(This post is excerpted from The 5 Coaching Habits of Excellent Leaders.) In addition to knowing yourself, having clarity about your priorities also predicts your personal reliability. The most important decision in business, and in life, is to decide what’s most important. So, as a request or an opportunity arises, ask yourself if this is…
We live in an information-rich, time-poor world. As a result, it is easy for us to behave like rats. In other words, we see an opportunity (stimulus) and we jump at it (response). The great thing about being human (aside from our ability to use a TV remote) is that we can exercise choice. So…
Several centuries ago, a Japanese emperor commissioned an artist to paint a bird. A number of months passed, then several years, and still no painting was brought to the palace. Finally, the emperor became so exasperated; he went to the artist's home to demand an explanation. Instead of making excuses, the artist placed a blank…
Video of UIsJtbCCtDE We all need to make a time and place that offers us mental space. Your space might be your car as you drive home after work, a reading or meditation corner in your house, your bathtub, your gym, a nearby park where you walk—anywhere you can be alone with your thoughts.…
During my family holiday visits, we play lots of ping pong--a favorite indoor sport of ours. Over many games and tournaments certain players dominate, and a clear trend emerges. The consistent winners use the full ping pong table to their advantage. They keep opponents moving, guessing and reacting to an array of shots in different…
Here we go again! I frequently tell my clients that no trend goes on forever. My mom used to say, "This too shall pass." Both phrases keep us humble when we are at the peak and hopeful when we are in the valley. In December of 2008, I wrote a manifesto titled "Here We…
The classic quote goes, Winners never quit and quitters never win.... NOT! The truth is quite the opposite - winners always quit. Here's a personal story about quitting with business implications... Swoosh! The same sound I heard the last three shots as I catch the basketball after it glides through the net creating music to…
The blinding speed of today's information-saturated, time-deprived, hyper-competitive world forces us to run, run, run just to keep pace. Alarm! Snooze button. Alarm! Shower. Shave. Phone on. Check headlines. Check voice mail. Check email. Google dog groomer. Make dinner reservations. Microwave breakfast. Drive to office. Check email. Check schedule. Text Junior about afternoon pickup time…
Letting go of old habits isn't easy. As my friend Byrd Baggett says, "You have to let go to grow." Comfort certainly has its advantages – your comfy chair in the living room, a comfortable routine at work, a comfortable relationship. With all the advantages of comfort, here are some things you should know about…
Rules of engagement help define how your team will interact. They are like the "We Card." signs you see in every convenience store. Those signs were created to help the store workers identify and prevent age-restricted sales of tobacco to minors. In the past, convenience store workers had to ask each customer wanting to…
