What sets visionary leaders apart isn’t magic—it’s a few key traits that turn big ideas into reality. Whether it's Karl Benz revolutionizing transportation or a local entrepreneur transforming her community, here are the three traits that separate a visionary leader from all other leaders.
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.
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.
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.
Almost all leaders struggle at some point with either not delegating (“there is no one who is experienced enough to do it right”) or delegating poorly (“I don’t feel like doing it, so I’ll just give it to her”). Here are ten steps to advance your organization’s effectiveness with wise delegation.
When thinking of a humble leader, many people think of the stereotypes of meek and weak. But that has not been our experience working with leaders who manifest humility. Here are five traits of humble leaders.
Sludge is not only found in your sink drain; it can also be found in your organization in the barriers that keep it from moving forward. Here are the six greatest causes of the muck that most often hinders organizational growth and health.
Organizations are often looking for a leader who is an “A” in every category, when they should instead be looking for someone whose leadership style fits with their culture and needs. Here are eight types of leadership.
Years ago, my family was treated to a trip by Make-A-Wish, which grants wishes to children who have experienced a life-threatening illness. The entire process was a remarkable example of vision and excellence. Here are five things I learned from Make-A-Wish that can make a difference for every leader who applies them.
The Titanic, the largest and most luxurious passenger ship of its time, is a reminder that even the most impressive organizations can fail very quickly. Here are 7 lessons every leader can learn from the tragedy of the Titanic.
Every organization that is experiencing success one day can find itself floundering the next. By understanding these ten derailers, we can more effectively prevent our organizations from going off the tracks.
We can learn from so many different sources - good experiences, difficult events, people young and old, reading books, and even from watching movies. This Christmas, here are 8 leadership lessons from one of America’s most popular holiday movies – Home Alone!
People are infatuated with the concept of leadership. Many want to be and think they are leaders, but are they truly leading? Here are seven signs that you really are a leader.
This past week, we hosted our first Emerging Leaders Initiative with a group of 11 participants, 18-23 years old. This impressive group made me think, "What would leadership look like if leaders who are in their 40’s, 50’s, or 60’s manifested the same traits we saw in this group?" Here are five things we can learn from these emerging leaders.
“It’s the beginning of the end if we do not reach young people.” Today, young people age 10 to 24 make up close to one quarter of the world’s population and will shape the future in dynamic ways. Here are five practical ways to invest in the young people in your life.
Speaking with candor is easier said than done. People can either speak so directly that they forget how it will affect the other person, or they are so compassionate that the meaning of the feedback is lost. Here are helpful tips for balancing both care and confrontation when giving candor and how to receive it well.
The skills needed for employees to succeed are changing due to disruptions in our culture. One report states that 50% of all employees will need to be retrained in the next five years in specific areas. Here’s what they are.
“Why do I need to have a plan?” Here are three good reasons: the pandemic, the march on Capitol Hill, and the deep freeze in Texas. There were many contributing factors that produced these crises, but first and foremost was the LACK OF PLANNING. Here are six steps that will help you capture the power of planning for your organization.
There are about 40 million people in the U.S. living with some type of disability. People with disabilities have extraordinary abilities, or what I call “different-abilities.” Here are six lessons from them that we can apply to our life and leadership.
What would happen if our businesses, churches, and nonprofit organizations had the authority to remove their leader? Like on Survivor, would your team vote you off the island? If the answer might be yes, here are seven actions to earn and retain your team’s loyalty.
Over the past year, we have experienced an extraordinary amount of emotional, relational, and physical destruction and death. So how can we move forward and experience healing in our families, organizations, churches, and country? Here are 8 ways we can all do better and actually make a difference.
A drug addict runs into the ER with a baby that is almost dead. Is she an addict or a life saver? Here are 9 ways for us to see the full picture of the situation we are dealing with and decrease the risk of reaching faulty conclusions.
When I am stuck in traffic, I always wonder, “What is going on up ahead? Would those drivers with a better perspective tell me to turn around?” So, to start out the new year, we asked a number of our consultants and clients to share their best advice for other leaders. Here are the three themes that surfaced most often.
We all have our own doubts, fears, past experiences, and potential conflicts that have a way of staying in our memories and clouding our minds and decisions. As leaders, we need to clear our heads to be able to lead our team well. Here’s how.