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…
Defining Leadership … I’m an Excellent Driver Defining leadership is about as easy as trying to describe the experience of tasting chocolate to someone who has never experienced sweets. Why? Because everyone has a vastly different opinion about how to define leadership. I once heard a so-called expert on everything define driving in traffic and not…
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.…
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!”…
Leading Others is a Privilege I am often asked about whether leaders are born or trained. I personally despise the use of the word training when it comes to developing leaders. I think we train animals … we educate leaders. Yes, leaders can be developed. However, if a leader has the skills but doesn’t understand…
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.
So what’s all this mumbo jumbo you keep hearing about Emotional Intelligence? Emotional Intelligence can be defined as a person’s ability to effectively negotiate social relationships and environments. Emotional Intelligence is a relatively new science and is becoming an important factor in determining a persons success in business and in life. A recent survey of…
Leadership – Do You Draft or Pull? A few years ago I participated in a Sprint Triathlon (a shorter version of a triathlon which includes swimming, cycling, and running). During the event, I had an opportunity to notice two different approaches by two different racers. Both people were involved in the exact same race and…
The Art of Leading, Coaching, & Influencing Others™: Worldview – Friendly or Hostile A brief excerpt from Joe’s new book, The Art of Leading, Coaching, & Influencing Others™, coming out later this year. Albert Einstein once said, “The most important decision we make is whether we believe we live in a friendly or hostile universe.”…
The Art of Leading, Coaching, & Influencing Others™: Transparency & Opaqueness Transparency – the quality or state of being free from pretense or deceit. Opaqueness – attempt to block, making something hard to understand or see. Much can be said about these topics because they touch every aspect of our lives. Whether it is politics, the news…