The words jumped off the page of a Harvard Business Article and hit me square between the eyes. "If you're highly successful, your achievements are obvious. It's more novel and inspiring for others to learn about your mistakes.” So here it goes - the nine mistakes I told myself I would never make, but did, and what I learned that countered those beliefs.
Read more9 Things Smart Leaders Do in Their First 90 Days
The first ninety days in a new job are critical. Why? Because those first weeks and months will often set the tone for your future. If you are a leader about to enter into a new position, here are 9 smart activities we have found to be vital in those early months. (These principles are also useful for those already established in a leadership role!)
Read more7 Gifts to Give Your Team This Christmas
One Christmas, my family’s gift to our neighbors is Perogi Fest, an open house featuring a variety of perogies including our own homemade favorite – potato and Longhorn cheese! Dough, cheese and butter, and then throw on some sautéed onions – What is there not to like? Here are 7 gifts your team will actually appreciate this Christmas, besides perogies!
Read moreDon’t Fool Yourself – Leadership Is Hard Work
We continue to hear common themes that leaders from all backgrounds are facing serious challenges - troubles, sleepless nights, hard work, relentless criticism… Some of these challenges are in their organizations, others are in their personal lives. Here are five tips for you to consider when facing the challenges of leadership in your life.
Read more7 Things I Am Thankful for but Often Forget to Acknowledge
Growing up, my family never had the tradition of sitting around the thanksgiving table and sharing what we were thankful for. But as we approach Thanksgiving, I gave some thought to what I should be thankful for – especially those things I think about less often but really do find important. Here are seven things I am thankful for but often forget to acknowledge. What are you forgetting to be thankful for this November?
Read more8 Actions That Will Build Trust in an Epidemic of Distrust
Who can you trust these days? According to a recent study by the Pew Research Center, Americans are struggling with trust. For example, the following percentages of Americans noted having little or no trust in elected officials (63%), business leaders (57%), news media (52%), religious leaders (38%), and police officers (31%). Here are 8 actions that will help build trust in an epidemic of distrust.
Read more5 Reasons Why Leaders Sometimes Harm the Organizations They Love
Have you ever heard of factitious disorder (often referred to as Munchausen Syndrome)? One of the characteristics of this mental illness is when a caregiver makes the person under their care become sick. It is interesting how often we see something similar in our consulting with organizations. Over the years, we have seen multiple examples of a leader of an organization, and sometimes even the founder, making the organization sick while claiming to love it and care deeply about it. But why would a leader harm the organization he/she claims to love? Here are 5 reasons.
Read moreLeading Blind: The Common Occurrence of Blind Spots & How to Correct Them
Picture yourself with a blindfold on and then attempting to drive a car (bad idea and also illegal!), or to walk your dog, or to throw a Frisbee. It’s hard to picture anything but problems emerging. The same is true for those who lead but with the inability to see what they should be able to. This results in leading blind, and the outcomes can often be embarrassing at best, and at worst, damaging to ourselves and others. Here are four of the most telling signs of blind spots and five ways to correct them.
Read moreThe 10 Greatest Life & Leadership Lessons I Have Learned (So Far)
If we are going to lead well, we better learn well too. Here are ten life and leadership lessons I have learned that may be of help to you as well.
Read moreA Mistake Was Made, But It Wasn’t My Fault
Mistakes happen and are almost always a result of human error – which means they aren’t going away anytime soon. While we need to strive to prevent as many mistakes as possible, we also need to respond appropriately when they happen. Here are some of the most common reactions when confronted with an error and a few suggestions on a better way to respond.
Read moreWhen to Quit & When You Should Think Twice
The toughness of Navy Seals has become well known through movies like Lone Survivor and American Sniper. Becoming part of this elite group requires surviving grueling tests of mental, emotional, and physical toughness. And then there is the infamous bell. The bell is ever present while the Seal trainees endure the intense exercises; and all they must do to quit and receive a nice meal, hot shower, and clean bed is to ring it three times. So when is it the right time to quit and ring the bell in your life, and when it is better to think twice?
Read more2 Key Characteristics of Influential Leaders
Few things are more energizing than getting to watch a gifted leader at work. And, few things are more irritating than watching an incompetent person pretend to lead! Leaders with influence have a healthy blend of ability complimented by confidence. Here is a simple matrix to identify four types of leaders. Where are you? And where are members of your team?
Read more7 Actions to Improve Employee Retention
“We can’t find any new employees!” “Younger employees sure don’t stay in one job for very long.” Our consulting team hears statements like these a lot. The struggle to find and retain qualified employees is partly a result of low unemployment and economic growth. Here are seven actions that each of us can take to help create a higher retention environment among our teams.
Read moreThe Smell of Legitimacy: 10 Things Deceptive Leaders Do to Fake Their Way to Success
“There is nothing new under the sun.” While most deceptive leaders do not become as infamous as Bernie Madoff, they do have some things in common in faking their way to success.
Read moreWe Are Not Getting Any Younger… And it Should Matter to Every Leader
For the first time in recorded history, there will be more people in the world over the age of 65 than under the age of 5. Here is what the aging population will mean for our organizations in terms of the workforce, health care, education, and spiritual outreach.
Read moreIs Your Vision Sustainable? 10 Ways To Ensure Your Organization Can Withstand the Unpredictable
Bad things happen when we least expect it. While not everything is predictable, we as leaders should know that our organization’s sustainability is only one step away from an economic downturn, a loss of a key staff member, or an unexpected change in competition or market preferences. Here are 10 ways to make your vision more sustainable.
Read moreAll Stressed Out! 5 Actions to Move from Stressed to Satisfied
America is one of the wealthiest countries but also one of the most stressed out. According to Gallup’s 2019 Global Emotions Report, 55% of Americans feel stressed for much of each day. Here are five actions to help you move from stressed to satisfied.
Read more5 Sayings That Sound Smart but Aren't
Do you ever feel a twinge of doubt when you hear pithy phrases that sound true but don’t tell the whole story? There are a lot of these when it comes to leadership. Here are 5 of the more popular ones and why they may sound smart but can prove to be dumb.
Read moreMoving Beyond What Is… To What Could Be
We have seen a number of leaders make the decision to move outside of what is comfortable and safe to what is so much greater… to what could be. Here are four things needed to help your organization move to "what could be."
Read more6 Signs of The Shadow Side of Your Organization & 6 Actions to Contain It
Every organization has a visible side and a somewhat invisible side also known as… the shadow side. This is the unhealthy underlying organization within the organization. Sometimes the shadow side is inactive, like a dormant cancer cell in the body. When it is inactive, it is somewhat harmless. But when it becomes active, things can get ugly very fast. Here are the warning signs of an active shadow side and what to do to advance the health of the organization.
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