Inspiration
7 elements of a compelling leadership vision for change
Leading change starts with a compelling leadership vision for change. According to leadership expert John Kotter, a lack of leadership vision is one of...
Inspiration
Inspiration
Being believed in — it’s magic!
As leaders, we have many pathways to help our team members. What is the best approach? That may depend on the individual. Regardless of...
Inspiration
Battling the bulge: Handling the expectations of too many employees for too few promotions
Many organizations today are fighting a battle of the bulge. No, it has nothing to do with wellness programs, insurance premiums or weight-loss competitions....
Inspiration
12 ways to reward your best employees
The Young Entrepreneur Council is an invite-only organization comprised of the world’s most promising young entrepreneurs. YEC recently launched StartupCollective, a free virtual mentorship program that...
Inspiration
Do the right thing
I was recently listening to a spiritual talk when one of the speakers said something that struck me: We must always try to do...
Inspiration
Tough is easy
“Are you a tough boss?” asked an interviewer of John L. Weinberg, senior partner and de facto CEO of Goldman Sachs. A former Marine,...
Inspiration
Doing the right things In business — what that looks like
I recently wrote a short article titled “Do The Right Thing.” I was excited as it was posted by SmartBrief on Leadership and InPower...
Inspiration
No ham please! What your employees really want for the holidays
#75650521 / gettyimages.com The company I worked for in my first professional position gave all of the employees a ham for the holidays....
Inspiration
Thanks to a manager
You’ve probably never heard of Byron Lionel Kohlbusch from Hermann, Mo. He wrote plenty of “poison pen” corporate memos but never any famous business...
Inspiration
The No. 1 skill for leading up, down and across
There is one thing, one talent that matters more than all of the training, titles and corner offices combined could lend to your ability...
Inspiration
Know your why
How can we better identify and express our why and motivate those around us to believe in what we believe and perform to their potential? Begin by answering these basic questions:
Inspiration
Basic human values that empower high-performance workplaces
Although business leaders try to boost performance by enforcing rules, their efforts lead, ironically, to disengagement and apathy, and an estimated 70% of employees in the...
Inspiration
Employees say you have a toxic culture? Here’s how to fix it
American Airlines’ merger with US Airways is not going well. American Airlines’ pilots’ union notified CEO Doug Parker in a March 4 letter that...
Inspiration
Start creating your legacy now by developing your people
Working for a global finance company this year, I have been asked to support a variety of leaders in shaping their leadership-development goals. These...
Inspiration
Ask yourself, “What do people need?”
I was born during the Summer of Love, in 1967, when the counter-culture phenomenon erupted into the public’s attention in San Francisco’s Haight-Ashbury neighborhood,...
Inspiration
Be open to new ideas
We all want to be respected by others, but how often do we show respect to others, in particular those who report to us?
Inspiration
Lead your peers
You can show someone a better way to do something, but they will not adopt your approach until they trust you.
Inspiration
Feelings at work: 3 reasons why you should care
Credit: Pixabay Squirrels love our backyard. Our large apple tree is a miracle of productivity. Each spring the trunk transforms nutrients under the ground...
Inspiration
Creating a pocket of excellence when you aren’t the CEO
I’ve been speaking, coaching, and writing about how leaders can build high-performing, values-aligned cultures for over 25 years. My proven framework helps leaders create...
Inspiration
Become a serving leader
“It is more blessed to give than to receive.” When it comes to leadership, this familiar proverb may be one of the least believed...
Inspiration
How great leaders balance execution and empathy
They’re caring. They also get $tuff done. It’s often the great debate of what defines an exceptional executive, the discussion of EQ (emotional intelligence)...
Inspiration
The 7 forms of courage every leader should demonstrate
Through years of consulting to many organizations, I’ve been blessed to work with wonderful, accomplished leaders — individuals who are deeply in touch with...
Inspiration
Accentuate the positive
How do you motivate yourself? That’s a question I sometimes get and when I do I like to give a three-word answer: Accentuate the...
Inspiration
Leading to liberate: Freedom through discipline
The most effective leaders know how to teach their employees the value of one powerful quality, one that most likely helped them rise to...
Inspiration
How to evolve management
The term management has baggage. It’s associated with conclusions that no longer benefit a business or its people. Management is linked to controlling people,...
Inspiration
The partnership side of leadership
Authority is the last resort of the inept — and frustrated. Parents who have found themselves relying on the phrase “because I said so”...
Inspiration
The “why” of what inspires great Ideas
This post is adapted from the book “Creative Strategy Generation” by Bob Caporale (McGraw-Hill, 2015). Caporale is the president of Sequent Learning Networks. His goal is to...
Inspiration
5 battle-tested strategies for building a team that performs under pressure
In transitioning from the Navy to entrepreneurial life, I’ve learned that stress is relative. To someone who’s experienced life-or-death situations, a missed deadline doesn’t...
Inspiration
Creating an organizational culture of resilience: Resilient leaders are the key
Volatile equities markets, rising interest rates, international turmoil and instability, unstable monetary exchanges, shrinking resources, changing employee values — all of these factors seem...
Inspiration
Pfizer’s straight talk on culture
Pfizer, the multinational pharmaceutical giant, has become increasingly intentional about shaping its culture. You can see evidence of Pfizer’s commitment in Ian Read’s letter...
Inspiration
Leverage your team projects for talent development
Last week, I listened to the familiar laments of bright and dynamic professional I know. Working for a global consulting firm, he joins a...
Inspiration
What’s your story? Leadership and storytelling
Storytelling — once the stuff of childhood nighttime rituals — has grown up and is quickly becoming a go-to tool in the very adult...
Inspiration
3 tips for doing good with your business
This post is sponsored by PayPal. Many entrepreneurs want to improve the world around them while expanding their companies. Having a social mission can...
Inspiration
3 little words
What are the most important three words for any relationship between a manager and employee? No, it’s not “I love you.” Now that would...
Inspiration
Deepening the workplace bond
“Coming together is a beginning. Keeping together is progress. Working together is success.” ~ Henry Ford One way for leaders to develop a strong...
Inspiration
Boost employee engagement by encouraging collaboration
Collaboration is a powerful tool organizations can use to boost employee engagement. Working together toward common goals creates a sense of shared values and...
Inspiration
Hit the road, Jack
The best executives with whom I have worked make a point of hitting the road. Executives who get out of their offices and make...
Inspiration
Make your feedback personal
I remember once sitting around the table with my faculty advisory committee. The committee consisted of four teachers from different grade levels and disciplines...
Inspiration
What would your best boss do today?
If you could bring your best boss into your current team or organization right now, what would she do? What would she change or...
Inspiration
What I learned from Jack Canfield
Bosses, CEOs, and strong leaders are commonly stereotyped as powerful, soulless and money-driven individuals. But great leadership requires much more than a desire for...
Inspiration
Sheryl Sandberg’s insights into workplace empathy
Sheryl Sandberg is best known for being chief operating officer at Facebook and as the author of “Lean In” and founder of the subsequent...
Inspiration
The new one-minute manager
Catch them doing something right. In today’s busy work environment, we’re all wearing multiple hats and moving at the speed of sound. It’s easy...