Engagement is a very trendy word, and while it is so powerful, because of its (over)use, people are making it harder to understand and think about than is necessary. In fact, it is writers, speakers and consultants (yep, people like me) who are adding to the confusion by injecting complexity where it isn’t needed. So… Read More
Silence Might Be Golden
Meetings are meant to be a time for people to exchange ideas and insights. While there are many components to effective meetings, one factor most people would put on that list is engaged participants. I mean, a good meeting can’t be quiet, can it? Maybe, at least at times. Let’s start with my main premise… Read More
Six Reasons Leaders Need to Stop!
Every leader I talk to has plenty to do. We live in an age of the full plate, the fast pace and the stuffed to-do list. While this may be a sign of our times, there is another sign that we see and observe every day; and we don’t really realize that this sign can… Read More
Six Reasons Why Boundaries Help Everyone Be More Successful
There are all sorts of boundaries in our lives. Boundaries define the playing field for most sports. Fences provide boundaries for homes and farms. Walls keep people in, or out. These are obvious and clear boundaries. There are others that while we know they exist, there isn’t a physical line of demarcation. The boundaries in… Read More
Six Ways Leaders Can Help Others Measure Success
One of earliest tools I learned how to use growing up on a farm was a tape measure. There are several reasons for that – it is often used, using it won’t hurt you (think hammer, saw, or torch!), and my Dad carried a small one in his pocket. And as a boy, emulating Dad… Read More
Six Ways to Respond Rather than React
In a recent leadership workshop a participant asked me: “How can I get staff to think about choices or decisions and not just react?” My first thought was of a classic Zig Ziglar story that talks about the big difference one word can make. Zig said (and I’m paraphrasing): Imagine going to the doctor for… Read More
Ten Decisions Leaders Make Everyday
In the course of your day as a leader you are faced with many decisions. Some come in emails, some in inquiries, and some in meetings. Some you have time to consider, for some you will rely on input from others, and others you must make immediately. There’s no question, leadership requires decision-making. The decisions… Read More
Ten Hats All Leaders Wear
As a leader, all day long you are wearing a hat. Not the kind that people might laugh at or that might smoosh your hair, but a hat nonetheless. For the next few minutes I want you to think of the various roles you play as a leader and different hats that you wear. While… Read More
Ten Morning Habits that Promote Greater Success
Do you want to get more done, reach more of your goals, and make a bigger difference? If so, the morning is when that can all begin! However you came to read these words, I’m confident you are interested in greater productivity, achievement and success. Perhaps you want that for yourself, or perhaps you want… Read More
The Age of Empathy
No one would argue against the value of empathy, and yet most would agree it is often in short supply. And while, from an organizational or societal perspective, we could always use more of it, the need is greater than ever. That is why now is the Age of Empathy. Let me tell you why,… Read More
The Best Leaders Carry Flashlights
I first remember carrying a flashlight at summer camp. Coming back to the cabin after the campfire would have been pretty treacherous without one. Something got me thinking about flashlights recently. As I thought about them, I realized that as leaders we need to have a flashlight available for a variety of reasons . …. Read More
The Forgotten Key to Effective Feedback
Every leader has, in a formal setting or not, needed to provide feedback on performance. In workshops around the world I have asked people to give me their best tips for providing effective feedback. To a person, leaders create great lists of techniques and approaches. Yet one thing, perhaps the most powerful piece of advice,… Read More
The Goal of Great Communication
The late great Jim Rohn, was more than just a great speaker, he was a modern day philosopher. Here is one of my favorite quotations from him about communication. “The goal of effective communication should be for listeners to say, ‘Me, too!’ versus ‘So what?’” – Jim Rohn, speaker and author Questions to Ponder… Read More
The Keys to Successful Performance Conversations
It is likely you have had an experience like this in your past: You are 8 or 10 or 12 years old. You’ve done something wrong, whether you know it yet or not. You certainly know it after you have been told to “stay after class”, “go to the Principal’s office” or “wait until your… Read More
The Most Powerful (And Dangerous) Question in the World
Questions in general can be incredibly powerful, and the right one asked at the right time can change a situation, a relationship and even the world. But while lots of questions are great, there is one that is simple, universally used, and incredibly powerful – and that power can be for good, or for ill…. Read More
The Power of Observation
“Chance favors a prepared mind.” The quote from Louis Pasteur is well known, but it is incomplete. The full thought is Where observation is concerned, chance favors the prepared mind. While the first statement is helpful, the full statement makes the power of observation far clearer. When we use the power of observation intentionally and effectively,… Read More
The Real Value of Understanding Communication Styles
As a leader, communication skills rank near the top of our list of important skills. Because of their importance, these skills are talked about and written about a lot. Much training takes place every day, designed to help leaders get better at these important skills. One of the reasons communication is difficult is that not… Read More
The Truth About Attitude
Most everyone would say that attitude is important – even those who would admit theirs isn’t as positive as it could be. And most people who know me would say that I am a pretty upbeat, and positive person. In fact, some have said I was as positive as anyone they’ve known (and I was… Read More
Three Keys to Being a Successful Remote Team Member
As a person who has worked remotely, leads a team who largely work remotely, and works with leaders of remote teams regularly, there is much advice I could share about how to be successful working remotely. That however, isn’t what this article is about. Read the title of this article again and you will see… Read More
Three Reasons Why Small Things Make a Big Difference
You’ve heard, and probably said, “Don’t sweat the small stuff.” While there is some truth in that statement, the sentiment can be very harmful if we don’t consider small things in the right context. Let me start by telling you a story… According to James Kerr in his book Legacy, about the leadership lessons from… Read More
Three Types of Forgiveness and Why They Matter to Us as Leaders
Forgiveness. We see it in public gestures like Nelson Mandela forgiving his captors after his long imprisonment or when President Ford pardoned President Nixon. And we often see the results when there is no forgiveness. Like in the news every day – from revenge violence to road rage to people arguing about reclining seats on… Read More
Three Ways to Build Greater Commitment with Team Members
Team member commitment is a much-discussed topic among leaders. Whether they are lamenting the lack of it or basking in the high levels of it, astute leaders are thinking about the commitment of their team members, because they know it is the leading indicator of things like turnover, productivity, quality, and more. While much-discussed, often… Read More
Unlock Conversation with These Seven Question Keys
We have all encountered locked doors in our lives. Most of them are literal slabs of wood or metal, keeping us from moving to someplace we want to go. And to get through doors, keys are required. The keys I am sharing with you today however, unlock more than a literal door. They are key… Read More
Using the Four Types of Feedback Effectively
You’ve likely heard when you deliver feedback it should be balanced. When you have heard that, what people typically are suggesting that you should strive to give people a balance of positive and negative feedback. This advice is only half-right. It’s an understandable misunderstanding because people think there are only two types of feedback, when… Read More