Think Inside The Box

If you're looking to expand your brand and stand out from everyone else, here's a key question worth putting some thought into:

What do you do better in the world than anyone else?

Do you have good organizing skills? Are you the kind of individual or organization that people want to be affiliated with? Do you consistently meet your key deliverables?

Identify a list of your top three things that you think matter most to your customers or the people around you and challenge yourself to think of how you can become 20% better.

The increase will be marginal but it'll be enough to separate you from the rest of the pack, you'll differentiate yourself so much that you'll create your own unique category.



On the next episode of HCL Radio, nationally renowned speaker, author and business expert, Joe Calloway spends some time talking about this innovative concept.


Sports and life is a game of inches and your ability to stand out and be slightly different will go a long way towards building loyalty and longevity.

During my conversation with Joe, we also chatted about the importance of innovation as it relates to leadership.

Click here to listen to what Joe had to say about innovation.

Be sure to check out the program as you'll be sure to walk away from this enlightening conversation with some great strategies you can use to make you a stand out leader.

See you on the court!

Hard Court Lesson #11

Make A Play

John Wooden once said, "The greatest failure of all is failure to act when action is needed."

There`s a variety of reasons why we don`t take action when we really should. For many, it comes down to procrastination, others believe that it`s not their role and then there are those who quite simply don`t have the confidence to do what needs to be done.

Regardless of our reason for not moving forward, its important that we recognize that the ability to take action and make a play is well within our grasp and not exclusive to the star player on the team.

We just need to have courage to believe that we`ll succeed, the determination not to give up and the effort to push us forward.

Take action and Make A Play




See you on the court!

Hard Court Lesson #10

For The Love of The Game

During the mid 90's, a San Francisco based advertising firm devised the very popular "I Love This Game" slogan for the NBA.

This four word campaign slogan proved to be very powerful as it drew a connection between the product (in this case NBA basketball) and people's passion for the game.

Using passion as a way of connecting with others can be very effective and is something that leaders can capitalize on to get the most out of those around them.

When we're passionate about what we're doing, we become better leaders because we tend to be more creative, productive and energetic.

For more on the power of passion, check out For The Love of The Game!



See you on the court!

Hard Court Lesson #9

Talking About Practice

It doesn't matter if we're a player on the court or a leader at work, we owe it to ourselves and those around us to put in as much time as possible at mastering our craft and getting better.

There aren't any shortcuts to being good at anything. The only way you can improve your skills and get better is by committing the time and energy through regular practice.

Which is why former NBA star, Allen Iverson and I are Talking About Practice.

See you on the court!

Motivation Everyday

That's right, we're talking about practice and being the best at anything requires a whole lot of it!

You have to continually practice and master your craft to take your game as a player and leader to the next level.

This isn't about coming up with brand new or earth shattering secrets, it's essentially the act of reinforcing the values that we already know.

The more we practice, the more opportunities we give to these values to naturally become visible through the way we live our lives, play the game or act as a leader.

Ralph Marston is the founder of the Daily Motivator and is the next guest of HCL Radio.



The Daily Motivator sends out brief daily motivational messages with the intent of reinforcing positive values to motivate subscribers through the challenges of life.

Click here as Ralph describes the purpose of The Daily Motivator.

Tune in to the next edition of HCL Radio to hear more from Ralph.

See you on the court!

Hard Court Lesson #8

It's Not About You

When you look at the job of a coach, it goes well beyond drawing up game winning plays.

A coach plays an important role in helping their players grow and develop to reach their full potential.

They do this by motivating, encouraging, guiding and supporting. So to new and old leaders, I encourage you to keep in mind that It's Not About You.


See you on the court!

Hard Court Lesson #7

Makes & Misses

Basketball is a game of makes and misses. There will be some days when the baskets so big that you just can't miss and then there are other times when nothing seems to go right.

The greatest players in the world realize that they'll miss half the shots they take but they still keep shooting.

They understand that the game of basketball is much like our day-to-day lives and is made up of Makes & Misses.



See you on the court!