My Life Path

I don’t share much about me and my life here. Sure, there are stories of clients and work and situations I try and relate but still not a lot of me here.

This website was born in April 2008 and it’s one of the only things in my life I have committed to consistently since then. I have done good work, I have felt lost, I have moved twice, I got closer to my friends, I walked away from a long shitty relationship, and I have had a lot of time to think about my life.

Good for you, son!

My parents were always supportive of my creative pursuits. They didn’t always understand how their son would make a living being on the radio or creating social media workshops or speaking in front of strangers or writing a blog or coaching executives. And they certainly wouldn’t enjoy finding out that their son has been a stuck in a lot of ways for a lot of years. Keep up a good front, don’t let them see you sweat, smile and wave.

I had told myself for years I was following my passion. Then an emotional truck broadsided me and put my on me ass for years. I'm reading more now, I'm seeking knowledge and inspiration, and most importantly, I'm moving again. I read this post from my Mark Manson and he's bang on.

Sit down!

This past Sunday, I sat with a remarkable woman named Lindsay Knight. As soon as I sat down, she looked at me and said; “Wow. You have a lot going on in there.” We sat for what felt like half an hour but was almost three. She did my life path and outlined all the places where I had acquiesced to other people.

The repeated patterns in my life were so clear and obvious to her. They are clear to me now too. I had always said I was curious about others. I felt the need to help and talk about them. She said that was a defence to not allow myself to show up. I had lived a life avoiding any conversation about me for fear I’d appear egotistical. She called bullshit. I was scared. I didn’t want to make a fuss. I did everything to smooth things over. I didn’t want to offend or stand up for myself. She smacked me around and it was wonderful.

Wake up!

I’m writing a book, I’m working with clients, I’m meeting prospective clients, I’m finding my way after years of being lost, and all the while thinking I was fooling everyone around me that I had my shit together. Lindsay woke me up to see me.

I don’t know if this is for you. For me, it’s life changing. I slept through the night last night for the first time in years. I woke refreshed and ready to write. I have begun to allow myself to be creative again and do what I want in my life. It has reminded me to stand up for me and do what I want with my truth no matter what anyone else thinks.

I had forgotten that or maybe never knew it.
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As a passionate leader, Kneale Mann has extensive experience in project management, leadership development, business, marketing, media, and talent coaching in numerous industries and organizations including; radio, digital marketing, corporate training, real estate, financial services, healthcare and more. He is always open to meeting companies and organizations who want to become even greater.

Happy Dad Day

Today is Father’s Day. I know a lot of great fathers, good men who love and care for their kids. My dad is still rocking and rolling. He would admit he made a million mistakes. He isn't perfect and I accept him for him. I was one of the lucky ones; my parents encouraged me (and still do) to do what makes me happy.

Like being a mom, there are no manuals to being a dad. There are countless books and websites that can give you opinions and ideas, but nothing helps you in real life.

When I was a kid, my dad built the nets and would play road hockey with us. He was – and still is – always good for a story. He made great fried egg and peanut butter sandwiches (hey, don’t judge until you try one!), and he’s still good for a long deep chat about life. We’ll have one today. Thanks Dad!

DNA doesn't make you a dad. Money doesn't make you a father. Love does.

Some others’ perspective on fatherhood

When I was a boy of fourteen, my father was so ignorant I could hardly stand to have the old man around. But when I got to be twenty-one, I was astonished at how much he had learned in seven years. Mark Twain

It is not flesh and blood but the heart which makes us fathers and sons.
Johann Friedrich von Schiller

I found out that I'm a pretty bad father. I make a lot of mistakes and I don’t know what I'm doing. But my kids love me. Go figure. Louis CK

It is much easier to become a father than to be one.
Kent Nerburn

Fatherhood is great because you can ruin someone from scratch.
Jon Stewart

Whoever does not have a good father should procure one.
Friedrich Nietzsche

My father used to say that it's never too late to do anything you wanted to do.
Michael Jordan

By the time a man realizes his father was right, he has a son who thinks he’s wrong.
Charles Wadsworth

Having a kid is like falling in love for the first time when you’re 12, but every day.
Mike Myers

Nobody ever asks a father how he manages to combine marriage and a career.
Sam Ewing

It's an ongoing joy being a dad.
Liam Neeson

When my father didn't have my hand, he had my back.
Linda Poindexter

My father gave me the greatest gift anyone could give; he believed in me.
Jim Valvano

It is a wise father that knows his own child.
William Shakespeare

Sometimes the poorest man leaves his children the richest inheritance.
Ruth Renkel
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Kneale Mann | Leadership Strategist, consultant, writer, speaker, executive coach facilitating performance growth with leaders, management, and teams.

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Thanks Dads!

The family unit is something we seem to redefine all the time. The days of mom and dad and two kids and a dog and the white picket fence are not as common as they used to be and things have changed over the last half century or so. Divorce, second and third marriages, step kids, half siblings, extended family units, same sex marriages, adoption, etc., all shift our definition of family.

So when we look at long standing traditions like Mother’s Day last month (thanks mom, you rock!) and in many countries around the world, Father’s Day today, we can think of the people not the situation and give pause to the relationship we have or had with him. And thanks to Sonora Smart Dodd who founded Father's Day at the YMCA in Spokane, Washington in 1910.

A few words as we raise a mug to dads today...

Any man can be a father. It takes someone special to be a dad.

We never know the love of a parent till we become parents ourselves.
Henry Ward Beecher

When I was a boy of 14, my father was so ignorant I could hardly stand to have the old man around. But when I got to be 21, I was astonished at how much the old man had learned in seven years. Mark Twain

Never raise your hand to kids. It leaves your groin unprotected. Red Buttons

It is not flesh and blood but the heart which makes us fathers and sons. Johann Schiller

My father gave me the greatest gift anyone could give another person,
he believed in me. Jim Valvano

The older I get, the smarter my father seems to get. Tim Russert

Thanks dad!
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Kneale Mann | Leadership and Culture strategist, writer, speaker, executive coach engaging leaders, collaborative teams, and strong business results.

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Kid CEO

Unless you work in complete isolation without any human contact, you collaborate. One of my passions is helping people become better leaders and companies to become more collaborative but what does that mean? Well it depends on the situation and the organization but the threads are leadership, communication, and teamwork which begin at the individual level.

Leadership abilities are inside each of us. That doesn't mean we all have to run Fortune 500 enterprises or even be the manager of a team. It’s about the human side of leading ourselves and those around us. And we shouldn't wait until someone becomes a manager to recognize and amplify these talents. We can show leadership in many ways and that can begin at an early age.

Cameron Harold was a terrible student. He hated school and barely squeaked by with terrible grades. His business career began when he was 6 and he has become a wildly successful speaker and entrepreneur.

Cameron says the need for entrepreneurs is as essential as for doctors and lawyers. He outlines his journey and business ideas in his talk at TEDxEdmonton.


Kneale Mann

TED | Cameron Harold

Thanks Dad

Thanks to all our dads for all your hard work doing the most honourable job there is and thanks to my dad and step dad for reminding me to go with my heart, do great work, respect others, enjoy life, and not spend a moment worrying about comparing myself to others.

Biology doesn't create fatherhood. Money won’t make you a great dad. Proximity can’t ensure a strong bond. Like any relationship, our actions cause richness and meaning.

I cannot think of any need in childhood as strong as the need for a father's protection.
Sigmund Freud

My father didn't tell me how to live; he lived and let me watch him do it.
Clarence Budington Kelland

I started businesses, I made a lot of money, I lost a lot of money, I made it back.
But no job is as demanding and rewarding as being a father.
John Harrison

Sometimes the poorest man leaves his children the richest inheritance.
Ruth Renkel

To become a father is not hard; to be a father is, however.
Wilhelm Busch

When I was a boy of 14 , my father was so ignorant I could hardly stand to have the old man around. At 21, I was astonished by how much he'd learned in 7 years.
Mark Twain

Bono pays tribute to his father Brendan Robert Hewson who passed away in 2001 but it also serves as a tribute to those who we have lost and miss.


Kneale Mann

U2

Two Things on Father’s Day

They say you can pick your friends but you can’t pick your family but twice a year we pay tribute to the people who actually brought us into the world. Today it’s dad’s turn. And I can’t know your situation but I hope you and your dad are in a good place or if he’s no longer with us, you think of him fondly. Mom gets half the nod but thanks to my dad for making me creative, smart and inquisitive. I love you.

Thanks to Dads All Over the World

One place you may want to visit today is The Good Men Project. My friend Lisa Hickey is the force behind an idea started by Tom Matlack. There is a book, an online magazine, videos, interaction, a blog and great stuff about all kinds of good men.

And on this Father’s Day, a look at Louis Kahn through the eyes and lens of his son Nathaniel who presented this TED Talk in 2002 about his film “My Architect”. It is a documentary about his legendary father. But it is equally a film about anyone seeking to gain more understanding about their relationships.



Kneale Mann

visual credit: TED

Father’s Day

Father's Day is a celebration inaugurated in the early twentieth century to compliment Mother's Day in celebrating fatherhood and male parenting. It is also celebrated to honor and commemorate our forefathers.

The first observance of Father's Day is believed to have been held on June 19, 1910.

After listening to a church sermon at Spokane Washington's Central Methodist Episcopal Church in 1909 about the newly recognized Mother's Day, Sonora Smart Dodd felt strongly that fatherhood needed recognition, as well.

She wanted a celebration that honored fathers like her own father, William Smart, a Civil War veteran who was left to raise his family alone when his wife died giving birth to their sixth child when Sonora was 16 years old. From Wikipedia

It is not flesh and blood but the heart which makes us fathers and sons.
Johann Schiller

When I was a boy of fourteen, my father was so ignorant I could hardly stand to have the old man around. But when I got to be twenty-one, I was astonished at how much the old man had learned in seven years. Mark Twain

By the time a man realizes that maybe his father was right, he usually has a son who thinks he's wrong. Charles Wadsworth

Life was a lot simpler when what we honored was father and mother rather than all major credit cards. Robert Orben

My dad still encourages me to follow my passions and my dreams. His words still ring in my mind that relationships are not 50-50 but 100-100. At 73, he edits videos of his vacations, rewrites the rules for his online baseball league and adores his wife more than life itself.

Thanks for everything, Dad. You rock dude!

Happy Father's Day to every dad.

photo credit: schlissellaw