How Backwards Planning Can Move You Forward
The first time I heard the term “backwards planning” I thought it was a mistake. The last thing I wanted was to be backwards about my planning. But that’s not what they meant at all. Today we’ll talk about what backwards planning is and how you can use this technique to develop a successful plan […]
Feel Sorry on Your Own Time
The football arcs high above the field seemingly in slow motion, reaching its zenith, then nosing over and beginning its plummet to the field below. On the 15 yard line the rookie receiver waits. No fair catch – he’s got time to grab it and start to run. He’s already thinking about where he’s going […]
Get it Right with a Pre-Execution Checklist
Have you ever been getting ready to do something important, then forgot to take care of one critical thing? That almost happened to me a couple weeks ago. Fortunately, there was a technique we used that saved us some embarrassment and helped make sure things went smoothly. It’s called the Pre-execution Checklist, and today we’re […]
They Do This in Church, Too? 9 Ways Getting Constructive Feedback is a Game-Changer
Having lived in 19 places in my life (so far), I’ve been in my share of churches, but the one we go to now has always struck me as being a little more organized and better run than most. Recently I discovered one of the reasons why. We could all stand to take a page […]
4 Ways to Get a Leader’s Perspective
You know, I was hiking this beautiful fall day, and it got me thinking. The trails here in Pennsylvania are rocky, you really have to watch where you put your feet or you could twist an ankle. The problem is that if your head is always down watching your feet, you miss a lot of […]
7 Ways to Boost Your Confidence as a New Leader
The air is screaming by outside at 120 miles an hour, the ground is receding in the distance, and the weight of your parachute and equipment seems to be pulling you down. Your heart rate is up, there’s a little tremor in your hands. The risks seem real, but everyone in the airplane is watching […]
Book Notes: Start With Why
How is it that that Toyota and Honda were able to expand into the luxury car market successfully, but Volkswagen was not? Why is Apple able to remain so innovative in so many different areas of the market for so long? We can answer these questions and many like them with a one-word question of […]
5 Ways to Build Credibility
Leadership is challenging enough when you know what you are doing. But when your teammates happen to have more knowledge or experience than you do, it can get a little tricky, especially in the early days. It’s OK, though – it turns out that there are lots of ways to address this situation quickly and […]
How to Focus the Team and Know Where to Be
Two big keys to success in leading a team are to make sure everyone is on the same wavelength, and be in a position to control the action. In this two minute tip I’m going to show you a team trying to solve a problem, and talk about how what the leader is doing right […]
What to Do When They Know More Than You…
They say knowledge is power. But if that’s true, how can you be in charge when you don’t know as much as the others on your team? Lots of times you might find yourself put in charge of something you know very little about, or that your teammates know much more about than you do. […]
How to Get a Daily Quick Win – 2 Minute Tip
One of the things I like to do is get my day started on a positive note with a quick win first thing in the morning. You can pick any activity you like, so long as it is something you can control and you have a reasonably good chance of succeeding at. Getting in a […]
9 Leadership Lessons I Learned from my Dance Instructor
I guess you can learn about leadership just about anywhere if you happen to be looking for it. Last Thursday evening, I wasn’t even looking and it hit me square in the face. My wife and I had signed up for dance lessons (think basic ballroom stuff – definitely not Dancing with the Stars!). But as […]