Over the last decade, self-help, coaching and leadership professionals have been placing greater emphasis on positivity and personal strengths. The goal is to help clients work with what they have and build on their inherent talents. “Every great dream begins with a dreamer. Always remember, you … [Read more...] about Play to Your Strengths
Are You Over-Led and Under-Managed?
“It has become popular to talk about us being over-managed and under-led. I believe we are now over-led and under-managed.” ~ Henry Mintzberg, Simply Managing: What Managers Do—and Can Do Better (Berrett-Koehler Publishers, 2013) Much has been written about the difference between leaders and … [Read more...] about Are You Over-Led and Under-Managed?
Set a Big Hairy Audacious Goal
“Goals are one of the most misused and abused concepts in business and life today. Quite often, they’re set but not met, or set without providing realistic aims and/or equipment to achieve them. As a result, goal outcomes are often lowered until they are met or scrapped entirely in favor of new … [Read more...] about Set a Big Hairy Audacious Goal
The Quest for Better Teams
“Teamwork remains the one sustainable competitive advantage that has been largely untapped.” ~ Patrick Lencioni, Overcoming the Five Dysfunctions of a Team (Jossey-Bass, 2005) Corporations increasingly organize workforces into teams, a practice that gained popularity in the ’90s. By 2000, roughly … [Read more...] about The Quest for Better Teams
How to Plan a Life
“If you don’t design your own life plan, chances are you’ll fall into someone else’s plan. And guess what they have planned for you? Not much.” ~ Business philosopher Jim Rohn Do you have a life plan? John Lennon once said, “Life is something that happens to you when you’re busy making other … [Read more...] about How to Plan a Life
Accountability Essentials
Is accountability becoming even more important in 21st Century business? In an age of ubiquitous social media and cell-phone videos, Big Brother’s watchful eyes seem to loom large. Rudeness, politically incorrect slips of the tongue and outrageous conduct are digitally captured and immediately … [Read more...] about Accountability Essentials
Improve Your Email and Phone Messages
Clear communication with people you know is challenging enough, but influencing those you’ve never met is even more difficult. “Just as previous generations struggled to integrate first the telegraph and then the telephone into their lives, we’re struggling to integrate email into ours. We’re using … [Read more...] about Improve Your Email and Phone Messages
Mastering Leadership Psychology
“If you could only sense how important you are to the lives of those you meet; how important you can be to the people you may never even dream of. There is something of yourself that you leave at every meeting with another person.” ~ Fred Rogers, The World According to Mr. Rogers: Important Things … [Read more...] about Mastering Leadership Psychology
How to Improve Your Brain at Work
Let’s face it: You’re getting older, and work isn’t getting any easier. If being asked to do more with less isn’t enough, advanced technology and a rapidly changing marketplace mean you must stay sharp to remain a competitive asset to your customers and bosses. How can you maintain your edge? “You … [Read more...] about How to Improve Your Brain at Work
The Rampant Rise of Rudeness
“These may not be the best of times, and these may not be the worst of times, but for sheer rudeness, these times beat the dickens out of most times.” ~ Roger McElvey, “Mr. Manners,” Men’s Health, May 1995 While there are plenty of leadership development programs that propose social and emotional … [Read more...] about The Rampant Rise of Rudeness