When my daughter was heading to college, I gave her the best advice I could from my experience in life and leadership. These principles also have a lot of use for those who lead. So if you are heading off to college, starting a new job, or are a seasoned leader, here is my best advice for you.
Read moreBlind Spots: How to Identify & Avoid Blind Spots in Your Organization [VIDEO]
All organizations have blind spots, and when they go unchecked, they can cause a catastrophic event. Here’s how to identify and avoid blind spots in your organization.
Read moreAlone: 8 Reasons Every Employer Should Encourage Relational Connection at Work
For the first 200 years of U.S. history, we were known for our social connections and sense of community. But then, we stopped hanging out. Isolation negatively impacts all areas of our lives. Here are eight reasons why every employer should encourage relational connection at work.
Read moreYou Worked Hard to Be Successful – Don’t Blow It.
Leaders can experience a strong current of success early on, but then run aground. Why? Because while becoming a successful leader is hard, staying successful is even more difficult! Here's why they fail and how to prevent it.
Read more12 Actions That Mark a Servant Leader: “Not everybody can be famous. But everybody can be great.”
Of all the important titles someone can have, “servant” doesn’t usually show up on the list. Martin Luther King, Jr. once said, “Not everybody can be famous. But everybody can be great, because greatness is determined by service.” If you want to be someone known for showing up at work with an attitude of a servant, consider these 12 traits of servant leaders.
Read moreNormalized Incompetence & How to Break the Pattern
When enough incompetence gets embedded in an organization’s culture, it can become normalized. Here are the top five reasons normalized incompetence emerges and what you can do to correct and prevent it.
Read more10 Things I Wish Someone Told Me When I Was a Young Leader
We all could have benefited from hearing certain advice as younger leaders. Here are the 10 pieces of advice I found to be most important in my experience.
Read moreSix Reasons Why Some People Excel and Others… Don’t
The opposite of excelling is not “failing” – it is being “OK,” “acceptable,” and “good enough.” Here are six reasons why some people excel and why others remain average.
Read moreLeadership & the Four-Eyed Fish: 9 Things Every Leader Should Pay Attention To
The four-eyed fish, a species of fish found in the Amazon, can look for dangers and opportunities below the water and above the water at the same time. Similarly, leaders need to be looking for the current threats and opportunities as well as those that are on the horizon. Here are nine areas leaders should pay attention to.
Read more7 Ways to Work Well with People Who Are Not Like You
We often gravitate to people who think and act like us. While our lives can feel easier when there is a high level of sameness, the loss of creativity and innovation is very real. Here are seven ways to work well with people who are not like you.
Read more6 Ways Leaders Overlook Bad Behavior & How to Change
How often have you seen leaders ignore the bad behavior of someone under their oversight? We have seen it many times. Here are a few ways leaders avoid addressing bad behavior and how they can change.
Read moreLessons for Caitlin Clark, Luke Combs, & Other Rapidly Rising Leaders
While I am confident influencers like Caitlin Clark and Luke Combs would have very little interest in advice from “the chunky guy who sounds like Kermit,” their rocket rise to fame has reminded me of how vulnerable rapidly rising leaders are. If by chance Caitlin, Luke, or any rapidly rising leader was interested in how to guard themselves against a fall, here are the lessons I would share.
Read more8 Truths Every Effective Leader Tells Themselves (Almost) Daily
Uncontrollable negative thoughts and untruths can be destructive and even devastating at times. Here are 8 truths effective leaders tell themselves (almost) daily to combat the lies.
Read more7 Times When It’s Best to Keep Your Mouth Shut
It is true that some people choose to not speak up when they should. But from my experience, there are far more times that people speak when they should not. Here are seven times when silence should prevail.
Read moreHow to Reinvent Yourself as a Leader
Our culture is experiencing a rapid pace of reinvention. From going to work to working from home. From recovering in the hospital to outpatient surgery. From shopping at a mall to shopping online. Similarly, here are 8 reinventions a leader should consider to advance their credibility, productivity, or competency.
Read moreWhat Your Boss Really Wants From You
We all have expectations of each other, and this includes your boss having expectations of you. Here is what every leader desires most from their team members.
Read moreNarcissists, Bullies, & Other Minions You’ll Find at Work
When most people show up to work today, they will find desks, computers, coffee makers, and some great people. But they may also find people who are annoying, draining, or even toxic. Here are the top six types of people who can drain the soul out of a team.
Read moreQuestions That Can Save Your Character & Career
The questions we ask ourselves can help us to pay attention, slow down, and think carefully before proceeding. Here are seven questions to start asking yourself that can save your character and career.
Read moreRecruiting & Retaining “Mature” Team Members [VIDEO]
In the movie “The Intern,” Robert De Niro is a retired executive who rejoins the workforce as a senior intern. This may sound like a story made just for the movies, but it matches our reality today. With the population aging and not enough young people to fill the available positions in the workforce, leaders are going to have to be creative to fill in the gaps. Here’s how.
Read moreHow to Respond to Criticism with Humility
Most of us have experienced being on the receiving end of criticism. It seldom feels good even though it is essential for improvement. Here are five ways to respond to criticism with humility.
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