AM... If my alarm is what's waking me up, I'm not happy. Maybe this means that I need to get one of those fancy alarm clocks that slowly brighten your room while birds chirp to signal that it's time to seize the day. Regardless, I know a few things that are true. My bed is warmer than the air outside of my sheets, my sleep has been interrupted, and I get up every day, no matter what (eventually). And really, there are only two reasons why I get out of bed... and they are the same reasons why you get out of bed. FEAR or REWARD. It's that simple. You and I get up each morning because we are either afraid of what will happen if we don't... or we understand what good things are in store if we do. But of course this begs the question, why do you get out of bed each morning? Is it because of fear or reward? I'd like to challenge you this week to think about that question, and hopefully encourage you to take the offense versus defense. You see, fear produces defensive actions and reward produces offensive actions. As leaders, if we want to have the greatest impact on the people we serve each day, we need to be on the offense. We need to be intentional, strategic, seeking, learning, growing, producing... not defending, reacting, deflecting, or simply just dealing with our circumstances. And yes, every winning team needs both offense and defense in order to succeed, but a successful defense is prepared, practiced, and intentional... pursuing reward versus responding to fear. Your Monday Morning Management Tip: Answer these three questions and then attack your Monday and lead your team with purpose! 1. What do you want? 2. What's in your way? 3. What are you going to do about it?