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.
Why Leadership Development Fails or When Ads Subtract Yesterday, I sat down at my computer to catch up on the latest news, I opened up my web browser and clicked on an article. In less than a nanosecond my screen was filled so many ads that I could not decipher article from the ads. So…
Voltaire was a Pretty Smart Guy – (Part I of a 4 Part Series) François-Marie Arouet, better known as Voltaire, was a prolific writer, historian, and philosopher. He was a staunch believer in freedom of religion and freedom of speech, so I find it ironic that the words he spoke some 300 years ago can set…
When Corporate Headquarters and the Field Are Not Connected Over the years I have had the opportunity to work for organizations who have multiple locations all over the world and a centrally located corporate headquarters located 1000’s of miles away from where the actual work is being done. I experienced this situation early on in…
The Single Biggest Cause of All Leadership Failures … Nearly 46 years ago, Kellogg’s released the first television commercial for Eggo® brand frozen waffles. The commercial shows an Eggo® waffle popping out of a toaster which is immediately grabbed by a father and son simultaneously while they both repeat the phrase “Let go of my Eggo!”…
Leading Others is a Privilege I am often asked about whether leaders are born or trained. I personally despise the use of the word training when it comes to developing leaders. I think we train animals … we educate leaders. Yes, leaders can be developed. However, if a leader has the skills but doesn’t understand…
The following is an excerpt from Joe’s newest book, Extraordinary Results: Mastering the Art of Leading, Coaching & Influencing Others -Available April 2018. People have been studying, analyzing, and attempting to define what characteristics and attributes make a great leader for thousands of years.
This week we’re talking about success … After pondering the topic I had this realization, ideas are simply thoughts that when acted upon, materialize in the physical world and push us closer to success. The Empire State Building was just an idea that formed in someone’s mind. It took action and a whole lot of collaboration to bring it into existence and become the historical icon that it is today.
Have you ever received top-secret, exclusive, special offer because you are a very special person? No? That’s funny, I get them all the time, I must be more special than you! I received another offer from a publication because I am a “Professional” and that entitles me to the “Professional Rate!”
A while back, a friend of mind and I were discussing the topic of commitment. I was sharing a situation where I felt that I needed to be ‘all in’ or not. Sitting on a fence for too long can become uncomfortable. My friend was telling me about a television show he watched where they asked a guy if he knew how to swim. The guy replied, “Sure, I watched videos on the internet and practiced on the kitchen floor!”
When you think about the great philosophers, who comes to mind? Aristotle, Socrates, Epicurus, Confucius, Contrera??? Wait a minute, hold the phone, stop the presses, kill the power!!!! Contrera??? What impact does his philosophy have on the world?