People rally around leaders that are grounded, growing and good. There are a few exceptions but the vast majority win over people by exhibiting all three of these attributes.

A real leader doesn’t need to show off. They are grounded and approachable like normal people. The ones who flaunt their position or use it to control others, usually don’t last long. Again, there are exceptions, and I can name a few in the tech world, but the vast majority of companies, sales organizations and even churches want a leader that shares their values and is given respect because they earned it, not because they required it.

I have shared this story in the past but the guy I looked up to was named Harmon Born. He passed away a couple years ago, but his example still rings clear to me. He owned several cars dealerships including Ford and Lincoln. At one time his Ford dealership was the highest volume Ford dealer in the nation. He started in 1946 as a billing clerk at Beaudry Ford. He progressed to salesman, sales manager, general manager, president and finally president and owner in 1966.

One day he was driving me home after church in a Crown Victoria Ford which was the only car I ever saw him drive. I ask him why he didn’t drive a Lincoln since he owned a Lincoln dealership as well. He said, “I just have just never felt comfortable in a luxury car. It’s not who I am.”

Things like that make you respect a person and there are countless examples of men and women that showed who they really were by how they live their life and treat other people.

If you really want to be a respected leader, learn early on that it is earned and that people watch you to see if they can trust you with their respect. KT

The other day I was coming of my home office where Elaine was and heard her mom’s voice on speaker. Elaine was playing a saved voice message her mom had left her within the last year, and it was so surreal to hear her voice and such a precious memory to have.

I picked up my phone where I have some saved voice messages from my mom and played one for Elaine. Needless to say, it was an emotional moment hearing our deceased mother’s voices. They both passed away within 90 days of each other this year and it was and has been a difficult transition for us both.

We should all pay attention when our loved ones are talking with us and bank those moments and memories because you never know when it may be the last time. We live in Georgia and my mom lived in Virginia and we just happened to be there with her for what we now know was her last day at home. She fell that night and passed away eight days later. I am so thankful that I have that memory.

When your mom, dad, brother, sister, children, grandchildren talk to you, we should really pay attention and listen. I have been told that those are the memories you recall most when you at the end of life. It is not the business deals you made, the car you bought or your savings portfolio. It’s the sweet word memories of those you love. KT

Have you ever had so much of something that you take it for granted. Its like ice cream, if you have 20 gallons in the freezer and eat three bowels every night, it wouldn’t mean as much as if you only had it on special occasions.

Funny story that will explain this subject. I have a little fat Sheltie dog that I love, and he loves me. We also have a 4 lb. Yorkie that thinks she is the boss of the world. When we get home from work, after we take them outside, we put them together in the laundry room where their food and water is. The little fat Sheltie will lay around and hardly eat anything. A full bowel of food just sitting there, and he just takes it for granted.

When I put him in the crate at night, I will always get a handful of the food (same food that was in the bowel) and put it in his crate, and he just scarves it up like he hadn’t eaten in a week. I guess he thinks it is a different food. Makes me laugh. He has the whole handful of food wolfed down before I can get his crate door closed. Its like he is saying,” oh daddy that is so good.”  Ha

The point – think about your life, relationships, friendships, and family and be careful to not take them for granted. You may see them every day and not think each time is special, but just ask yourself, what I would do if I lost them suddenly? Then the moments become so much more valuable to you. KT

I was on a zoom call recently with a bunch of commercial real estate salespeople around the country and about halfway through the call all I could hear was, wah wah wah wah wah. They were saying the same things I have been listening to for 30 years. At a national hotel investors conference a few months ago, about halfway through the conference I thought the same thing.

Why is that I asked myself. I answered myself – you’re just waiting to hear something fresh and new. I guess that is it. I have heard the same speeches in the same monotone dialog with the same level of ego for years. I think the older I get, the more I like simple talk. I was on a conference call last week with this investor telling us about his development deal and why it would be the best investment deal ever known to mankind. After 15 min of him jabbering, I said, “let me see if I get this straight.” I critiqued his whole pitch into 30 seconds and realized it would never be sellable. I was gracious, gentle and kind but said we were not the right people to help him. Translation – I don’t want to spend my time on it.

I like simple, straight forward deals that I know are actionable and transactional. I don’t have the patience any more for the pie-in-the-sky deal. I want real tangible deals that pencil. I don’t know if that means I am getting too old for the job or just over-protective my time and our staff’s time.

Give me real any day over the “well I think it is worth x” conversations. I have just been around the horse ring too many times to get pulled into a time waster. Any-hoo, there you have Keith Thompson’s response to the wah wah wah calls. Ha. KT

I did something today I have never done in my life. I bought the same car twice.

Before you snicker, let me tell you the story. There are times in our life when we get a real quickening in our spirit about something. I have had this happen many times in many situations. I remember one time I got lost in St Louis and my heart starting pinging that I needed to get away as fast as I could. Other times it is an impression to do something for someone, right now. Other times it was a decision I just couldn’t get peace over and had to cancel whatever it was. Regardless of popular opinion, God does talk to us through the holy spirit.

The story – after selling and or trading almost every car we own over the last two months; I bought a new mid-sized Chevy truck 11 days ago. It was exactly what I wanted. The warning pings in my spirit started the day after I bought it. I have never had this happen before about a vehicle and I cannot explain it. I could not get peace about driving it. Something was wrong and something was going to happen to me in that truck.

Long story short, I said OK God and made a few calls and the dealer I had traded our jeep to six weeks ago still had it. He gave me what I had in the truck, and I am now the owner of the same Jeep I traded six weeks ago.

Here is the point – for every believer who recognizes that upon salvation, God takes up residence inside our heart through the holy spirit understands he is not there just when we die. He is there for every move and every decision while we are living and (my opinion) we should listen when he prompts us. KT