David Martin & Company

Work Smarter. Dream Bigger.

Leadership 201: He didn’t hate the dog. It just wasn’t his.

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Underdogs: sometimes it’s not just a metaphor.
A few weeks ago, our dog, Lulu, got puppy-shamed…if there is such a thing. Don’t worry. She’s still as joyful as ever.

But the incident actually says as much about the leaders around you (and about you) as it says about dogs. It serves as a humorous but cautionary tale of how we unintentionally squelch each others’ voices. This one’s not immediately obvious, so it’s a 201 level idea.

Understanding what happened to Lulu will help you better take life by the leash and build your leadership pedigree. (Sorry, but when a puppy pun presents itself, you have to grab it by the collar.)…[Continue Reading]

First, I lost my cool. Then, I lost my power.

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A few years ago, I witnessed a dear friend (let’s call him Todd) living through the most difficult experience of his life. Over many months, his situation got so bad it seemed almost inescapable to him. The challenges he faced would make even the toughest among us blanch.

At one point, he was ready to just check out, not in a healthy way. Standing in his shoes, I could understand why.…[Continue Reading]

5 rules to prevent your “big next” from becoming a big mess.

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The recent launch of my new book, Free the Genius, was a tutorial for me in how to stretch beyond old limits to my own “big next.”

If you’re building something new and different, let these universal rules-of-the-road help you stay on track and in motion.

What is a “big next”? It’s that idea, dream, or contribution that you must bring to life. It may feel impractical and difficult to achieve . . . yet, it won’t leave you alone until you begin. It’s your big next.

Here are five principles I just learned and re-learned that you can apply to bring your big next to life:…[Continue Reading]

My friend built a secret weapon to save the world. You could, too.

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I know a man who’s foolish enough to believe that maybe he could save the world. Or at least his corner of it. After watching him work, I believe he’s not so foolish, after all.

Rex Mann is a retired forester who spent 42 years working for the National Forest Service. He’s been haunted by a tragedy for most of his adult life: the extinction of the American Chestnut tree.

It doesn’t just haunt him because he knows something went very wrong in our forests. It haunts him because he actually believes he could do something to correct it.

What about you? Are you aware of something that isn’t working…that you believe you could address? If so, you’re going to need the same secret weapon Rex built to save the forests.…[Continue Reading]

This virtuoso gave a better answer than my question warranted. So worth it!

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I had the chance to have a brief conversation with celebrated, Pulitzer Prize-winning author, Ron Chernow, recently.

While we spoke, he made a comment that rang a bell in my head that will no doubt be valuable for you, too, if you intend to make a meaningful impact in your world.

He’s a true virtuoso.
Chernow is best known for writing the book, Hamilton but every book he writes is an award winner. Chernow’s biography, Hamilton, inspired Lin Manuel-Miranda to write the earth-shaking musical of the same title.…[Continue Reading]

If a client tells you they’re going crazy, should you call 911?

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Mel asked me to meet him for a drink at an out-of-the-way dive bar. He wanted to talk away from the office where people wouldn’t overhear us.

After a quick hello, he jumped right into why he wanted to talk.

“Can I ask you a question?”
“Sure. What’s up?”
“Do you think I’m losing it? I’m beginning to think I must be crazy.”…[Continue Reading]

An essential skill to freak out a bartender or lead a revolution.

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On Sunday morning, I had a seemingly ordinary brunch in New York City. I didn’t think I was doing anything strange until I realized I was freaking out the bartender.

I was just trying to chill.
I’d just left a pretty intense training session. My teacher suggested I keep my mobile phone turned off to help integrate the learning. I did.

At the restaurant, I sat down at the bar in one of 20 or so empty barstools. The bartender chatted me up and took my order.

Then he and the restaurant manager started hustling behind the bar to fill a large drink order for a table of impatient guests.

I just watched.
With no phone to hold, I propped my elbows on the bar and looked around . . . at the displays of liquor on the shelves . . . at the industrial design features of the room . . . at the two people rushing to make the drinks.…[Continue Reading]

He imitated his way to the top. And so can you.

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Willson Contreras, the 26-year-old catcher for the Chicago Cubs will play in his first All-Star game tonight. That’s one of the biggest honors in his profession. When he found out he’d made the team, he cried.

You probably would have too if you’d have worked that hard — especially if one of your idols had tried to hold you in place, telling you to “respect the ranks” as you started gaining ground.

Regardless, you can steal his path to all-star status starting today. And perhaps your success will threaten some of your idols, as well.

Playing in the All-Star game was a predictable outcome.
Contreras used a method that almost every superstar or uber performer in any field, including business, has used since the beginning of humanity. …[Continue Reading]

What I learned from an illiterate kid – Lesson 2

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José couldn’t read, write, or do math when he was 12. Last weekend, he graduated from Xavier University ready to change the world.

And he will. After all, he’s developed a secret power.

Few people will overcome odds like José did. But it is very possible.

Will you apply José’s secret powers to make your own miracles?
It helps to have an inspiring reason to develop those powers.

What would wild, meaningful success look like for you?  In those brief moments of quiet when your attention isn’t flooded with noise, activity, and distraction, what bigger dream stirs within you?…[Continue Reading]

I had a front row seat to a miracle

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What do you have in common with a junior high flunkee?
At 12, Jose was failing in school. He couldn’t read, write, or do math. Not just sort of. Not at all.

He was living in a dangerous neighborhood trying to be the man of the house. His father had abandoned the family (mom, Jose, and two younger sisters) when Jose was 8, and they struggled in extreme poverty.

People predicted his failure.
Jose’s 8th-grade math teacher told him he’d never graduate high school. A doctor suggested that Jose’s difficult birth might have caused “brain damage.” His Mom should just accept Jose wasn’t going to get better.

Then, Jose embarked an 11-year, self-induced miracle.
Jose decided he didn’t like the stories others were telling about his future, and he chose a new one.

This Saturday, he takes the next step in his miraculous journey. He will receive his undergraduate diploma from Xavier University. Then he’ll move to DC to lobby Congress for Immigration Reform.

You’re more like Jose than you might think.
Don’t be deceived by the external circumstances. The principles Jose applies to live his miracle are relevant to anyone who hopes there is still something better within them.…[Continue Reading]