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James Smith, Executive Director Jumpstart Your Growth, Your Business, and Your Impact in the New Year As we step toward 2026, it’s tempting to think big — but the best goals aren’t always the loudest, flashiest, or most overwhelming. They’re the ones that give you clarity, strengthen your relationships, help you focus on what truly matters, and move your life and work forward with purpose. Here are 26 goals  — grouped into the GRIP framework (Goals, Relationships, Importance,

James Smith, Executive Director Preparing Your Mind and Your Mission for 2026 As we approach the end of 2025 and get ready for a brand-new year, there’s one leadership habit that matters more than most people realize — reflection . Not resolutions. Not goal-setting. Not ambitious plans. Just honest, intentional reflection. Great leaders don’t rush into a new year without first looking back. Reflection clears the fog, sharpens our thinking, and helps us avoid repeating the mis

James Smith, Executive Director Most people slide into December with one goal: survive until January. The pace slows, routines slip, and the mindset becomes, “We’ll get serious after the holidays.” But leaders think differently. Leaders understand that how you finish determines how you start. December isn’t the throwaway month of the year — it’s the proving ground. The month where everyone else is coasting… and you get to choose something better. This year, I’m choosing to fi

Lessons from the Field That Still Apply in Business and Life “Leadership is the process of influencing people by providing purpose, direction, and motivation while operating to accomplish the mission and improve the organization.”— U.S. Army Definition of Leadership During my four years in the U.S. Army (1993–1997), I served as a 75B — Personnel Administration Specialist.  My job wasn’t glamorous, but it was essential. I made sure soldiers got paid, got promoted, got recogniz