Category Archive

The Paradox of Leadership Give and Take Western leaders have been conditioned for generations to believe that the way to advance is to claim as much as possible, to take more than you give. Many leaders make personal gain the objective of business life, and almost any means to achieve it is fair game. Hard work, perseverance, passion, and talent … Read More

Brain-Friendly Steps to Make Change Stick When’s the last time you promised yourself to make some changes, either break or make a new habit? And how long did your changes last? Changing habits can be one of the hardest things to do. Once we decide to lose weight, quit smoking, get fit, or do anything differently, it takes a lot … Read More

Is Truth Dead? In a world where leaders spin reality and use alternative facts to make things seem better than they are, is dishonesty becoming the new norm? Or, as a Time Magazine cover asks, “Is Truth Dead?” “Morality, like art, means drawing a line somewhere.” ~ Oscar Wilde When leaders play loose with truth, they make it more comfortable … Read More

Leadership Challenges: Fear of Failure Of all the challenges leaders face, none is more pervasive yet hidden than fear of failure. “Only those who dare to fail greatly can ever achieve greatly.” – Robert F. Kennedy Leadership is a tough job that requires courage. Doubts, insecurities and fears make organizational challenges more difficult and, in extreme cases, insurmountable. No matter … Read More

The Inner Game of Leadership Effective leaders master the C-suite competencies: setting strategic direction; communicating an inspiring mission; understanding financial data; planning and coordinating resources; and ensuring that processes, systems and people achieve results. Most leadership-development efforts focus on these responsibilities, but they’re ultimately insufficient. Great leaders must address the inner game of leadership. The inner game consists of character … Read More

Growing Business with Better Relationships Ultimately, every business is dependent upon relationships. Relationships with Customers. Relationships with Suppliers. Relationships with Employees and Co-Workers. The organizations that manage these relationships better, are the ones that grow and prosper even in changing and challenging times. It simply makes good business sense to build a team of people who are good at building … Read More

Digital Distractions: The War for Your Attention Are you letting digital devices overwhelm you and eat away at your ability to focus and concentrate? Is technology really saving you time and energy – like it’s supposed to do – or is it running rampant, creating unnecessary work? Most of us are bombarded by messages, texts, alerts, and buzzed throughout the … Read More

Make Behavioral Changes Last What’s the most significant change in behavior you’ve made as an adult? For some, it’s quitting smoking or drinking, or making healthy changes in eating and exercising. For others, it’s becoming a better listener, a more effective manager, or a nicer partner or spouse. No matter what changes you’ve made, whether physical, social, or work-related, almost … Read More

Strengths-Based Leadership If you want to improve employee engagement and productivity while reducing turnover, your organization must build on individual and team strengths. Nearly a decade ago, Gallup unveiled the results of a 30-year research project on leadership strengths. More than 3 million people have since taken the firm’s StrengthsFinder assessment. In Strengths Based Leadership: Great Leaders, Teams, and Why … Read More

A.C.T. Like a Hero: The Journey to Self It’s relatively common: you’ve got all your ducks in a row, established some healthy routines, and you’re comfortably progressing on your career path. Then “bam!” you hit a wall. You’re stuck. You wake up knowing something’s missing and you don’t know what it is. It may be a mid-life thing, but it can … Read More