“Depressing.” “Friendly.” “Efficient.” “Ruthless.” Every organization has a culture, and a positive one adds to the retention of your top team members. In this free chapter from our book, STRETCH – 26 Weeks of Leadership Exercises, learn 10 ways you can shape the culture of your organization.
Read moreUnlikely Leadership Lessons from a Haunted House
In my job as a youth pastor, we once organized a haunted house outreach for the community. What started as an idea with a handful of teens grew into over 1,000 people touring the House of Horror! Here is what I learned as a very young leader of this event.
Read moreBroken Leadership: How to Identify and Address It
In politics, church, business, and community leadership, there is no shortage of examples of the abuse of position and power. Here are the most common roles within every system of broken leadership and what you can do to change them.
Read moreYour Leadership Superpower: What Sets Great Leaders Apart
Leaders can have superpowers - like influential networking, extraordinary intelligence, or visionary insights. If you could pick one leadership superpower that would help you lead the most effectively, what would it be? Here's one of the top ones and what you can do to cultivate it.
Read morePlowing Through Bureaucracy: 12 Actions to Improve Workflow
Delta Force is a highly secretive unit of the U.S. military involved in critical special operations. Yet, it took 14 years to be approved and funded! Bureaucracy is where good ideas go to die. Here are 12 ways to start plowing through the bureaucracy in your organization.
Read moreIf Your Consultant Doesn’t Provide These 7 Essentials, It's Time to Move on!
There are almost 1 million consulting businesses in the U.S. Every consultant works hard to seem unique, but it comes down to how motivated and capable the client is and how capable and experienced the consultant is. If your consultant is not providing you with these 7 deliverables, it may be time to move on.
Read morePain Points: 8 Hot Spots That Can Drain Even the Best Leaders
All leaders have pain points. But recently, they have gone from managing one or two to now dealing with six or more all at the same time! Here are the most common pain points we are seeing as well as a few suggestions for how to stay strong in the midst of distress.
Read moreVictors: 5 Factors That Separate Those Who Finish from Those Who Quit
Soldiers who stand strong in battle. Leaders who refuse to quit even when pummeled by overwhelming obstacles. Parents who forge rough waters with a struggling child. They all have something in common: endurance. Here are five factors that separate victors from quitters.
Read moreThe Trust Factor: The Most Important Element of Leadership You Cannot Afford to Ignore
Did you know, only 46% of employees place “a great deal of trust” in their employers? But research has shown that high-trust environments have higher productivity and less stress. Here are the top ways we lose trust and the best ways to build it back up again.
Read moreStaying Power: 7 Vital Signs for Effective Recruitment and Retention
40% of employees stated that they are at least somewhat likely to leave their current job in the next 3–6 months. Here are the seven most important reasons people leave or stay. How does your organization measure up?
Read moreWhen Leaders Publicly Break: 7 Common Traits
Many high-profile leaders who have resigned or been dismissed from their positions over the past few years appear to have some traits in common, regardless of whether they worked in a church, government, or business. Here are the most evident characteristics they share.
Read moreCommunication Breakdown: 6 Causes & How to Avoid Them
“Communication around here is pathetic!” Have you ever thought this? The natural path of communication is to break down, and that can only be corrected by intentional action. Here are the common causes of a communication breakdown as well as ways to prevent it from happening.
Read more8 Things Leaders Should Never Take for Granted
Leaders can overlook certain things until they go missing, and once they do go missing, their job becomes much more difficult. Here are eight things leaders should never take for granted.
Read moreHow to Measure Team Health (Without Mindreading Software!)
Researchers in China claim to have developed mind-reading software that uses AI to assess loyalty. Imagine if you could read the minds of your team and know how they are feeling and if they trust you! Here are five ways to measure your team’s health that don't require the ability to read minds.
Read more10 Behaviors More Difficult to Manage Than Brain Surgery
A chief of neurosurgery once said, “The hardest part of my job is not the surgery – it’s dealing with people’s behaviors!” He has one of the most complex careers, and yet people can be even more difficult than his work! Here are 10 of those difficult behaviors.
Read more5 Leadership Lessons from My 10th-Grade Gym Teacher
I can still remember my 10th grade gym teacher from 47 years ago... why? Because he had a positive influence on those around him. Here are five leadership lessons I learned from him all those years ago that still hold true today.
Read more“Your Judgment Stinks!” And the Top 8 Reasons That Contribute to It
How often have you mumbled under your breath “Are you kidding me?” after watching someone make what appears to be a really bad choice? Here are the top eight reasons that most often contribute to poor judgment.
Read moreThe Wow Factor: 10 Dynamics of Exceptional Teams
I often have a "wow" reaction when watching extraordinary people in action - like singers, athletes, and surgeons. And it happened again recently when I was spending time with a team. Here are 10 dynamics I observed in this exceptional team.
Read moreWords That Change Worlds
“You are hired!” “The scan was negative!” Now imagine how you would feel if those phrases were the opposite. Words matter. If you want to have a positive influence on the lives of others, use these words that will change their world.
Read more6 Simple Exercises That Can Grow Your Leadership Longevity
Every leader wants to experience longevity and the success and positional security that usually accompany it. So if you are a manager, leader, pastor, or staff member, here are six simple exercises that will improve your leadership longevity.
Read more