Jeff McManus's Blog, page 2

Gaining Momentum with the Growth Mindset – Part One

I’m in the growth business. Whether it’s plants, people, or potential—I love watching things

grow.

Last month, I shared the story of Chris Nikic. Born with Down Syndrome, Chris didn’t let labels

limit him. At 18, he made a simple decision: get 1% better every day. That decision led him to

complete one of the world’s toughest endurance tests—the Ironman®. Chris wasn’t chasing

trophies. He just wanted to Be Better.

That’s the heart of what Dr. Carol Dweck calls the Growth Mindset...

Professionalism Is as Professionalism Does

“Behavior is contagious. Bad behavior spreads faster.” ~ Adam Grant, Organizational

Psychiatrist

Last week, I led a webinar called Professionalism Matters: Raising the Bar on Workplace

Behavior. Because we’ve all been there when someone in our workplace, on our team, gets

away with something bad. They may not steal or lie or cheat, but their behavior tells you they

easily could. They might be rude, show up late, are inconsistent in the quality of their work,

gossip, or disp...

Cultivating a Leaderful Mindset

In all organizations we’re used to thinking in terms of local and district managers, directors,
foremen, supervisors, and crews. There’s usually one person calling the shots. But what if
leadership wasn’t a position—it was a mindset? What if everyone on your team felt responsible,
empowered, and engaged?

That’s the heart of the leaderful mindset.

Leaderful organizations don’t wait for one person to make every decision. Instead, they
encourage everyone to think like a leader—taking ownership, o...

The Real Deal Leadership

Let’s be real—leadership isn’t about big words or fancy titles. It’s about getting people
moving in the same direction to get a job done right. Leadership is the grease that
keeps the machine running.

So, here’s the big question: What kind of leader are you? Are you The Real Deal?
Back in the 1960s, people started using the phrase “The Real Deal” to describe
someone who was the genuine article—no fakes, no fluff. It meant you could trust them
to be who they said they were and do what they said the...

The Code of the West: A Straightforward Guide to Life and Work

We may not be riding horses, herding cattle, or settling new frontiers anymore—but life

can still feel like the Wild West. Long days, tough jobs, dealing with people, and just

trying to make ends meet can feel like a daily dust-up.

Back in the day, the pioneering people didn’t have HR departments or rulebooks. What

they did have was something better: a personal code. They called it The Code of the

West, a simple, unwritten set of values that helped folks stay honest, dependable, a...

The Be Better Mindset – Freedom to Grow

“The only person you should try to be better than is the person you were yesterday.” ~Matty Mullins

As we celebrate the Fourth of July, a day honoring freedom, courage, and possibility, it’s the perfect time to reflect on the freedom we each have—to grow.

Chris Nikic, born with Down Syndrome, didn’t let labels define him. At 18, out of shape and unsure of the future, he made one powerful choice: to get 1% better every day.

That mindset led him to complete an Ironman®—a grueling test of ...

Bridging the Gap: Inspiring Every Generation at Work

As a young high school student, I remember hearing older adults say, “This younger
generation has a lot of problems.” I hear the same thing today from my peers across the
country. It seems each generation tends to lose hope in the one behind it.

Today’s workplace includes five active generations, each shaped by unique life
experiences and cultural influences. From Traditionalists, born before 1945 and now
representing just 1% of the workforce, to Baby Boomers (1946–1964) at 25%, and
Generation X (...

The Day I Laid Off Half My Staff

It was one of the worst days of my life. I had to lay off over half of my landscaping team.
We had overextended our reach, and the business couldn’t sustain it. I had over hired
for the contracts we maintained. It wasn’t just numbers on a spreadsheet — it was
families, stories, and lives.

Failure forced me to look deeper. I began asking myself, what kind of leader do I want to
be?

This painful moment became the soil where something better could grow. It forced me
to be a caring leader, but in a...

Being Coachable

I sat on the bench in 10th grade, arms crossed, ignoring my basketball coach. I thought
I knew it all. I didn’t. I acted like a starter — and a spoiled one.

Looking back, I wasn’t coachable. And that’s the difference between someone who
stalls out and someone who levels up.

Coachable people don’t have all the answers — and they know it.
They stay humble, ask questions, and take feedback without getting defensive.

As Coach John Wooden said, “Everything we know we learned from someone else.”...

A Real Story About Attitude

Recently, a leader I know had an employee come charging into his office—frantic,
tense, and anxious. He was like a cat trapped in a pillowcase—ready to claw his way
out. Just moments earlier, he’d gotten into a heated situation with a coworker, and now
he was looking for a way to escape the fallout. Others had to step in quickly to calm
things down.

Attitude influences every part of workplace engagement—productivity, morale,
teamwork, and even safety. And unfortunately, negativity is contagious. O...