Joe Contrera is the Founder and President of ALIVE @ WORK LLC, a leadership development company dedicated to helping Extraordinary Leaders Achieve Extraordinary Results. He is the author of three books. His latest, Extraordinary Results: Mastering the Art of Leading, Coaching, & Influencing Others, is quickly becoming a must-have resource for leaders in organizations across the country. It will not only change what you believe about leading, it will help you build your leadership skills so that you can successfully influence others.
“At the moment of commitment the entire universe conspires to assist you.” ~ Johann Wolfgang von Goethe As 2024 comes to an end, I am reminded of a year that seems to have barely started, passed so soon, and is drawing to an end. It is at these times before year end when I…
“Leadership is influence.” ~ John C. Maxwell One of the biggest challenges facing a leader is the ability to step back and influence others to get results. The key is to get results without doing the work yourself or micromanaging your folks into becoming clones so they do the work the exact same way you would.…
“Once you replace negative thoughts with positive ones, you’ll start having positive results.” ~Willie Nelson You’ve heard the saying, “garbage in…garbage out.” When it comes to your thoughts and your words, the same principle applies. What you think determines not only what you say but more importantly, what you do. You’ve probably heard these…
“We do well to unplug regularly. Quiet time restores focus and composure.” ~Daniel Goleman At certain times in the career of a leader, you may find yourself feeling exhausted, a bit lost, a little confused, or simply stressed out. With the holidays upon us, it can either be a great time to continue to…
“I think books are like people, in the sense that they’ll turn up in your life when you most need them.” ~ Emma Thompson I love that quote because I believe it is so true. As they say, “When the student is ready, the teacher will appear,” and books can be great teachers in…
“The greatest leader is not necessarily the one who does great things. They are the one that gets people to do the greatest things.” ~ Ronald Reagan As a leader, coach, or influencer, when you make yourself the center of attention or the focus you will more-than-likely fail more times than you win. As…
Eleanor Rigby, Waits at the window, Wearing the face that she keeps in a jar by the door, Who is it for? ~Lennon & McCartney Is it me, or does it feel like there is a constant bombardment of advertising and commercials, each promising you a happier, wealthier, and healthier life if you just,…
“But then one day you were gone, had no idea how much I cared, now being without you, is all a big mistake, you’re a hard habit to break.” ~Steve Kipner & John Lewis Parker In 1984, the band Chicago was a leader in the music industry when they released their 17th Album, simply…
“To finish a work? To finish a picture? What nonsense! To finish it means to be through with it, to kill it, to rid it of its soul, to give it its final blow the coup de grace for the painter as well as for the picture.” ~Pablo Picasso Being a leader is a…
(*This is Part-2 in a 3-part series on the challenges organizations face when it comes to their Leadership Development Programs and a few ideas on how to make them even better!) “You train animals, but you educate people. Make sure you understand the difference when it comes to the investment you make in developing your…