“If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more, you are a leader.” ~ President John Quincy Adams Not very long ago, I had the opportunity to kick off a new group for our, Art of Leading, Coaching, & Influencing Others™ Program. It is an advanced learning experience that…
“Knowing when to leave may be the smartest thing anyone can learn.” ~ Burt Bacharach Over the years I have had the opportunity to work with or present in front of 1000’s of leaders. On occasion, I have been asked, What makes a great leader? What are the traits of a great leader? Can…
“Without the why, the how and the what don’t matter!” ~ Dr. Nido Qubein More than 20 years ago, before anyone started talking about the importance of having a “Why,” an incredibly wise mentor of mine, Dr Nido Qubein of High Point University, told me, “Joe if you don’t have a why, the how…
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,…
Zak: “I can’t be a hero because I am a — Down’s Syndrome.” Tyler: “What’s that got to do with your heart?” Excerpt From The Movie, The Peanut Butter Falcon …
“It is impossible to live without failing at something unless you live so cautiously that you might as well not have lived at all, in which case you have failed by default.” ~J.K. Rowling One way to more powerfully influence others is to leverage your failures. People don’t realize the power of failure and…
“Anyone can hide. Facing up to things, working through them, that’s what makes you strong.” ~ Sarah Dessen Many years ago, Mutual of Omaha Insurance Company sponsored a show called The Wild Kingdom. It was a show hosted by Marlin Perkins along with his co-host, Jim Fowler. Each an every Sunday night they took…
“We all have blind-spots, but if we are willing to open our ears to feedback and our eyes to how others react to us, we can improve our impact as leaders ten-fold” ~Joe Contrera People always ask me, “What can I do to increase my impact as a leader?” That said, everyone has a…
“True humility is not thinking less of yourself; it is thinking of yourself less.” ~ C.S. Lewis If you look up the definition of humiliation, you will notice words like; embarrassment, shame, indignity, and degradation. If you look up the definition of humility, you will notice words like modesty, humbleness, and a lack of…
A few years ago, a friend of mine was telling me about her experience visiting a series of TV talk shows. I was curious about her experience, so I asked her a series of questions regarding the various hosts. What was most astonishing to me was the various hosts’ use of the audience. And while…