July 15, 2024 — Pushing Up: What Twelve Months of Physical Challenges Taught Two Brothers About Connection, Leadership, and Purpose
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Meet Stephen and Jim Gilliland and learn how a joint New Year’s Resolution made two brothers better fathers, husbands and leaders
In this interview with Stephen and Jim, we learn to: Take the "I will" commitment and achieve audacious goals. Ask for help and find a genuine connection. Recognize limits — and prepare to fail. Embrace "should be fine" as a mantra against doubt. Practice empathy and reaching out in times of loss.
Monday Morning Magic from Inkandescent® PR + Publishing Co. — This summer, our BeInkandescent Health & Wellness business magazine features some great summer reads that may not yet be on your radar.
Case in point is Pushing Up: What Twelve Months of Physical Challenges Taught Two Brothers About Connection, Leadership, and Purpose by Stephen Gilliland, a professor at Claremont Graduate University, and his brother Jim Gilliland. They have a big goal, a giant job, and a determination to keep the premise of their new book simple.
“We promise to each other to do at least one exercise activity every day. It doesn’t matter if you are sick, traveling, or tired. And to keep each other honest, we share one pic doing our activity every day,” the authors and brothers share on their book website: pushingupbook.com.
The dynamic duo embarked upon a journey of crazy workout challenges that increased in intensity as the year progressed; 10,000 push-ups each in March became 30,000 push-ups by December. At the time, they were each searching for something more – more from their relationship as brothers and more from their middle-aged bodies. And as each month passed, they discovered the unexpected gift of what it means to live more fully as connected brothers, fathers, husbands, and successful leaders.
I am excited to share their story with you and invite us to join them in the journey. “We hope you uncover scars you didn’t know you had, grow muscles and inner strength, and find authentic support in connecting more deeply with someone else,” Stephen says, about the tome which will take you on an inner journey of life through lessons on:
- Taking the “I will” commitment and achieving audacious goals.
- Asking for help and finding a genuine connection.
- Recognizing limits and preparing to fail.
- Embracing “should be fine” as a mantra against doubt.
- Practicing empathy and reaching out in times of loss.
About Stephen Gilliland (pictured left, top): Dr. Stephen Gilliland is a University Professor at Claremont Graduate University where he teaches organizational psychology and is responsible for developing executive education and leadership development programs. Stephen is originally from British Columbia and studied psychology at the University of Alberta and Michigan State University. For 24 years, Stephen was a professor of management at the University of Arizona, where he served in a variety of leadership roles. His research examines the fairness of leadership practices. Through this merging of psychological, social, and managerial issues, he has authored over 50 journal articles and book chapters. He has published eight books in the series Research in Social Issues in Management. He is a Fellow in the Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology and received the Early Career Award from the same organization. Stephen has taught numerous courses on leadership, organizational behavior, healthcare, social entrepreneurship, human resource management, and leadership ethics. He has consulted with small and large organizations and conducted leadership training for companies around the world. He has served on the boards of several organizations. Stephen is married to Professor Cindi Gilliland and lives in Southern California. They share a wide variety of hobbies, including surfing, gardening, winemaking, and playing music. They spend time traveling to see their two adult children who always find interesting places to live.
Author Jim Gilliland (pictured above, right) — Jim is President and CEO of Leith Wheeler Investment Counsel, one of Canada’s largest fully employee-owned investment management firms. He brought extensive investment experience in Canadian and U.S. investment markets through his time at HSBC Asset Management/M.K. Wong & Associates in Vancouver and Barclays Global Investors (BGI) in San Francisco. Among his achievements were building out and managing a team of professionals covering interest rate strategies, corporate credit, securitized credit, and emerging markets; launching and managing a successful fixed-income hedge fund; developing platforms to manage risk; and developing customized client solutions and liability-driven solutions. Jim is a graduate of the University of British Columbia (B.Comm with honors). After his work at HSBC, Jim earned his Master’s degree in Financial Engineering at the University of California, Berkeley. Jim lives on a horse farm with his family in the Fraser Valley of British Columbia and volunteers his time at a variety of educational and professional not-for-profits.
Here’s to Pushing Up: Click here to learn more about the book.