Knowing the right questions to ask is better than having all the right answers. Or as Decouvertes put it, "It is not the answer that enlightens, but the question." So, the fastest way to change the answers you receive – from yourself and your team – is to change the questions you ask. Consider the…
The blessing of life also brings with it a multitude of adversities – building a business, career, family, finances, relationships, feeling overwhelmed or struggling with depression. I was personally uplifted as I re-read an inspiring address delivered by Wallace A. Kennedy, Professor of Psychology at my alma mater, Florida State University. He was talking to…
After working with leaders and organizations to improve their strategy execution for the past 15 years, I have boiled it down to these 12 phrases to help you and your team stick with it. Sharpen your focus. Build your competence. Ignite your passion. We win from within. Measure what matters. Identify your "one thing." Convert…
Mentoring is an effective way to pass on experience and knowledge within an organization. Companies in all industries have formal and informal programs designed to hone their talent and sharpen their competitive edge. However, the technology revolution has created an ironic twist to traditional mentoring. Today, it's common for a young, entry-level worker to have a…
The powerful leader, without a doubt, can still have a strong and commanding presence. The key is how s/he chooses to exchange information, and therefore power, to yield team success. A power exchange is the intentional, continuous transfer of information that boosts employee accountability and performance. There are four power converters that gradually increase employee…
Like many of us, I learned about goal-setting early in my career. However, it was only a few years ago that I experienced firsthand the true power of dreaming big. It came at the hands of someone quite small. My daughter was seven at the time. She loved to play catch, and I did also.…
When my wife and I built our home, I discovered that leadership corresponds to the phases of homebuilding. Constructing a house occurs in three major phases: foundation, framing, and finish-out. Building a team, like building a house, requires starting from the ground up. Our values, like a foundation, affect our team the same way all…
The words you use are more powerful than you imagine. Most people greet each other with words that have no power. Think of the last time you heard someone else (or even yourself) respond to a greeting of "How are you?" with "Oh, I am doing so-so," "Hanging in there," "I'm surviving" or "Not too…
We live in an information-rich, time-poor world, with lots of inputs coming at us in any given moment. Although it seems like our environment requires us to multitask, more and more research reveals that single-tasking is the most effective approach to getting things done. Single-tasking is particularly critical to the leader who is trying to…
Growth may be optional but change is inevitable. Unfortunately, most efforts to make organizational changes fail, and the reasons are predictable. Since change will happen in your business, keep these 10 reasons handy to boost your chances of a successful change effort – and business growth. Asking for Behavior X while rewarding Behavior Y. Make…
