“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…
“There’s a fine line between fishing and just standing on the shore like an idiot.” ~Steven Wright When it comes to fishing, a lot of fishermen use a leader (an additional section of wire or line) to quickly connect or replace the hook or the lure to the fishing line. The type of leader…
“It sure did kick up some excitement in the Senate when one Senator called the other Senators ‘sons of Wild jackasses.’ Well, if you thought it made the Senators hot, you wait till you see what happens when the jackasses hear how they have been slandered.” ~Will Rogers I think it is fair to say…
No one ever said that being a leader was going to be easy. In fact, I believe that being an effective leader is one of the greatest challenges one can face in their lifetime. Why? Because it requires a fundamental shift in how you perceive your work and how you go about getting things done. As…
“Arrogance is the surest path to failure.” ~ William Butler Yeats Leadership Arrogance: Are You A Monkey’s Uncle? Leadership Arrogance can destroy you, your team, and a whole lot more! A while ago I received a third unsolicited email from a “leader” in my industry. I have never met this person, don’t know them, and…
Leadership Isn’t a Reward for Performance, It is a Calling! The way most organizations choose a leader is to promote a good performer. Even though they may lack the skills, talent, or even the desire to lead. In other words, leadership is a reward for great performance. We take our top producers, promote them, and…