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Everything you need to lead well — free blogs, videos, and panel discussions from people who are passionate about helping leaders thrive.
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Why Broken Leaders Can Make Better Leaders
90% of CEOs say fear of failure is the main concern that keeps them awake at night. But sometimes our brokenness is what makes us better leaders. Here are six reasons why.
Lessons Learned from “A Charlie Brown Christmas”
Created in 1965, "A Charlie Brown Christmas" was produced on a very low budget and predicted to be a failure. Yet, it became a major success that continues 58 years later! So, here are 7 lessons to consider from one of the most cherished Christmas stories.
Headache Vs. Reward: How to Determine If People or Projects Are Worth the Risk
When it comes to hiring people and launching projects, it is important to look at the ratio regarding how great the headaches will be versus what the potential rewards will be. Here is a tool to help you make that decision for your unique context.
When Small Is Big: 7 Small Acts That Can Have a Big Impact
When was the last time that someone's small act made a big impact on your life? Even though they may not have realized it, their simple gesture made an impression on you. Here are 7 small actions that can have an unexpectedly big impact on your leadership.
How to Extend Your Leadership Shelf Life
Mayonnaise, turkey, and milk are not the only things that have a shelf life. Leaders do too. Symptoms include loss of motivation, decreased learning, and adding less value to the organization. Here are 8 ways to extend your leadership shelf life.
10 Ways to Create a Positive Work Culture
“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.
Unlikely 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.
Broken 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.
Your 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.
Plowing 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.
If 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.
Pain 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.
Victors: 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.
The 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.
Staying 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?
When 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.
Communication 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.
8 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.
How 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.
10 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.