We talked about something simple: chop wood and carry water.

Each individual decides whether they want to make it better or just maintain it.

🛎️ Tuesday’s Thought: A few weeks ago, I had the privilege of spending time with the team at East-Central Iowa Rural Electric Cooperative in Urbana, Iowa. It’s always humbling to be invited into someone else’s house to talk about things that matter: safety, trust, leadership, and what the future might hold. I don’t take that lightly. When a cooperative asks me to come in and challenge their thinking, I know they care about their people. Thank you Katie Stadheim, PHR, SHRM-CP for the invitation.

We talked about something simple: chop wood and carry water. Do the basic things well. Show up. Look out for each other. Build trust one conversation at a time. 👋 My message to them was this: “It’s your house. The culture, the safety record, the future, that belongs to the people in the room. Each individual decides whether they want to make it better or just maintain it. Ownership is personal.”

We gave away a few books (Joshua Medcalf, Molly McPherson, Kobi Yamada, Patrick Lencioni, Jon Gordon, Howard Behar, Andy Andrews, Oz Pearlman, Damon West), passed around some Kool-Aid, and had real conversations. The kind where people nod because they know it’s true. 👉 As a speaker, my goal isn’t to impress a crowd. It’s to help a team pause, reflect, and recommit to why they show up every day. For most of us, it’s not just about a paycheck. It’s about the person working beside you and the family waiting at home. Take care of your house. Keep pushing forward.

PS: It was great to meet Karen Schumacher, who spoke to the group after lunch. Karen, thank you for organizing the group photo. And yes, you made it into my selfie. Lol.

PSS: Time was short and I did not get to stop and see Lindsay Leahy, Kyle Steele, or James R. Mayhew. Maybe another day with Karen.