There are times in life when something new gets added to your story and you immediately realize it was not really new at all. It was just another piece of the puzzle finally finding its place. Recently, I was officially certified as an interim executive through Armstrong McGuire’s Interim Management Institute. After sharing the update…

Why Thank-You Notes Still Matter I don’t know about you, but growing up, my Mom was a stickler for writing thank-you cards. I can still hear her voice on the phone saying, “Jimmy, did you remember to write your Gran and thank her for your birthday card?” I knew it was a big deal, but…

Over the past few weeks, we’ve unpacked what it means to “Be the Unicorn” in the association world. We’ve explored traits centered around action, mindset, adaptability and growth. This final group of traits feels especially important to me because they focus on influence, relationships and purpose. As an association professional for over 25 years, those…

Last week, we started unpacking what it means to “Be the Unicorn” in the association world, focusing on four traits centered around action: Fast, Authentic, Agile, and Solver. This week, we shift a bit. These next four traits are less about how leaders act in the moment and more about how they think, prepare, and…

Over the next few weeks, I’m unpacking the habits outlined in Be the Unicorn, not just as concepts, but as practical leadership traits that show up in the day-to-day reality of association management. My hope isn’t just that you recognize these traits in others, but that you begin to see where they already exist in…

William Vanderblomen realized something remarkable after 15 years of conducting executive searches. After combing data from that entire period, he identified a set of unique habits, traits, and attributes shared by the most effective leaders. He called them the “Twelve Data-Driven Habits that Separate the Best Leaders from the Rest,” outlined in his book Be…

I am currently working with my first client at Tying It Together Consulting, and the project centers on something they believe they do very well for their members. However, several public and private organizations are actually delivering those same services more effectively. While that scenario may sound eerily familiar to some of you, it immediately…

A few weeks ago I was sitting outside the office with a good friend, chatting about our children. He mentioned that his youngest had recently been accepted into Appalachian State University. While he was excited for him to experience the book learning that comes with a university education, he also didn’t want him to take…

“Find a job you enjoy doing, and you will never have to work a day in your life.” – When I first heard that Mark Twain quote, I wasn’t sure what it meant. I was fairly certain it didn’t apply to working in tobacco fields during middle school, baking bagels at Bruegger’s in North Hills…