Think about who you are right now both professionally and personally.

Who do you influence? How important are the roles that you play? Jeff McManus, director of landscape services at the University of Mississippi, problem solver, and author of Growing Weeders into Leaders, is on a mission to not only grow plants, but people.

After coming to the university in 2000, Jeff took on the challenge of managing a multimillion-dollar landscaping beautification implementation project. He was faced with the demand for excellence and high productivity at a stagnant budget. Jeff knew that influencing his team was going to be critical in growing the landscape and it was through that experience that he developed his growth theory. His theory’s a management and professional development approach based on the belief that all humans either strive for or have within them the elements of greatness, resilience, opportunity, and wisdom. All they need is a fertile environment to grow.

Listen in and learn how to create experiences that foster connections, make real impact, and lead greatness in yourself as well as others.

Key Takeaways:

Growing your community. Did you ever have a goal, whether it’s as simple as losing five-pounds or as complex as writing your first book, that you never quite got to achieve? Self-motivation’s just the first step; you need THIS to get to the finish line…[06:01].

Nurturing your inner leader. In each and every one of us is this ability to lead, to empower, and to influence those around us, but not many of us believe we can. How do you embrace this role when your current position or title doesn’t reflect it? It’s a two-step process; start here…[16:04].

Harvesting your meaningfulness. There’s a shift you can consciously make from living a mundane, menial life, to one that’s rich of purpose and lights you up. And it makes no difference if you’re a tough, blue collar, frontline employee – you CAN bring meaning into your position. THIS is how you make your mark… [21:16].

Seeding your self-growth. At this point you’ve learned how to become a leader beyond any doubts or titles AND you’ve brought meaning to your life. Great! But how can you continue to develop and grow the way that you do? Simple, try THESE practices to keep you motivated...[28:29].

Tune in and turn the volume up for a dose of inspiration and life lessons. That’s how we Live Lead and Play!

To learn more about Jeff McManus, visit jeffmcmanusspeaking.com.