Stephen D. Black – a Junior in High School and Now “In the picture above – it’s me as a junior in high school, sitting there with the older guy next to him is… also me—now a husband, f

In my past life as President & COO at two different grocery chains, I would end every year with a year in review of all the leadership lessons I’d sent out that year for our teams to look back a

Thanksgiving is a season of gratitude, reflection, and intentional recognition of the people who have shaped our lives. As families gather around tables filled with food and laughter, we pause to reme

Since I’m now being introduced around the country as “The 5 Rules Guy”, I thought I’d just grab that and go with it for this month’s leadership article!   The Holiday Challenge For all

It’s been an interesting journey since publishing my book on The 5 Rules in January of 2024, and after speaking and coaching on these rules across many organizations since then, there has been one q

This saying is one of my earliest learnings on how to be successful. It was during my early years at United Supermarkets of Oklahoma where I spent the first 27 years of my career. I went from being a

As we stood in front of a packed church in Clinton, Oklahoma in 1977 – on that day so many years ago holding hands and saying our wedding vows, little did I know then that it was not as much about t

We recently were on a graduation celebration trip with our oldest grandson; Dax Graham Black where we toured the Mesa Verde National Park. We had two different guides take us through a couple of the m

Below are two monumental pieces of information for those of us in the grocery business to consider in 2025 and beyond. U.S. grocery stores ad spend 2022-2023 In 2023, the grocery store industry in the

– Dedication to my mom for teaching me about a solid work ethic In the days of old when most children worked alongside their mom or dad, taking care of the house or farm chores or in other businesse

Out of date leadership is associated with authority, decision-making, and control. However, the most effective and true leaders understand that their role is not to accumulate power for themselves but

We’ve lived in the Rocky Mountains for the last ten years.  As we spend more time in the High Country and when I go on my daily walks or just sitting out on the deck enjoying the views of the snowc

It was about twenty-five years ago, that I had an awesome idea. We lived in Oklahoma at the time and had always bought our firewood. Mesquite trees were an abundant nuisance to farmers that needed the

A new year always brings a fresh start and renewed motivation and hope. Hope for many areas of our lives to get better. Hope that most of the impacts from COVID are behind us. Hope that the employment

If you’re going to win the holidays in our business – you must have a team full of difference makers. As we all know – December is our busiest month of the year, and this year is one of the shor

Thanksgiving, as we know it today, is rooted in a harvest feast celebrated by the Pilgrims and the Wampanoag in 1621. This marked a moment of giving thanks for a successful harvest after a tough year.

He died as he had lived. Strong, resilient and no complaining. Affirming his love for us by word and deed. Until the very end. It was January 6, 2024 that our family hero and warrior fought his last f

Today’s Rocky Mountain Gold leadership lesson happened on my walk this morning and it reminded me about a lesson the Maxwell Team teaches us; “You gotta be in the room”. (view from my walk) That

We had some crazy fog roll in on Thursday and Friday this week and it was completely cleared up by Saturday. My morning walks on Thursday and Friday were very scary from the dense fog and I also had a

  Most of my writings have been about the positive influences in my life over the years. And one of my bosses early in my career told me that I would learn more from bad bosses than the good ones

What is your rain? As a part-time farm hand during the harvest seasons, the steps leading to the harvest itself are just as crucial as the end result. The turning of dirt, the sowing of each seed, and

Leadership Nugget by Jared Stephen Black

In my life both in business and personal life I have found there are two reasons why people do something: they hope to gain something by doing it or they do something out of fear of losing what they h

I believe that everyone has that ONE teacher that changed them. Believed in them. Encouraged them. Helped them to believe in themselves, maybe for the first time. That ONE teacher for me was my Jr. Hi

About eighteen years ago – I had an awesome idea. My boys were teenagers and we’d always bought firewood. It made sense to me that we could cut our own and actually make money. I did some research

One of my key components of success is a serious sense of urgency. Just like in the Olympics, those that win the medals have a serious sense of urgency. They are always looking for something that can

This saying is one of my earliest learnings on how to be successful. It was during my early years at United Supermarkets of Oklahoma where I spent the first 27 years of my career. I went from being a

What you come into this world with….your name. What you leave this world with…..your name. What you do between entry and exit will determine your legacy. You have a legacy now. Most people think y

In the days of old when every child worked along side their mom or dad, taking care of the house chores or all around the farm, there were multiple moments in every single day that a good work ethic w

Gathering nuggets

With Melanie, her sister (Melissa) and our two daughter-in-laws (Beth & Sarah) being in Hawaii this week for a time of relaxation and fun, it’s made me reflect on our trip to Hawaii in 1997 for our