People are often unreasonable, irrational, and self-centered. Forgive them anyway.If you are kind, people may accuse you of selfish, ulterior motives. Be kind anyway.If you are successful, you will win some unfaithful friends and some genuine enemies. Succeed anyway.If you are honest and sincere, people may deceive you. Be honest and sincere anyway.What you spend…
Can you recite the flight attendant’s safety speech? We bet you can. You know, the one that goes something like, “. . . In the event of a loss of cabin pressure, an oxygen mask will drop from above. If you are traveling with a child, place your mask on first . . ..” We…
Leaders at Toyota coach toward autonomy to build ownership behavior in their teams. As part of The Toyota Way, employees submit suggestions to their team. They are suggestions the employees can implement themselves or with a teammate—in other words, this initiative is something employees control without need for management approval. At one point, Toyota received…
Jeff Immelt is the former CEO of General Electric and a three-time recipient of Barron’s “World’s Best CEO.” One of Immelt’s leadership tips is: Manage by setting boundaries, with freedom in the middle (in other words, give your employees autonomy). He says, “The boundaries are commitment, passion, trust, and teamwork. Within those boundaries, there’s plenty…
When it comes to coaching, questions are actually the answer. By simply asking questions, your employees will reveal challenges and opportunities that could potentially take you months or even years to identify. Remember, we all want to be seen and heard, and asking questions meets that need. Asking questions and then really listening demonstrates personal…
Oftentimes, cultivating talent isn’t a linear path—it zigs and zags. As part of your role in helping your employees find their sweet spots, you need to structure their wanderings with a sense of direction. This was true of Tony Robbins. Most people know him as a self-help author, speaker, and philanthropist who has transformed millions…
Most types of sports equipment—a golf club, a tennis racket, a baseball bat—have a certain spot that, if the ball hits it, will give the player the optimal result. Hitting this sweet spot yields a long drive down the fairway, a swift crosscourt return, or a home-run swing. If you have experienced it, you know…
I was meeting a colleague at a local bakery/café recently and arrived early. I typically arrive early and wait for the other party to arrive, but this time I was enthralled with the 50+ framed quotes that defined the walls of this quaint eatery. So, I wanted to share a few of them with you…
Research from Gallup revealed that the most effective teams have at least a 3:1 ratio of positive to negative interactions. Demonstrating appreciation for contributions is a powerful way to create a positive interaction. On the home front, this same research found the ratio for the most effective marriages is at least 5:1. Bottom line: It…
Most great stories of victory are, in actuality, great stories of overcoming adversity. Virtually every team and organization experiences adversity of some type: economic hardships, loss of a major customer, lack of funding, failed partnerships, natural disaster, the death of a team member, etc. To help move through adversity and onto victory, take stock of what…
