Don's Thoughts

After months of planning, our Extraordinary Impact Family Event is only days away. Every event we host is about making an impact on our community of investors, partners, and team members, but this one is truly something special.

Family is central to everything for me, and I’m sure the same is true for many of you. Years ago, when I began dedicating myself to living on purpose, I asked myself, “What do I want to be remembered for?” Of course, I want to leave a legacy of transforming lives through Thriving Communities, but I realized that more importantly than that, I wanted to be most famous in my own home. I wanted to create a life where I didn’t have to choose between being a successful CEO or a present, engaged father. Today, I’ve built that life—and you can, too. The key? Discipline.

If you’ve heard me talk about building an extraordinary organization, you know that the payoff of the relentless discipline it takes isn’t just a stronger company, but a stronger family, as well. How? When you commit to being a disciplined, high-performance leader willing to endure the 20-Mile March to build an extraordinary organization, you gift yourself the time it takes (and I promise you, it takes time) to build an extraordinary family.

But time isn’t all you need. At next week’s event, I’ll share my insights on living an intentional life as a family, with shared goals, values, and plenty of fun. If you’ll be in Asheville with us, you’ll leave with a deeper understanding of how to raise children to be successful adults living lives of significance, leveraging what I call the Six S’s. This toolkit is essential to prevent your family from the dreaded shirtsleeves to shirtsleeves curse. I’ll also share how Carla and I have integrated Justin Whitmel Earley’s Habits of the Household into our daily rhythms, how powerful it has been for our family, and how you can start.

Whether you’re just starting to build your family or on the precipice of an empty nest, an extraordinary family is in reach with the right tools.

Key Business Commitments for Enduring Success

For the past year, I’ve been writing my next book, Building an Extraordinary Organization—but that’s just the time I’ve spent putting pen to paper. I’ve actually been writing this book for the past 18 years. Every decision, challenge, victory, and lesson I’ve learned building DLP is part of this new book.

Some of the greatest lessons I’ve learned have come from books. One title that was particularly instrumental in shaping me as a leader is How the Mighty Fall: And Why Some Companies Never Give In by Jim Collins. Throughout it, he contrasts the stories of fallen companies with successful ones, illustrating five stages of organizational decline: the hubris of success, the pursuit of more, denial of risk, grasping for salvation, and the capitulation.

In our most recent Quarterly Impact Report, I highlighted the key commitments that I believe will steady DLP’s ship amid market turmoil, volatility, fear, and uncertainty, staying clear of the cliffs Collins identified. Below are two of these commitments. You can read the full ten in my letter that begins the report here. 

Execute Extraordinarily: Live by the 20-Mile March

One of the most impactful lessons from How the Mighty Fall is the story of the 20-Mile March. Collins shares the story of two teams that set out for the South Pole in 1911. Both had the same skills, equipment, and experience, yet only one team made it. The difference? Their execution.

One team, led by Roald Amundsen, committed to marching 20 miles a day, no matter the prevailing conditions. The other team, led by Robert Falcon Scott, marched 40-60 miles on days with good weather, resting in their tents when conditions were bad. Scott’s team was found dead the following spring.

The lesson? Consistent execution prevails. Companies that survive turbulence don’t allow extenuating circumstances to alter their goals or execution. Whether you’re struggling or succeeding, exert the same effort, maintain the same standards, and march toward the same goal—this is the 20-Mile March.

Leadership is at the Center

I’ve tried many times, but I can’t find a way to say it better than my great friend, John C. Maxwell, “Everything rises and falls on leadership.” If you’re a leader, I encourage you to read that again—it’s that important.

How you define leadership is critical. At DLP, we believe that leadership is defined by results. Leadership is the capacity to influence others through inspiration and passion, generated by vision, ignited by a purpose, and produced by conviction.

The job of a leader is to develop other leaders while also developing themselves. Leaders must be committed to growth, set high standards for themselves and their team, and be devoted to an organization's mission. I’ve always liked how we sum this up as part of our core value, Servant Leadership: we expect our leaders to show the way through the forest, empower growth and accountability, and lead with a founder’s mentality.

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The Two Greatest Commandments

There are thousands and thousands of people in the world who only have one roadblock to success: the ability to withstand criticism. Not a single leader in any vocation is universally loved; even the Dalai Lama isn’t without critics.

Like many of you, I have certainly faced critics—people who want to “knock” DLP’s mission, people who don’t like my way of doing business, and people who simply do not like me. DLP, not unlike other successful companies, has faced naysayers and doubters. The choice of these situations is simple: I can either get caught up in things I can’t control and spend valuable time arguing “on principle” to defend myself and my organization, or I can choose not to get caught up in what is ultimately just ego.

Jesus gave us two very clear commandments:

1. Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.

2. Love your neighbor as yourself.

There is no fine print that makes these conditional behaviors; they’re not only to be followed when it’s easy, or when you like your neighbor. Your neighbor includes those whom you don’t necessarily like, who you disagree with, and even those who wish you ill.

Is it easier said than done? Of course it is. But as you go through your days and you find yourself struggling to live by these, remember this: they are not just our two greatest commandments, but the first two purposes of our lives.

Gratitude is the Antidote to Anxiety

I recently had the honor of attending a MasterClass meeting with John C. Maxwell and several other incredible leaders. The topic was equally solemn and hopeful: today’s society is struggling more than ever with anxiety, loneliness, and depression. I could bring in statistics here to drive that point home, but I think it’s more than likely that this is a fact that each of us is familiar with. Whether it’s our own personal struggle or that of a loved one, these challenges are increasingly touching all of us.

The hopeful part? The cure exists: it’s gratitude. But gratitude is a discipline; it is an intentional choice that needs to be made, and most often, we need it the most when it is the hardest to call on; when we are feeling down, anxious, or depressed. Gratitude is like a muscle: it needs to be trained, so you can rely on its strength to pull you up.

Ashley Woolridge, Senior Pastor of Christ’s Church of the Valley (CCV), speaks about the power of gratitude starting around minute 19 in this video, sharing what makes it the antidote to anxiety. It begins with a profound and humbling question: Do you focus more on what you have or what you’re missing? How you answer this one question, Woolridge says, can get to the root of how much you struggle with the topic of anxiety.

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Entrepreneur of the Year

A Year of Impact: DLP Positive Returns Foundation Year in Review

Many of you have been on the journey with us since Carla and I founded the DLP Positive Returns Foundation. Designed to transform communities, uplift vulnerable populations, and support those who need it the most, the PRF has seen tremendous growth since its humble beginnings. In its 2024 Year-in-Review, we celebrate its successes and take a closer look at what’s coming next.

Read the PRF Year in Review

Where I've Been