Am on my way back from Las Vegas where I delivered two sessions at ConExpo. My construction readers know what that is but for those of you who don’t know – it is one of the biggest trade shows in the world and it is devoted to heavy construction equipment. It is amazing. It takes 6 weeks for exhibitors to get everything set up. Over the course of the week 140,000 people will attend the show.

One of my sessions was on Effective Discipline. My basic premise for the 250 attendees was effective leadership beats effective discipline but I went on to say to talk about the definition of discipline. In fact, one commonly held definition involves “inflicting punishment.” Yeah, well, last time I checked that is not a good way to get somebody on board with your program. In fact, it is pretty good way to tick them off

My second session was the Road Signs of Leadership. It was a fun session about the behavior we see from different employees and what we can do to respond to that behavior. Just as when we are driving we respond to different signs so to we should do that when we lead.

As is often the case, after both sessions people waited to talk to me to ask me questions. I always enjoy that because I am able to help them directly or I learn from them as they tell me a story from their experience. With audiences that big those conversations can go on for an hour. One fellow remained while I talked to people, hanging back at a respectful distance. He obviously wanted to be last. He then told me he had read my book, No Yelling, twice. I had spoken at the company he works for early last year. He then went on to say “I had changed his life.” Wow, really. How? He said you might not recognize me because I was 300 pounds last time we talked, today I am 180……………Wow, but that isn’t in my book. He agreed that it wasn’t explicitly stated but he said I talked about the importance of fitness and he read the chapter on self-awareness and personal development and he took action. (120 pounds of action!). He went on to tell me he had just gotten a very lucrative job offer an he knew that would not have happened had he been overweight.

Let’s be clear about this. He did the work. I take little credit for his accomplishment. In my business, sometimes, I get to be the person that delivers the message the time it actually sinks in. More often I am delivering and it is one of many impressions before it actually sinks in.

When you lead people you get to be that person too. Enjoy.

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