Darrell Thomsen

The Christmas season is a most special time of year for some and a most troublesome time for others. “Why,” might you ask? The answer, life’s experiences! Experiences in a person’s life, good or bad, leave indelible marks on an individual’s human-spiritual domain (HSD). Simply put, the HSD is that internal component, informed by one’s body-mind-soul-spirit, that captures, analyzes, and assigns values to whatever one experiences whether positive or negative. I am reminded of a

I was once asked, “With so many decisions leaders make daily, what would you say is one of the most important?” I thought on her question for a moment and responded, “Don’t let the challenges of leadership choke out the joy of leading!” She asked, “why that answer,” to which I replied, “The gift of leadership is a blessing, not a burden.” If a leader decides leading is a burden, then it becomes a chore, and the joy of leading diminishes exponentially. Her facial expression de

The one voice you can never turn off is your own. If you do not believe that statement, you should check your pulse. Any person who breaths, fully understands the blessing or burden of self-talk. That internal voice is ever in dialogue with itself inside our minds and hearts tattooing a positive or negative self-image. The one thing I know for certain is this, people will live or die simply by the internal dialogue they hold inside themselves. Self-talk will undergird or over

“You should aspire to do something bigger and better than this” said the one interviewing the young teen, who decided to take matters into his own hands and chose to dole out justice as he saw it should be at the moment. In his mind, he decided as the perpetrator that he had every right to execute judgement, destroying the guy’s car who had just unloaded a full bag of football field marking chalk all over and into the interior of the “new kids” car. The young guy had been for

Back when I was a young teenager living with my cousin in law, a Senior Marine stationed in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, I remember training to become a lifeguard. The training was both exciting and rigorous with several tests required along the way. I successfully progressed to the day we performed the “in water rescue” of a flailing drowning person. The goal was to swim up underneath and behind the person, secure them in our right or left arm and sidestroke to get to the shallow w

Yes, it is a word, and more specifically a “euphemistic spoonerism,” dating back to the mid-1800s with some attributing its first use to Abraham Lincoln. Who knew, or maybe some of you are saying, “who cares?” Legitimate question, but humor me because it fits in this context. It is also important to note that British Anthropologist, John Lubbock is historically attributed with making this statement, “What we see depends mainly on what we look for.” I learned about him in one

I don’t know what your thoughts are about ghosts, but mine are challenged. It all began when our family moved to a new house that apparently had its very own ghost. History touted that one of the previous owners had been struck by lightning while standing in front of the big bay window built on to the front of the house, but who knows. What I do know is that it was a two-story cape-cod style house with sixteen stairs leading up from the ground floor to the rooms upstairs. It

Given that some people seem to be born with an innate gift to lead, a question posed by one of the students, during an advanced leadership course, was unique to say the least. He asked, “Are leaders born or developed?” The professor entertained the question and redirected it to the class for discussion. Discussion ensued and soon the polarity was quite clear with more landing on the side of “born” than “developed.” Statements like, “either you got it, or you don’t” or “you do

“Take My Breath Away” is such an interesting phrase. It can be used in a positive sense, like at a marriage proposal, a stunning view, or when someone performs a seemingly impossible feat, or in a negative way like a gut punch, physically or figuratively. Sadly, the latter seems more prevalent in the workplace, but sometimes both happen at the same time. Take for instance this one mid-level leader who was currently up for a promotion that would not only move him to a higher l

What defines a leader, drives a leader! The above truth came to me after having been asked, “What motivates you as a leader?” My answer...

Being "in the pits" is like enduring a sweltering, overfilled port-a-potty, it's a deeply unpleasant state where everything and everyone...

Dan Quinn, coach of the Washington Commanders, could have made excuses after he got hit hard on the sideline bloodying his nose and...

Some may ask, “What made America great in the first place?” I would answer with one word, “HOPE!” If we were genuinely honest, we would...

The power of the inner team (inner circle) is life-changing for a leader. Many leaders suffer from the “Lone Ranger” complex. “I got...

This is my favorite time of the year! Actually, I celebrate favorite things that each season offers, but this season is by far my...

Fickle behavior has no place in the workplace! Fickle people frustrate trust building within teams! I’ve learned, throughout my...

“Seven-word sentences,” he said. He then continued, “Seven simple words, which is all I am asking of you!” Perhaps I should provide you...

Of all the things I learned during my brief time in “Boy Scouts,” three remain ingrained in my head to this day. The “scout oath,” the...

It was definitely a strong coffee morning, and having made it through a super busy, long day and night the day before, I just needed...

John Maxwell in one of his many books speaks to an issue he calls, “The Law of The Lid.” In it he tells a story of fleas living in a jar...