Failing Forward: Blown Lightbulbs and the Lessons Therein

Failing Forward: Blown Lightbulbs and the Lessons Therein

The nemesis of my sophomore year of college was a class called Circuits 101. Known as a “weeder class”, one designed to instill frustration and confusion in aspiring engineering students, the possibilities of passing or failing were extreme.  Each test consisted of only two questions, yielding only 3 possible test scores:  0, 50, or 100. I studied.

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Three Times when Fresh Perspective is In Order

Time for Fresh Perspective - TBL Leadership Partners

My office got a new beautiful piece of furniture this week – a handcrafted, corner desk designed and made by my creative husband.  The desk boasts a magnificent blend of old oak accented with knotholes and elegant curves, locust posts preserved in their natural shape, and poplar branches masterfully set to mirror tree branches of

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It’s Your Life – Dive Into the Deep

It’s Your Life – Dive Into the Deep

Those who go down to the sea in ships, Who do business on great waters; They have seen the works of the Lord, and His wonders in the deep.  – Psalm 107:23-24   Tide pools and sandy beaches beckon bare foot curiosity and exploration.  Tiny sea creatures.  Intricate sea shells.  Every single grain of sand

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Hamburgers and Wedding Bells – A Tribute to 45 Years Together

45 years together

On October 10, 1969, a plain brown dress, a McDonald’s hamburger, and a courthouse judge marked the unconventional beginning of a legacy of love.  My parents, Jerry and Bernice Powell, chose the less traditional route to marriage when they eloped and kept their new vows secret from family and friends for nearly three months.  In

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The Leadership Filter – Champions of Principle

Leadership Principles

Although I knew almost nothing about the game at the time, I coached my son’s soccer team when he was only four years old.   I embarked upon the season determined to learn enough about soccer to be able to teach the boys a few fundamentals.  To my great surprise, I learned more than I

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I Am Wonder Woman…Well, Not Really…But I Am Wonderfully Made and So Are You!

I Am Wonder Woman, Wonderfully Made

As a young girl, I dreamed of being Wonder Woman or Supergirl.  With my handy blanket tied around my neck in cape-like fashion, I’d run up and down the hallway by my bedroom with amazing super powers enabling me to escape from dark forces conjured up in my imagination.  On other days, I dressed in

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Be a Cheerleader – And Change the World

Be a cheerleader - and change the world

The final days of summer are waning as leisurely days at the beach give way to morning bus routines and classroom lessons.  My children attend Rosman High School, the same small school from which I graduated.  Since my days of roaming the halls, the cafeteria has been promoted from the basement to a new expansion

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Treasure Hunting – Leaders Discover and Unlock Potential

Privileges and responsibilities of leadership: How does a leader discover these hidden gems and help bring out the best in every person?

  One of the privileges and responsibilities of leadership is to unearth and polish the treasure of who others are.  Like mining for fine gems, sometimes the treasure lies near the surface and its glimmer can be readily seen.  But often, the jewel sits buried beneath layers of life, perhaps even facades masking the true

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Dependent Independence

Still Daddy's Girl

On the Fourth of July, my family, like many others, gathered around food, fun and fireworks to celebrate America’s Independence.  Independence…what meaning does that word really carry, not just for a nation but also for individuals around the world? My father raised me to be an independent woman who learns from her mistakes, faces challenge

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Beyond Tolerable – Finding Purpose and Meaning in a Summer Job

After listening to my teenage daughter and niece surmise about the “horrors” of several summer jobs, I found myself chuckling to think of the rapid awakening that both would have upon entering the “real” world after high school and college.  From their conversation, I recognized that these two beautiful young ladies currently view holding a

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