Engaging the heart tends to be more challenging for leaders than engaging the mind. It's the softer side of leadership, and it's harder to get your head around. Traditional leadership development programs don't emphasize the skills necessary to engage employees' hearts. As a result, most leaders tend to be less comfortable with this side of…
Leading a business through the inevitable roller coaster of change has plenty of challenges. Organizational change is just a concept. Organizations do not change - individuals change. If enough individuals change then you start to reap the benefits of organizational change. Here are two common vs. effective responses to tough times. Control vs. Involvement The…
My late father grew up in southern Italy. I remember him singing Italian songs, particularly this one, O Sole Mio (My Sun). He loved the Three Tenors, but now there is a new generation or young talent with their own twist on this classic. Three Italian teen boys called Il Volo are enthralling a new…
Think of the times you've gone shopping or to a restaurant and dealt with people who were visibly happy to be in their jobs-and to have the opportunity to serve you. Their words were straight from their hearts, rather than a script. They probably surprised you with the extra effort and thoughtfulness in satisfying your needs, answering your questions…
Being willing to show your weakness might be your biggest leadership strength. If that seems like a paradox, here are three reasons vulnerable leaders create stronger teams: 1. Vulnerability lets your team see the person behind the leader. People want to follow a person first, then a person who happen to be in a leadership…
How many times have we been told the formula for maintaining a healthy weight is to eat a balanced diet and exercise regularly? Everybody knows the formula, although sophisticated marketers package it in many creative ways. So if we all know whatthe formula is, why is it so difficult to apply it to our lives? The secret to…
In today’s hyper-competitive market, a burning question for most companies is: “How can we achieve a significant and sustainable competitive advantage in order to retain our customers?” After all, keeping existing customers is five times less expensive than finding new ones. That’s good business in anyone’s book. Traditional competitive factors like product design, technology,…
The key to passionate performance is found within the hearts and minds of employees where their basic human needs are fulfilled. It’s a simple but powerful formula: When their needs are fulfilled, they are engaged and perform at their peak ability. When their needs are not met, they are frustrated, out of control, unfocused, and…
Passion is not just the way to happiness – it's also the fuel that ignites success. Having passion for a particular goal, whether personal or professional, provides the energy and motivation to take the actions necessary to achieve that goal. It's the intangible component that explains why some people and teams are better able to…
Recently, a client of mine was reflecting on a former boss who really understood how to create a sense of purpose. She clearly recalled her first day on the job at a local hospital. Her new boss said, “Cheryl, your job is to create a safe, clean environment to help our patients go home with…
