Some of quotes that did not stick were...

"Learning is a gift we get from those who have experience." (made no sense)

"Success comes from letting a good idea coagulate over time." (too graphic)

"People don't care how much you know until they know how much you care." (already taken...who knew?)

But one did stick -

"Change is good...when you make good changes." (good one!)

I thought about this as I drove down Valley Avenue in Birmingham today.  The sun was out, the air was crisp, and the road was filled with leaves.  As each car made its way down this tree-lined street, all the leaves were blown up, around and over the cars.  It truly was a beautiful sight.

I love the change of seasons.  Florida, where I lived for 35 years, has only two seasons:  Summer, and two weeks of cold in January.

But Alabama is different.  The seasons come and go and I love every one. 

I love seeing the leaves change in the Fall. 

I love the look of bare trees against a shadowy mountain in the Winter.

I love the fresh look of flowers on the Bradford Pear trees in the Spring. 

I love the hot pink crepe myrtles when they bloom in Summer.

I love change.  Even at work, I love change...

Many of you may feel differently than me and are afraid of change.

As leaders, we need to embrace and welcome change in our workplaces.  A new boss, a new process, a new team member, a new worksite...  These should be viewed as exciting and not feared.

It is our job as leaders to initiate change and support it the best we can.  The city of Birmingham is about to go through a major change.  There is a new interim mayor and there will be an election in December.  This should be a time of excitement, but some people fear change...

...and the main reason is the lack of communication!

If you are a leader in charge of a change initiative, please do all of us a favor... 

Share, share and share some more!

There is no such thing as overcommunication during a time of massive change in an organization.  If you want your employees to get on board and be supportive of the changes, you need to practice transparency and passion for the change.

It is a simple formula - the more your employees know, the better they will support the change.

Change can be as exciting as the change of seasons, or it can be as scary as a haunted house at Halloween.

By the way, haunted houses are one more thing I like about Fall...

Go, communicate, and lead!

And remember - change is good...if you make good changes!

(Man that is a good one...)