Success Hides What You Don’t See Coming🔥

The night The Mirage opened, the energy on the Strip felt different — louder, brighter, almost vibrating. Crowds pressed in from every direction. Cameras flashed. The world was watching. And inside, we were running on adrenaline, pride, and the quiet hope that all our planning would hold.

For the most part, it did. But success has a way of hiding the things you don’t see coming.

The first sign came from something almost funny. Our brand‑new electronic room‑key system was designed to alert bellmen the moment a guest entered their room so bags could be delivered instantly. It was flawless in testing. But on opening night, guests were so mesmerized by the rooms — the décor, the views, the novelty — that they wandered around for minutes before crossing the sensor. The system thought no one had arrived. Technology perfect. Human behavior unpredictable.

Then things got less funny.

The casino was so packed that the slot team couldn’t empty machines fast enough. Coins piled up. Hoppers jammed. And then someone said the words no one expected to hear: “We’re out of coins.” An emergency run to the Denver Mint became the only solution.

And then came the gut punch. Our brand‑new HR/Payroll system — months in development — had a programming flaw. The first paychecks were wrong. We shut it down immediately and hired 65 accounting clerks to run payroll manually for a month. Humbling doesn’t begin to describe it.

Other issues surfaced too — like realizing our warehouse couldn’t hold the food and beverage volume needed for the crowds. Forty refrigerated trailers lined the property until we could expand it.

Success felt incredible. But it also revealed every blind spot we didn’t know we had.

That’s the part success never teaches: to step back, stay humble, over‑communicate, and always build backup plans. Success can make you feel invincible — right up until it reminds you you’re not.

Stay alert. Fall back when needed. And be ready to respond today.

Bill Gates (born 1955): American businessman and philanthropist who co-founded the software company Microsoft in 1975 with his childhood friend Paul Allen.

Enthusiasm Isn’t Optional for Leaders🔥

If you’re a leader, this quote is for you. Because no matter how you feel, your team takes its cues from you. In business, enthusiasm isn’t optional — it’s part of the job.

The tone and cadence of every shift you lead is shaped by the behaviors you model.

·     Excitement: If you’re not glad to be there, they won’t be either — and customers will feel it. Research from Gallup shows that teams with engaged, energized leaders see up to 23% higher customer satisfaction.

·    Inspiration: Your attitude should make people want to try hard and be their best. A simple “walk‑through pep talk” before a shift can lift performance by 10–15%, according to hospitality training studies.

·         Motivation: Leaders keep the team aware, attentive, and actively engaged. Something as small as noticing a detail (“Let’s reset this area before the rush”) signals standards and raises accountability.

·       Creativity: Every moment can be made special — and for someone, it is. A handwritten note, a quick role‑play, or a fun micro‑challenge (“Who can greet the most guests by name?”) can shift the entire mood.

You’re not there just to push paperwork and monitor budgets. Those tasks matter, but they’re not leadership. Get them done quickly so you can be with your team — walking the sidelines, reading the room, shaping the energy, coaching with color commentary, and yes, cheerleading.

Managing people is a full‑time, full‑contact sport. Even if you don’t get that same support from your own boss, this is the role you must play. It’s where numbers improve, projects move, and sentiment shifts. It’s where enthusiasm has its greatest impact.

Show up with excitement, inspiration, motivation, and creativity.

Play the part fully — and play it today.

Bo Bennett (born 1972): American entrepreneur (Archieboy Holdings), adjunct professor (psychology), author, screenplay writer, podcast host, success coach, and business consultant.

Respect 🏅 Lasts. Attention 📢 Fades.

We’ve all known people who chase attention — some for good reasons, others for purely self‑serving ones. Attention can draw a crowd, but respect will build a legacy.

Attention is cheap. Anyone can get it by being loud, dramatic, or compromising their values. But it fades as quickly as it arrives.

Respect is expensive. It’s earned slowly through consistency, character, and competence.

Knowing which one you value says everything about your integrity. It takes real self‑confidence to resist the lure of attention and stay grounded in what’s best for you, your colleagues, and your organization. It’s better to be overlooked for being authentic than celebrated for being someone you’re not.

Once you trade respect for attention, the cost is steep:

·       Dependence: You must keep performing to stay relevant.

·       Reputation damage: People may look at you, but they won’t look up to you.

·       Loss of credibility: Respect, once lost, is hard to recover.

Self‑respect acts as a filter. When you prioritize it, you naturally distance yourself from people who only value you for what you provide or how you entertain them. The attention you do receive comes from the right people, for the right reasons.

In leadership and business, attention without respect creates notoriety — a liability. Respect creates authority and influence — the foundation of a sustainable career.

Don’t be seduced by applause or empty praise. Be the person who respects themselves and others. Be proud of that and get noticed for the right reasons today.

Melanie Lee Robbins (born 1968) is an American author, podcast host, and lawyer. Robbins gained recognition for her TEDx talk, 'How to Stop Screwing Yourself Over'.

If Your Values Don’t Drive Behavior, They’re Just Posters🔥

These daily messages began as discussion starters for a luxury hotel pre‑opening, where leaders wanted their corporate values to guide daily behavior — not sit on a wall as abstract ideals. That’s the challenge many companies face: values are declared, but not operationalized.

To make values real, they must be embedded into the systems that shape how people work:

·       Integrate into talent management: Use values in hiring, orientation, onboarding, job training, and performance reviews.

·       Leader modeling: Employees believe what leaders do, not what they say.

·       Reward and recognize: Celebrate employees who demonstrate values in action.

·       Decision‑making: Use values as a filter for choices, trade‑offs, and priorities.

·       Consistent communication: Reinforce values across multiple channels.

·       Operational structure: Start meetings with a “value check‑in” to keep them alive.

Values should reflect a shared vision, not forced conformity. When referencing a value, explain why it matters in that moment. In training, describe the behaviors and outcomes you expect. Storytelling helps employees articulate what values mean to them and how they bring them to life.

Review and update your values: move beyond broad nouns like “Integrity” or “Innovation” by defining specific, observable behaviors — often in their own language (“We own it” instead of “Accountability”). Map out opportunities for managers and employees to use and live your values. This makes expectations clear and enforceable. 

Values must evolve as the company evolves. Regularly reassess them with input from managers and employees to ensure alignment and relevance.

Help your people know exactly what they stand for today.

Alexander Hamilton (1755 – 1804): American military officer, statesman, Founding Father, the first U.S. secretary of the treasury, and founder America's first political party, the Federalist Party.

Spot 👀 the Pride That Strengthens — And the Pride That Spoils

When I started writing these daily messages for a luxury hotel pre‑opening, one of the core values they wanted to address was “pride in yourself and your work.”

But the more I studied pride, the more I realized: not all pride is created equal.

There are two very different kinds:

·       Authentic Pride (Healthy Pride): Earned through effort, discipline, and real accomplishment.

·       Hubristic Pride (Arrogance): Rooted in superiority, ego, and unearned self‑importance.

Put simply:

·      Authentic pride is feeling good about what you’ve done. 

·      Hubris is feeling good about who you think you are.

Both show up in the workplace. One strengthens culture. The other quietly corrodes it.

Leaders must do two things at once:

·       Coach down hubris — because arrogance disrupts teamwork, damages trust, and makes people, as Colton said, “ridiculous.”

·     Recognize and reinforce authentic pride — because it fuels excellence, collegiality, and the confidence people need to do their best work.

This is another form of diversity managers must navigate — not demographic diversity, but behavioral diversity. And it requires skill. 

Budget for the management skills training your leaders need to address these issues. Help them build the confidence, humility, and emotional intelligence to handle both kinds of pride well.

Your managers should feel proud of how they lead, not just that they lead — today.

Charles Caleb Colton (1777 – 1832): English cleric, writer, and collector, well known for his eccentricities.

Development Takes Time — Pride Takes Practice 🎯

I grew up in a family of three boys. But my married life has been filled with girls — my wife, daughter, and two granddaughters. My son‑in‑law and I have learned a lot about early childhood development.

At birth, they’re full of promise — much like new employees on their first day of work. And the similarities don’t stop there:

·       Parents and managers both work hard to create a nurturing environment filled with care and support

·       They stay attuned to subtle signs of growth without overwhelming them with too much information

·       They balance mentoring and coaching, allowing room for discovery

·       Like teaching a child to ride a bike, they learn when to let go

·       They can’t prevent every learning “accident,” but they’re always watching for danger

·       They learn to say no while still conveying care

·       And like the family dinner table, they provide a safe place to return, recharge, and feel grounded

As much as we’d like development to be faster or more seamless, it takes time for people to learn what they need to know, develop their style, and grow into who they can become. They’re not born with all that — they have to earn it.

In the end, it’s about creating an environment that fosters growth and excellence. It’s about being a coach, not a disciplinarian. It’s about catching people doing things right. And letting them become who they want — and are capable — of being.

Be more like a parent than a manager today.

Donna Ball (born 1951): American writer of over 90 novels, mainly romantic novels since 1982, including A Year on a Ladybug Farm (where this quote came from).

Pride + Effort = Championship Teams at Work 🧩

Super Bowls always send me looking for sports quotes. Two teams at the top of their game — only one walks away as champion. But as tough as losing feels, both teams are winners. They got there because they showed up, worked hard, and played with pride.

For 25 years, I managed Employee of the Month events. Multiple nominees, one winner. And I often worried that the nominees who didn’t win — the vast majority — might leave feeling like they lost. But being nominated is proof of outstanding skill and attitude. That should never be diminished.

Today, recognition has evolved far beyond annual ceremonies or big monetary awards. The best companies now use continuous, personalized “micro‑recognition” to reward both performance and attitude. Here are some of the most effective approaches:

·       Peer‑to‑Peer Recognition Platforms: Instant kudos from colleagues

·       Spot Bonuses: Small, immediate rewards managers can give on the spot

·       Public Shout‑Outs: Celebrating wins in front of the team

·       Personalized Rewards: Tailored to what each employee values

·       Time Off or Flex Scheduling: A powerful non‑monetary motivator

·       Professional Development: Investing in potential, not just output

·       Values‑Aligned Recognition: Rewarding how people work, not just what they produce

·       Stretch Assignments: Letting high‑performers lead or shadow executives

·       Premium Swag or Behind‑the‑Scenes Access: Fun, memorable, pride‑building

·       Charitable Contributions: Supporting causes employees care about

My favorite team wasn’t in yesterday’s game, but both teams played with pride — the same pride employees feel when they’re at their best.

Let’s make sure we recognize people every time they do great work, coach them when they need a boost, and let everyone know their contributions matter today.

Vince Lombardi (1913 – 1970): American professional football coach, considered by many to be among the greatest coaches and leaders in American sports.[1]

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[1] He is best known as the head coach of the Green Bay Packers during the 1960s, where he led the team to three straight and five total NFL Championships in seven years, in addition to winning the first two Super Bowls at the conclusion of the 1966 and 1967 NFL seasons.