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.

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.

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.

Effective Communication: A 1000 Words Doesn’t Paint A Picture!

However … you can speak at a rate of 120 – 180 words per minute. You can listen at a rate of 400 – 800 words per minute. Your mind can process up to 3000 words per minute!! Anybody see a problem here? The Harvard Business review stated that 87% of business issues are due to the lack of effective communication skills NOT the competencies of the parties.

A Systems Approach to Success

A wise mentor once told me that in order to have success, I needed the ability to repeat the processes that were creating success in my business and my life. In other words … systems for success. This was difficult as I don’t naturally think in a process and procedure way. However, after he spoke, I realized that I needed systems in my life if I wanted to achieve a higher level of success.

ALL IN – Change Your Commitments, Change Your Life!

Whether it is a decision to exercise or a decision to spend the rest of your life with someone you love … no commitment can be complete unless you are ALL IN! So how do you define ALL IN? Sometimes it’s easier to help you get a clearer picture of what something is by identifying what it isn’t! That said, here is a list to help you define – ALL IN.

Love and Accountability – Happy Valentines Day!

It’s easy to want to blame or fault others when certain aspects of our lives aren’t going the way we want, especially when it comes to love and accountability. And yet few people embrace the concept that we are 100% responsible for the results we attain in our lives. This includes our thoughts, actions, and emotional well being. Accountability begins when we take 100% responsibility for every aspect of our lives … accountability begins with you!