Lisa and I wish all of you the happiest of holidays. Thank you for letting us share our leadership insights. Be well. Do good. Grow great! Check out the Hosts page for our profiles. Connect With Lisa On Linkedin • Connect With Randy On Linkedin We encourage you to contact us. Feedback, suggestions, criticisms, insights, and […] The post Do You Have…

Since 2006, the Journey Home has been a vital resource for the unhoused in Murfreesboro. Amid rising homelessness nationwide, Journey Home Executive Director Scott Foster and Development Director Lis Couser discuss the services the non-profit agency provides in growing Murfreesboro and plans for a new, larger building on Old Salem Rd., opening its …

Everybody is battling something. The holiday season is especially vexing for some. Personally. Professionally. Today, Lisa and I discuss how we handle our moments of adversity. We hope to encourage you and caringly challenge you to keep at it. Press on. The adage I love is, “I may quit. But not today!” Be well. The post Handling Moments Of Adversit…

Happy Thanksgiving To All Of You From Both Of Us When I started this podcast, I had no idea I’d mostly serve city government leaders some years later. I’m a business guy and an operator. However, thanks to a single opportunity to serve a local city manager and her leadership team, I was “at The post Happy Thanksgiving 2024 appeared first on GROW GR…

On this episode of "10-Code", we find out more about Murfreesboro Emergency Communications. Guests are Emergency Communications Director Seth Russell and Operations Coordinator Courtney Drake. For more information about Emergency Communications, visit https://www.murfreesborotn.gov/1623/Murfreesboro-Emergency-Communications…

Today we’re coming to you “live” from The Epic in Grand Prairie, Texas. At the invitation of Deputy City Manager Megan Mahan, we utilized the Podcast Booth at The Epic. It’s a wonderful facility with a wide array of activities and services. We owe a special shout-out to Daniel Cauthen, Assistant Manager who produced The post Leading Through Bad New…

The City’s 2025 Special Census campaign to count every resident in Murfreesboro is featured this month on “The Insider” podcast. The City urges residents to visit www.murfreesborocensus.com to enter their address and the names of everyone living in the household. Host Mike Browning interviews Special Census Coordinator Malia Grubbs and Assistant Ci…

“Success is the sum of small efforts, repeated day-in and day-out.” — Robert Collier Every high-performing organization I’ve encountered embraces innovation and improvement. They find a way to execute their strategies better. Always better! The maxim is true: “You’ll either find a way or make an excuse.” Great teams The post High Performance Organi…

“What do I know? Who needs to know? Have I told them?” — Jim Mattis, Call Sign Chaos NOTE: James Norman Mattis (born September 8, 1950) is an American veteran and former government official who served as the 26th United States Secretary of Defense from January 2017 through December 2018. A retired United States Marine The post 3 Important Questions…

On November 5, 2024, thousands of Rutherford County voters will head to the polls to cast ballots in the 2024 election. Election Administrator Alan Farley discusses election integrity, early voting, absentee mail-in ballots, and more on “The Insider” with host Mike Browning.Av cityofmurfreesborotn

As an executive/leadership coach, I hear clients devote an extraordinary amount of time sharing their experiences with low-performing team members. It makes sense. These people are responsible for considerable headaches to leaders. Today, I’m going to suggest leaders devote more time to the high-performers by embracing a few common components of hi…

Find out more about what goes on at the Wilderness Station. Facility Coordinator Charles Hall-Walker is the guest on "Talkin' Parks", a podcast promoting the services and activities of the Murfreesboro Parks and Recreation Department.Av cityofmurfreesborotn

High performers tend to take on more and more…because they have a high degree of willingness, they want more responsibility and we know they’ll get it done. Leaders must be mindful of over-burdening star players simply because we know they’ll “get it done.” Great leaders are highly aware of what their team members are The post Mindful Leadership: D…

Find out more about the Murfreesboro Fire Rescue Department on this episode of "10-Code". Guests are MFRD Chief Mark McCluskey and Deputy Chief Jamie Bigelow.Av cityofmurfreesborotn

Legacy. What will yours be? Every great leader quickly recognizes people who make a difference in their lives. Maybe it was a school teacher. Or a sports coach. It may have been a parent or grandparent. Each of us is standing on the shoulders of somebody who came before us. Who will stand on The post The Legacy of Great Leadership: Who Will Stand O…

The City Community Development Department serves residents with low and moderate income in partnership with local non-profits and other agencies to provide services to meet housing, economic and living needs. Community Development Director Robert Holtz and Assistant Director Jessica Cline share the department’s services and partnerships on the late…

Find out more about the Cultural Arts Program with guest Leslie Wright, recreation coordinator. Wright talks about Perform Murfreesboro, a quality theatre program for children, Visual Arts camps and classes and how Cultural Arts is in involved in large events like Celebration Under the Stars and the Christmas Parade.…

Author Brad Meltzer said… “Everyone you meet is fighting a battle you know nothing about. Be kind. Always.” Today, we’re pulling back the curtain to demonstrate Meltzer’s quote is correct. The point? Compassion. “A focus on others.” Be well. Do good. Grow great! Check out the Hosts page for our profiles. Connect With Lisa The post Everyone You Meet…

You’ll either find a way…or an excuse. Lisa and I were discussing understanding. Mostly, we were considering this quote from an unknown author… If only we fought just as hard to understand as we do to disagree. It morphed into a conversation about the difference between high and low performers. Not that there’s only The post No Excuses Leadership a…

From childhood until this present moment…I suffer from high empathy. When recently describing my empathy I reiterated how the depth of my empathy wasn’t some universal brush used to paint everybody or every situation. I’m discriminating. Selective. Because I know I’m a finite resource with only so much to give, only so much time The post Great Lead…

Host Mike Browning interviews new City Manager Darren Gore on the newest "Insider" podcast, the City of Murfreesboro's official podcast.Av cityofmurfreesborotn

Be scared and do it anyway. Be under-qualified, and get in the room anyway. Be messy, imperfect, and unsure and show up anyway. Comfort is the enemy of growth. Get uncomfortable. Growth requires learning. Learning requires us to attempt things we’ve not tried before. Along the way, there will be missteps, mistakes, and failures. The post Get Uncomf…

Today, I ask Lisa to pull the curtain back and share a part of her journey as a new Managing Director, being part of the City Manager’s Office, that involves earning the trust of your boss(es). For her, it’s a new role, but it still speaks to our need (and opportunity) to show our The post Earning The Trust Of Your Boss appeared first on GROW GREAT…

MPD Lieutenant Jason Higgins talks about recruiting efforts for the Murfreesboro Police Department. "10-Code" is a public safety podcast about the services of the Murfreesboro Police Department, Murfreesboro Fire Rescue Department and Murfreesboro Emergency Communications. The program is hosted by Larry Flowers.…

This version was first published in Punch, April 10, 1875, and ran as follows. There was an owl liv’d in an oak The more he heard, the less he spoke The less he spoke, the more he heard. O, if men were all like that wise bird. We saw this posted on social media some The post Listening Like That Wise Old Owl appeared first on GROW GREAT.…

Sam Stolze, recreation facility coordinator with the Richard Siegel Soccer Complex talks about what's been happening there including the big Major League Soccer Next event held in June.Av cityofmurfreesborotn

You don’t always have to tell your side of the story because time will. Leaders can be honest without being completely open with all the details. Sometimes we must deliver a deeper service by protecting others. It’s part of the loneliness of leadership – the knowledge we have that would serve no useful purpose The post Time Will Often Tell The Stor…

Cowardice takes a toll on effective leadership. It robs us of opportunities to perform better, to serve well and to make a positive difference. It’s hard, but necessary at times if we’re going to do the “right” thing. Join us today as we discuss courage, cowardice, competence and credibility. See if you can apply The post Are You Courageous Enough …

Two recent physical ailments provoked me to think about how I might improve a third problem. Honestly, had it not been for the first two I may have avoided getting too serious about figuring out the other one. Join me and Lisa today as we talk about self-awareness and self-improvement in our leadership and The post Self-Improvement For City Governm…

Want to hear the latest news about Clari Park? What new restaurants are on the way? Living spaces and a hotel? Find out more about the project on the “Insider”, the City of Murfreesboro’s official podcast. Host Mike Browning interviews Walter O’Shea, senior managing director of Hines Global Real Estate Development, about what’s happening at Clari P…

Shiny object syndrome. Dogs (or cats) chasing laser pointers. Running around like squirrels. Chasing our tails. We use all kinds of language to describe being distracted. It’s increasingly easy to be distracted. Electronically. Physically. Emotionally. Mentally. What if we could discipline ourselves to limit the distractions? What if we were in bet…

Being present is becoming more challenging. Our meeting culture of jumping from one meeting to another contributes to the challenge. So does the Internet, social media and the iPhone. All of our lives are filled with distractions that beckon for our attention. Simon Sinek and many others have talked about how phones are negatively The post Focus: B…

Do you have behaviors that drive you crazy? Of course. We all do. Join me and Lisa as we discuss overcoming the things about ourselves that drives us crazy (and probably drives others crazy, too). Be well. Do good. Grow great! Check out the Hosts page for our profiles. Connect With Lisa On Linkedin • The post Wrestling With Ourselves appeared first…

Host Larry Flowers interviews Nicole Miller, Assistant Fire Chief of Training with the Murfreesboro Fire Rescue Department. They discuss the various training exercises MFRD firefighters have to do including the recent smoke divers certification training.Av cityofmurfreesborotn

High performers are the most coachable people on the planet. They’re driven to get better. Always improving. High performers want to shoulder high expectations. They crave the responsibility and accountability. They remain curious – wondering how they might get better. It never crosses their mind to stop learning because all of life is an The post …

Host Mike Browning interviews City Manager Craig Tindall for the latest "Insider" podcast. Tindall discusses a variety of topics including the Community Investment Trust, a Sports Authority, Trader Joe's, Notes Live, Clari Park and more.Av cityofmurfreesborotn

On the newest "Talkin' Parks" podcast, Kyle Goss, aquatics superintendent, talks about the various aquatics programs offered by Murfreesboro Parks and Recreation. Goss also talks about Boro Beach opening May 25 for a new season.Av cityofmurfreesborotn

Proverbs 16:18 Pride goes before destruction, And a haughty spirit before a fall. Lisa and I both agree that our leadership failures have always had one thing in common: pride. After almost 15 years of coaching executives I’ve discovered that we’re not alone. Every leader I know confesses their own failures stemmed from moments The post Pride Destr…

May 7, 1957. My birthday. I was officially old years ago. Now I’m really old. Lisa and I talk about our age, being married, being empty nesters and more. Thank you for being part of our lives. We hope we’re having a positive impact on your leadership journey. Be well. Do good. Grow great! The post Randy Is Circling The Drain appeared first on GROW …

They’re always down and out. They complain incessantly. They’re adept at seeing the dark side of every challenge. Or opportunity. You don’t dare ask them how they’re doing because they’ll tell you. Complaining is their main source of vibrancy. Eeyore wasn’t a leader. That behavior won’t help us become leaders either. Be well. Do The post Don’t Be L…

“It shouldn’t be this hard,” said the young bride speaking about her first year of married life. “What makes you think so?” I asked. “Because we’re in love.” Whether it’s love, life or work…many people are confused about how much work is required to achieve greatness. It’s hard, but it’s worth it. Be well. The post Great Leaders Know It’s Hard, But…

Listen to the full 2024 State of the City by Murfreesboro City Mayor Shane McFarland. He covers a number of topics....downtown redevelopment, the transfer station, road projects, Parks and Recreation projects, the Murfreesboro Airport and economic development and financial state of the City of Murfreesboro. We also get updates from Murfreesboro Wat…

“You get what you inspect.” – a trite management maxim “You get what you expect.” – a slightly less trite maxim “You see where you focus.” – the topic of today’s show Ask yourself these questions: a. What am I constantly looking at? b. What am I constantly looking for? c. Why? Optimism pays The post Where’s Your Focus? appeared first on GROW GREAT.…

People love to use business or industry jargon. And many of us enjoy hearing ourselves. Is it helpful in stating and solving problems? Does it help us seize opportunities better? Simplify Your Way To Better Solutions – putting in the work to be succinct in stating a problem clearly in the simplest terms to The post Great Leaders Can Make It Simple …

Our newest podcast, Talkin' Parks, highlights the hard-working members of the Murfreesboro Parks and Recreation Department. Each show will focus on a particular program or facility and its services to our community. On this pilot episode, host Michael Linn White talks to Nate Williams, Executive Director of Recreation Services. Williams provides an…

Lisa texted me the following anonymous quote: No matter what knocks you down in life, get back up and keep going. Never give up. Great blessings are a result of great perservance. I was born in Oklahoma, historically Indian territory. I can’t remember when I first heard the story of how buffalo react to The post I May Quit, But Not Today appeared f…

Building & Codes Director Kevin Jones is the featured guest on the latest edition of “The Insider.” The Building & Codes Department works to protect the health and safety of Murfreesboro residents through building codes, inspections of new and renovated structures, and property maintenance standards. Learn why on-site inspections, plan reviews, and…

I’m a lifelong insomniac who doesn’t require much sleep. Occasionally I go on spurts of sleeping even less (which normally results in sleeping 12 hours at some point in the future). Lisa knows this about me, recently prompting her to ask, “Have you been getting sleep?” I responded sarcastically with the title used for The post We’ll Sleep When We’r…

Today we discuss the damage done by bosses who throw their own team members under the bus. The Holy Grail of leadership is a person’s ability (and willingness) to assemble a team, train a team, grow and develop a team to high performance standards consistently. That requires trust. Which requires self-sacrifice and a commitment The post Leaders Go …

A wise man speaks because he has something to say, a fool speaks because he has to say something. Listening has a direct correlation with leadership. Be well. Do good. Grow great! Check out the Hosts page for our profiles. Connect With Lisa On Linkedin • Connect With Randy On Linkedin We encourage you to contact The post Listening Your Way To Bette…