Success Advice
The Honor Code: Unlocking the Key to Success and Fulfillment

As I look back over 2020, I think it is safe to say that this year has been anything but ordinary. Our lives have been interrupted and inconvenienced in so many ways. So many people have allowed this season to make them toxic and ungrateful. While I am not being insensitive to their experiences, I think we need to get rid of this cancel culture mentality and embrace an attitude of gratitude.
Personally, this has been the greatest year of my life. I have grown so much as a person, accomplished so many of my goals and I have seen dreams realized in my life. It has been my most productive year yet and I attribute a lot of that to having unbreakable focus. I believe that every human being on this planet desires to live an honorable life. However, most people do not have a clue what that looks like or how to do it. I want to share a few life strategies with you to help you master the honor code and unlock a life of success and fulfillment.
You must understand that there is an honor code
No, I am not talking about the honor code you heard about in school or in your industry. I am talking about the honor code of life. As someone that has trained and developed leaders around the world, one of the challenges I see in leadership today is the challenge to develop and deploy moral and ethical leaders.
The reason this has become so challenging is that we have so many leaders in positions of power that do not have a code. An honor code is a set of core values, life principles, and soul constitutions that govern how we think, choose, and behave. Essentially, it’s the principles and standards that govern how you live your life. So many people want to overlook it and move right into the highest realms of leadership and influence.
However, what we fail to understand is that if we do not live with a clear honor code, we will bring dishonor and reproach to leadership. As you are fulfilling your purpose and realizing your potential, make sure that you establish your honor code so that you can build your life on a strong foundation and demonstrate to the world what authentic leadership looks like.
“The greatest way to live with honor in this world is to be what we pretend to be.” – Socrates
Master harnessing the law of honor in your life
Over the years, I have had so many people ask me about the number one key to success. While I believe that mindset, intentions, vision, and strategy are all important factors, I believe that mastery of the law of honor has been one of the greatest contributors to my success. It states that whatever I honor will honor me and whatever I dishonor I will repel from my life.
The thing that concerns me about this generation is that we covet positions and crave power. Unfortunately, I have not seen many people that have mastered the law of honor. I believe that the key to succeeding and experiencing sustainable success is mastering that law. In other words, we should never emphasize the destination more than we do the development. I realize that my success is the product of those which I have chosen to honor in my life. I have honored my mentors, coaches, and advisors that have helped shape who I am today.
More importantly, I have honored the wisdom, lessons, and failures that produced growth and empowered me to become a person of excellence. In a generation that is obsessed with power and prestige, I want to take a moment and say that you must learn to honor the process. Honor is a law that will keep you humble, grounded, and constantly stretching your capacity for greatness in every area of your life.
Understand that your true power lies in your process
Some people have told me that it seems like my success was overnight. However, those that really know me understand that my success story has taken over three decades to write. In other words, it is easy to make assumptions about my journey when you have not taken my journey. Unless you have really followed my work over the years, then you do not know about the three times my business almost collapsed, all the failures I experienced along the way, the betrayal that I experienced in business, and the moments I felt like walking away.
People see me in magazines today and featured on television and assume that this has been an easy journey. However, I know that my true power is not in the platform that I have built or the wisdom that I share with people around the world. My true power is in the process that has made me who I am today. If you take away my process you essentially take away my power.
The process is the only authentic path to power and unleashing your greatest potential. So do not become so obsessed with the destination that you cannot stop to appreciate the journey. The lessons you learn along the journey are much more valuable than the excitement of reaching the destination.
Soul significance only comes from living an honorable life
While I could talk about honor forever, I wanted to share some valuable insights and life strategies to help you on your journey. A few months ago I celebrated another birthday. This birthday was different for me. I woke up with a renewed sense of purpose and passion. More importantly, I woke up with a new perspective and appreciation for the gift of life. I made a decision that this next era of my life is about reinvention. So I said goodbye to the old me and hello to the brand new me. It was one of the greatest decisions I ever made.
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In workplaces around the world, there’s a growing gap between employers and employees and between superiors and their teams. It’s a common refrain: “People don’t leave companies, they leave bad bosses.”
While there are, of course, cases where management could do better, this isn’t just a “bad boss” problem. The relationship between leaders and employees is complex. Instead of assigning blame, we should explore practical solutions to build stronger, healthier workplaces where everyone thrives.
Why This Gap Exists
Every workplace needs someone to guide, supervise, and provide feedback. That’s essential for productivity and performance. But because there are usually far more employees than managers, dissatisfaction, fair or not, spreads quickly.
What if, instead of focusing on blame, we focused on building trust, empathy, and communication? This is where modern leadership and human-centered management can make a difference.
Tools and Techniques to Bridge the Gap
Here are proven strategies leaders and employees can use to foster stronger relationships and create a workplace where people actually want to stay.
1. Practice Mutual Empathy
Both managers and employees need to recognize they are ultimately on the same team. Leaders have to balance people and performance, and often face intense pressure to hit targets. Employees who understand this reality are more likely to cooperate and problem-solve collaboratively.
2. Maintain Professional Boundaries
Superiors should separate personal issues from professional decision-making. Consistency, fairness, and integrity build trust, and trust is the foundation of a motivated team.
3. Follow the Golden Rule
Treat people how you would like to be treated. This simple principle encourages compassion and respect, two qualities every effective leader must demonstrate.
4. Avoid Micromanagement
Micromanaging stifles creativity and damages morale. Great leaders see themselves as partners, not just bosses, and treat their teams as collaborators working toward a shared goal.
5. Empower Employees to Grow
Empowerment means giving employees responsibility that matches their capacity, and then trusting them to deliver. Encourage them to take calculated risks, learn from mistakes, and problem-solve independently. If something goes wrong, turn it into a learning opportunity, not a reprimand.
6. Communicate in All Directions
Communication shouldn’t just be top-down. Invite feedback, create open channels for suggestions, and genuinely listen to what your people have to say. Healthy upward communication closes gaps before they become conflicts.
7. Overcome Insecurities
Many leaders secretly fear being outshone by younger, more tech-savvy employees. Instead of resisting, embrace the chance to learn from them. Humility earns respect and helps the team innovate faster.
8. Invest in Coaching and Mentorship
True leaders grow other leaders. Provide mentorship, career guidance, and stretch opportunities so employees can develop new skills. Leadership is learned through experience, but guided experience is even more powerful.
9. Eliminate Favoritism
Avoid cliques and office politics. Decisions should be based on facts and fairness, not gossip. Objective, transparent decision-making builds credibility.
10. Recognize Efforts Promptly
Recognition often matters more than rewards. Publicly appreciate employees’ contributions and do so consistently and fairly. A timely “thank you” can be more motivating than a quarterly bonus.
11. Conduct Thoughtful Exit Interviews
When employees leave, treat it as an opportunity to learn. Keep interviews confidential and use the insights to improve management practices and culture.
12. Provide Leadership Development
Train managers to lead, not just supervise. Leadership development programs help shift mindsets from “command and control” to “coach and empower.” This transformation has a direct impact on morale and retention.
13. Adopt Soft Leadership Principles
Today’s workforce, largely millennials and Gen Z, value collaboration over hierarchy. Soft leadership focuses on partnership, mutual respect, and shared purpose, rather than rigid top-down control.
The Bigger Picture: HR’s Role
Mercer’s global research highlights five key priorities for organizations:
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Build diverse talent pipelines
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Embrace flexible work models
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Design compelling career paths
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Simplify HR processes
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Redefine the value HR brings
The challenge? Employers and employees often view these priorities differently. Bridging that perception gap is just as important as bridging the relational gap between leaders and staff.
Treat Employees Like Associates, Not Just Staff
When you treat employees like partners, they bring their best selves to work. HR leaders must develop strategies to keep talent engaged, empowered, and prepared for the future.
Organizational success starts with people, always. Build the relationship with your team first, and the results will follow.
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