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.

Creating a Culture of Communication … Sow What?

Creating a Culture of Communication … Sow What? Poor Communication continues to be the single biggest factor that negatively impacts organizations. The sad thing is that it has been this way … for 100’s of years. Poor listening skills, failure to communicate important issues, misunderstandings, and improperly trained leaders, are just a few of the…

Leadership Vision … Does Your Vision Need Correction!

Leadership Vision … Does Your Vision Need Correction! Leadership Vision … how clearly do you really see? Poor vision typically results from one of these three causes: You may be nearsighted (the inability to see things clearly that are far away), farsighted (the inability to see things clearly that are close), or an astigmatism (a blurred…

Finding Purpose, Clarity, and Focus …

A wise mentor of mine, Dr Nido Qubein of High Point University, once told me, “Joe if you don’t have a why … the how and the what don’t matter!” As I reflect back on the times in my life when I was driven towards a particular goal … be it writing my first book or starting my business, I was always crystal clear about the why behind my actions. I had a clear understanding of my purpose for that particular goal and was driven to achieve it.

How Do You Make a Big Decision?

This past Fathers Day I found myself alone and in a reflective state … Translation~ I was lying on the couch with the remote in my hand navigating through 387 channels when I stumbled across Oprah’s Life Class. Her guest was T.D. Jakes, the pastor of the Potter’s House, a non-denominational, mega-church located in Dallas.

Are Your Goals … Important or Impotent?

It’s a new year and everyone is thinking about their new goals. Health clubs are jam-packed with the New Year’s resolutionists who are starting off another year with the expectation that this will be the year they drop the extra 15 lbs. they have been carrying around the last few years. It’s a fact … health club membership’s jump up 65% in the month of January each and every year.

Putting Yourself Out There: When Authenticity and Risk Collide!

This is a story about a book, a book about what happens when authenticity and risk collide. I started writing my soon to be released book, I Could Love No One Until I Loved Me in early 2009. At the time, I was going through a pretty traumatic time in my life. It was the onset of what some called the ‘second depression’ and my business had been significantly impacted. In what felt like a matter of days, we went from having our best year ever to having one of our worst … overnight.