Leadership Articles

One of the truths about leadership, not often talked about, is that when we become leaders we must begin to look at and see the world differently – at least if we want to be successful and effective. Following that idea, the obvious question is, what are the ways we need to look at the world differently, or what perspectives are required for us to become a more effective leader? Couple that with the start of a New Year and it seems logical to answer that question in light o

Like millions of others, has your world been turned upside down? Have your responsibilities at work and at home escalated and the time you used to have for yourself been depleted? The old norms just aren’t working and everywhere you turn someone is trying to provide you advice on how to live your life. What you need to know - is that advice provided by well-meaning others is not a “one-size fits all.” Just because they have provided you advice, both wanted and unwanted doesn’

With our daughters home from university for the summer, there are changes in our household. The biggest is the smallest in size– a Boston terrier/Chihuahua mix puppy. And to my delight, he has taught me several important lessons in the few weeks he has been a member of our family. nNot having had a dog previously, I hadn’t realized that they are the embodiment of living in the moment. There is no yesterday or tomorrow – it’s all about right now. He is happy to wake fr

So, have you been busy lately? If you’re like most independent professionals, the answer is a resounding “YES!” Between answering the phone, responding to email, managing details for multiple projects, checking to-dos off your lists, keeping up with Quickbooks, running to the bank, dropping packages off at the post office, you’re lucky to have time for lunch! For many business owners, the busyness isn’t translating into depositing more checks, which is the point of

Most of us focus our time and energy on whatever short-term tasks land on our plate each week. That's fine as long as we also commit time and energy to the important long-term projects that will get us where we eventually want to be. Here are six ways to make sure the important projects don't get lost in the wilde ess of urgent daily tasks. 1.Write out your long-term goals (include your 1, 3 or even 5 year plan) What do you really want in your life? Your upcoming goals for

In my opinion, passion is one of the most attractive qualities a person can possess. When you are passionate about something, others are drawn to you; you are able to influence more effectively and lead more successfully. Beyond these interpersonal facts, there are valuable personal benefits for possessing passion in your life. When we are passionate we are more productive, happier, healthier, have more energy, less stress, higher work/life satisfaction and typically a better

Have you lost your passion in business? attitude is everythingAre you feeling burnt out and exhausted? At one point or another, even the most passionate business owners feel some sort of disconnect from their excitement about business. Sometimes this may be attributed to working too much, not having the right support, or feeling stuck in a rut. Regardless of the reason, losing your passion for a business results in lost focus and motivation.

Every leader I talk to has plenty to do. We live in an age of the full plate, the fast pace and the stuffed to-do list. While this may be a sign of our times, there is another sign that we see and observe every day; and we don’t really realize that this sign can do more than keep us safe and help us avoid a ticket.rnI’m talking about the stop sign, and in the next few minutes I’m going to tell you why you should stop more than just your car. Specifically, I believe ther

Passion is an intense, driving, or overmastering feeling or conviction. It can be fear-based, as in anger. Or love-based as with intensely positive feelings. The greatest joy and happiness you will ever experience occurs when you are passionate about your work and the life you are living. A ...

Last weekend I added another way to describe the importance of seeking another’s perspective when you find disagreement. Being a soccer parent in Montana has its challenges. When your children "travel," you don’t head across town as do my friends in Minneapolis or Washington, DC, instead you hit the road at 5 am to drive across the state. The older the kid, the farther you must venture and the earlier in the year they start playing. Thus, the season began in earnest on Sa

This week my husband Steve and I took a spinning class at our gym. We enjoy attending these high energy, calorie-bu ing indoor bicycle classes as much for the mental boost as for the physical benefit. The music is loud, the class participants are positive, and the instructors are typically energetic and encouraging. It's just good energy all around. During this week's class we had a new instructor. He began the class by telling us what a terrible week it had been for him. He

Leadership starts with you. This is an inescapable truth. People don’t like being told what to do. They respond better to external stimuli. The way you carry yourself can influence the way others on your team behave on a day-to-day basis. If you respect their time, they will respect yours. Phrase criticisms constructively and they’ll do the same in work-related discussions with peers. Have deep empathy for your clients or customers and key employees will follow your examp

Powerful and purposeful questions are an integral part of engaging employees in conversations about issues you can't solve on your own. You can't do it all yourself. As a manager, the input of your employees is vital to your ability to innovate, create, and in this current environment, survive. When an employee hits you with resistance to a change, try responding with this simple format: Paraphrase - restate what the employee has expressed Frame - establish any sideboards (

If you have flown very often, you will recognize the following . . . In the event of a loss of cabin pressure, an oxygen mask will drop down in front of you. To start the flow of oxygen, pull the mask towards you. Place it firmly over your nose and mouth, secure the elastic band behind your head, and breathe normally. Although the bag does not inflate, oxygen is flowing to the mask. If you are traveling with a child or someone who requires assistance, secure your mask on firs

Human language separates us from the rest of the animal kingdom. But too often, we respond to the wag of a dog's tail instead of the message given by the CEO. There is a breakdown in workplace communication. Here are four sure-fire ways to get a message across, remembered, and repeated. Use Real Language Instead of Ad Copy

Jane leads a team of professionals who routinely deliver high quality, innovative products. The environment is fast-paced and creative. When Tom joined the organization, his teammates immediately showed him support. After all, Tom's a "nice guy." Now, after 18 months, Jane realizes that Tom is really not so great. He misses important deadlines and requires prodding and encouragement at each step of the way. Tom is reactive and is not as innovative and creative as Jane expects

A beautiful thing happened during a client work session this week: the management team experienced the value of clear, honest communication. For some time this client has been under the incorrect assumption that its management team communicated well with each other. Yet invariably when I'd have ...

If you had a magic wand, what would you do to make your challenges at work go poof!? I recently asked members of my Community that question, and was surprised to see that their answers fell into three distinct categories: the personal, the powerful, and the possible. The Personal For many, the challenges they'd eliminate with their magic wands hit close to home: "I'd have my health; getting sick is not an option for me." "I would make it easier to have both a family and a car

rnAre you tired of the standard practice of developing New Year’s resolutions and then feeling guilty because you have not followed through on them? Many would answer a resounding YES! In Jack Canfield’s book, The Success Principles, he provides some interesting insights and a fresh approach to this age old dilemma. Psychologists say that 90% of our behavior is habitual. Wow! The good news is that habits can free up your mind while your body is on automatic, like when you

Often on airplanes people ask me, in casual conversation, what I do for a living. After explaining it in a few sentences, they often knowingly smile, and say: "Oh, you`re a motivational speaker." Well, honestly, I believe that is NOT true; nor is it even possible. So I cringe internally, and then generally say a little bit more about our work and then move on. After all, they will be my seat mate for at least the next hour or more. The reality that I typically don`t share, bu

"It is the journey that brings us happiness, not the destination." - Dan Millman - Peaceful Warrior Do you ever feel as if your mind were about to burst from overwhelm? Do you ever feel that nothing is going right no matter what you do? Do you feel immobilized when you are seeking answers and ...

In our efforts to better develop ourselves as a manager, an employee, a business owner or even a job seeker, we often focus on how we can achieve our long term goals and strategize forward to that point. However, often, we overlook the short term, ‘baby steps’ that we need to take to get to where we are going. It is the daily ‘wins’ and accomplishments that gives us the momentum to move ourselves to the next step. It’s the little things that are critical to preparing and moving toward long-term aspirations. Following are three immediate ways to build on short term successes:

Tiger Woods. Lance Armstrong. Kobe Bryant. These men are just three examples of people acknowledged to be among the very best in the world at their craft. They all have something in common though that might not immediately spring to mind. They all have coaches. While I picked athletes in this example, I could have just as easily listed people at the top of other professions - musicians, politicians, authors are just three that come to mind. However, name the field or expertis

My grandmother gave me a chocolate bunny every spring when I was a child. I always looked forward to getting it, but there were some chocolate bunnies I liked better than others. Some years she gave me a hollow chocolate bunny. Now I really liked the chocolate, but when I bit into it, there was nothing but air. Other years she gave me a marshmallow-filled chocolate bunny. It was great because it had something inside. But marshmallow does get a little old after a few bites and it’s just not chocolate.

Throughout my career I have taken a number of leadership development courses. Some of these courses were voluntary on my part and others were required for advancement within the organization. I have also taken a few presentation classes that have allowed me to polish my speaking and presentation ...

Meetings, in most corners, don`t have the best of reputations. I often hear people say, "I`ve got to go to a meeting," but I don`t think I`ve ever heard someone say, "I get to go to a meeting." Why? Too many meetings with too few results; often rehashing or revisiting issues and actions that haven`t been done at previous meetings. And, as people sit there all they can think is that this is a complete waste and/or that they could be doing something else (anything else) with th

Leadership doctorate programs are designed to prepare doctors or nurses to cater the community in modern ways. The programs aim at broadening and expanding the scope of rehabilitation services and doctoring in traditional areas of training and advancing the research base. Most of these leadership doctorate programs are directed towards provide professional education of doctors. You have completed your degree, and now you desire to earn your doctorate. But with so many leaders

With my personal trainer in Paris for 2 months I have gained a whole new perspective on accountability. Exercise is one of those great ideas that many of us have and few of us follow through on consistently. I’m sure that in gyms around the country the sudden surge in membership experienced in January has settled back to normal levels much to the relief of the ‘regulars’. With my trainer away what was going to keep me on track with my daily workouts? Well as it turns ou

As human beings, we have a natural tendency to want to be loved. But what happens when your desire to be loved interferes with your ability to lead? n nPeople who gravitate toward leadership roles tend to be charismatic. They work hard at keeping their audiences captivated and enjoy the adoration they receive from their followers. This is all fine and good, until their desire to be liked, or even loved, begins to cloud their judgment. Here are some examples of how this can pl

Are great leaders born or made? nnThat is a question that has been plaguing people from the beginning of time. It is the issue discussed in books such as “From Good to Great” and “Winning.” nnThe answer is a little of both. Some people seem to naturally develop at a younger age some key leadership skills while others need the proverbial coconut to hit them on the head before they develop the traits. Some never do. nnHowever you evolve as a leader, here are the top tra

238 years ago this week, a group of men, a group of leaders, risked their lives and livelihoods to declare their (nonexistent) country’s independence from England. If you are from the United States, I wish you a Happy Independence Day!rnBut actually I am wishing that all of you (regardless of the country that issued your passport) consider declaring your independence.rnWhat do I mean? After all, as leaders, aren’t we actually pretty dependent on our organizations and thos

Gallup is a very smart organization and they do many things well. They also provide great services to organizations and those that lead them, especially in understanding the problems, challenges and solutions to employee engagement.rnBut their findings, in some recently reported research, could potentially be a major disservice to those same leaders.rnHere’s my point: you shouldn’t be happy that Gallup is wrong, only be aware that the point they are making is very incompl

Taking on a role that requires you to lead others means your own needs and agendas must move to the bottom of your list of importance.nnSome would say that we are in the war with Iraq based on Bush’s own agenda rather than the needs and desires of America. Is this true? Unless you have some inside view into Bush’s mind that I don’t have I’d have to say we don’t know. But the perception is that he seized the opportunity to finish something his father started. This ha

"I have ceased to question stars and books. I have begun to listen to the teachings my blood whispers to me." - Herman Hesse (prologue to Demian) Without a doubt, one of the most powerful tools to maximize your potential to produce better results is coaching. A client may initially hire a coach ...

Thanks to intent.com, I now am. I figured if a community that I love and respect and appreciate, like intent.com, joins Twitter…. I better check it out. I’m still not sure I get it. Why would someone who doesn’t know me want to follow me? Is it more for the famous and stalkers of the famous? I am not sure why I would want Ashton Kutcher or Al Gore’s “tweets” unless we knew each other. On second thought, if Shirley Maclaine is a twitter. I am in. I can see myself i

"Thank you"rnSaying "thank you" is something most of us learn at a young age. It's also something we teach to our children . We all know that gratitude is important, which is why, in many parts of the world, we have a day called Thanksgiving to remind us to be thankful.rnIt is unfortunate in many ways that we have such a day. Yes, it may remind us on that day to be thankful, grateful and appreciative - but the fact is that we will benefit greatly if we do it with much more re

Congratulations graduates! You’re saying goodbye to four years of academic challenge and entering the new world of work. Don’t shudder—this is going to be great. And we need you. Really—I’ll tell you why in a minute. But we need you to know a few other things first—things they didn’t tell you in college. 1. We need you to stop believing that there are no jobs out there. That’s a construct of the media, designed to capture our attention and keep us watching, re

Changing careers, going back to school or going back to work is a wonderful life space to be in. Yet it can be so scary leaving what we know and are familiar with. In fact it can scare the heck out of you! This familiar place is often called your "comfort zone". However, isn't it strange to use ...

How many times have you walked into a meeting and noticed everyone heads down and fingers flying? This scenario is all-too-familiar in our workplaces, not to mention our homes. And we’ve accepted it as normal. In fact, I’ve heard arguments that our head-bowed, thumb-dancing behavior is the natural extension of our advanced society . . . that we have to grow up and adapt . . . and that asking for different behavior is a step backwards at best. To that, I politely say, “B

We generally assume that The Test Computerization is a heavenly condition to update the possibility of occupations from the earliest starting point phase of utilization change. In any case, when we really begin with computerization, by then is the time we fathom the valid circumstance. All the more once in a while, we face different inconveniences like • When to begin mechanization, • What to robotize, • Selection of right device • Development of robotization substanc

In 1919, Leslie Irvin became the first person to jump out of an airplane with a parachute. Think about that leap – once you jump, you are completely committed. You can’t turn back, you are heading downward towards your target.rnToday I want to encourage you to take some leadership leaps – and while you do need to commit to it – you will succeed more fully if you really leap (and try not to leave one foot on the plane). Having said that, these leaps will have a much sa

You may have seen the popular Cooper Review article entitled "The 10 Tricks to Appear Intelligent in Meetings." In his article on setting an effective agenda for meetings, Roger Schwarz gives some good advice for decision-making - to be organized without formally assuming a leadership role. Combining all these things together, you get what people do to impress others when they often have no idea what is going on.rn rnCommon errors include documentation of quorum, the preparat

Did you know that you spend 1/3 of your life sleeping? That means you’re spending not just a third of your days, but a third of your entire life, in your bed! Which means that you’re going to want a very good bed. If you’re going to be spending eight hours (if not more) a day in one place, logic follows that you might as well make that place comfortable. Many people spend their entire lives sleeping on a mattress that’s not at all comfortable, and as a result of it, t

If you own a company or an organization, then you’re working alone would not take you too close to success. You also need a team of people who have the same dedication towards the work as you have. When you along with these people will perform a given task, the accuracy will be quite high and the task will be completed quickly. Your clients will also be happy if your company has a good team. Therefore, here we have listed some major ways to build the best team for an organi

Around this time of year, we take some time away from work. At least those who have jobs… For those of us who own the business, such time away seems elusive. Here are some reactions I receive when I coach entrepreneur owners to positively take time away from work and my responses: “I can’t afford to take any time away.” You can afford it, and will benefit. Recall the last time you tried to remember something—a customer’s name, your password, or a vendor—and failed. The harder you tried, the further it crept into your memory. When did you remember it?

One certainty in life is that the future holds unpredictable changes. We start every day not knowing exactly what to expect. Life brings lessons and opportunities that we don't always welcome. It forces us to take risks, become vulnerable, and open ourselves to the unknown. If you can rise above that fear, you might become the special individual we're all waiting for. View change as a good thing. Beyond every corner is a new opportunity waiting to be discovered. But how do

The automotive industry has a lot of career options to offer. It is a growing industry that is showing no signs of slowing down. One position that you can apply for is the automotive manager. The manager is responsible for coordinating vehicles and transportation within the organizations, procuring vehicles, services, parts and assessing transportation. The role of the automotive manager is primarily based on logistics. The managers are also responsible for supporting control

Physicians take the Hippocratic Oath before they can practice medicine. Lawyers take a professional oath after they pass the bar. And people elected to all sorts of positions take an oath of office. Considering how important the leader’s role is in communicating change effectively, and how poorly many leaders do it, I am proposing an oath, or more directly, a series of pledges to help all of us as leaders do the right things when communicating about change. Change is all ar

I say that phrase often.nnIt’s part of my personal philosophy, and it’s part of my business philosophy.nnLet me explain…nnPeople around the world (you included) buy learning materials, books, audio programs, webinars, tele-seminars and attend lectures and workshops every day. These learning options exist whether you want to learn about leadership, leopards, or being a lifeguard. nnCompanies and organizations everywhere organize and fill workshops and classes continually