Mark Spurlock is a 37 year Xerox legend. He owned and operated Innovative Business Systems, Xerox Authorized Platinum Sales Agency for 21 years. He led a team of 9-10 employees with passion, integrity, honesty, and authenticity. He is a family man and was married, before the passing of his wife in 2013. He has … Continue reading Podcast Launch
The first Leadership is Listening episode is with a respected leader, Mark Spurlock. Mark started as a direct Xerox sales rep 40 years ago. He started Innovative Business Systems in 1992 and sold his company to Benchmark in 2013. His success as an Agent owner is a true testament to his leadership style and ability. … Continue reading A Higher Purpose – Ride of Silence
There is an instrument that I absolutely love. It is not the drums, although they would be very fun to play. It is the guitar. I enjoy picking one up every now and then and playing around. Notice I didn't say I can PLAY the guitar. There are people in this world that can play … Continue reading Leadership is Kind – Part 1
Have you ever thought about the first time you were called or picked to lead? Maybe it was to lead a song in church. Or maybe you were picked to head up your girl scout friends to sell cookies in front of Walmart. Some of you were captain of your little league baseball team and … Continue reading Leadership is Listening
The countdown to my LeadSmart Podcast is on! If you didn't know, I'm starting my own podcast. If you're wondering, "What is a podcast?", don't worry. I will explain more about that later. You will soon be able to download and listen to incredible leaders tell their leadership story. I’m finishing the first 4 interviews … Continue reading LeadSmart Podcast Coming Soon!
Good leaders make time for the most important things. Dr. Travis Bradberry said in his article, Critical Things Ridiculously Successful People Do Every Day, that successful people schedule to the minute, not the hour. Are you making time for the right things? Making time for family is wonderfully important and rich. Playtime, lunch time, nap time, … Continue reading Making Time
Something happens in leadership when one is under the microscope of scrutiny. It is hard to see them as capable of turning things around. This mentality reeks havoc on your relationship with them and can be difficult to manage. Here is some advice for dealing with the employee who is struggling. 1. Lose the sarcasm. A sarcastic … Continue reading People struggle
It all started with a hair in my enchiladas. Actually it didn't start there. It started when we walked in the door. We were told our wait time was twenty minutes. Fourtyfive minutes later our hostess was kindly ushering us to our table. That's where it all started. The perfect storm hit and we … Continue reading Leadership Fail #1
We watched our 7 year old boy try track for the first time. He loved it! For two straight days he laced up his sneakers and headed to the track to join "Art" Arthemon Sindayigaya. Art was born in Burundi and a NCAA Division II National Champion with the Abilene Christian University Wildcats. Watching our … Continue reading Featured Leader #1-Arthemon Sindayigaya
A turtle sounded like a good idea. We were a month away from having our baby boy and we decided our 7-year-old needed a pet because it would make him feel important, loved, and give him a sense of responsibility. Like all parents we knew he would be thrilled to feed it, clean its tank, … Continue reading Take responsibility