I like to pass on the story of a young girl giving away golden retriever puppies in a little pen she had made in her front yard next to a handmade sign. A young boy limped up to her and asked if they were truly free, and she confirmed that he could take any one […]
In his timeless classic, Seven Habits of Highly Effective People, Stephen R. Covey describes three habits necessary to achieve what Covey calls the Private Victory, which is the shift from dependence to independence, and three habits which comprise the Public Victory, which elevates a person to interdependence. The most basic example of the progressive nature […]
I recently heard a talk on the Japanese art of Kintsugi. If you aren’t familiar with Kintsugi, it is taking a piece of broken pottery and mending it back together with a lacquer. The lacquer is mixed with flakes of gold, silver or platinum as to accentuate the areas the pottery has been damaged. This […]
Darren Hardy said, “To change your reflection (what you do that you want your people to do), change your projection (the example you set).” You are being watched. Never forget that. Like it or not, your behavior and words influence the whole organization. Employees are paying attention to your actions, copying your ethics, and responding […]
“Mojo” is that positive spirit toward what you are doing, and it’s a crucial mindset for leadership. “It starts on the inside,” shares Marshall Goldsmith, “and radiates to the outside.” While you might have some pre-disposition toward being a glass-half-empty person versus a glass-half-full person, we can all get a little better at leaning into […]
One of the key precursors of success in business and in life depends on how well you know yourself, what you value and why you value it. What do I know about leaders? Be… Know… Do… Leaders are all about living their own values, being authentically true to themselves. They know their skill-set strengths and […]
Your business and your team can only grow as high as you have grown yourself. Sure, you can be a poser for a while, but ultimately, you can’t lead someone past where you have gone. Lee Iacocca said, “The speed of the leader, the speed of the team.” So, the fact is: the best leaders […]
On my 37th birthday, I came up with a list of things I want to be characterized by, for the 2nd half of my life; in part, what I want to be known for at my memorial service someday. I turn 50 next week and want to refresh my list on a personal retreat. They […]
Paradigms are ways of thinking on an issue. Most of our paradigms are in cement due to: the family system we grew up in, our other life experiences, the people we hang around, and the literature/media we take in. And we sort of like it that way. We get to stay in a “thinking comfort […]
It’s a scary feeling when driving in a rainstorm and the car’s tires actually leave the pavement briefly due to the puddles of water coming between them: the tire encounters more water than it can scatter. The car lurches for a moment and you very temporarily lose control. Ever have that hydroplaning sensation in your […]