“The most difficult matter is not so much to change the world as yourself.” ~ Nelson Mandela It is amazing to me, that in this time where there are countless videos, seminars, workshops, books, and podcasts on how to be an extraordinary leader, we continue to hear story after story and see example after…
“A leader is best when people barely know he exists, when his work is done, his aim fulfilled, they will say: we did it ourselves.” ~Lao Tzu These words spoken by the 6th Century Chinese Philosopher Lao Tzu, really captures the heart of leadership for me. Unlike many of the current leaders of today…
“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…
“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…
Resentment is like swallowing a poisonous pill and waiting for the other guy to die!” ~ St. Augustine In the world of business and finance, when we refer to the phrase poisonous pill, we are referring to a strategy to fight an unwanted takeover. The purpose is to protect the company from being taken…
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…
“Never tolerate poor performance in yourself or others.” ~Larry Winget We’ve all been there. You have a poor performer on your team, yes, the one you refer to as your problem child. The one who takes up an inordinate amount of time, energy, and resources, and who consistently under-performs. Below is a list of…
Great leaders delegate, and yet many find it extremely difficult to let go! What they fail to realize is the hidden message it communicates to their people. A message that leads to unmotivated, disengaged, employees. Take 5 minutes and learn the importance of delegating, letting go, or dying!
“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…