesome at their jobs.

Website: JustGotPromoted.com

Email: matthew@justgotpromoted.com

Don't miss the 7th episode of the "Real People Getting Real Results!" interview series featuring Matthew McGrath interviewed by Mack Story.

You can also watch the video version of this episode on the Blue-Collar Leadership YouTube channel at https://www.youtube.com/@bluecollarleadership and check out the previous interviews in this series which can be found under the playlist titled "Real People Getting Real Results!"

Be sure to subscribe while you're there, and tap the 🔔 to be notified of future releases in this series.

(Part 24 of 30) Who's Buying You? Until You Sell Yourself, You Won't Sell Much...Ch. 24 Understanding Sells: Squint with Your Ears; Listen with Your Eyes

In this interview, Nathan Hammer reveals:

There’s a big need for workers in the pipeline industry
Why Blue-Collar Leadership got his attention in 2017
How intentional growth has helped him arrive at the place he’s at today
Focusing on personal growth helped him deal with the loss of his mother

Nathan is a high impact leader that believes we should never get complacent, we should never quit learning, and we must never stop growing, personally or professionally

Nathan is proud to be in the oil & gas industry.

Nathan Hammer is the Co-founder of Trunkline, Inc. in Midland, TX, Founder of PSR SkySense, and VP of Environment, Quality, and Technologies at Premier Safety Resources. He’s from the Cushing, OK area and is an experienced entrepreneur and problem-solver focused on optimizing complex and heavily-regulated industries through innovative process improvements and technology-driven solutions.

Websites: psrok.com & trunkline.com

Nathan seamlessly blends his 16 years of hands-on experience in field services, construction, operations, maintenance, technology, and environmental & safety compliance (USEPA, CISA, PHMSA, DOT, OSHA).

He invites you to reach out to him by email at nathan@trunkline.com or you can find him by searching for “Nathan Hammer” on LinkedIn.

Be sure to check out his “Regular-atory Compliance” newsletter while you’re there.

You can also watch the video version of this episode on the Blue-Collar Leadership YouTube channel at https://www.youtube.com/@bluecollarleadership and check out the previous interviews in this series which can be found under the playlist titled "Real People Getting Real Results!"

Be sure to subscribe while you're there, and tap the 🔔 to be notified of future releases in this series.

(Part 23 of 30) Who's Buying You? Until You Sell Yourself, You Won't Sell Much...Ch. 23 Relationships Sell: Until You Sell Yourself, You Can't Build a Relationship.

In this interview, Leandris Weeden reveals:

how and when he developed a hunger for personal development
why he chooses positivity when there’s so much negativity in the world
how you can separate yourself from the crowd

Leandris is a high impact leader and a consistent reader. When asked the most important thing he learned from years of reading, he replied, “Who you are matters.”

Throughout this episode, Leandris shares many of the golden nuggets of wisdom he’s learned.

Leandris is proud to be in the construction industry. He says, “Construction is in my DNA…I’ve been around it since I was a kid. My Dad, my Grandfather, and my Great-Grandfather all came up in the carpentry industry. I’ve been in the construction industry for 19 years, primarily in healthcare construction. But, I started working and helping with fire restoration jobs when I was 12 years old.”

Leandris Weeden is a Building Scientist and Superintendent/Lean Manager at Layton Construction in Nashville, TN. He’s an avid student of personal growth and leadership development content. He invites you to reach out to him by email at Lee_215@hotmail.com or you can find him by searching for “L.R. Weeden” on LinkedIn.

Don't miss the 5th episode of the "Real People Getting Real Results!" interview series featuring Leandris Weeden interviewed by Mack Story.

Listen to it here, or watch it on the ⁠Blue-Collar Leadership YouTube⁠ channel and check out the other interviews in this series which can be found under the playlist titled "Real People Getting Real Results!"

Be sure to subscribe while you're there, and tap the 🔔 to be notified of future releases in this series.

(Part 22 of 30) Who's Buying You? Until You Sell Yourself, You Won't Sell Much...Ch. 22 Helping Sells: Stop Selling; Start Helping.

Asad Murdock pulls back the curtain and shares how developing himself positioned him to engage, encourage, and empower his team.

Discover what made Asad a fan of Blue-Collar Leadership and how he’s leveraged the principles to develop himself and his team.

Asad discovered that if he will pour into his team, as high impact leaders do, the results will come. What kind of results? 300% increase in productivity in just 10 months!!

Listen and learn as he shares much of what he did to motivate and inspire his team to perform at a higher level. He says, "They’re just getting warmed up!!"

Develop an understanding of how Asad used Blue-Collar Leadership to develop not only his English speaking team members, but also his Spanish speaking team members. He set them up for success!

Asad Murdock is the Operations Manager at Creative Foodworks located in San Antonio, TX. He also describes himself as an avid student of Blue-Collar Leadership. Feel free to reach out to him by email at asadmurdock@yahoo.com or search for Asad on LinkedIn at Roderick “Asad” Murdock.

Don't miss the 4th episode of the "Real People Getting Real Results!" interview series featuring Asad Murdock interviewed by Mack Story.

Listen to it here, or watch it on the Blue-Collar Leadership YouTube channel and check out the other interviews in this series which can be found under the playlist titled "Real People Getting Real Results!"

Be sure to subscribe while you're there, and tap the 🔔 to be notified of future releases in this series.

(Part 21 of 30) Who's Buying You? Until You Sell Yourself, You Won't Sell Much...Ch. 21 Rapport Sells: When you value the customer, the customer will value you.

Eric Armour discusses how he faced the challenge of transitioning from a technician servicing and repairing heavy equipment in the shop to leading techs working in the shop and the field (on the road working out of a truck).

Learn about the trying times he and his team went through during the 10 months when they didn't have a service manager (before he became the service manager).
Discover how he overcame the odds being stacked against him with the field techs because he had no experience as a field tech.
Develop an understanding of how applying leadership principles to develop your team can be much more challenging than applying them to develop yourself.

Eric Armour shares a bit of the path he's traveled to be where he is today, how choosing to become intentional about personal development has helped him personally as he's become much better at unleashing his team's potential, and how it's helped him professionally as he makes his climb up the corporate ladder.

Eric is the Service Manager at Yancey Bros. Co. where he leads a team of service technicians in the shop and in the field. He and his team focus exclusively on maintaining heavy duty Caterpillar equipment.

Don't miss the 3rd episode of the "Real People Getting Real Results!" interview series featuring Eric Armour interviewed by Mack Story.

To watch the video version and other episodes, visit the Blue-Collar Leadership YouTube channel and look for it within the "Real People Getting Real Results" playlist.

(Part 20 of 30) Who's Buying You? Until You Sell Yourself, You Won't Sell Much...Ch. 20 Principles Sell: Principles apply in all situations; practices apply in some situations.

In this interview, Rene Duron slowly pulls back the curtain to reveal some dark and bright moments from his life. To help others who may be facing similar challenges, he chose to be courageous and share his inspirational story of overcoming himself and his suicidal thoughts in the past.

Rene shares his personal journey of finding himself, overcoming obstacles, and achieving personal transformation. This episode highlights his motivational story and how he intentionally developed a growth mindset.

• His personal transformation is obvious as he shares his journey from struggle to self-discovery and personal success.

• Success for Rene didn't just happen. He set himself on fire and launched like a rocket.

• Rene's journey reveals to us that overcoming challenges requires a strong internal drive and a high degree of resilience.

Rene is a Father, Husband, Disciple, Podcast Editor, and Construction Management Inspector at San Antonio Water System in San Antonio, TX.

Today, he's in "sponge mode" soaking up all kinds of knowledge as he intentionally climbs from one level to the next.

Don't miss the 2nd episode in the "Real People Getting Real Results!" interview series featuring Rene "the Sponge" Duron interviewed by Mack Story.

To watch the video version of this episode, visit the ⁠Blue-Collar Leadership YouTube channel⁠ and look for it within the ⁠"Real People Getting Real Results" playlist⁠.

(Part 19 of 30) Who's Buying You? Until You Sell Yourself, You Won't Sell Much...Ch. 19 Connection Sells: Connection leverages communication.

Discover how developing high impact character traits will allow you to excel as a leader in the construction industry.

Developing himself first allowed Jason Denam to learn the importance of intentionally developing his team.
Becoming intentional about developing people at all levels is key to ensuring your team becomes a competitive advantage in the construction industry.

Don't miss the 1st episode of the "Real People Getting Real Results!" interview series featuring Jason Denam interviewed by Mack Story.

Learn how Jason Denam, VP of Electrical Construction, is developing his blue-collar workforce and those who lead and support them within the electrical construction division of Kilgore Industries, a large MEP construction company.

Watch this interview and others on the Blue-Collar Leadership YouTube channel under the "Real People Getting Real Results" playlist.

Introduction and details related to our new "Real People Getting Real Results" interview series. You can watch episodes related to this new series on the Blue-Collar Leadership YouTube channel under a playlist by the same title.

(Part 18 of 30) Who's Buying You? Until You Sell Yourself, You Won't Sell Much...Ch. 18 Gratitude Sells: Gratitude allows you to demonstrate respect and to show appreciation.

(Part 17 of 30) Who's Buying You? Until You Sell Yourself, You Won't Sell Much...Ch. 17 Integrity Sells: Make and keep commitments.

(Part 16 of 30) Who's Buying You? Until You Sell Yourself, You Won't Sell Much...Ch. 16 Transparency Sells: Transparency is telling the truth when you don't have to simply because you want to.

(Part 15 of 30) Who's Buying You? Until You Sell Yourself, You Won't Sell Much...Ch. 15 Truth Sells: Don't tell them what they want to hear; tell them the truth.

(Part 14 of 30) Who's Buying You? Until You Sell Yourself, You Won't Sell Much...Ch. 14 Authenticity Sells: Authenticity is about being, not appearing to be.

(Part 13 of 30) Who's Buying You? Until You Sell Yourself, You Won't Sell Much...Ch. 13 Think Long Term: I want them to buy from me again.

(Part 12 of 30) Who's Buying You? Until You Sell Yourself, You Won't Sell Much...Ch. 12 Think Short Term: I want them to buy from me.

(Part 11 of 30) Who's Buying You? Until You Sell Yourself, You Won't Sell Much...Ch. 11 Emotions Rule: Actions are based on emotions.

WARNING CONTAINS LEADERSHIP TRUTH: Stop making excuses! If you like making excuses, you won't like this podcast. But, I hope you choose to listen anyway. Leadership truth is like a surgeon's scalpel. It might sting or even hurt a bit. But, it's meant to help.

10 thought-provoking quotes to motivate and inspire you to climb to the next level and beyond in 2024. Keep climbing!

(Part 10 of 30) Who's Buying You? Until You Sell Yourself, You Won't Sell Much...Ch. 10 Don't Be a Salespuppet! The best sales people motivate. The worst sales people manipulate.

(Part 9 of 30) Who's Buying You? Until You Sell Yourself, You Won't Sell Much...Ch. 9 What's Your Motive? Your intention is your first impression.

(Part 8 of 30) Who's Buying You? Until You Sell Yourself, You Won't Sell Much...Ch. 8 Leverage Your Character: Your character will either launch you or limit you.

Jason Haines, a Lean Manufacturing Consultant based in the Phoenix, AZ area, discovered my Blue Collar Leadership podcast soon after I began releasing episodes in 2018. During this interview, he shares how the podcast (and my books) have impacted him personally and professionally.

(Part 7 of 30) Who's Buying You? Until You Sell Yourself, You Won't Sell Much...Ch. 7 Do Your Homework! The customer expects you to know what you're talking about.

(Part 6 of 30) Who's Buying You? Until You Sell Yourself, You Won't Sell Much...Ch. 6 Are You Trustworthy? It's all about WHO you are and WHAT you know.

(Part 5 of 30) Who's Buying You? Until You Sell Yourself, You Won't Sell Much...Ch. 5 Why Should I Buy from You? The unspoken question every customer wants answered.

(Part 4 of 30) Who's Buying You? Until You Sell Yourself, You Won't Sell Much...Ch. 4 Who's Buying You? Until you sell yourself, you won't sell much.

(Part 3 of 30) Who's Buying You? Until You Sell Yourself, You Won't Sell Much...Ch. 3 Word of Mouth: What are the people you meet saying about you?

(Part 2 of 30) Who's Buying You? Until You Sell Yourself, You Won't Sell Much...Ch. 2 Seller Beware: Today, buyers are often more informed than sellers.

(Part 1 of 30) Who's Buying You? Until You Sell Yourself, You Won't Sell Much...Ch. 1 The Foundation of Selling: When you increase your influence, you will increase your sales.

Discover The 7 Stages of Speaker Development, why you should strive to become a person who isn't afraid of speaking in front of a crowd, and how you can begin to climb through these levels in an effort to increase your influence.

Discover The 7 Levels of Awareness, how to determine which level you're at, and how to intentionally climb from one level to the next.

The character of the followers is simply a reflection of the leader's values.

Bosses have no desire to lead. But why?!? There are many different reasons. Dive in and discover 10 of the most common reasons. Some may surprise you.

Merriam-Webster provides three distinct definitions of influence. Mack Story shares the three definitions and helps you understand each of them. This episode is based on content from Chapter 1 in his book, Defining Influence: Increasing Your Influence Increases Your Options.

Discover Mack Story's method for writing a 90 page book in just 7 days. You'll learn three key lessons: 1) How to select a topic; 2) Where to self-publish your book for free; 3) How to quickly develop an outline that will accelerate and simplify the process of writing a book that people want to read.

Discover some of the benefits of leading people with shared values and some of the challenges of managing people with mixed values.

(Part 30 of 30) Blue-Collar Leadership & Teamwork: 30 Traits of High Impact Players...Ch. 30 Be Relentless: Until you quit, you haven't failed.

(Part 29 of 30) Blue-Collar Leadership & Teamwork: 30 Traits of High Impact Players...Ch. 29 Be Realistic: Your values are the foundation of your circumstances.

(Part 28 of 30) Blue-Collar Leadership & Teamwork: 30 Traits of High Impact Players...Ch. 28 Be Optimistic: Hope isn't a strategy, but it's needed to develop one.

(Part 27 of 30) Blue-Collar Leadership & Teamwork: 30 Traits of High Impact Players...Ch. 27 Be Careful: Some will lift you up; some will tear you down.

(Part 26 of 30) Blue-Collar Leadership & Teamwork: 30 Traits of High Impact Players...Ch. 26 Be Aware: Until you're aware, you can't beware.

(Part 25 of 30) Blue-Collar Leadership & Teamwork: 30 Traits of High Impact Players...Ch. 25 Be Inspirational: Inspiration leads to admiration.

(Part 24 of 30) Blue-Collar Leadership & Teamwork: 30 Traits of High Impact Players...Ch. 24 Be Motivational: Motivation leads to inspiration.

(Part 23 of 30) Blue-Collar Leadership & Teamwork: 30 Traits of High Impact Players...Ch. 23 Be Certain: Do you know? Or, do you think you know?

(Part 22 of 30) Blue-Collar Leadership & Teamwork: 30 Traits of High Impact Players...Ch. 22 Be Competent: Leverage strengths; ignore weaknesses.

(Part 21 of 30) Blue-Collar Leadership & Teamwork: 30 Traits of High Impact Players...Ch. 21 Be Understanding: Seek to understand what others are seeing and feeling.

(Part 20 of 30) Blue-Collar Leadership & Teamwork: 30 Traits of High Impact Players...Ch. 20 Be Present: Mine the golden nuggets; dump the dirt.

(Part 19 of 30) Blue-Collar Leadership & Teamwork: 30 Traits of High Impact Players...Ch. 19 Be Engaged: Engagement leads to involvement.

(Part 18 of 30) Blue-Collar Leadership & Teamwork: 30 Traits of High Impact Players...Ch. 18 Be Observant: With people, the small things are the BIG things.

(Part 17 of 30) Blue-Collar Leadership & Teamwork: 30 Traits of High Impact Players...Ch. 17 Be Helpful: What you do reveals who you are.

(Part 16 of 30) Blue-Collar Leadership & Teamwork: 30 Traits of High Impact Players...Ch. 16 Be Approachable: Who you know determines where you go.

Ria introduces her new book, The Ladder of Influence: 5 Steps for Climbing to the Next Level and Beyond. She will provide an overview of what the entire book is about, why she wrote it, what the 5 steps are, and an in-depth review of Step 1 "Control of Self."

(Part 15 of 30) Blue-Collar Leadership & Teamwork: 30 Traits of High Impact Players...Ch. 15 Be Open-Minded: There's always another way.

(Part 14 of 30) Blue-Collar Leadership & Teamwork: 30 Traits of High Impact Players...Ch. 14 Be Teachable: Embrace a beginner's mindset.

(Part 13 of 30) Blue-Collar Leadership & Teamwork: 30 Traits of High Impact Players...Ch. 13 Be Brave: Do the right things for the right reasons.

(Part 12 of 30) Blue-Collar Leadership & Teamwork: 30 Traits of High Impact Players...Ch. 12 Be Proud: Exhibit confidence without arrogance.

(Part 11 of 30) Blue-Collar Leadership & Teamwork: 30 Traits of High Impact Players...Ch. 11 Be Inspired: Go within or you will go without.

(Part 10 of 30) Blue-Collar Leadership & Teamwork: 30 Traits of High Impact Players...Ch. 10 Be Driven: Purpose creates focus.

Andy was formerly the Director of Building and Grounds at East Troy Community School District in Wisconsin, and Jeremy is currently the Lead on the night shift. They discuss what they and their team experienced while participating in a book study on Blue-Collar Leadership & Teamwork: 30 Traits of High Impact Players. They share why they did it, how they did it, how they got started, and what it looked and felt like as they made their way through the book study.

Listen as Bill Malach, City Administrator, City of St. Peters, MO shares some behind the scenes details about what it's been like to initiate cultural transformation with his team of ~450 employees who serve a city of 60,000 just outside St. Louis, MO, why it's important, what they're actually doing, and how they're doing it. He'll also share some about the results, some of their success stories, and a bit about some of the challenges he and his team have faced and are still facing.

(Part 9 of 30) Blue-Collar Leadership & Teamwork: 30 Traits of High Impact Players...Ch. 9 Be Intentional: Action today leads to options tomorrow.

(Part 8 of 30) Blue-Collar Leadership & Teamwork: 30 Traits of High Impact Players...Ch. 8 Be Disciplined: Give yourself a command and follow through.

(Part 7 of 30) Blue-Collar Leadership & Teamwork: 30 Traits of High Impact Players...Ch. 7 Be Focused: Minimizing your distractions maximizes your results.

(Part 6 of 30) Blue-Collar Leadership & Teamwork: 30 Traits of High Impact Players...Ch. 6 Be Flexible: When change happens, some thrive and some take a dive.

(Part 5 of 30) Blue-Collar Leadership & Teamwork: 30 Traits of High Impact Players...Ch. 5 Be Positive: Those who whine get left behind.

(Part 4 of 30) Blue-Collar Leadership & Teamwork: 30 Traits of High Impact Players...Ch. 4 Be Responsible: Making this choice gives you a voice.

(Part 3 of 30) Blue-Collar Leadership & Teamwork: 30 Traits of High Impact Players...Ch. 3 Be Humble: Your level of humility reveals your level of security.

(Part 2 of 30) Blue-Collar Leadership & Teamwork: 30 Traits of High Impact Players...Ch. 2 Be Trustworthy: Your character will either launch you or limit you.

(Part 1 of 30) Blue-Collar Leadership & Teamwork: 30 Traits of High Impact Players...Ch. 1 Be Growth-Oriented: When you grow yourself, you grow your influence. "Intellectual growth should commence at birth and cease only at death." ~ Albert Einstein

Never overestimate the power of your boss. You are the one with the power, unless you give it away.

Accurate thinkers permit no one to do their thinking for them. Discover tips from Napoleon Hill that will help you become a more accurate thinker.

Many leaders have one or more employees who cause them a lot of frustration. A common question these leaders have is, "How do I get through to these people?" The answer may surprise you.

During organizational change and cultural transformation, those who raise their hand will get the opportunities while those who don't raise their hand will get overlooked, passed by, and left behind.

8 tips to help you remember people's names. This lesson is based on content from "Straight Talk: The Power of Effective Communication" by Ria Story

This episode starts off with a humorous story about a manager, and engineer and hot air balloon. Then, it transitions into a real-life story about how a front line, machine operator leveraged taking responsibility to get raises and promotions.

Mack and Ria Story had a great time speaking to FFA student leaders recently about Blue-Collar Leadership & Teamwork: 30 Traits of High Impact Players. Discover some of the key traits they shared with the students (ages 11-17).

Discover the four obstacles that prevent organizations from experiencing deep and lasting cultural transformation.

Discover how the top leader's leadership ability impacts the entire organization.

15 things that will help you become a better leader.

Introduction to "Who's Buying You?" a book filled with character-based sales principles that will separate you from your competition.

Learn how to facilitate a simple, yet highly effective book study with your team.

Discover the difference between an event and a process, the power of a book study, 2 steps to facilitating a book study, what a facilitator is and isn't, and how to facilitate book studies effectively.

In a world that is focused on how to appear to be instead of how to actually be, the challenge of 21st Century leaders is to create an organizational culture based on well-developed character. Discover "5 Steps to Create a Character-Based Culture" & "6 Keys to Retain Your Moral Authority Leaders."

7 key lessons learned from 11,000+ hours of leading cross-functional teams through change.

The leaders are responsible for the organization, but the front line workforce is responsible for the bottom line.

The face we see least is our own because we spend most of our time looking at others instead of looking in the mirror at ourselves.

To celebrate my 300th podcast episode, I'm sharing lessons from page 300 in three of my favorite books and reflecting to see how I'm doing on applying them.

10 reasons why quiet quitting is a bad idea. FYI- I've been writing about this topic for years. I call it "quit but stay."

A few important thoughts on the difference between a leadership event and the leadership process.

You MUST believe in YOURSELF! The byproduct of growth and development is belief and confidence. The byproduct of belief and confidence is success.

A short, but thought-provoking, episode to help raise your awareness relative to how we listen to others. NOTE: Be sure to listen to the end for an invitation to join a large group book study (100+ people) the 1st Saturday of each month (10 am - 11:30 am Eastern Time) led by Jason Denam the VP of Electrical Construction at Kilgore Industries which operates throughout Texas and beyond. You can email him at jdenam@kilgoreind.com and request to be added to the related email list. Then, you'll receive a reminder a day or two before the session each month. If you're on LinkedIn in be sure to follow and/or connect with Jason. He's a great example of a high impact leader like the ones I write and speak about. I've had the privilege to mentoring him since 2013. He always strive to apply what I teach and has experienced tremendous results (personally and professionally) and has a passion for helping others do the same.

Discover how you can easily set yourself up for a career full of raises and promotions.

Recruiting tips from me and the USMC!

Discover what it means when a company doesn't promote from within and what it means when they do.

In Part 3 of this 3 part series, Joshua will describe how his personal growth and development journey has impacted his job and his relationships with his leaders and co-workers. He'll also share which of the six books he's read so far is his favorite and why. You'll also learn which principle he values most.

In Part 2 of this 3 part series, Joshua will describe what it was like to attend his first leadership development conference only a few months after being introduced to my personal growth and leadership development. He'll also share how he has begun to teach his 12 year old son and 14 year old daughter the principles he's learning and the impact it's had on their relationships.

Meet Joshua Davis, a Solid Waste Technician for the City of St. Peters, Missouri. In Part 1 of this 3 part series, Joshua will describe how his personal growth and leadership development journey began in early 2022 when an upper level leader introduced him to the Blue-Collar Leadership Podcast and challenged him to listen to a few episodes. He'll also share a bit of his personal story and some of the challenges he faced along the way.

Discover what causes the people to feel manipulated or appreciated.

When you have enough "whys," you'll consistently keep growing. When you run out of "whys," it's like running out of gas; you have no fuel to take you where you want to go.

Learn what is and isn't happening at each level of responsibility and why it matters which level you're at in various areas of your life.

Listen to 6 "micro-lessons" from Blue-Collar Leadership Toolbox Tips: 60 Micro-Lessons to Maximize Your Influence.

Discover why managers of people are often ineffective while attempting to apply leadership principles.

Learn how I tested my leadership by starting a volunteer organization.

Your character is personal, but it's not private. Discover some ways you're revealing your character to others and how your character is either increasing or decreasing your influence with others.

Tips for those who may not be happy with their boss or their place of employment.

Many leaders who don't know what they don't know about leadership believe the people doing the work are the problem. The people doing the work are not the problem. They are only a symptom of the problem. To effectively deal with turnover, disengagement and dissatisfaction, you must identify and address the root cause.

Visit BlueCollarLeadership.com/download to preview excerpts from many of my books on personal and leadership development.

Visit TopStoryLeadership.com/audiobooks to listen to 5 minute samples of all of my audio books.

Why are some people offended while others are not?

Why do you work? Culture equals? Reading and Leading. Who is the most powerful person on your sales team? Do you know there's a price to pay whether you develop team members or whether you don't?

Everyone knows high impact players are engaged. Engagement is important. But, engagement alone is never enough.

Discover several key tips that will help you evaluate your potential boss during your next interview.

"Short temper runs in my family." were the words I often used to defend my short temper. But in 2008, I discovered the truth about what really runs in my family.

Do you know someone who has an issue with every new personal relationship? Every new job? Every new boss? What's the problem?!?

In this episode, I'll share that the most expensive thing you can do is pay attention to the wrong people. I'll also discuss how we can look outward for an excuse or inward for an answer. Then, I'll wrap up by helping you understand how every choice you make adds a paragraph to your story.

In this episode, I'll help you understand that not only is everyone currently working in your organization a brand ambassador, but also so are all of those who have ever worked there. I also help you understand how that relates to your ability to find and/or hire good people. I'll discuss why being growth-oriented is the foundation for developing and/or becoming a high impact team player. And, I'll wrap up with a few thoughts on becoming a better leader.

In this episode, I share "A simple message to a bad boss." I also share some leadership thoughts on the "Value of Timing" and the "Value of Delegation" including the 5 Levels of Delegation from my book "10 Values of High Impact Leaders." Then, I wrap up the episode with a thought-provoking quote related to success and failure.

You may not have heard of The Peter Principle, but I bet you've seen it in action. You don't want it to happen to you. And if you're a leader, you don't want to be responsible for it happening in your organization, especially on your team!

Chad Cox is a Superintendent within the #ConstructionIndustry at Brent Scarbrough & Company (22+ years of service) located in Newnan, GA. Chad leads a top notch crew in the #Trenchless Technology Industry doing some potentially dangerous work below the surface.

Chad discovered me and my #BlueCollarLeadership books a year or so ago through LinkedIn and has been reading them ever since. He was already on a mission to climb to the next level and beyond personally and professionally. However, once he discovered my content, he began to accelerate his personal transformation...even his wife and family noticed the change in Chad!!

In this episode, Chad pulls back the current on his life a little and shares where he came from, where he's at now, and where he's headed. Many of us have come from a rough background and haven't always made the best choices. Chad is no exception. He's human like the rest of us. It takes courage to share your story and talk about your roots. But, other people need to hear your story. I'm privileged to introduce you to Chad Cox.

In this episode, I'll introduce the remaining 13 behaviors that create trust, explain what the opposite behavior looks like, and discuss what the counterfeit of the behavior looks like.

Trust matters because it is the foundation of authentic influence. It's the glue that holds people together. With trust we always know, without trust we never know.

In this episode, I'll begin introducing you to 13 behaviors that create trust, explain what the opposite behavior looks like, and discuss what the counterfeit of the behavior looks like.

Trust matters because it is the foundation of authentic influence. It's the glue that holds people together. With trust we always know, without trust we never know.

Can you define trust? Most people struggle to define trust. However, even if you can't define trust, I bet you know when you feel it or know when you don't feel it? But, putting trust into words is difficult for most.

Trust matters because it is the foundation of authentic influence. It's the glue that holds people together. With trust we always know, without trust we never know.

In this episode, I'll continue discussing the components of credibility that create trust and share some related stories and lessons.

Can you define trust? Most people struggle to define trust. However, even if you can't define trust, I bet you know when you feel it or know when you don't feel it? But, putting trust into words is difficult for most.

Trust matters because it is the foundation of authentic influence. It's the glue that holds people together. With trust we always know, without trust we never know.

In this episode, I'll define trust, discuss the components of credibility that create trust, and share some related lessons as I introduce you to one of my favorite books. It happens to be #3 on my all-time favorite list.

WARNING CONTAINS LEADERSHIP TRUTH: Leadership truth is like a surgeon's scalpel. It may hurt, but it's meant to help. The words I read on a sign as a teenager may ring true as you listen to this episode, "If the truth hurts, it probably should." If this episode stings a bit, use the discomfort as a catalyst for growth!

This episode contains a straight forward message to people at all levels who work WITH a toxic team member and all people who work FOR a toxic boss.

WARNING CONTAINS #LEADERSHIP #TRUTH: #LeadershipTruth is like a surgeon's scalpel. It may hurt, but it's meant to help. The words I read on a sign as a teenager may ring true as you listen to this episode, "If the truth hurts, it probably should." If this episode stings a bit, use the discomfort as a catalyst for growth!

This episode contains a straight forward message to all leaders with a toxic team member on their team and all people who work with a toxic team member.

In this episode, I'll be sharing 3 specific steps you can take to intentionally launch yourself to the next level and beyond in any area of your life, at work and/or at home.

In this episode, I share a bit about my faith. If hearing a person talk about their spiritual beliefs and their spiritual journey offends you, I suggest skipping this episode.

In this episode, I share a bit about many of the clients we've been supporting over the past 6-8 weeks as we've traveled across the USA through Pennsylvania, California, Idaho, Georgia, and Texas. These clients are in the roofing, masonry , HVAC, utility, manufacturing, and airline ground support business. We're privileged to support all sizes and types of blue-collar industries.

(Part 30 of 30) Blue-Collar Kaizen: Leading Lean and Lean Teams...Ch. 30 Sustain the Gain: When you invest in the people, they will invest in the process. “Not investing in your people to save money is like cutting a leg off to save weight. Initially, it achieves your short term goal, but the long term effects are disastrous.” ~ Sid Joynson

(Part 29 of 30) Blue-Collar Kaizen: Leading Lean and Lean Teams...Ch. 29 The Key to Success: High impact leaders must know the way, show the way, and go the way. “Try not to become a person of success. Rather, become a person of value.” ~ Albert Einstein

(Part 28 of 30) Blue-Collar Kaizen: Leading Lean and Lean Teams...Ch. 28 Leverage the Leaders: Maximize the influence of the leaders who support you. “If you could get all the people in an organization rowing in the same direction, you could dominate any industry, in any market, against any competition, at any time.” ~ Patrick Lencioni

(Part 27 of 30) Blue-Collar Kaizen: Leading Lean and Lean Teams...Ch. 27 Expand the Team: Harness the influence of the team to gain support for the team. “The most valuable player is the one that makes the most players valuable.” ~ Peyton Manning

(Part 26 of 30) Blue-Collar Kaizen: Leading Lean and Lean Teams...Ch. 26 Leveraging the Team: Focus on strengths; develop weaknesses. “Instead of focusing on weaknesses, give your attention to people’s strengths. Focus on sharpening skills that already exist. Compliment positive qualities. Bring out the gifts inherent in them. Weaknesses can wait unless they are character flaws. Only after you have developed a strong rapport with the person and they have begun to grow and gain confidence should you address areas of weakness...and then those should be handled gently and one at a time.” ~ John C. Maxwell

(Part 25 of 30) Blue-Collar Kaizen: Leading Lean and Lean Teams...Ch. 25 Lead the Team: Unleash the team's potential. “All leaders know there’s a huge gap between what the team has to do and what the team is capable of doing. High impact leaders close the gap. Low impact leaders widen the gap.” ~ Mack Story

(Part 24 of 30) Blue-Collar Kaizen: Leading Lean and Lean Teams...Ch. 24 The Power of How: The best leaders ask the best questions. “When you want to persuade, you’ll always get further by asking a question than by making a statement.” ~ Dorothy Leeds

(Part 23 of 30) Blue-Collar Kaizen: Leading Lean and Lean Teams...Ch. 23 Where's the Problem? Go see, demonstrate respect, and ask questions. “Lean managers pose questions to their problem owners about the nature of the problem and the best available counter-measures. Doing this automatically transfers responsibility for the problem...closer to the problem.” ~ Jim Womack

(Part 22 of 30) Blue-Collar Kaizen: Leading Lean and Lean Teams...Ch. 22 High Impact Delegation: Delegate results not methods. “The more decisions a leader makes, the further he or she is away from leading a high performance team. Make too many command decisions and you’ll doom yourself and your team to mediocrity.” ~ Mark Miller

(Part 21 of 30) Blue-Collar Kaizen: Leading Lean and Lean Teams...Ch. 21 Avoid Answering Questions: Don't make decisions; facilitate decision-making. “Some people assume we stumble onto our success, but the path of discovery is paved with interesting questions.” ~ Bryan Cioffi

(Part 20 of 30) Blue-Collar Kaizen: Leading Lean and Lean Teams...Ch. 20 Questions Transfer Responsibility: Lead with questions not directions. “When you initiate change, you take responsibility. Initiating change requires a proactive approach and only proactive people will do it. Initiating change requires you to say ‘I will’ instead of ‘I wish.’” ~ Ria Story

(Part 19 of 30) Blue-Collar Kaizen: Leading Lean and Lean Teams...Ch. 19 Prime the Pump: Prepare the team for the dream. “Vision does not ignite growth, passion does. Passion fuels vision, and vision is the focus of the power of passion. Leaders who are passionate about their call create vision.” ~ Ken Hemphill

(Part 18 of 30) Blue-Collar Kaizen: Leading Lean and Lean Teams...Ch. 18 Be a Leader: Processes and things don't think and feel, but people do. “Managers change behavior. Leaders change the way you think without you realizing it.” ~ Daniel Burrus

(Part 17 of 30) Blue-Collar Kaizen: Leading Lean and Lean Teams...Ch. 17 The Key to Buy-In: Learn to leverage the meeting before the meeting. “The individual in your organization who communicates the clearest vision will often be perceived as the leader. Clarity is perceived as leadership.” ~ Andy Stanley

(Part 16 of 30) Blue-Collar Kaizen: Leading Lean and Lean Teams...Ch. 16 Listen to the Voices: Take the time it takes, so it takes less time. “Listening is the greatest communication tool to use when you want to connect with someone.” ~ Ria Story

(Part 15 of 30) Blue-Collar Kaizen: Leading Lean and Lean Teams...Ch. 15 Waste Doesn't Motivate: Eliminating frustrations gets everyone motivated. “Lean is not really about waste elimination, it’s about frustration elimination, removing obstacles that stand in the way of people being their best, that prevent us from having a joyful and meaningful experience. It’s not about telling, it’s about listening. It’s about blending unique knowledge with collective wisdom. When we allow people and their teams to own the process, they can create better outcomes than any senior executive or group of consultants.” ~ Bob Chapman

(Part 14 of 30) Blue-Collar Kaizen: Leading Lean and Lean Teams...Ch. 14 Connect First: Communication is about information; connection is about inspiration. “A great man is always willing to be little.” ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson

(Part 13 of 30) Blue-Collar Kaizen: Leading Lean and Lean Teams...Ch. 13 Declare Your Intent: Help the team see and feel the right things. “Followers choose to follow a leader with a compelling purpose, vision, cause, or goal, the unifying purpose. It is the leader’s unifying purpose that attracts the interest and loyalty of followers. The leader is someone who is able to communicate unifying purpose in a manner that is inspiring, persuasive, or motivating. The unifying purpose joins the followers to the leader.” ~ Jimmy Collins

(Part 12 of 30) Blue-Collar Kaizen: Leading Lean and Lean Teams...Ch. 12 The Emotional Trust Account: You are either making deposits or withdrawals. “If I try to use human influence strategies and tactics of how to get other people to do what I want, to work better, to be more motivated, to like me and each other - while my character is fundamentally flawed, marked by duplicity or insincerity - then, in the long run, I cannot be successful. My duplicity will breed distrust, and everything I do - even using so-called good human relations techniques - will be perceived as manipulative.” ~ Stephen R. Covey

In this episode, Bobby Kerns shares his team's 4 year journey of cultural transformation. Their successes and their struggles. But, the most important thing he shares is this: They made it happen! And, they are still making it happen and drilling down farther into their division with plans of carrying leadership development all the way to the front lines.

I met Bobby 3-4 years ago when I first spoke multiple times to various divisions within the Fairfax County, VA Public Works Department.

Bobby is the Chief of Operations of the Maintenance and Stormwater Division. He had already read a few of my books and was beginning to lead his leadership team through book studies before I ever met him in person. During that first visit, I spoke to Bobby and his team for only about 30 minutes. My message motivated and inspired him and his team to continue what they had already started.

Fast forward to June 2021, Bobby purchased 1,200 more books for his team and brought me and my wife Ria back on site to conduct a 3-Day Leadership Development workshop for him and approximately 20 of his top leaders. Wow! They had grown a lot over the years since we had first met them. Bobby had been leading the cultural transformation, and his team was definitely bought-in. They were intentionally growing together and it showed.

They were all extremely fired up after the 3-Day workshop too. You can actually visit BlueCollarLeadership.com/SpeakerInfo to watch a 6 minute video testimonial of what many of them had to say at the end of the 3-Day event. Their testimony was powerful! It will inspire anyone who watches!

(Part 11 of 30) Blue-Collar Kaizen: Leading Lean and Lean Teams...Ch. 11 Respect for the People: Leaders who respect the people develop the people. “Treat a man as he appears to be and you make him worse. But treat a man as if he already were what he potentially could be, and you make him what he should be.” ~ Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

(Part 10 of 30) Blue-Collar Kaizen: Leading Lean and Lean Teams...Ch. 10 Continuous Improvement: Leading yourself and others through change. “The great thing about business is that despite all the history, all the deeply embedded traditional dysfunctional management practices, and all the baggage of unhealthy relationships and corrosive cultures, it is possible at any moment in time to push the reset button, to embrace a different way of being, and experience dramatic change.” ~ Bob Chapman

(Part 9 of 30) Blue-Collar Kaizen: Leading Lean and Lean Teams...Ch. 9 Righting the Wrong: Lean is not two pillars; it's about two foundational layers. “Being intentional about discovering the hidden ways in which we sabotage ourselves empowers us to expose and eliminate these invisible culprits.” ~ Amir Ghannad

(Part 8 of 30) Blue-Collar Kaizen: Leading Lean and Lean Teams...Ch. 8 Develop Others: The best leaders go slow to go fast. “Lean managers go slow to go fast, by taking the time at the outset to fully understand the process and its purpose, through dialogue with everyone involved...and by fully understanding the root cause of problems and the most promising counter-measure before taking action.” ~ Jim Womack

(Part 7 of 30) Blue-Collar Kaizen: Leading Lean and Lean Teams...Ch. 7 Develop Yourself: It's not about you, but it starts with you. “You can never become a leader without doing more than you are paid for, and you cannot become successful without developing leadership in your chosen occupation.” ~ Napoleon Hill

(Part 6 of 30) Blue-Collar Kaizen: Leading Lean and Lean Teams...Ch. 6 Leading Up: Results increase your influence above. “Accepting responsibility for getting results regardless of the situation or circumstance is a choice. When it comes to building trust and gaining influence with the leaders who are formally responsible for moving the organization forward, the quickest way to do it is to get results as defined by them, not you.” ~ Mack Story

(Part 5 of 30) Blue-Collar Kaizen: Leading Lean and Lean Teams...Ch. 5 Make It Happen: Managers make a plan; high impact leaders make it happen. “In any moment of decision, the best thing you can do is the right thing, the next best thing is the wrong thing, and the worst thing you can do is nothing.” ~ Theodore Roosevelt

(Part 4 of 30) Blue-Collar Kaizen: Leading Lean and Lean Teams...Ch. 4 Defining Influence: Influence trumps authority. “Lean managers seek responsibility to address important issues by leading as if they have no authority. Leading without the benefit of authority is actually critical in any organization because even in authority-based organizations managers rarely have control over everything touching a process.” ~ Jim Womack

(Part 3 of 30) Blue-Collar Kaizen: Leading Lean and Lean Teams...Ch. 3 Overcoming the Resistance: The challenge of change. “Managers, especially senior managers, overestimate their effectiveness, particularly as they seek to improve their organizations through formal initiatives. And, they underestimate the impact, often negative, of their daily personal actions on employees.” ~ Jim Womack

(Part 2 of 30) Blue-Collar Kaizen: Leading Lean and Lean Teams...Ch. 2 Living Kaizen: Live it to lead it. The one thing that separates high impact leaders from low impact leaders is CHARACTER. That one thing is made up of many things.

When it comes to leading Lean and Lean teams, the single biggest success factor is the ability of the Lean manager, leader, or coordinator to create an environment that supports sustainable, positive change and process improvement on a large scale. Mack logged over 11,000 hours leading hundreds of leaders and thousands of their team members through hundreds of kaizen events. In this series, he'll be sharing what he learned and help you learn how to generate buy-in while also motivating and inspiring your team to sustain the gains.

(Part 1 of 30) In this episode, Mack kick's off a 30 part series based on his book, Blue-Collar Kaizen: Leading Lean and Lean Teams.

This episodes begins with a bit of gratitude for the blue-collar workforce. Then, the focus shifts to the value of getting out from behind the desk, the cost of the books you don't read, becoming a leader worth following, and touches on the topic that there are plenty of good people...but a shortage of good bosses.

This episode is kind of like a surgeon's scalpel. It might hurt, but it's meant to help.

In this episode, Mack starts out talking about focus and engagement, but then transitions into what he calls "Leadership Truth," where he tells it like it is.

His intent is to help you look in the mirror and be honest with yourself as you strive to climb to the next level and beyond.

Topics covered: focus, engagement, choices, working in a high-trust environment, and 5 bad things that happen in organizations.

Topics discussed in this episode include:

The best companies have leaders who say they can’t afford not to develop the people. The worst companies have leaders who say they can’t afford to do it. Both are absolutely right.

"When it comes to character, we should work on our weaknesses because those weaknesses will hold us back in life. But, when it comes to our competency, we should hone our strengths because those skills will help us shine like a diamond. Being “well-rounded” won’t help you become exceptional. It will keep you average at best." ~ Ria Story

The most influential people on your recruiting team are your employees because they're either spreading positive or negative word of mouth advertising about you and your organization.

Update on what I've got going on and what's coming up along with random thoughts on developing your character and increasing your influence.

I also mention the 2021 FabTech Conference in Chicago, IL where we'll be speaking two times in September. Visit FabTechExpo.com to learn more about this event which usually has 65,000 attendees. On September 13, Ria Story and I will be speaking on my book, Blue-Collar Kaizen: Leading Lean & Lean Teams. On September 14, we'll be speaking on my book, Blue-Collar Leadership & Culture: The 5 Components for Building High Performance Teams.

(Part 15 of 15) In this episode Mack and Ria Story discuss Ch. 15 "The Courage to Change" from their book, Change Happens: Leading Yourself and Others through Change, which they co-authored and speak about frequently.

(Part 14 of 15) In this episode Mack and Ria Story discuss Ch. 14 "Become a Change Champion" from their book, Change Happens: Leading Yourself and Others through Change, which they co-authored and speak about frequently.

(Part 13 of 15) In this episode Mack and Ria Story discuss Ch. 13 "Initiating Change" from their book, Change Happens: Leading Yourself and Others through Change, which they co-authored and speak about frequently.

(Part 12 of 15) In this episode Mack and Ria Story discuss Ch. 12 "Communicating Change" from their book, Change Happens: Leading Yourself and Others through Change, which they co-authored and speak about frequently.

(Part 11 of 15) In this episode Mack and Ria Story discuss Ch. 11 "Leading Change" from their book, Change Happens: Leading Yourself and Others through Change, which they co-authored and speak about frequently.

(Part 10 of 15) In this episode Mack and Ria Story discuss Ch. 10 "Leveraging Change" from their book, Change Happens: Leading Yourself and Others through Change, which they co-authored and speak about frequently.

(Part 9 of 15) In this episode Mack and Ria Story discuss Ch. 9 "Embracing Change" from their book, Change Happens: Leading Yourself and Others through Change, which they co-authored and speak about frequently.

(Part 8 of 15) In this episode Mack and Ria Story discuss Ch. 8 "The Fear of Change" from their book, Change Happens: Leading Yourself and Others through Change, which they co-authored and speak about frequently.

(Part 7 of 15) In this episode Mack and Ria Story discuss Ch. 7 "The Challenge of Change" from their book, Change Happens: Leading Yourself and Others through Change, which they co-authored and speak about frequently.

(Part 6 of 15) In this episode Mack and Ria Story discuss Ch. 6 "If You Snooze, You Will Lose" from their book, Change Happens: Leading Yourself and Others through Change, which they co-authored and speak about frequently.

(Part 5 of 15) In this episode Mack and Ria Story discuss Ch. 5 "Change or Be Changed" from their book, Change Happens: Leading Yourself and Others through Change, which they co-authored and speak about frequently.

(Part 4 of 15) In this episode Mack and Ria Story discuss Ch. 4 "Resisting Change" from their book, Change Happens: Leading Yourself and Others through Change, which they co-authored and speak about frequently.

(Part 3 of 15) In this episode Mack and Ria Story discuss Ch. 3 "Two Ways to Deal with Change" from their book, Change Happens: Leading Yourself and Others through Change, which they co-authored and speak about frequently.

(Part 2 of 15) In this episode Mack and Ria Story discuss Ch. 2 "The Impact of Change" from their book, Change Happens: Leading Yourself and Others through Change, which they co-authored and speak about frequently.

(Part 1 of 15) In this episode Mack and Ria Story discuss Ch. 1 "Nothing Fails Like Success" from their book, Change Happens: Leading Yourself and Others through Change, which they co-authored and speak about frequently.

Many people wish they had better time management skills. However, we can't manage time. We can only lead ourselves within time. Effective time management is actually effective personal leadership.

In Part 1 and 2 of this interview with my wife Ria Story, she'll provide you with tips on becoming intentional and focused relative to maximizing and utilizing your time. She'll be sharing key points from her book, PRIME Time: The Power of Effective Planning.

Many people wish they had better time management skills. However, we can't manage time. We can only lead ourselves within time. Effective time management is actually effective personal leadership.

In Part 1 and 2 of this interview with my wife Ria Story, she'll provide you with tips on becoming intentional and focused relative to maximizing and utilizing your time. She'll be sharing key points from her book, PRIME Time: The Power of Effective Planning.

(Part 30 of 30) Blue-Collar Leadership & Culture: The 5 Components for Building High Performance Teams

In this episode, Mack discusses Chapter 30: Culture Equals Character...You can't improve the culture of the organization without improving the character of the people within the organization.

Download the first 5 chapters of Blue-Collar Leadership & Culture: The 5 Components for Building High Performance Teams and other books here.

(Part 29 of 30) Blue-Collar Leadership & Culture: The 5 Components for Building High Performance Teams

In this episode, Mack discusses Chapter 29: Create the Transformation...Positive culture change won't just happen; a leader must make it happen.

Download the first 5 chapters of Blue-Collar Leadership & Culture: The 5 Components for Building High Performance Teams and other books here.

(Part 28 of 30) Blue-Collar Leadership & Culture: The 5 Components for Building High Performance Teams

In this episode, Mack discusses Chapter 28: The Leader is Always Responsible...The leader is either making it happen (good or bad), allowing it to happen (good or bad), or preventing it from happening (good or bad).

Download the first 5 chapters of Blue-Collar Leadership & Culture: The 5 Components for Building High Performance Teams and other books here.

(Part 27 of 30) Blue-Collar Leadership & Culture: The 5 Components for Building High Performance Teams

In this episode, Mack discusses Chapter 27: Avoid Stagnation...Without execution, there will be stagnation.

Download the first 5 chapters of Blue-Collar Leadership & Culture: The 5 Components for Building High Performance Teams and other books here.

(Part 26 of 30) Blue-Collar Leadership & Culture: The 5 Components for Building High Performance Teams

In this episode, Mack discusses Chapter 26: Support Intentional Preparation...Train and develop your in-house trainers.

Download the first 5 chapters of Blue-Collar Leadership & Culture: The 5 Components for Building High Performance Teams and other books here.

(Part 25 of 30) Blue-Collar Leadership & Culture: The 5 Components for Building High Performance Teams

In this episode, Mack discusses Chapter 25: Focus on Identification...Identify your culture champions.

Download the first 5 chapters of Blue-Collar Leadership & Culture: The 5 Components for Building High Performance Teams and other books here.

(Part 24 of 30) Blue-Collar Leadership & Culture: The 5 Components for Building High Performance Teams

In this episode, Mack discusses Chapter 24: Facilitate Team-Based Motivation...Engage the people in the process.

Download the first 5 chapters of Blue-Collar Leadership & Culture: The 5 Components for Building High Performance Teams and other books here.

(Part 23 of 30) Blue-Collar Leadership & Culture: The 5 Components for Building High Performance Teams

In this episode, Mack discusses Chapter 23: Supply Occasional Motivation...Offer On Site Personal Growth and Leadership Development Sessions.

Download the first 5 chapters of Blue-Collar Leadership & Culture: The 5 Components for Building High Performance Teams and other books here.

(Part 22 of 30) Blue-Collar Leadership & Culture: The 5 Components for Building High Performance Teams

In this episode, Mack discusses Chapter 22: Provide Continuous Education...Maintain a library of personal growth and leadership development resources.

Download the first 5 chapters of Blue-Collar Leadership & Culture: The 5 Components for Building High Performance Teams and other books here.

(Part 21 of 30) Blue-Collar Leadership & Culture: The 5 Components for Building High Performance Teams

In this episode, Mack discusses Chapter 21: Two Areas of Focus...Character and Competency

Download the first 5 chapters of Blue-Collar Leadership & Culture: The 5 Components for Building High Performance Teams and other books here.

(Part 20 of 30) Blue-Collar Leadership & Culture: The 5 Components for Building High Performance Teams

In this episode, Mack discusses Chapter 20: Prevent Anxiety...Without competency, there will be anxiety.

Download the first 5 chapters of Blue-Collar Leadership & Culture: The 5 Components for Building High Performance Teams and other books here.

(Part 19 of 30) Blue-Collar Leadership & Culture: The 5 Components for Building High Performance Teams

In this episode, Mack discusses Chapter 19: High Impact Leaders Clarify the Unifying Purpose...The Leader's Purpose is to Cast the Vision and Determine the Mission

Download the first 5 chapters of Blue-Collar Leadership & Culture: The 5 Components for Building High Performance Teams and other books here.

(Part 18 of 30) Blue-Collar Leadership & Culture: The 5 Components for Building High Performance Teams

In this episode, Mack discusses Chapter 18: Reduce Confusion...Without a Unifying Purpose, There Will Be Confusion

Download the first 5 chapters of Blue-Collar Leadership & Culture: The 5 Components for Building High Performance Teams and other books here.

(Part 17 of 30) Blue-Collar Leadership & Culture: The 5 Components for Building High Performance Teams

In this episode, Mack discusses Chapter 17: Leading Change...Without Change, There Can Be No Improvement

Download the first 5 chapters of Blue-Collar Leadership & Culture: The 5 Components for Building High Performance Teams and other books here.

(Part 16 of 30) Blue-Collar Leadership & Culture: The 5 Components for Building High Performance Teams

In this episode, Mack discusses Chapter 16: Generate Buy-In...The Key to Overcoming Resistance.

Download the first 5 chapters of Blue-Collar Leadership & Culture: The 5 Components for Building High Performance Teams and other books here.

(Part 15 of 30) Blue-Collar Leadership & Culture: The 5 Components for Building High Performance Teams

In this episode, Mack discusses Chapter 15: Eliminate Resistance...Without buy-in, there will be resistance.

Download the first 5 chapters of Blue-Collar Leadership & Culture: The 5 Components for Building High Performance Teams and other books here.

(Part 14 of 30) Blue-Collar Leadership & Culture: The 5 Components for Building High Performance Teams

In this episode, Mack discusses Chapter 14: Becoming a Transformational Leader...Leaders are always teaching what they're modeling, regardless of what they're teaching.

Download the first 5 chapters of Blue-Collar Leadership & Culture: The 5 Components for Building High Performance Teams and other books here.

(Part 13 of 30) Blue-Collar Leadership & Culture: The 5 Components for Building High Performance Teams

In this episode, Mack discusses Chapter 13: Develop High Impact Leaders...The level of engagement below is determined by the level of engagement above.

Download the first 5 chapters of Blue-Collar Leadership & Culture: The 5 Components for Building High Performance Teams and other books here.

(Part 12 of 30) Blue-Collar Leadership & Culture: The 5 Components for Building High Performance Teams

In this episode, Mack discusses Chapter 12: Develop High Impact Team Players...Help team members learn "how to be" while they're doing what they do.

Download the first 5 chapters of Blue-Collar Leadership & Culture: The 5 Components for Building High Performance Teams and other books here.

(Part 11 of 30) Blue-Collar Leadership & Culture: The 5 Components for Building High Performance Teams

In this episode, Mack discusses Chapter 11: Develop High Impact Individuals...Personal development is the foundation of leadership development.

Download the first 5 chapters of Blue-Collar Leadership & Culture: The 5 Components for Building High Performance Teams and other books here.

(Part 10 of 30) Blue-Collar Leadership & Culture: The 5 Components for Building High Performance Teams

In this episode, Mack discusses Chapter 10: The Leadership Dilemma...You can't develop others without developing yourself.

Download the first 5 chapters of Blue-Collar Leadership & Culture: The 5 Components for Building High Performance Teams and other books here.

(Part 9 of 30) Blue-Collar Leadership & Culture: The 5 Components for Building High Performance Teams

In this episode, Mack discusses Chapter 9: Leadership Development Never Ends...The language of leadership is extremely dynamic and complex.

Download the first 5 chapters of Blue-Collar Leadership & Culture: The 5 Components for Building High Performance Teams and other books here.

(Part 8 of 30) Blue-Collar Leadership & Culture: The 5 Components for Building High Performance Teams

In this episode, Mack discusses Chapter 8: Leading, Following, and Managing...Everyone is a leader; everyone is a follower; everyone is a manager.

Download the first 5 chapters of Blue-Collar Leadership & Culture: The 5 Components for Building High Performance Teams and other books here.

(Part 7 of 30) Blue-Collar Leadership & Culture: The 5 Components for Building High Performance Teams

In this episode, Mack discusses Chapter 7: Minimize Frustration...Without leadership development, there will be frustration.

Download the first 5 chapters of Blue-Collar Leadership & Culture: The 5 Components for Building High Performance Teams and other books here.

(Part 6 of 30) Blue-Collar Leadership & Culture: The 5 Components for Building High Performance Teams

In this episode, Mack discusses Chapter 6: The Transformation Equation...Discover the 5 key components for building high performance teams.

Download the Blue-Collar Leadership whitepaper to see an illustration of the Transformation Equation along with the first 5 chapters of Blue-Collar Leadership & Culture: The 5 Components for Building High Performance Teams and other books here.

(Part 5 of 30) Blue-Collar Leadership & Culture: The 5 Components for Building High Performance Teams

In this episode, Mack discusses Chapter 5: Becoming an Employer of Choice...People who work there want to keep working there.

Download the first 5 chapters of Blue-Collar Leadership & Culture: The 5 Components for Building High Performance Teams and other books here.

(Part 4 of 30) Blue-Collar Leadership & Culture: The 5 Components for Building High Performance Teams

In this episode, Mack discusses Chapter 4: Becoming a Sought After Employer...People who don't work there want to work there.

Download the first 5 chapters of Blue-Collar Leadership & Culture: The 5 Components for Building High Performance Teams and other books here.

(Part 3 of 30) Blue-Collar Leadership & Culture: The 5 Components for Building High Performance Teams

In this episode, Mack discusses Chapter 3: The Impact of Culture...Those who work there will determine who wants to work there.

Download the first 5 chapters of Blue-Collar Leadership & Culture: The 5 Components for Building High Performance Teams and other books here.

(Part 2 of 30) Blue-Collar Leadership & Culture: The 5 Components for Building High Performance Teams

In this episode, Mack discusses Chapter 2: The Foundation of Culture...The organizational culture will be determined by the leader's values.

Download the first 5 chapters of Blue-Collar Leadership & Culture: The 5 Components for Building High Performance Teams and other books here.

(Part 1 of 30) Introduction to Blue-Collar Leadership & Culture: The 5 Components for Building High Performance Teams. Learn more about this resource here.

In this episode, Mack discusses Chapter 1: The Cost of Culture...The 3 Dilemmas: Engagement, Retention, and Turnover.

Download the Blue-Collar Leadership whitepaper that Mack discusses in this episode and the first 5 chapters of Blue-Collar Leadership & Culture: The 5 Components for Building High Performance Teams and other books here.

In this episode, Mack interviews Justin Gallaway. Justin is a high impact maintenance leader at International Paper. He'll share a bit of his personal story and growth journey and detail how he implemented Blue-Collar Leadership with his teams and his peers along with examples of how they have applied it, success stories, and the impact it has had on those who have adopted the principles.

In this episode, Mack interviews his friend Greg Williams. With 6 NCEA overall national championships at Auburn University, head equestrian coach Greg Williams has become the most respected coaches in the sport. He put the program on the map with its first national title in 2006 and has taken home five championships in the past 9 years including two undefeated SEC seasons in 2019 and 2020. Greg is now in his 25th season at the helm of the Auburn University Equestrian Team. Listen to learn how Greg has motivates himself and his teams, how keeps himself and his teams inspired to continue winning season after season, and how he has embraced personal growth and development over the years. He shares many nuggets of wisdom in this episode which is filled with principles that will apply to people in any industry at any time.

It's one thing to apply leadership principles in the business world, but it's a whole different ball game with the people you're the closest and most attached to in your personal life. Mack thought it would be great to give you a real-life example of how the principles he talks about can be applied in your personal life with your family.

This episode features Mack and his 29 year old son Eric having an unscripted conversation about Mack's transformation as a father. Mack got it so wrong as a father that he and Eric didn't have a relationship while Eric was between the ages of 15-19 years old. For more on this, be sure to listen to Mack discuss this in Episode #20.

In this episode, you'll hear Mack and Eric discuss the catalyst that allowed them to rebuild their relationship. A relationship that has been tremendously strong for the past 10 years. If you'd like to hear them speak about something specific on another episode in the future, please email Mack at Mack@MackStory.com and share your suggestions.

For more details about Mack's transformation and more in depth details and stories, check out two of his 13 books: Defining Influence: Increasing Your Influence Increases Your Options and 10 Foundational Elements of Intentional Transformation: How to Become Your Best Self. You can also read excerpts from these and other book written by Mack at BlueCollarLeadership.com/download

In this interview, Mack speaks with Brian Brogen. Brian is the Vice-President of Field Operations at SouthEastern Construction and Maintenance located near Tampa, FL. He is also the host of the "Build Your Success" Podcast and the author of "The 100-Hour Pilot." Brian is also a student of leadership and has been conducting book studies with the leaders that report to him using my book, Blue-Collar Leadership: Leading from the Front Lines. In this episode, Brian shares a bit about his personal growth journey, how he conducts books studies, the impact they've had, and a little about his book and how many of the principles related to being a pilot also apply to leading yourself and your team well.

I received an unexpected call on March 12, 2020 from George Estioko. George works on the front lines in the Kern County oilfields in Bakersfield, CA just north of Los Angeles. He has listened to all of my podcast episodes and all of my audio books and has developed a passion for introducing others to personal growth and leadership development. George called me because he wanted to learn how to start conducting book studies using my book, Blue-Collar Leadership: Leading from the Front Lines.

On the call, George shared many stories about how he was motivating and inspiring some of his front line team members to start learning about leadership. He also shared some stories about how he was applying the principles in his own life.

In this interview, George provides a great example of how anyone at any level can become engaged and start making things happen as they grow and develop 360° influence from wherever they are.

In this interview, Mack Speaks with Jason Denam. Jason is the Vice-President of Electrical Construction at Kilgore Industries. He is responsible for everything electrical in Kilgore's Dallas/Ft. Worth area of operations. Kilgore Industries is headquartered in Houston, TX with multiple locations in TX. Kilgore does much more than just electrical construction. Kilgore is a fully staffed MEP construction company with approximately 1,000 employees.

In this episode, Jason will discuss details about Kilgore and how he uses Blue-Collar Leadership books and materials to grow and develop not only his team, but also himself.

In this interview, Mack speaks with his friend Amir Ghannad, author of The Transformative Leader.

Amir is an international speaker, consultant, and author. He has an amazing story of personal growth and transformation. He grew up in Iran and arrived in the USA alone at the age of 16 unable to speak English. He has faced many challenges in his life, but he has overcome them all. He has also achieved tremendous success professionally and retired from Campbell's Soup in 2016 after serving in the role of Senior Director - Global People Excellence.

To learn more about Amir, visit TheGhannadGroup.com

In this interview, Mack speaks with his wife, Ria Story, about personal growth and transformation.

Mack and Ria met on June 16, 2000. They both began reading personal growth and leadership development books in 2008 and now speak together nationally and internationally on these subjects. However, when Mack first met Ria, she had an unbelievable, shocking, and dark secret.

In this episode, Ria reveals the secret she was keeping and discusses her book, Bridge's Out of the Past: A Survior's Lessons on Resilience. Be sure to check out Ria's 7 minute TEDx video where she shares more about her personal story and this book.

You can also learn more about Ria and her 11 books at RiaStory.com

In this interview, Mack speaks with Mike Hough, CEO of GAT Airline Ground Support.

GAT is headquartered in Peachtree City, GA near Atlanta and has approximately 5,000 team members located across at least 48 states and 12 locations in Canada. Mike has purchased nearly 1,000 of Mack's books and has led his "C" level leaders through a book study on Blue-Collar Leadership & Culture: The 5 Components for Building High Performance Teams. Those leaders then began conducting book studies with those who report to them. Then, the cycle was repeated at each leadership level until all of the front line supervisors throughout the entire organization had also participated.

In this episode, you'll hear what GAT has been up to lately and learn how Mike and Mack met. You'll learn what GAT does proactively to ensure the right people are in the right spot which is a key to retaining talent in a high turnover industry. Mike will also share some of the technological innovations that GAT has launched, innovations that make them highly competitive in the airline ground support industry.

In this interview, Mack speaks with Tim McGourty from Boise, Idaho about leadership and cultural transformation.

Tim is the very successful owner of TMC Masonry in Boise, Idaho and Northwest Precast in Puyallup, Washington. Mack had the pleasure of meeting Tim on 3/3/19 in Louisville, KY where Mack was conducting a leadership development workshop on his book, Blue-Collar Leadership & Supervision: Unleash Your Team's Potential, at a conference for business owners and top level leaders.

Tim is one of the rare leaders who truly bought in to high impact leadership. Since meeting Tim, he has started two journeys: one of personal growth and transformation within himself and one of cultural transformation with in his two organizations.

(Part 11 of 11) This episode focuses on the 10th foundational element "SIGNIFICANCE" from my book, the 10 Foundational Elements of Intentional Transformation: How to Become Your Best Self, which is a guide, a mental road map that will allow you to mentally lead yourself from where you are to where you want to be in any area of your life. Are you going to settle for success? I hope not! However, significance is a choice that only successful can make. Success is about you getting results. Significance is about you helping other people get results.

(Part 10 of 11) This episode focuses on the 9th foundational element "SUCCESS" from my book, the 10 Foundational Elements of Intentional Transformation: How to Become Your Best Self, which is a guide, a mental road map that will allow you to mentally lead yourself from where you are to where you want to be in any area of your life.

The key to achieving a high degree of success is to focus on becoming more valuable, not more successful. The more value you bring to the table, the more successful you'll be around the table.

(Part 9 of 11) This episode focuses on the 8th foundational element "CHANGE" from my book, the 10 Foundational Elements of Intentional Transformation: How to Become Your Best Self, which is a guide, a mental road map that will allow you to mentally lead yourself from where you are to where you want to be in any area of your life.

Consider the words of Abraham Maslow, "When we are faced with change, we either step forward into growth, or we step backward into safety."

(Part 8 of 11) This episode focuses on the 7th foundational element "GROWTH" from my book, the 10 Foundational Elements of Intentional Transformation: How to Become Your Best Self, which is a guide, a mental road map that will allow you to mentally lead yourself from where you are to where you want to be in any area of your life.

I love what Simon Sinek had to say about those who lack discipline in the area of growth, "We are not victims of our situation. We are the architects of it."

(Part 7 of 11) This episode focuses on the 6th foundational element "DISCIPLINE" from my book, the 10 Foundational Elements of Intentional Transformation: How to Become Your Best Self, which is a guide, a mental road map that will allow you to mentally lead yourself from where you are to where you want to be in any area of your life.

In the words of John C. Maxwell, "When it comes to self-discipline, people choose one of two things: Either they choose the pain of discipline, which comes form sacrifice and growth, or they choose the pain of regret, which comes from taking the easy road and missing opportunities."

(Part 6 of 11) This episode focuses on the 5th foundational element "SACRIFICE" from my book, the 10 Foundational Elements of Intentional Transformation: How to Become Your Best Self, which is a guide, a mental road map that will allow you to mentally lead yourself from where you are to where you want to be in any area of your life.

Too often, you can't reach what you NEED most because you won't let go of what you WANT most.

(Part 5 of 11) This episode focuses on the 4th foundational element "HOPE" from my book, the 10 Foundational Elements of Intentional Transformation: How to Become Your Best Self, which is a guide, a mental road map that will allow you to mentally lead yourself from where you are to where you want to be in any area of your life.

When I think of hope, I'm reminded of the words of Marshal Ferdinand Foch, "There are no hopeless situations; there are only men and women who have grown hopeless about them."

(Part 4 of 11) This episode focuses on the 3rd foundational element "VISION" from my book, the 10 Foundational Elements of Intentional Transformation: How to Become Your Best Self, which is a guide, a mental road map that will allow you to mentally lead yourself from where you are to where you want to be in any area of your life.

Andy Stanley said it best, "Clarity of vision will compensate for uncertainty in planning. If you are unclear about the destination of the journey, even the most sophisticated, well-thought-through strategy is useless. Pencil in your plans. Etch the vision in stone."

(Part 3 of 11) This episode focuses on the 2nd foundational element "CHOICE" from my book, the 10 Foundational Elements of Intentional Transformation: How to Become Your Best Self, which is a guide, a mental road map that will allow you to mentally lead yourself from where you are to where you want to be in any area of your life.

"Destiny is not a matter of change, but a matter of choice. It is not a thing to be waited for but is a thing to be achieved." William Jennings Bryan

The Choice Formula: Thought + Emotion + Action = Choice

(Part 2 of 11) This episode focuses on the 1st foundational element "THOUGHT" from my book, the 10 Foundational Elements of Intentional Transformation: How to Become Your Best Self, which is a guide, a mental road map that will allow you to mentally lead yourself from where you are to where you want to be in any area of your life.

As Bob Chapman, CEO of Barry-Wehmiller stated so well, "It is possible at any moment in time to push the reset button, to embrace a different way of being, and experience dramatic change."

(Part 1 of 11) This is the introduction to a 11 part series (including this intro) on my book, the 10 Foundational Elements of Intentional Transformation: How to Become Your Best Self, which is a guide, a mental road map that will allow you to mentally lead yourself from where you are to where you want to be in any area of your life.

Transformation doesn't just happen. You must make it happen. This series will help you begin to intentionally develop a transformational mindset that will take you to the next level and beyond.

A few thoughts from 2019 and look at what's coming up on the podcast to kickoff 2020.

John C. Maxwell said it best, "We overestimate the importance of an event and underestimate the importance of the process."

When high impact people encounter a fire (a problem), they dump water on it. When low impact people encounter a fire (a problem), they dump gas on it. We all carry around two "buckets" one has water in it and the other has gasoline in it. Whichever one we choose to dump on the fire is up to us.

In this episode, Mack explains why he's proud of his blue-collar title.

Warning contains leadership truth! In this episode, Mack will speak the truth about what is holding many back. To watch a related 17 min video on Mack's You Tube channel, click/tap here.

In this episode, Mack will discuss the 4 Levels of Leadership Engagement. Level 1) Absolutely Disengaged; Level 2) Reluctantly Engaged because they feel they have to be; Level 3) Selfishly Engaged because they want to improve themselves; Level 4) Selflessly Engaged because they want to improve themselves with the intent of helping others improve.

Blue-Collar Leadership & Supervision: Unleash Your Team's Potential (Part 30 of 30)

Mack believes our world is desperate for leaders who will step up, lead at a higher level, and make a bigger and more positive difference.

When a leader communicates with their team, they are positioned to inform.

When a leader connects with their team, they are positioned to transform.

Blue-Collar Leadership & Supervision: Unleash Your Team's Potential (Part 29 of 30)

In this episode, Mack will help you understand the challenge and importance of retaining your top performers and reveal a few obstacles that you may encounter during your journey up the leadership mountain.

In the words of Jim Collins, "Those who build great companies understand that the ultimate throttle on growth for any great company is not markets, or technology, or competition, or products. It is the one thing above all others - the ability to get and keep enough of the right people."

Blue-Collar Leadership & Supervision: Unleash Your Team's Potential (Part 28 of 30)

In this episode, Mack shares that those who are not willing to pay the high price to transform themselves into a high impact leader will pay the higher price of remaining a low impact leader.

As Napoleon Hill stated so well, "Self-mastery is the hardest job you will ever tackle. If you do not conquer self, you will be conquered by self. You may see at the same time both your best friend and your worst enemy, by simply stepping in front of the mirror."

Blue-Collar Leadership & Supervision: Unleash Your Team's Potential (Part 27 of 30)

When it comes to your professional career, Mack wants to know how much you're willing to sacrifice relative to getting from where you are to where you want to be?

The answer to this question will determine how far up the leadership mountain you will climb and how many, if any, you will help climb to the top.

The moment your'e done sacrificing it the moment you're done climbing.

Blue-Collar Leadership & Supervision: Unleash Your Team's Potential (Part 26 of 30)

As Mike Davis remarked, "As a leader, and ultimately a mentor, you have the responsibility and privilege to grow those around you and help them become their absolute best."

The team is only as strong as the weakest link on the team.

In this episode, Mack will help you learn how to lead the weak links more effectively.

Blue-Collar Leadership & Supervision: Unleash Your Team's Potential (Part 25 of 30)

In this episode, Mack will discuss why a leader should invest the majority of their time with their top performers, not their low performers.

As Robert Half said, "There's something more scarce than ability. It is the ability to recognize ability." In the context of this episode, it's the ability to recognize the ability that others have to impact their team's performance.

Blue-Collar Leadership & Supervision: Unleash Your Team's Potential (Part 24 of 30)

In this episode, Mack will help you understand the value and power of believing in your team and share a different way of defining belief.

As Mack's friend and mentor, Jimmy Collins Retired President of Chick-fil-A, stated so well, "The very best leaders make us feel as if we are in control."

One way high impact leaders make their team feel as if they're in control is by authentically believing in them.

Another way to actually transfer control to your team is through effective delegation. Mack will also share The 5 Levels of High Impact Delegation in this episode. To learn more about high impact delegation, reference "The Value of Delegation" in Mack's book, 10 Values of High Impact Leaders.

Blue-Collar Leadership & Supervision: Unleash Your Team's Potential (Part 23 of 30)

"Treat a man as he appears to be and you make him worse. But treat a man as if he already were what he potentially could be, and you make him what he should be." ~ Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

In this episode, Mack will share 7 Simple Ways to Make Everybody Matter.

As Tony Dungy stated so well, "If we lose sight of people, we lose sight of the very purpose of leadership."

Blue-Collar Leadership & Supervision: Unleash Your Team's Potential (Part 22 of 30)

Super Charge Your Team: Focus on character first and competency second.

As a leader, your success depends on your team's success. As Liz Wiseman remarked, "The ability to mobilize the skills and competencies of the people around us has a bigger impact on our performance than does the amount of experience we have."

When it comes to helping your team be successful, are doing less than required, what is required, or more than is required? High impact leaders are always doing far more than is required to not only develop themselves, but also to develop their team.

Blue-Collar Leadership & Supervision: Unleash Your Team's Potential (Part 21 of 30)

Abundance Allows You to Accelerate

Be a river, not a reservoir. Let the good things flow through you and into others.

Managers (low impact leaders) want to be needed and hoard knowledge. High impact leaders want to be succeeded and share knowledge.

As Thomas Jefferson said, " A candle loses nothing when it lights another candle."

Blue-Collar Leadership & Supervision: Unleash Your Team's Potential (Part 20 of 30) Motivation is NEVER enough! Motivation comes from the outside, but inspiration comes from the inside. In this episode, Mack will help you understand the difference between motivation and inspiration. Andy Stanley said it best, " Every once in a while I will hear someone in leadership complain about the performance or competency of the people around him...We must never forget that the people who follow us are exactly where we have led them." Unmotivated leaders will never motivate their teams to perform at a high level. But, they may motivate them to find a new job.

Blue-Collar Leadership & Supervision: Unleash Your Team's Potential (Part 19 of 30)

How high will you climb? Are you developing yourself with the intention of developing others?

Mark Miller said it well, "Your capacity to grow determines your capacity to lead."

In this episode, Mack will discuss how insecurity leads to management of people. How great leaders are secure but unwilling to develop themselves beyond what is required. And, he'll help you understand that great leaders make it to the top successfully, but high impact leaders are more significant because they go back down the mountain and help others climb to the top.

Mack will also share 5 Signs that You're Truly Successful and 5 Signs that You're Truly Significant which is based on content from his book, 10 Values of High Impact Leaders.

10 Values of High Impact Leaders: Demystifying Leadership Series

Blue-Collar Leadership & Supervision: Unleash Your Team's Potential (Part 18 of 30)

7 Reasons to Ask Your Team Questions: Leading with Questions

The best leaders always ask the most questions.

In this episode, Mack will help you learn how to unleash your team's potential by asking them questions. When you ask a question, you're actually transferring influence (leadership) to the other person. If you want to engage your team and increase buy-in, there's no quicker way than asking them thought-provoking questions.

Blue-Collar Leadership & Supervision: Unleash Your Team's Potential (Part 17 of 30)

John C. Maxwell had this to say, "Leaders who navigate do even more than control the direction in which they and their people travel. They see the whole trip in their minds before they leave the dock. They have a vision for their destination, they understand what it will take to get there, they know who they'll need on the team to be successful, and they recognize the obstacles long before they appear on the horizon."

Leaders intentionally remove obstacles which also builds trust and strengthens relationships. If you're a high impact leader, removing obstacles is not your job. It's your responsibility. Will you help your team help you?

Blue-Collar Leadership & Supervision: Unleash Your Team's Potential (Part 16 of 30)

In this episode, Mack discusses Capt. Michael Abrashoff who took over the worst missile destroyer in the Navy. In just two short years, he took the crew and their ship from worst to first.

Living intentionally leads to amazing results. Living accidentally leads to depressing disappointments. A better tomorrow doesn't just happen. You must become intentional and make it happen.

High impact leaders don't hope things happen. They make things happen. Low impact leaders (managers of people) hope things will happen.

Blue-Collar Leadership & Supervision: Unleash Your Team's Potential (Part 15 of 30)

The mirror and the window are tools used by both high impact and low impact leaders (managers of people), although they use them in completely opposite ways. As Arnold Glasow stated so well, "A good leader takes a little more than his share of the blame, a little less than his share of the credit."

Leaders who take more than their share of the blame and less than their share of the credit will easily build trust and earn respect. Leaders who take more than their share of the credit and less than their share of the blame will quickly create distrust trust and lose respect.

In this three part interview, Mack introduces you to someone he met in 2013 while at an electrical construction company conducting leadership development and personal growth training. Jason Denam was in one of Mack's first sessions. Jason was alert, attentive, and hungry. He bought-in to the principles Mack was sharing and immediately began transforming his life. His results are truly amazing!

Jason has achieved tremendous results. From 2013 to 2014, he doubled his income. From 2013 to 2019, he has more than tripled his income and continues to climb the pay scale and the corporate ladder. He's attained higher and higher level leadership positions and continues to not only grow himself, but also enjoys growing and developing others on this team as he strives to unleash their potential.

Much like Mack did in 2008, when Jason was introduced to leadership principles in 2013, he launched like a rocket and continues to soar while encouraging others to do the same. If Jason's story motivates and inspires you, he would love to hear from you. Please contact Jason Denam at JasonDenam@gmail.com

Make it happen or someone else will. It might as well be YOU!

In this three part interview, Mack introduces you to someone he met in 2013 while at an electrical construction company conducting leadership development and personal growth training. Jason Denam was in one of Mack's first sessions. Jason was alert, attentive, and hungry. He bought-in to the principles Mack was sharing and immediately began transforming his life. His results are truly amazing!

Jason has achieved tremendous results. From 2013 to 2014, he doubled his income. From 2013 to 2019, he has more than tripled his income and continues to climb the pay scale and the corporate ladder. He's attained higher and higher level leadership positions and continues to not only grow himself, but also enjoys growing and developing others on this team as he strives to unleash their potential.

Much like Mack did in 2008, when Jason was introduced to leadership principles in 2013, he launched like a rocket and continues to soar while encouraging others to do the same. If Jason's story motivates and inspires you, he would love to hear from you. Please contact Jason Denam at JasonDenam@gmail.com

Make it happen or someone else will. It might as well be YOU!

In this three part interview, Mack introduces you to someone he met in 2013 while at an electrical construction company conducting leadership development and personal growth training. Jason Denam was in one of Mack's first sessions. Jason was alert, attentive, and hungry. He bought-in to the principles Mack was sharing and immediately began transforming his life. His results are truly amazing!

Jason has achieved tremendous results. From 2013 to 2014, he doubled his income. From 2013 to 2019, he has more than tripled his income and continues to climb the pay scale and the corporate ladder. He's attained higher and higher level leadership positions and continues to not only grow himself, but also enjoys growing and developing others on this team as he strives to unleash their potential.

Much like Mack did in 2008, when Jason was introduced to leadership principles in 2013, he launched like a rocket and continues to soar while encouraging others to do the same. If Jason's story motivates and inspires you, he would love to hear from you. Please contact Jason Denam at JasonDenam@gmail.com

Make it happen or someone else will. It might as well be YOU!

Blue-Collar Leadership & Supervision: Unleash Your Team's Potential (Part 14 of 30)

In this episode, Mack will help you understand that high impact leaders release their teams; and low impact leaders suppress their teams.

Disengaged team members are a symptom of the problem, not the problem. The root cause of disengaged team members below is disengaged leaders above.

Your team's results are based upon your ability to lead them. The foundation for leading your team well is leading yourself well.

Blue-Collar Leadership & Supervision: Unleash Your Team's Potential (Part 13 of 30)

You're always teaching what you're modeling, regardless of what you're teaching. Albert Einstein said it best, "Example isn't another way to teach, it's the only way to teach."

In this episode, Mack will discuss the impact of your example on your team and all of those who are watching you do what you do, at home and at work. Someone is always watching. What they see on the outside is based on what's on the inside.

This is an introduction to my newest book #13, Blue-Collar Leadership & Culture: The 5 Components for Building High Performance Teams.

It’s easier to compete when you’re attracting great people instead of searching for good people.

Culture matters because those who work there will determine who wants to work there. You shouldn’t have to spend time and resources constantly searching for good applicants. You should be able to select great applicants with top talent. High Performance Teams are filled with top talent.

Culture is the key to becoming a sought after employer of choice within your industry. Becoming a sought after employer means, “People who don’t work at your organization have a strong desire to work there.” Becoming an employer of choice means, “People who already work at your organization have a strong desire to continue working there.”

“Culture is owned by the CEO, whether he or she admits it or not.” ~ Edward Schein

Blue-Collar Leadership® & Culture features content specifically for the top leader who has never led a cultural transformation but is curious to find out what will be required. Discover why you should transform your culture, and also what to do and how to do it.

Blue-Collar Leadership & Supervision: Unleash Your Team's Potential (Part 12 of 30)

In this episode, Mack will help you understand the importance of listening to your team with the intent to truly understand and the consequences of not listening. He'll also share a story about a leader who didn't value listening to his team, who didn't value building trust with his team, and who didn't have a relationship with his team.

Communication is about sharing information. Connection is about motivation, inspiration, and transformation.

Andy Stanley said it best, "Leaders who don't listen will eventually be surrounded by people who have nothing to say."

Blue-Collar Leadership & Supervision: Unleash Your Team's Potential (Part 11 of 30)

Managers of people (low impact leaders) communicate. However, high impact leaders of people move beyond communication and make a connection with their team members. When you're able to build trust with your team, you move beyond communication and begin to connect.

Throughout my career, I remember hearing people moan and groan about a "lack of communication." I also know these people didn't trust their leaders and most often didn't even like their leaders. When people won't share information or withhold critical information, it always creates distrust.

When you connect with your team, you're building relationships. When relationships are formed, people begin to follow you because they want to, not because they have to.

Blue-Collar Leadership & Supervision: Unleash Your Team's Potential (Part 10 of 30)

Trust is the foundation of leadership (influence). Intention is the foundation of trust. If your intention is to manipulate (only you benefit), you will never develop a foundation upon which trust can be built. If your intention is to motivate (mutual benefit), then you will develop a foundation upon which trust can be built.

In this episode, Mack will discuss the importance of trust and the impact it has on the leader's ability to lead beyond the artificial influence that comes with their title, position, or rank. When a leader's builds trust they no longer need artificial influence because they'll begin to lead at a higher level with authentic influence.

Blue-Collar Leadership & Supervision: Unleash Your Team's Potential (Part 9 of 30)

In this episode, Mack reveals that there's fine line between confidence and arrogance. He'll also help you understand that who your are as a leader matters.

Mack will also help you understand how and why developing your character intentionally will allow you to leverage your competency. Character leverages competency. Your character will either launch you like a rocket or limit you like an anchor.

Blue-Collar Leadership & Supervision: Unleash Your Team's Potential (Part 8 of 30)

First impressions count. Is your intention to serve (help while motivating) or be served (expect to be helped while manipulating)?

In this episode, Mack will reveal three questions that teams are always asking themselves about their leader.

Blue-Collar Leadership & Supervision: Unleash Your Team's Potential (Part 7 of 30)

In this episode, Mack discusses 7 problems that insecure leaders cause. To understand what it means to be a secure leader, he will point out what it means to be an insecure leader.

Blue-Collar Leadership & Supervision: Unleash Your Team's Potential (Part 6 of 30)

In this episode, Mack will help you understand that high impact leadership starts with you, but it's not about you. He'll also explain why you should focus on developing your weaknesses relative to your character and focus on developing your strengths relative to your competency.

I'm excited to introduce you to my friend and mentor, Jimmy Collins.

Jimmy retired on May 31, 2001 as the President and COO of Chick-fil-A. He was Chick-fil-A Founder Truett Cathy's third corporate employee.

Jimmy invested nearly 33 years helping Truett Cathy grow Chick-fil-A from startup to $1 Billion in annual sales.

I had the privilege of meeting Jimmy on June 18, 2015. We've been friends ever since. I also consider Jimmy a mentor. I love who he is and what he represents.

In this three part series, Jimmy shares a bit about his upbringing and stories related to his days at Chick-fil-A. Many of these stories and others are contained in his two books: Creative Followership: In the Shadow of Greatness and Jimmy's Stories. If you like this series, you will love these books!

Jimmy's Stories: Preaching What I Practiced at Chick-fil-A (Creative Followership)

Creative Followership: In the Shadow of Greatness

Blue-Collar Leadership & Supervision: Unleash Your Team's Potential (Part 5 of 30)

In this episode, Mack will help you understand that you're given a position, and you're told what and who to manage. But, how you lead, your leadership style, is up to you.

Will you manage people who have to follow? Or, will you lead people who want to follow? Your values will determine if people choose to follow you because they want to or simply follow you because they have to.

The position does not define you. You define the position.

I'm excited to introduce you to my friend and mentor, Jimmy Collins.

Jimmy retired on May 31, 2001 as the President and COO of Chick-fil-A. He was Chick-fil-A Founder Truett Cathy's third corporate employee.

Jimmy invested nearly 33 years helping Truett Cathy grow Chick-fil-A from startup to $1 Billion in annual sales.

I had the privilege of meeting Jimmy on June 18, 2015. We've been friends ever since. I also consider Jimmy a mentor. I love who he is and what he represents.

In this three part series, Jimmy shares a bit about his upbringing and stories related to his days at Chick-fil-A. Many of these stories and others are contained in his two books: Creative Followership: In the Shadow of Greatness and Jimmy's Stories. If you like this series, you will love these books!

Jimmy's Stories: Preaching What I Practiced at Chick-fil-A (Creative Followership)

Creative Followership: In the Shadow of Greatness

Blue-Collar Leadership & Supervision: Unleash Your Team's Potential (Part 4 of 30)

There's a difference between someone respecting your position and someone respecting you.

In this episode, Mack discusses the difference between artificial influence and authentic influence. He invites you to "Listen to the voices" as he shares many of the things that low impact leaders (managers of people) say that reveals to others that they don't have authentic influence and can't function without artificial influence.

I'm excited to introduce you to my friend and mentor, Jimmy Collins. Jimmy retired on May 31, 2001 as the President and COO of Chick-fil-A. He was Chick-fil-A Founder Truett Cathy's third corporate employee. Jimmy invested nearly 33 years helping Truett Cathy grow Chick-fil-A from startup to $1 Billion in annual sales. I had the privilege of meeting Jimmy on June 18, 2015. We've been friends ever since. I also consider Jimmy a mentor. I love who he is and what he represents. In this three part series, Jimmy shares a bit about his upbringing and stories related to his days at Chick-fil-A. Many of these stories and others are contained in his two books: Creative Followership: In the Shadow of Greatness and Jimmy's Stories. If you like this series, you will love these books!

Blue-Collar Leadership & Supervision: Unleash Your Team's Potential (Part 3 of 30)

In this episode, Mack asks, "You've been given a leadership position, but will you lead? Will you become bigger than your position." He also touches on a few of the differences between a manager's mindset and leader's mindset.

Part 4 with Daniel Ross a nearly 50 year old blue-collar guy with only a 4th grade formal education, a heart of gold, and a passion for personal growth and development. What can you learn from him? A LOT!!

In this bonus episode with Daniel Ross, he and Mack discuss the importance of leaders understanding "profiling" and the impact it can have on business results and business relationships.

Part 3 with Daniel Ross a nearly 50 year old blue-collar guy with only a 4th grade formal education, a heart of gold, and a passion for personal growth and development. What can you learn from him? A LOT!!

In this episode, Mack and Daniel continue their discussion about the various types of "profiles" we each have and how we often end up in conflict with those who have the opposite profiles.

Part 2 with Daniel Ross a nearly 50 year old blue-collar guy with only a 4th grade formal education, a heart of gold, and a passion for personal growth and development. What can you learn from him? A LOT!!

In this episode, Mack and his special guest (Daniel Ross) dive deeper into their discussion on Daniel's story and his passion for personality "profiling."

Meet Daniel Ross a nearly 50 year old blue-collar guy with only a 4th grade formal education, a heart of gold, and a passion for personal growth and development. What can you learn from him? A LOT!!

In this raw, unscripted episode, Mack introduces his friend and blue-collar brother, Daniel Ross.

Daniel has come a long way since his hard and humble beginnings. He shares a bit of his background in this opening episode which is followed by three more where he dives into a discussion about his passion for helping others learn about "profiling" their own behavioral tendencies and the tendencies of others.

Blue-Collar Leadership & Supervision: Unleash Your Team's Potential (Part 2 of 30)

In this episode, Mack sets the stage for the episodes to come by sharing a quote from Simon Sinek, "Leadership is about taking responsibility for lives not numbers. Managers look after our numbers and our results, and leaders look after us."

Mack will challenge you to look in the mirror and ask yourself some questions about your boss and your team. As he says, "Every high impact leader's journey begins in the mirror.

Blue-Collar Leadership & Supervision: Unleash Your Team's Potential (Part 1 of 30)

In this episode, Mack discusses the challenge as a leader of not knowing what you don't know and introduces principles of growth and development related to the circle of knowledge, the perimeter of awareness, and the area of ignorance. He calls it getting "Dumber by the Book."

Before Mack kicks off the upcoming 30 part series on his book, Blue-Collar Leadership & Supervision: Unleash Your Team's Potential, he wants to share some thoughts from his #2 all-time favorite book, The 5 Levels of Leadership, by John C. Maxwell.

In this episode, Mack will briefly review The 5 Levels of Leadership and introduce the upcoming series on Blue-Collar Leadership & Supervision.

You'll discover what the 5 levels of leadership are, how to climb from one level to the next, and why it's important to know about each of the levels.

In this episode, Mack will discuss the importance of leadership development, The Transformation Equation, the event versus the process, and he will share a few leadership development/training strategies. Visit www.GetTheTransformationEquation.com for a pdf version of much of what is presented in this episode.

Leadership development is personal and professional development geared toward helping someone develop their character and increase their authentic influence not only within themselves, but also with others.

Without a transfromational leader, there won't be a cultural transformation. Transformation doesn't just happen. It takes a transformational leader to create transformation, first in themselves, then in others.

Many organizations face three major dilemmas: engagement, retention, and turnover. These three dilemmas make it hard to be competitive. The only reason a company experiencing these three dilemmas can compete with others is because their competition is also facing the same dilemmas. Once a competitor addresses and effectively eliminates these dilemmas, their competition will be forced to step up or step down. If they don't step up, they will be left behind by those who do.

In this episode, Mack will share 7 signs that indicate it's time for you to promote your boss. It doesn't mean give them a raise or a new title or position. You can't promote your boss in that way. However, you can promote them in another valuable way. You can give them positive "word of mouth" advertisement by expressing appreciation and gratitude for them to others. You can tell their boss how great they are...but only if they truly deserve it. Promoting the boss isn't about you trying to get ahead. It's about you trying to help the boss get ahead because they deserve it.

In this episode, Mack shares 7 signs that indicate it's time to consider firing your boss. Yes! You can fire your boss. Mack has done it. How do you do it? You quit and hire a new boss. Just as you can be hired and fired by the boss, you can also hire and fire the boss. The turnover rate is often an indicator of how many people are firing their boss. If people are leaving on a regular basis, they're firing their boss.

The key to being able to effectively fire your boss is to have other options. The key to having other options is growing and developing yourself.

Is it time to fire your boss? Checkout this episode to see how many of the 7 signs your boss is displaying.

In this episode, I'll share 5 reasons why low impact leaders won't remove weak, low impact, toxic players from their teams. Toxic team members destroy the morale of their team. Low performers hold themselves, their team members, and their organization back. However, low impact leaders choose to let them contaminate their team day after day, week after week, and often, year after year.

For me, there was nothing worse than reporting to a leader who wouldn't remove the weak, low performing, toxic team members. These leaders were worried about themselves more than they were concerned about doing what was right for the team when it was right for the team.

In this episode, I share why it's important to acknowledge our weaknesses. I'll be sharing a story about the time I was in Guatemala with John Maxwell and an executive asked me, "If I tell my team my weaknesses, won't that make it harder for me to lead?" I said, "Sir, if you believe that you have a false assumption. You're assuming they don't already know your weaknesses."

If we're on a journey to climb to the next level and beyond, we'll always be under construction. What do I mean? We should always be focused on personal growth and development. When it comes to growth, we must become comfortable being uncomfortable.

Turnover has always happened and will always happen. However, excessive turnover is a symptom of a problem, not the problem. The root cause of a turnover problem below is a leadership problem above.

There's no need to keep trying to decide if you are a leader, a follower, or a manager. You are all three all the time. You are constantly leading and influencing others (leader), personally and professionally. You are constantly being led and influenced by others (follower), personally and professionally. You are constantly managing things and processes (manager), personally and professionally.

When conducting leadership development training at organizations that haven't done anything like this in the past, I'm often asked by concerned managers and leaders, "What happens if we invest in training and developing the people and they leave?" I always say, "That's a great question. But, I've got a better question. What happens if you don't invest in training and developing the people and they stay?" What matters most is the development level of the people in the organization, not the development level of those who choose to leave.

Are you leveraging gratitude to build trust with others which increases your influence with others? Henry Frederic Amiel stated, "Thankfulness is the beginning of gratitude. Gratitude is the completion of thankfulness. Thankfulness may consist merely of words. Gratitude is shown in acts." When it comes to high impact leadership of self and others, gratitude is character trait that reveals who you are on the inside to those on the outside.

There are two types of competition. Everyone is familiar with one type: those who are trying to steal your customers. However, most people overlook the second type: those who are trying to steal your people. In this episode, you'll learn the key to effectively attaining and retaining top people.

High impact players who are making things happen at work are often ridiculed by their teammates. Those doing the ridiculing are insecure and attempting to prevent others from moving to the next level and beyond because they don't want to be left behind and/or they don't want to do the work to move themselves ahead. So what do they do? They ridicule others in an effort to slow them down. Don't do it. And, don't let others do it to you.

(Note: This is a second attempt to release this episode across all platforms. It was limited the first time as episode 96 for unknown reasons.)

In this episode, I'll share "why" and "how" you should be using LinkedIn to grow your professional network and advance your career to the next level and beyond. When it comes to LinkedIn, many people don't know what they don't know. Facebook, Instagram, and other similar social media platforms are fine for sharing about your personal life. But, LinkedIn is the professional platform where you are most likely to advance your career, let people know what you know, express your interests, connect with people who value who you are professionally. LinkedIn is simply an online resume making you visible to the world at worst, but a large professional platform to be used for growth and development, networking, and job hunting through relationship building, at best.

Average is a relative term. In this case, it means those people you hang around and associate with by choice. Average people want to keep us average. Only exceptional people want to and are capable of helping us climb to the next level and beyond. To get to the next level and beyond, you will most likely have to leave some people behind, not because you are better than them, but because you are heading in a different direction.

In this episode, I'll share "why" and "how" you should be using LinkedIn to grow your professional network and advance your career to the next level and beyond. When it comes to LinkedIn, many people don't know what they don't know. Facebook, Instagram, and other similar social media platforms are fine for sharing about your personal life. But, LinkedIn is the professional platform where you are most likely to advance your career, let people know what you know, express your interests, connect with people who value who you are professionally. LinkedIn is simply an online resume making you visible to the world at worst, but a large professional platform to be used for growth and development, networking, and job hunting through relationship building, at best.

In this episode, I'll share The Transformation Equation with you. You'll discover the 5 Foundational Components of Transformational Leadership. Organizational transformation is about attaining long-term, positive, and fundamental improvement that goes far beyond short-term initiatives and change management. However, leading transformation requires key components. When one of the key components is missing, the organization will experience frustration, resistance, confusion, anxiety, or stagnation.

Blue-Collar Leadership: Leading from the Front Lines (Part 30 of 30)

You must bet on yourself. Living intentionally leads to amazing results. Living accidentally leads to depressing disappointments. A better tomorrow won't just happen. You must become intentional and make it happen.

Blue-Collar Leadership: Leading from the Front Lines (Part 29 of 30)

Develop yourself intentionally. Growth doesn't just happen. You must be intentional and make it happen. Accidental growth vs. intentional growth is about as effective as accidental exercise compared to intentional exercise...not even close. And the results...not even close.

Blue-Collar Leadership: Leading from the Front Lines (Part 28 of 30)

Stretch yourself intentionally because all of your growth happens outside your comfort zone. Jim Rohn said it best, "If you work hard on your job, you'll make a living, but if you work hard on yourself, you can make a fortune."

Blue-Collar Leadership: Leading from the Front Lines (Part 27 of 30)

Do it better than expected. Doing things better than expected increases your influence; doing things worse than expected decreases your influence. As George Washington Carver said so well, "When you do the common things in life in an uncommon way, you will command the attention of the world."

Blue-Collar Leadership: Leading from the Front Lines (Part 26 of 30)

Do it better than expected. Doing things sooner than expected increases your influence; doing things later than expected decreases your influence. Making it happen is great, but making it happen sooner than expected can pay huge in the influence department. Why? Because you're building trust.

Blue-Collar Leadership: Leading from the Front Lines (Part 25 of 30)

Do more than expected. Doing more than expected increases your influence; doing less than expected decreases your influence. As St. Francis of Assisi stated, "Start doing what is necessary; then, do what is possible; and suddenly, you are doing the impossible."

Blue-Collar Leadership: Leading from the Front Lines (Part 24 of 30)

Helping others always helps you. If you want to increase your influence, always be the first to help. Everyone remembers the first to help, few remember the second. With people, the little things are the big things. As Ria Story says, "Those who have a heart for serving others in some way will build influence far beyond those who expect to be served."

Blue-Collar Leadership: Leading from the Front Lines (Part 23 of 30)

Helping others succeed ensures you will succeed. There's enough for everyone. There's plenty of everything for everyone. A person with an abundance mindset shares knowledge and ideas. As a result, they increase their value and their influence. A person with a scarcity mindset hoards knowledge and ideas. As a result, they decrease their value and their influence. Abundance is a choice that only secure people will make.

Blue-Collar Leadership: Leading from the Front Lines (Part 22 of 30)

Ask for more responsibility. When you accept more responsibility, you will gain more influence. When you take responsibility, you will maximize your influence. Leaders are always looking for team members who don't avoid taking responsibility.

Blue-Collar Leadership: Leading from the Front Lines (Part 21 of 30)

Think of yourself less. There's a fine line between arrogance and confidence. It's called humility. As Ken Blanchard says, "People with humility don't think less of themselves. They just think about themselves less. Arrogant people create distrust. Confident people build trust.

Blue-Collar Leadership: Leading from the Front Lines (Part 20 of 30)

Seek first to understand. You will always learn more from listening than from speaking. If you truly want to increase your influence, slow down, pause, and choose to listen first. When you do, you're allowing the other person the courtesy of influencing (leading) you first. Once others feel completely understood, they are far more likely to listen to you and accept your influence. However, if others don't feel understood, they're not listening at all. They are waiting for you to quit talking, so they can start talking. Instead of listening with the intent to understand, they are listening with the intent to reply.

Blue-Collar Leadership: Leading from the Front Lines (Part 19 of 30)

Followers choose leaders. A low impact follower does less than expected alone. A high impact follower does more than expected with others. All great leaders were first great followers. As Truett Cathy, Founder of Chick-fil-A, said so well, "To excel in leadership, you must excel in followership."

Blue-Collar Leadership: Leading from the Front Lines (Part 18 of 30)

Bosses make things happen with people who have to help them. Leaders make things happen with people who want to help them. As USMC Lt. General George Flynn remarked, "The cost of leadership is self-interest." High impact leaders know it's not about them. But, they also know it starts with them. They know others will choose to follow them because of who they are and how they make others feel.

Blue-Collar Leadership: Leading from the Front Lines (Part 17 of 30)

Leaders always have followers. If others aren't following because they want to, there is no leadership. It's easy to tell whether you work for a boss or with a leader. You can tell because of how they make you feel. In this episode, I compare and contrast how bosses and leaders make their team feel. Bosses value position and power over others which is based on formal authority. Leaders value positive influence with others which is based on moral authority. No one wants to work for a boss. Everyone wants to work with a leader.

Blue-Collar Leadership: Leading from the Front Lines (Part 16 of 30)

Character trumps competency. What you know matters. But, who you are matters most. Your character serves as a multiplier and leverages your competency. You have far more than you need to succeed on the outside because it's provided for you. The question is, "Do you have what you need to succeed on the inside?" Who you are and what you know is an inside job. And, you're fully and completely 100% responsible for that job.

Blue-Collar Leadership: Leading from the Front Lines (Part 15 of 30)

Character counts, and it counts A LOT! Your character will either limit you like an anchor or launch you like a rocket. Henry Cloud said it best, "Character is the ability to meet the demands of reality." Character is about much more than being a good or bad person. Character does determine if you're a good or bad person. However, character is about much more than being good or bad. Character is about how you do what you do and why you do what you do. Character is everything that you are.

Blue-Collar Leadership: Leading from the Front Lines (Part 14 of 30)

We attract who we are. Then, if we don't become intentional about growth and development, we get caught up in a vicious circle. Why? Because we become the average of the five people we voluntarily hang around the most. It's true! We start talking like they talk, acting like they act, dressing like they dress, eating what they eat, drinking what they drink, doing what they do, and most importantly, we begin thinking like they think and believing what they believe. And ultimately, we'll end up getting the results they get.

Blue-Collar Leadership: Leading from the Front Lines (Part 13 of 30)

Courage is contagious. As Anais Nin stated, "Life shrinks or expands in proportion to one's courage." Often, what's holding us back is the courage to stand alone and do what's right based on who we are and where we want to go. In the blue-collar workforce, it's far too easy to be influenced by those around us who aren't interested in going where we want to go. I can tell you this. Just as average people want you to remain average just like them, exceptional people want to help you become exceptional.

Blue-Collar Leadership: Leading from the Front Lines (Part 12 of 30)

The future is in you now. If you don't choose your future, someone else will. We create our future one choice at a time. For instance, something happens. Then, we respond. We could respond four different ways. Each way will create a different future. When we know the future we want to create, we can simply align our choices to create that future. When we do, our preferred future will eventually become our reality.

Blue-Collar Leadership: Leading from the Front Lines (Part 11 of 30)

The power of the pause button. Between stimulus and response, we all have the freedom to choose our response. But, many times we don't pause and benefit from that freedom. When something happens do you respond based on feelings or values? Does it matter? Absolutely!

Blue-Collar Leadership: Leading from the Front Lines (Part 10 of 30)

Focus on the mirror. The face you see least is your own. Earl Nightingale said it best, "A man's environment is a merciless mirror of him as a human being." Until we go within, we will go without. We all have a blind spot, and it's in the exact same place: between us and the mirror. We don't know about ourselves what we need to know about ourselves.

Blue-Collar Leadership: Leading from the Front Lines (Part 9 of 30)

Your potential is unlimited. You should always be grateful but never satisfied. However, the opposite is often true. Too many people are ungrateful and may or not be satisfied. You may have heard, "If Bob has a problem everywhere Bob goes, then Bob is the problem." The key to unleashing your potential is to first realize it's your responsibility to do so. If you don't lead yourself intentionally, you'll be led by others automatically.

Blue-Collar Leadership: Leading from the Front Lines (Part 8 of 30)

The question isn't, "Are you a role model?" but rather, "What kind of role model do you want to be?" because somebody is always watching. When you touch a life, you don't always feel it. We're all touching lives everyday. Most often we don't even know it. And, we're touching the lives of others in positive and negative ways as we go about our day. Albert Einstein said it best, "Example isn't another way to teach, it's the only way to teach." When people look at you, what do they see? Who we are matters...and, it matters A LOT!

Blue-Collar Leadership: Leading from the Front Lines (Part 7 of 30)

Who do you work for? Notice, I didn't ask, "Where do you work?" or "Who pays you to work?" The secret to your success is understanding this: You get paid by others, but you're working for yourself. When you truly understand what I'll be sharing in this episode, you'll change what you do. When you change what you do, you'll change what you get.

Blue-Collar Leadership: Leading from the Front Lines (Part 6 of 30)

Are you intentionally doing something everyday to get better? You should be. If you aren't, you're likely to be passed by someone who is. The only person you need to be better than tomorrow is the one you are today. There is no external competition preventing you from climbing to the next level and beyond. The battle you need to win is on the inside, not the outside. In this episode, I'll share a simple question that you can leverage to achieve amazing results. The key is having the self-discipline to take the right action based on the answer to the question.

Blue-Collar Leadership: Leading from the Front Lines (Part 5 of 30)

Every team is made up of "I"ndividuals. To grow and develop a high performance team, we must begin by growing and developing the individuals on the team. To develop the character of the team, we must develop the character of the individuals on the team.

Blue-Collar Leadership: Leading from the Front Lines (Part 4 of 30)

Common sense is never enough. Often, you must also have uncommon sense to do what is commonly understood. As George Washington Carver stated so well, "When you do the common things in life in an uncommon way, you will command the attention of the world."

Blue-Collar Leadership: Leading from the Front Lines (Part 3 of 30)

You're in the perfect place to begin climbing to the next level and beyond. However, too many people fail at getting started. Taking action is the key to getting from where you are to where you want to be. It's much easier to go from failure to success than it is to go from excuses to success. Why? Because those who are "failing" are actually doing something. Those who are making excuses aren't doing anything. Make it happen or someone else will. It might as well be YOU!

I started the Blue-Collar Leadership Podcast on July 19, 2018. 4 months later, thanks to you, the episodes have been played 5,299 times averaging nearly 80 plays per episode. If you find value in this podcast, please share a link on your social media pages and consider leaving a 5 Star review on your podcast app to help make the Blue-Collar Leadership podcast more visible to the world. Thank you for listening and for helping me spread the Blue-Collar Leadership message!

Blue-Collar Leadership: Leading from the Front Lines (Part 2 of 30)

Motivation comes from the outside, but inspiration comes from the inside. When we're able to motivate others from the outside by believing in them, they're positioned to become inspired from within and to begin believing in themselves. In this episode, I invite you to change the way you believe in others by redefining the way we should express our belief in others.

Blue-Collar Leadership: Leading from the Front Lines (Part 1 of 30)

I wish someone would had given me a copy of Blue-Collar Leadership: Leading from the Front Lines, 30 years ago when I started my career on the front lines. However, it didn't exist then. It didn't exist until I wrote it in 2016. If it had been available in 1988, it would have changed my life and helped me accelerate my career. However, it is available today and can help you change your life now and help you accelerate your career. In the opening episode of this series, I will tell you why I wrote Blue-Collar Leadership, who I wrote it for, what you can learn from it, and I'll share a short story about my first manufacturing job, so you'll know: I'm one of you. Who we are matters!

In this episode, I take the "Golden Circle" principle I learned from Simon Sinek and wrap leadership around it. You'll learn "Why" leadership is important, "How" we develop our leadership, and "What" we do with our leadership ability.

"Special Offer" for blue-collar organizations. What I will do for you… If you or your leaders will invest in your team, I will too because I value growing and developing the great people in the blue-collar workforce regardless of their title or position. I’ll pay all of my expenses to travel anywhere in the 50 United States to conduct up to 4 hours of complimentary, on site leadership development training for any size group, large or small, at any level. This is my money and my time, not corporate money on company time.

Why do I make this offer? Because, I have a passion for growing and developing the often overworked, overlooked, and underdeveloped blue-collar workforce, those who lead them, and those who support them.

What you must do for your team…Purchase 200 copies (direct from me for $3,600) of any combination of my six Blue-Collar Leadership Series books and distribute them to your blue-collar workforce. (We've been paid up to $20,000 to speak. However, we waive our speaking fees for blue-collar leaders who are willing to invest in their team and take advantage of this special offer.) Learn more at BlueCollarLeaders.com/special-offer

Here's what Sam M. VP & COO of Concrete Materials Placement in Charlotte, NC had to say, “My first words are, GET SIGNED UP! This training is not, and I stress, not your everyday leadership seminar! I have never been a part of anything like it. After 30 years in technology and two years in Concrete Construction, I have attended dozens and sent hundreds to the so-called ‘Leadership-Training.’ I can tell you that while all of the courses, classes, webinars, and seminars, had good intentions, nothing can touch what Mack and Ria Story provide. I just wish I had it 20 years ago…I could go on-and-on…100% of the team that attended said that they were ‘blown-away, they did not see that conviction and passion coming.’ Many thanks, Mack and Ria!”

Many make the mistake of believing the organizational chart reveals who the leaders in an organization are. The organizational chart reveals who the managers are. Those on the chart may or may not be high impact leaders of people. However, they are definitely managers of things and processes.

Managing People vs Leading People series Part 17 of 17. Managers of people go fast to go slow. Leaders of people go slow to go fast. Leaders of people take the time it takes, so it takes less time.

Managing People vs Leading People series Part 16 of 17. Managers of people transfer responsibility, blame others, and create distrust among their team. Leaders of people take responsibility, blame themselves, and build trust with their team.

Managing People vs Leading People series Part 15 of 17. All of our growth happens outside of our comfort zone. Managers of people seek to remain in their comfort zone while leaders of people seek to move beyond their comfort zone.

Managing People vs Leading People series Part 14 of 17. Managers of people want to travel existing roads where everything is familiar. Their goal is to maintain the status quo. Leaders of people want to explore and create new paths. They prefer and expect things to change and seek continuous improvement.

Managing People vs Leading People series Part 13 of 17. When things go wrong, managers of people are quick to "look out the window" for someone to blame and create distrust with others. However, when things go wrong, leaders of people are quick to "look in the mirror" and take the blame which builds trust with others.

Managing People vs Leading People series Part 12 of 17. Managers of people look for opportunities to take the credit and create distrust with others. Leaders of people look for opportunities to give credit to others and build trust with others.

Managing People vs Leading People series Part 11 of 17. Managers of people grow slowly and accidentally while avoiding growth beyond what is required. Leaders of people grow quickly and intentionally while growing far beyond what is required.

Managing People vs Leading People series Part 10 of 17. Managers of people are concerned with being right and allow their pride and ego to guide them. Leaders of people are concerned with doing what is right and allow their humility to strengthen them.

Managing People vs Leading People series Part 9 of 17. Managers of people avoid conflict and hope it goes away without intervention. Leaders of people use conflict to strengthen relationships while growing and developing the character of those on their team in an effort to minimize and eliminate conflict before it becomes an issue.

Managing People vs Leading People series Part 8 of 17. Managers of people avoid risk and attempt to maintain the status quo. They don't rock the boat and don't want others rocking the boat. They seek comfort. Leaders of people take smart risks. They know growth occurs outside of their comfort zone. As a result, leaders become comfortable being uncomfortable. Leaders understand embracing risk is simply another part of the journey. Taking a risk is often the next step.

Managing People vs Leading People series Part 7 of 17. Managers of people thrive on controlling people and attempt to manipulate their team. Leaders of people exhibit passion, focus on releasing people, and attempt to motivate and inspire their team.

Managing People vs Leading People series Part 6 of 17. Managers of people focus on making decisions. Leaders of people focus on facilitating decision making. A totally different mindset always leads to totally different results.

Managing People vs Leading People series Part 5 of 17. Managers of people get their power from the "rights" that come with their position, title, or rank. Leaders of people get their power not from formal authority, but from moral authority which based on their character and the relationships they've built.

Managing People vs Leading People series Part 4 of 17. Managers believe others are there to help them accomplish their mission. Therefore, managers attempt to manipulate others for personal benefit. However, leaders believe they are there to help others accomplish their mission. As a result, leaders attempt motivate others for mutual benefit.

Managing People vs Leading People series Part 3 of 17. When it comes to looking in the mirror, managers of people see themselves one way while leaders of people see themselves a total different way. They believe they have completely different roles. The mindset of a manager is to be served by the team. The mindset of a leader is to serve their team.

Managing People vs Leading People series Part 2 of 17. When it comes to change, managers of people have a very different perspective than leaders of people. Managers of people avoid change and seek to maintain the status quo. Leaders of people are focused on continuous improvement which requires constant change.

Managing People vs Leading People series Part 1 of 17. Relative to vision, managers of people have a different perspective than leaders of people. Managers focus on the short term. Leaders focus on the long term.

I find it interesting that the only people I hear complaining about millennials are low impact leaders. I've never heard a high impact leader complain about millennials. Why? High impact leaders don't have a problem attracting them, leading them, or retaining them. Low impact leaders have always blamed others for their inability to lead. It's always been that way, and it will always be that way. Young people have always been leading the way and carrying the bulk of the load in the US Military, and they still are. Our military hasn’t fallen apart because of millennials. Where’s the real problem? We don't have a new millennial problem. We have an old leadership problem. In this episode, I discuss the real problem with millennials: those leading them.

Discover the traits of the 5 Types of Blue-Collar Leaders: Managerial, Relational, Motivational, Inspirational, and Transformational. I first wrote about the 5 Types of Leaders in my book, Defining Influence: Increasing Your Influence Increases Your Options. Be sure to checkout the audio version if you want to take a deep dive and discover how to become more intentional about increasing your authentic influence with others at all levels...360° from wherever you are whether you have a position of authority or not.

It's my pleasure to share some wisdom from my personal friend and mentor, Jimmy Collins. Jimmy retired as President and COO of Chick-fil-A in 2001 when Chick-fil-A reached $1 Billion in annual sales. Today, they are at or near $8 Billion. Jimmy retired after 33 years of following Chick-fil-A's Founder, Truett Cathy. In this episode, I'll introduce you to Jimmy's great book, Creative Followership: In the Shadow of Greatness. It's packed full of golden nuggets of wisdom and some really interesting stories. Apply what's in it, and you will absolutely increase your influence with high impact leaders as you intentionally climb your way to the next level and beyond. When you do...you'll also increase your options.

In this episode, I share a great quote related to "Managing vs. Leading" by Bob Chapman who is the CEO of Barry-Wehmiller and author of Everybody Matters. He is the best example of a high impact leader at the CEO level that I'm aware of at the moment. He has raised the bar on what high impact leadership looks and feels like. Bob leads a $2 Billion global organization made up of over 10,000 team members: an amazing blue-collar workforce, those who lead them, and those who support them.

A little over 10 years ago, I was leading a process improvement (kaizen) team. The goal was to clean, paint, and organize a large area in our manufacturing plant. One of my responsibilities as the team leader was to obtain the paint for the team, so they could paint the entire area on Thursday of the event week. However, I failed to get the paint on time. As a result, I chose to work overnight, a 26 hour shift, and paint the entire area myself to make up for my lack of planning and poor leadership. I was able to turn the negative into a trust building positive.

Leadership is more caught than taught. The two lessons I share with you in this episode were not taught to me. They were modeled for me by a fellow front line, entry-level team member in 1995. He modeled giving credit when things went right and taking the blame when things went wrong.

What you think about and the action that flows from your thoughts are far more important than anything you will read or hear. When you hear or see something that makes you think at a deeper level, don't just nod your head in agreement. Ask yourself, "How can I apply the principle in my life? And, when can I apply it?" If you want to get to the next level and beyond, you must then take action.

Secure leaders eliminate problems. Insecure leaders cause problems. To better understand secure leaders, let's look at 7 Problems Insecure Leaders Cause.

Discover the 10 Foundational Elements of Intentional Transformation: How to Become Your Best Self.

Introduction to my book, Defining Influence: Increasing your influence increases your options. Ria and I just finished up two 1/2 day workshops on this book with the US Navy in San Diego, CA. This episode is an overview of what the book is about.

Where do high impact leaders invest most of their time and energy? With low performers? Or, with high performers? And most importantly, why?

Ria and I had a great time today in San Diego, CA supporting the US Navy with two workshops on my book, "MAXIMIZE Your Potential."

Ria and I are excited to be heading to San Diego today to serve those who are serving us. We'll be conducting 10 1/2 day workshops for the U.S. Navy. When leaders are willing to invest in their team, we are willing to invest in their team. We pay all of our travel expenses and offer up to 4 hours on site, complimentary leadership development speaking/training in any of the 50 states with each 200 book purchase. Learn more during this episode or check out the special offer page on the www.BlueCollarLeadership.com website.

There's something far greater than success. What is it? It's significance. Success is about me. Significance is about we. Only successful people can choose to be significant people. In this episode, I share about the "Value of Significance" from my book, 10 Values of High Impact Leaders" (It's available as an audio book, paperback, and eBook.)

When it comes to climbing to the next level and beyond, you should focus on developing your strengths in the area of competency and developing your weaknesses in the area of character. You will always excel in the areas where you are naturally talented and gifted relative to skills and abilities. Your character will play a key role by launching you or limiting you.

Knowing the difference between a practice and a principle is critical to personal development and to process improvement. When you hear someone say, "That won't work here," you know they're talking about the practice and are overlooking the principle. A practice only works in certain situations. However, a principle works in all situations.

Wake up! The world isn't holding you back. You are. The sooner you figure this out, the sooner you'll reach the next level. 3 simple tips that will help you advance to the next level and beyond.

I've heard it said many times, "Luck is where preparation intersects opportunity." I agree. If you want to be lucky, prepare yourself for the opportunities you want. We make our own luck by being prepared.

Who is going to get the job you want? The person with the most influence. Not sometime, every time. Learn how to get someone to actually look at your resume/application when applying for a job internally or externally.

When it comes to launching yourself and your career, what you do at work is important; but what you do after work is more important.

Too often, people who want a promotion, a better job, a different job, a better paying job, are simply going through the motions waiting for it to suddenly be given to them. That's not how it works. Someone will be hired tomorrow for the exact job you want. HR is filling that position somewhere everyday. The person who is best prepared relative to character and competency will get it. Will it be you?

Too many people are frustrated because they feel they are being controlled by others. However, we determine if others control us. It's pretty simple: If you don't develop your mind, you'll be controlled by those who do. You won't get to where you want to be accidentally. You must be intentional.

What I learned from the 7 Habits. (Part 7) Are you intentionally focused on developing your character and your competency? I hope so because no one else is or ever will be. Personal development is an inside job...between you and you. High impact players and high impact leaders are always focused on continuous improvement. If you're not, you'll get passed up by those who are.

What I learned from the 7 Habits. (Part 6) When there are differing opinions, too many people focus on compromising when they should be synergizing. Synergy means the whole is greater than the sum of the parts.

What I learned from the 7 Habits. (Part 5) The key to influencing others is to first allow them to influence you. As Stephen R. Covey said, "Seek first to understand, then to be understood." It's okay to let others go first. When they feel like you understand, it's much more likely they'll listen to what you have to say. However, if they don't feel understood, it's much more likely they'll be focused on responding instead of listening.

What I learned from the 7 Habits. (Part 4) Think Win-Win. Zig Ziglar said it best, "If you'll help people get what they want, they'll help you get what you want." The key is valuing helping other people win. Instead of focusing on ourselves, we must learn to focus on others. Peyton Manning said it a different way, "The most valuable player is the player that makes the most players valuable."

What I learned from the 7 Habits (Part 3 of 7). Once you know who you want to be and where you want to be, you must "Put First Things First" and manage yourself within time toward your goal. There's no such thing as time management. You can't manage time and neither can anyone else. Time just is. There's only personal leadership and personal management within time.

What I learned from the 7 Habits (Part 2 of 7). Who are you? Where are you? Who do you want to be? Where do you want to be? If you know the answer to these questions, you'll discover there's a gap between the first two and the second two. I call that the "Success Gap." How do you close the gap? You "Begin with the End in Mind."

What I learned from the 7 Habits (Part 1 of 7). In this episode, I share the most important leadership principle I've ever learned. Learn what it means to "Be Proactive" instead of being reactive. Learn how and why you should focus on your "circle of influence" and why you should avoid your "circle of concern."

What I learned from the 7 Habits (Intro). The first leadership development/personal growth book I was introduced to happened to be the one that inspired me to transform myself and my life. 10 years later, I've read hundreds of books. However, this one is still #1 on my list. Today, I've also published 12 books of my own and speak and train full-time all across the USA, and sometimes internationally, on leadership development and personal growth. After I introduce this book today, I'm going to record a 7 part series and share more details about it. I hope what I share in the series will help you as much as it helped me.

Want to learn what made a front line factory worker I had never met say to me, "I want to cut your damn throat!" If so, take a listen. The short answer: poor leadership from above.

Intention is the foundation of trust. Just as we decide how we feel about others, they decide how they feel about us. If they feel we are attempting to use and manipulate them only for our benefit, we create distrust. If they feel we are trying to help and motivate them for mutual benefit, we build trust.

What is trust? Most people haven't really thought about it. When I ask my audiences this question, most often I get silence. Then, a few people will say things like honesty, dependability, confidence in others. That's all true. But, there's a lot more to trust than that. Today, I'll explore the two pillars of trust briefly: character and competency.

The key to establishing authentic influence it to first establish trust. The more trust you have with others, the more influence you will have with them.

Authentic influence is always better than artificial influence. Here's a story from the shop floor to illustrate just how important establishing authentic influence can be. The boss told me I would need an interpreter to speak to the people in one of his departments because none spoke English. However, they always spoke English to me.

Authentic influence is based on moral authority, your character. Artificial influence is based on formal authority, your position, title, rank, etc. Authentic influence is always better than artificial influence.

John C. Maxwell said it best, "Leadership is influence. Nothing more. Nothing less. Everything rises and falls on leadership." A few thoughts on one of the most important things I learned from John Maxwell.

A few simple thoughts about what it means to invest in yourself. If you're in the blue-collar workforce, odds are your employer will develop you to do the job because that's required. However, they aren't likely to develop you beyond what's required. If you want to climb to the next level and beyond, start intentionally investing in yourself. If you do, you'll quickly separate yourself from the crowd.

In this episode, I talk a little about passion, purpose, and sacrifice as I share a little about my transition from Lean Manufacturing/Process Improvement Consultant to Motivational Speaker/Trainer/Coach/Mentor. And, I get a little fired up talking about investing in ourselves. If we won't invest in ourselves, why should anyone else?

JUST RELEASED ON AUDIO: My newest book, Blue-Collar Leadership & Teamwork: 30 Traits of High Impact Players was just released on audio at Audible.com and will be on iTunes and Amazon too in a few days.

Learn how stepping away from the corporate world (my "J-O-B") to follow my passion for leading lean/process improvement teams created the space I needed to discover my purpose: teaching and speaking about leadership development and personal growth.

In Part 3, I share a little about the impact choosing to invest my time to earn a 4 year degree while working 6-7 days a week 10, 12, 14, and even 16 hours a day. However, it took me about 7-8 years to get that 4 year degree. But, it served its purpose. It served as the key to a door that I wanted to open.

Learn a little about the beginning of my career at my second manufacturing plant where I started operating, band saws, CNC lathes, mills, drills, and gear shapers.

Learn how my blue-collar journey in manufacturing began in 1988.

Mack Story introduces the Blue Collar Leadership podcast!