Lights, Camera, Action …. You’re On! “If all the world’s a stage … please stick to your own script!” – Joe Contrera With all of the chaos unfolding over the world, I am struck by the level of judgment being projected by others onto the world’s stage. When I speak of projection, I am speaking…
The singular most significant Quantum Leap a leader, especially a new leader, must make is the leap from being an individual contributor to a leader, not a manager or a glorified individual contributor … but a leader! The problem is that most leaders never make it. They never make the Quantum Leap to being a…
The most successful leaders understand that creating a culture of engagement, the Accountability, Ownership, & Impact of the work must be held at the employee level. Most leaders fail to understand this concept and unconsciously create employees who simply disengage from doing their best work or bringing their best selves to work. Watch leadership expert…
Leadership, Influence & Communication: The Power of Story 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 presentation.…
Why Leadership Development Fails or When Ads Subtract Yesterday, I sat down at my computer to catch up on the latest news, I opened up my web browser and clicked on an article. In less than a nanosecond my screen was filled so many ads that I could not decipher article from the ads. So…
Voltaire was a Pretty Smart Guy – (Part I of a 4 Part Series) François-Marie Arouet, better known as Voltaire, was a prolific writer, historian, and philosopher. He was a staunch believer in freedom of religion and freedom of speech, so I find it ironic that the words he spoke some 300 years ago can set…
The Single Biggest Cause of All Leadership Failures … Nearly 46 years ago, Kellogg’s released the first television commercial for Eggo® brand frozen waffles. The commercial shows an Eggo® waffle popping out of a toaster which is immediately grabbed by a father and son simultaneously while they both repeat the phrase “Let go of my Eggo!”…
The following is an excerpt from Joe’s newest book, Extraordinary Results: Mastering the Art of Leading, Coaching & Influencing Others -Available April 2018. People have been studying, analyzing, and attempting to define what characteristics and attributes make a great leader for thousands of years.
A while back, a friend of mind and I were discussing the topic of commitment. I was sharing a situation where I felt that I needed to be ‘all in’ or not. Sitting on a fence for too long can become uncomfortable. My friend was telling me about a television show he watched where they asked a guy if he knew how to swim. The guy replied, “Sure, I watched videos on the internet and practiced on the kitchen floor!”
Life continuously offers us opportunities to change and move forward in your growth and development. This may mean that you need let go of the past and embrace your present situation. It may mean that you need to view an old problem from a new perspective in order to find a solution. Or, it could mean that you need to attempt something difficult or different, something that pushes you past your fear and far beyond your comfort-zone.