When our son was 11 years old, he earned his junior black belt in karate. Of course, we were very proud of him, for he had come a very long way since his first lesson. We remember that lesson well. He was 7 years old, and one of the first things the master instructor taught…
I absolutely loved to play basketball as a youngster (and still do!). My basketball hero was Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. At 7'2" his sky hook was art in motion. He was not only a brilliant player on the court, but he is also brilliantly insightful. A few years ago Abdul-Jabbar shares 20 Things Boys Can Do to Become…
Here is an excerpt from Leadership Matters. It contains 31 daily insights to inspire extraordinary results. day 28: Trust Trust is the basis for all successful leaders and all successful relationships for that matter. You cannot buy trust, but it is free. Trust is priceless yet can be earned over time. Have you ever tried to…
Plenty of books are filled with lists of questions, but asking questions without a clear objective is like playing the question lotto. Very occasionally you might get lucky and win, but most of the time you will come up empty-handed. That’s a loss for you and for your team member. There is rarely a…
Do you want to finish strong in 2017? If you want great results by the end of this year, boost accountability today. Unfortunately, accountability is like rain. Everyone knows it’s good for you, but no one wants to get wet! The term “accountability” is frequently used without supporting actions, so it loses its meaning within organizations.…
A grandfather of a friend came to America from Eastern Europe. After being processed at Ellis Island, he went into a cafeteria in lower Manhattan. He sat down at an empty table and waited for someone to take his order. Of course nobody did. Finally, a woman with a tray full of food sat down…
Excellent leaders help their teams by clearly and specifically defining the actions, timing and results they expect from others and from themselves. For each member of your team, make certain you communicate the 3W’s (What, Who and When). We use a very similar format with our coaching clients to help them drive millions of dollars…
Been to the ocean lately? Always strikes me how you can get knocked down by a wave, struggle to get back to your feet only to be staring another wave in the face. That's how the current world of continuous, rapid change can feel. Back in the 1950's, you might have seen only one technological change…
I love facial tattoos! In fact, I wish everyone had a great big one. No, I am not talking about going to the local parlor and getting your face all inked up. However, the tattoo I am referring to makes just as big of an impression on those around you. Video of 26dbYifs0mA Facial tattoos…
When employees don’t get the necessary information to perform their jobs, including asnwers to the fundamental four questsions, they tend to “fill in the blanks” with their own assumptions, and their assumptions are often worst-case scenarios. This is not necessarily a reflection of the leader. It’s our natural human insecurity. We often assume the worst in…
