Posts Tagged With ‘ Joey Havens ’

This article was originally published in the AICPA Journal of Accountancy on May 10, 2023. Our profession has in front of us the greatest opportunity for increased relevance and abundance that I have seen in 40 years. Demand for our services, skill sets, and leadership have never been higher. We can simply look at the growth percentages from the latest 2022 large firm reports and see that firms are growing at much faster rates due to this increased demand. We have growing opportunities to have an impact on client businesses with consulting and advisory services, as every sector of business is... Continue Reading

We just celebrated the Christening of our eighth grandchild, Porter James Cross. As part of this family tradition, we also hosted a brunch in our home for family and friends. What a joyous time to be together, to connect, and to celebrate the blessing of life itself.  I must say, Porter was incredible during this ceremony and he is a beautiful baby!   There was another really fun and meaningful family tradition during Porter’s christening. He was Christened in a beautiful gown that has been in the family for 39 years and now 22 children have been Christened wearing it. Family members had... Continue Reading

Sadly, I recently delivered the eulogy for my brother-in-law Daniel Dillard in Natchez, MS. Daniel was 67 years young (1955-2023). Death is just like a lightning strike, when it hits close to you, it gets your attention! Our lives are blessings from God and as I have blogged before, what our dash says between our year of birth to our year of death is so important. What have we really accomplished during our dash, our years of life? What significance have we played in the lives of others? This might seem dramatic yet, we occasionally need lightning to get our attention.   So excited to share... Continue Reading

Just having finished a podcast on Leading with Significance, I am noticing a common question that I really had not anticipated. How do you get alignment with everyone to truly transform a culture to one that is magnetic and people-first? This process starts with a bold vision for who we want to be. The more inspiring, the better. In other words — be bold and be specific. Even with a strong vision, so many organizations fall short because change is so hard, even if it’s desired. So the alignment must be personal as we work on the how. In the book, I go into detail on how important it is to... Continue Reading

Joey, why did you write this book? I have heard this question repeatedly as we prepare for the book pre-order on Amazon for May 4th and the actual retail rollout on June 6th. It’s really an easy answer. My purpose is to inspire leaders and team members to trust in the good in people as we are intentional to serve and care for each other in ways that lead to high performance. I have always felt my calling was to help others see and realize their full potential and hopefully this book will provide the same purpose for every type of organization. I also believe that God calls us to His purpose... Continue Reading

As I conclude my Zoom conference call, I can’t stop chuckling over our conversation. This was our monthly coaching call and he is a high-level executive and a dear friend. He and his wife have recently purchased land in the rural part of their state and are highly engaged in setting up a garden, planting trees and landscaping, raising some farm animals and starting to build a home on the site where they will be away from the hustle and bustle of the city. Our call today started in a most unusual way. “Joey, I can’t even believe what I am about to tell you. A year ago, I would not have even... Continue Reading

I bought CeCe a beautiful pink outfit for our anniversary which she packed and carried on our recent business trip to California. How do I know it was beautiful? She kept this one — ha! When we returned home, she unpacks the new outfit — which she still had not worn — tags still attached. (This is not unusual as CeCe normally takes two to three outfits more than she needs on any given trip.) “Oh No! My pink outfit is ruined and I have not even worn it yet. Look at this, something has bled all over this.” It is easy to see, some darker color has faded all over the outfit. Yuk! After... Continue Reading

We have a 7:30 dinner reservation at a nice restaurant in Vegas and actually arrive about five minutes early (Yeah CeCe). The hostess (not extremely friendly) takes my name and phone number. Handing me a pager, “this will vibrate when we have your table ready.” “We have a 7:30 reservation and everyone is here, how long do you think it will be?” “I will get back to you shortly.” Wow, that’s irritating! Smiling, I bite my tongue and begin enjoying visiting with CeCe and our friends. [20 minutes later] “What about our table?” CeCe inquires. So here I go back to the friendly host. “I’m... Continue Reading

One of the things I’ve seen in working with thousands of companies over the years is that we often dress in the wrong uniforms. I’m not referring to the physical shirts, dresses, pants, or jackets people wear to work. That’s CeCe’s expertise. I’m referring to the imaginary uniforms we put on each morning to appear successful by the measures or behaviors present in our work culture. In a recent brainstorming session with a leadership team, I listened intently as they discussed how late into the night they might send an email to each other and the urgency they placed on each communication.... Continue Reading

Today’s blog features the common situation of feeling invisible and insignificant and how easy it can be for us to help someone feel included, seen and respected. The insights are provided by my friend, Ansley Pugh, a board-certified family nurse practitioner, from her experiences in patient care. “As I was telling a family goodbye at shift change, the patient’s husband thanked me for acknowledging him. He expressed this was the most comfortable he had felt out of the three hospital stays for his children’s births. The husband continued to explain during the first two stays, most nurses... Continue Reading