Leadership Articles

Bob moved to a new company, and it wasn’t too many days before he was invited to a meeting. The meeting announcement he received said that the meeting started at 9 am in room 105. At 8:55 he walked into an empty room. Frantic he went back to his computer to see if he had the details right. ...

We attach significance to the turning of the calendar, and when the calendar turns to a new year, it means more than learning to change a digit when we write a check – we’ve started a new chapter. It is instructive for us to think about how we can get the most from the end of chapter 2005. ...

The dictionary defines workout as a "physical or mental effort or activity directed toward the production or accomplishment of something." Sounds just like our workplaces where effort is expended to provide either a product or a service. Look closer at a gym and one can learn seven lessons in leading self as well as others for performance improvement. Lesson #1: Everyone needs a baseline.

One of Carl Jung's favorite words was "synchronicity", that unexplainable convergence of unplanned events which offer insights and opportunities. When I agreed to join a trekking expedition through two remote provinces of the Indian Himalayas, I had no way of knowing that this adventure would ...

Everything you need is already inside of you. The solutions to your problems, the path to your greatest aspirations. Inside of you lies your authentic self, and from this authentic self comes your authentic power. The power to make choices and live your life in complete integrity with your own ...

There is a theory that essentially states that being in a positive or negative environment could have a powerful influence on you. In easy terms, by just being in its presence, essentially changes your nature.

How happy would you be if only you could win the lottery? This fantasy is universal because so many people are unhappy, dissatisfied with their lot in life. But why do you focus on what you haven’t got rather than on things you could feel happy about? Why waste your life dreaming about ...

What is customer service? This is really about caring for the customer much broader than simply another transaction. It is about looking beyond the moment of the sale. It is about cultivating loyalty among customers and employees.

An “open-door” policy is excellent for encouraging communication and fostering relationships, but it can slam the door on your personal time management. Whether you work in an office, or a cubicle, you should be able to find some valuable tips to keep the door from slamming on your productivity clock.

"I thought there were supposed to be thousands of butterflies?" Marek's wrinkled brow confirmed his disappointment. His two brothers and sister joined in a chorus of, "I can't believe we drove six hours to see this!" The four adults acknowledged there were relatively few butterflies, yet emphasized that the absolute numbers were still quite staggering. "After all, there are hundreds of monarch butterflies." Our optimistic words were lost as my friend's four children raced towards the newly discovered sand dunes on the beach.

Joe Paterno’s decision to coach the remaining games,rna decision later nullified by his firing, was arnleadership failure. By focusing on his purpose, hernshould have seen that coaching out the schedule was arnterrible idea. Learn from his leadership failure that you should usernyour purpose as a moral compass to guide you in makingrntough decisions. I’ve said before that when we focus on the purpose,rnwe get ourselves and others more engaged in the work,rnmore committed

"A true Master is not the one with the most students, but one who creates the most Masters. A true leader is not the one with the most followers, but one who creates the most leaders." — Neale Donald Walsch Successful leaders understand the difference between things and people in an organization. They know that it's important to manage things, but that it's even more important to lead people. Leaders don't just mouth empty phrases like "people are our greatest resource;" th

Everyone loves a good story. Great leaders are aware of this and inspire others to own and share their own unique and special story. They help us to see how our narrative fits into the whole to make a difference. Corporate employees rarely go to work each day pondering the CEO’s vision or ...

Do you find yourself competing in a saturated market of job seekers, at a time when employers are taking longer than ever to fill positions AND you were fired from your last position for cause?r

These days, economics considered, it's a benefit to be able to raise income for projects you might be considering as obtaining capital permits actualization. Satisfying the needs, according to the Expert, Abraham Maslow, is completed in levels. Once we're assured basic necessities like air, water and food, the first level, we can fulfill our shelter, transportation and clothing requirements, level 2; then move up towards more personal fulfillment like hobbies, sports and leisure activities, like travel, comprising level three areas.r

Recently, I delivered a keynote presentation about business growth, “Fence Posts to Trees,” to the top forty emerging leaders of a U.K.-based pharmaceutical company. I ate with one of their five senior VPs during the meal that preceded. He lives in Scotland, commutes to London weekly, and travels to other countries. We talked about his travel schedule a bit and I asked, “How much do you employ technology to conduct virtual meetings?” To my surprise he answered, “More tha I like. When we’re doing business in other countries, it’s difficult to virtually communicate some things.”

How can you tell if your leadership position may be in jeopardy or you may be at risk of losing that position? There are four signs that typically show up when someone’s role is danger of being eliminated or replaced. First, you may begin to notice that you are being excluded from things where you once were included. For example, there may be project teams or strategic planning meetings you once were normally a part of and now you are not invited to these meetings or perhaps finding out about them after the fact.

Developing a Positive Workplace Culture Wisdom represents the accumulated knowledge from life’s lessons, when we choose to see, hear and remember everything which impacts positively upon us in every aspect of our lives How amazing would it be if every place you worked had a positive culture! What if every work space is a vibrant, rich and effervescent place: Where everyone is happy, enthusiastic, optimistic and focused.

We have all done it - met someone for the first time and generally within a mere few seconds, a glance or two, formed an opinion about the other person based upon their appearance, their demeanor, their body language or the clothes they are wearing.

Where you are today is directly related to the choices you’ve made up to this point; one month, two weeks, last year and even a decade ago. There are so many choices that we make everyday, some big, some small, conscious or subconscious. However, in our lives the choices we make dictate the path we take or the journey we are currently on. What books to read and learn from, mentors and role models, when to get married and have children, where to live and work. “It’s a choice, not a chance that determines your destiny.” J.

I recently heard a story about a certain manager who argued that his role had nothing to do with motivating people. Workplace motivation, he said, was the job of the Human Resources department! I know you won't be surprised to hear that I disagree. What's more, workplace motivation is one ...

Most of us find ourselves in a position to help others achieve more of their potential than we realize. Sure, as leaders, supervisors, and parents we can see ourselves in that position; but the fact is that all of us are uniquely qualified to help at least one other person in our lives reach ...

I don’t know about you, but I see magic everywhere! One definition of magic is, “Of, relating to, or invoking the supernatural.” Another is, “Possessing distinctive qualities that produce unaccountable or baffling effects.” When something is “super” natural, it means it seems more than natural, right? Well, what’s natural? When something is beyond the explainable *to me* is seems like magic. I wake up in the morning (no, that’s not the magic part!), and if I

Has your to-do list grown ove ight? Yes, it’s “the most wonderful time of the year”…and yet many of us miss the wonder of it all due to the overwhelm at work that accompanies the holidays. Here are 3 ways to cure your holiday overwhelm at work starting today: Focus on Positive Strengthsr From Madison Avenue to Your Street, you are shoved toward an impending sense of lack during the holidays. This scarcity mentality afflicts you at work as well, shifting your focus to the negative.

Unfortunately, I’d heard the story before. A new CEO and COO had been hired to replace ineffectual leaders. They inherited a loosely organized and unfocused leadership team, and needed help getting the organization back on track. A vacuum at the top had resulted in disorganization, ...

The St. Louis Cardinals defeated my favorite team, the Atlanta Braves, on the last day of the regular season to make the National League play-off series. The Phillies were supposed to sweep the Cardinals in the league championship. The Cards beat them. In the World Series, the smart money was on the Texas Rangers. The Cardinals defeated them, too, and are now the World Champions. Their post-season run to become World Champions included 13 games they won by a single run. Of those, they won 3 by walk-off hits. Five of those 13 games were decided in the final at-bat.

If you ask whether someone is a leader, you seem to asking about a relatively permanent state, like asking whether a person is a doctor or a lawyer. If you are a father or a mother, you occupy that role for life. But being a leader is not really like this anymore. We life in an age of guerilla ...

When delivering my 7 Deadliest Sins of Leadership & Workplace Communication keynote address and seminar breakout sessions recently I’ve begun asking my audience to commit to becoming a more conscious communicator. After all, these 7 deadliest of all communication mistakes that are killing trust and team commitment in virtually every work environment are habits that have become our default way of communicating.

I believe the primary characteristic of a great leader is core essence. A leader must understand that there is a power greater than themselves and that their life purpose is more about others than themselves -- their CORE ESSENCE – the fundamental reason for being here. Your CORE ESSENCE is the ...

With the current economic situation continuing to restrain spending, I don’t foresee that many companies will throw the kinds of extravagant holiday parties of years gone by. But you may receive invitations to holiday parties, and don’t RSVP that you won’t be attending just because it is going to be a dressy event and you feel that you have nothing to wear. You can still add a little holiday flair to your outfits while being cost and value conscious and not going over the top with shopping.

As a leader in an organization, you are likely to be perceived as the one with the answers. You can expect team members to look to you for direction and customers to look to you for accountability. Certainly there are situations and organizations that may require an autocratic leadership style in the short term, but it rarely produces the kind of growth, efficiency, and brand reputation that is necessary for long-term sustainability. Your greatest resource for long-term susta

This book review is part of a series that covers the topic of Leadership . Leadership Skills are the tools and traits acquired to facilitate guiding or a directing a group, most commonly toward a shared goal. Todd McDonald is the Official Guide to Leadership . The Big Book of Humorous Training Games , by Doni Tamblyn and Sharyn Weiss, is a valuable resource for people interested in Training Techniques and it is available through Amazon and Barnes and Noble . n The latest mind

Are you hip to all the technology that's emerged in the last few years? The social media stuff? Facebook, MySpace, Twitter, Linked In, Plaxo . . . and on and on and on. It's crazy! I've recently become more aware of these social media opportunities to communicate, and I'm learning. At the same ...

Recently a colleague asked me for advice to help him with one of his clients. My colleague's been working with this particular client for several years, but it's getting to a point of frustration where my colleague's ready to walk away. The manager -- or as my colleague now calls him -- The ...

Trimming my basil plant today got me thinking about Leadership. (I like to keep some fresh herbs in the kitchen to feed my passion for cooking.) Great leadership takes time...like growing a healthy plant. No amount of tugging on the leaves or urging it to “hurry up” makes the least difference. So what does? A few years ago, a friend who led an educational organization was diagnosed with cancer. While undergoing treatment, he hired an interim assistant. It was a critical t

If you enjoy the legal system and don't mind paying out large sums of money to present and past employees then I would suggest that you disregard having an employee hand book! You may think I am kidding, but I am not. I have never been to an unemployment hearing, Equal Employment Opportunity Commission inquiry, or any other legal challenge where they have not asked me for a copy of our Employee Hand Book. If you are unfamiliar with what an employee hand book is, it is quite simply the company's position on all employee issues, from payroll to discipline.

Getting pregnant can he an uphill task to some people especially those who have been diagnosed with infertility ,Ovarian cysts, fibroids and a couple of other reproductive system diseases. Many women who have an advanced age normally find it pretty hard to conceive. Those who are above the age of 40 years are the ones that are mostly affected. The pregnancy miracle has stepped in to offer a working, detailed and reliable solution that can reverse infertility permanently in both male and female.

It is an adventure, writing an article on my special presentatio Success Or Satisfaction. Everyone wants them both, success and satisfaction. And everyone questions, is it possible to have them both? But nobody thinks that satisfaction is possible along with success. I know many people who want to have satisfaction in their life but just don’t know how to begin. Many years ago, I thought so too, that success is one thing and satisfaction is just not for successful people. Successful people work hard and satisfaction is for the lazies.r

You discovered your productivity trigger. You are more productive in that all-important first hour of your day. You set boundaries around technology intrusion on your productivity. You are well on your way to doing more in one hour than most business professionals do in a month. But there is one more question to answer for greater productivity as you start the final quarter of 2012: How do you finish your day strong? The concluding actions of yesterday ring loudly as you greet tomorrow-becoming-today. Here are three strategies for you to finish your day strong:

In our Bud to Boss Workshops we get asked different versions of this question frequently. Sometimes it is asked in a more politically correct way. Sometimes it is asked as a curiosity. Most times, however, it is asked bluntly, directly and with frustration: "How can I get lazy people to work?" As a coach and consultant, I`ve also been asked, so I know it isn`t an isolated or fleeting question. Will all due respect to those who have asked me and to those of you reading and nod

I’ve constantly reminded you in these newsletters that parents are the leaders of their home. And, today’s newsletter is no different. I’d like to share with you what I call the ABC’s of Parental Leadership. Take time to think about each of the 26 words of this home leadership course and seek ...

If you are in a leadership position today, here are ten ideas to help you successfully lead the newest generation of workers—Millennials or Gen X. They are different and here is why. 1. Provide a Structured Environment: Gen X workers may well be the most protected generation of children ever ...

RETAINING GEN Y WORKERS IS CHALLENGING The first of 80 million young people born between 1981 and 2001 are beginning to enter the workplace, and boy are they shaking things up! They’re multi-taskers, technologically savvy and they bring a different attitude with them. But, as challenging ...

I have been thinking about the upcoming Holiday’s, and the fact that the end of another year is quickly approaching, I am reminded of just how fortunate I am to do what I love. This brings a question to mind: “If life is so short, then why do so many people do so many things they don’t love, and love the things they don’t do?”

Today is a brand new day. And you get to decide what to do with it! What decision will you make? Will you use this day in the very best way you can? Will you use it to create the most value for your employer and to accomplish the greatest good in your life and the lives of others? Are you ...

This book review is part of a series that covers the topic of Leadership . Leadership Skills are the tools and traits acquired to facilitate guiding or a directing a group, most commonly toward a shared goal. Todd McDonald is the Official Guide to Leadership . Leadership and Self Deception: Getting Out of the Box , by the Arbinger Institute, is a valuable resource for people interested in Self Leadership and it is available through Amazon and Barnes and Noble . n In this grou

In times like these I often have to gently nudge my clients who become too fatalistic, reminding them that they still hold the cards in terms of their ability to change their internal perspective. To see your greater potential you have to first adopt a more panoramic and long-range view of the situation. If you want to take a gigantic career leap, don’t try to jump while standing still. You need to get a running start. That means that you have to plan your move to the next level one deliberate step at a time – intentionally building strategic internal and exte al momentum.