How to Avoid This Leadership Cop-Out Ever catch yourself saying “I should…,” “We should…,” or worse, “You should…”? When I was going through the executive coaching program at UT, I learned to notice when a client was “shoulding” versus committing to action. Hearing the “should” was part of learning to fully listen to what’s being…
A Refresh for Mind, Priorities, and Workspace Every year, by the end of March, I get the “spring cleaning” itch. Not just the traditional “dust the blinds” kind of cleaning, but also mental, physical, and environmental clearing. I crave change, which means things in my home and office get moved around – a lot. As…
A Leadership Practice for Managing Stress & Driving Success Control the controllable. What does that even mean? To start, it’s the remedy to feeling like a victim and being full of frustration when “stuff” happens that is outside of your control. It’s the antidote to the emotional, mental, and even physical fatigue that’s prone to…
“The only thing that is constant is change.” – Heraclitus Ever feel like the ground is shifting beneath your feet? I know a lot of leaders who are feeling that way now. As I’ve been talking with my clients about navigating change, and the uncertainty that always accompanies it, I’m reminded of James. When James…
Have you ever known a leader who, with “vulnerable” self-awareness, acknowledges things about themselves that are not ideal, but never tries to improve them? I have. Working for that leader was frustrating, to say the least. It also made me wonder what was wrong with his superiors. Why was everyone OK with these behaviors? As…
Does being an empowering leader actually make a difference in your team? Let’s find out. Have you ever wondered how some leaders seem to effortlessly bring out the best in their teams, while others struggle to keep their teams intact? According to Gallup, “Employees who are fully confident in reaching their goals are twice as…
Is Urgency Culture Killing Your Team? As an executive coach, I’ve seen my share of leaders who (unknowingly) wreak havoc on their teams by creating an artificial urgency culture. Louis, a government agency director, is a great example. He works email late at night and on weekends. It helps him keep his sanity, with his busy…
Effectively communicating strategic vision is about far more than words. It’s about… People Did you know? A study by Clearpoint found 70% of employees who understand their company’s vision are engaged at work, compared to 23% of those who don’t. We all know, engaged employees are more productive, better problem solvers, and more loyal than…
I might have a smart-phone addiction, Do you? I’ve been reading up on the brain-smart-phone addiction and I’m alarmed. Did you know having our smart phone near us at work reduces our accuracy and productivity? Yikes! 😱 We all know our phones can be distractions sometimes. Unfortunately, we may not be giving enough credence to…
Humble or arrogant? Picture this: A buzzing boardroom where ideas clash like thunderstorms, egos battle for supremacy, and voices vie for attention. In this chaos stands one leader, not with a booming voice or commanding presence, but with a quiet strength and unwavering humility. This leader listens more than they speak, values feedback over praise,…
Did you know leadership means action? I don’t mean staying busy. I mean evolving, strategic, intentional action. If you’re a leader today, I strongly encourage you to consider “status quo” to be your enemy, and inertia to be a de-railer. I relearned the importance of avoiding inertia recently with my own business: Towards the end…
Attention leaders! Did you know appreciation is crucial for consistently high levels of team engagement? So I ask, what are you doing to show your team members that you appreciate them? There’s a ton of information available now about the declining levels of engagement, commitment, and loyalty amongst the U.S. workforce. Feeling undervalued, disconnected, and…