Disrupting the Routine: 7 Ways to Change for the Good
There are some who will tell you, “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.” I don’t necessarily agree. “Functioning” doesn’t always mean “fully optimized,” and without change, we risk falling into a rut, losing perspective, and falling behind. To grow and stay competitive, you have to change. Here’s why it’s important to disrupt the routine […]
White Gold: A Story of Persistence
With obstacles, frustrations and nay-sayers, how do you find the persistence you need to succeed? It’s one thing to have a great idea or an inspiring vision. Sticking with it until you are successful can be an entirely different matter. In this instant-gratification world, we can all learn a thing or two about persistence from the story […]
On Duty: The Meaning of Leadership in a Risk-Filled World
She is a jet pilot, Ph.D., federal agent, and Amazon best-selling author. And she is a leader. L.B. Johnson assumed her duties as a law enforcement agent at about the same time the Twin Towers were falling in New York. In a world often dominated by the male of the species, she was not just […]
Don’t Fear the Elephants
Nobody said he was a great mathematician. But he may be the greatest general you never heard of. His actions over 2,000 years ago are a great example of how we can influence our future by the way we react to what’s coming at us today.
Paper Couch
With our kids out of the house, we are moving from Pennsylvania to be closer to family in the Midwest. One of the many challenges of this move is to make sure we will be able to fit into the new place. We are shrinking from a single-family house to a town home. In […]
3 Leadership Lessons My Dad Taught Me Without Saying a Word
More powerful than any words he could have ever said, it was what my father did without saying a thing that taught me the most about what it means to be a good leader. Today I want to share those lessons with you in hopes that his example can help us all become better leaders.
Book Notes: It Worked for Me
I hope you have problems. That’s a good thing, really. A book I read recently cast a whole new light on what it means to have problems as a leader, and what you should do about them. Today we’ll talk about why having problems can be good, and how you can handle them in a […]
Play Your Part
Are you giving it your best? I was watching The Tonight Show recently – the opening monologues are often funny, and other parts of the show can be entertaining. The musical guest that night seemed interesting, so I fast forwarded to watch their performance. On stage were the two rappers, some percussionists, a 16-person gospel […]
Waiting for the Light to Change
Are you waiting for permission to proceed? Traffic signals organize and coordinate the flow of traffic. They keep things safe and orderly. We wait for the green light to proceed. Organizations have managers and supervisors. They direct the traffic too. Most people wait to be told what to do, then do it. But leaders don’t […]
Modeling Success: Three Ways to Communicate Effectively Without Words
Success doesn’t come easy, and the more complex the challenge, the harder it can be to communicate effectively with your team. Sometimes, the more you talk, the more words can get in the way. One way to cut through the noise is modeling success. If you can show them what success looks like, it can help […]
Anatomy of a Fall
Saturday. A mountainous trail half-marathon. Mile 11.5. Rocky down-slope. My legs are tired. They feel like clumsy chunks of solid rubber with hamburger for feet. The left foot finds an unseen rock, and stops short. Then the right foot joins the mutiny. Suddenly anchored, everything rotates earthward. Not in slow motion, either – it happens […]
Goal Failure: Mission (Almost) Accomplished
What happens when you set a goal and fail to achieve it? In January of this year I set a personal goal. Made it public on this web site. Tweeted about it almost daily. Posted weekly updates on Facebook. I worked at it just about every day – hours of exertion, sweat, even a little […]
