“We train animals, we need to make sure we are educating our leaders.” ~Joe Contrera Yesterday, I was attempting to read an article on my phone to catch up on an event. Once I clicked on the article, in less than a nanosecond my screen was filled so many ads that I could not…
“Force, no matter how concealed, begets resistance.” ~ Lakota Proverb Your ability to lead others is directly tied to your ability to influence them. One of the tools you can use to more powerfully influence others is the use of story in your interactions. Stories can magnify a point or grab an audiences attention during a…
“Looking back, you realize that everything would have explained itself if you had only stopped interrupting.” ~ Robert Breault Regardless of how you analyze the numbers, interruptions are one of the biggest drains on our ability to effectively communicate with others in the workplace. Unfortunately, I have found that this is an area…
“You are your greatest asset. Put your time, effort and money into training, grooming, and encouraging your greatest asset.” – Tom Hopkins Over the course of the last 25 years in the leadership development business, I have come to realize a few things about developing and educating employees, more specifically in the area of Leadership Development.…
“Honesty is the first chapter in the book of wisdom.” ~Thomas Jefferson Being a leader means you must constantly work at acquiring both wisdom and experience throughout your career if you are to help others achieve success. That said… Let’s first define wisdom which is simply, “the state of being wise.” Following that path…
“The tragedy of life is often not in our failure, but rather in our complacency; not in our doing too much, but rather in our doing too little; not in our living above our ability, but rather in our living below our capacities.” ~ Benjamin E. Mays A few years ago, I wrote a…
“You can’t truly be considered successful in your business life if your home life is in shambles.” ~ Zig Ziglar I’m sure most people have seen the 1980 film by Stanley Kubrick entitled, The Shining. The story, written by Stephen King, is a psychological thriller about a writer who takes his family to an isolated…
“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…
“All creation is a mine, and every man is a miner.” ~ Abraham Lincoln A while back, I was working with a group of leaders from a gold mining company to help them strengthen their Coaching Skills. Towards the end of the week I had an opportunity to tour the mine. My guide Jesse…
“Extraordinary leaders are those who continuously push beyond their comfort zones of what is common, known, and safe, while inspiring others to do the same!” ~ Joe Contrera The difference between a good leader and an extraordinary leader is very clear in the minds of their people. Sometimes it is not so clear in the…