Guard Your Gates
THE BLOG
Tag: Team players
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When the Leader is Silent
The Art of Proximity Leadership By Rod Patterson There’s a sacred tension in those moments when the leader is present—but not leading. The team looks for direction. The mission keeps moving. And you, not the voice of the vision, become its echo. This is the art of leading from proximity, not position. Proximity Leadership means:
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The Success Problem
Overcoming Success By Rod Patterson, MBA The confetti’s long gone. The numbers look good. The trophy’s up on the shelf, catching dust and sunlight. You did it! But somewhere between the applause and the next morning’s coffee, it gets quiet. After a week, that fire in your chest? Dimmed. The goals that used to jolt
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The 4th Quarter
The 4th Quarter: Rise Up and Finish Like a Champion! By Rod Patterson, MBA We are in the 4th quarter! The year is grinding to its final pages. The 4th quarter isn’t for coasting, it’s for charging hard to the finish line. This is your moment to seize, to own, to make legendary. Whether you’re
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Resistible Leadership: When Position Replaces Presence
Resistible Leadership: When Position Replaces Presence By Rod Patterson, MBA What makes leadership resistible? Irresistible leadership draws people in. Resistible leadership quietly drives them away. It says, “Follow me, or else!” It doesn’t attract excellence, it attracts compliance. It’s magnetic to those who are insecure, and tolerated by the disengaged, and avoided by the courageous.
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KEEP GOING
Watching your huge lead evaporate is painful. Seeing someone else lose momentum is just as bad. Momentum in sports is like a wave—once it starts rolling, it’s hard to stop. The New York Knicks proved this in their stunning comeback against the Boston Celtics in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals. Boston dominated early,
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DEFYING GRAVITY
Gravity is an invisible force that pulls everything down, anchoring us to the earth. I felt that force for three years, and yet, in 2024, I experienced a personal triumph that defied this gravitational pull—I graduated with my MBA. In a graduating class filled with brilliant Generation Z students, I felt out of place. A
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Rod Speaks: Change
Season two episode Eleven of the “Guard Your Gates” blog is now live! In this episode, we share a clip of Rod’s interview on The Ed Walker Network where he shared his thoughts on change.
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Are You Knight Worthy?
In one of the most memorable scenes from Game of Thrones, we witness Jaime Lannister knight Brienne of Tarth, breaking traditional norms and recognizing her true worth. Jaime’s words resonate deeply: “In the name of the warrior, I charge you to be Brave. In the name of the father, I charge you to be just.
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Feeling Thinking Doing
There are moments when overlooking an offense is not an option. You must take action or speak up. This is crucial because silence or inaction can have a significant impact on the broader community.
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Yertle, Mack, and The Stack
Mack and the Burp Effect In the midst of ongoing protests sparked by the unjust murders of Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, George Floyd, and other African Americans, I stumbled upon a profound story that resonated deeply with me. Dr. Seuss’ “Yertle the Turtle” unveiled a thought-provoking tale about power, ambition, and the courage to stand
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