Most people go to great lengths to avoid silence during conversations. They fill silence with anything, regardless of how meaningful (or meaningless). It is as if silence has its own gravitational force that pulls words from our mouths to prevent a single moment of silence. Of course, we have all experienced those three seconds of…
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…
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…
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…
At its most basic level, the job of a leader is to equip team members with knowledge and tools to be successful. A leader is only successful if his/her team is successful. That includes educating team members on organizational systems like budgeting, goal setting, authority levels for spending and training. The leader must also educate…
(This post is excerpted from The 5 Coaching Habits of Excellent Leaders.) Consider this scenario: It’s early February. Jack Samuels, a sales director for a large logistics company, just landed back in Chicago and is now driving to his suburban home from the airport. He pulled off a successful pitch to a new customer in…
(This post is excerpted from The 5 Coaching Habits of Excellent) Your words speak the truth. They reflect your commitments – your promises to act. Whether you have a long conversation with a friend or a business conversation with a work colleague, every word makes a difference. The results of our interactions are rarely neutral;…
Video of zMdRK0ZF1UU Your leadership all starts with your integrity. In fact, it starts and ends with your integrity. If you do not have integrity, no one will follow you. And if no one follows you, you are not leading. I'm reminded of this every day when I read this poem on my son's closet…
(This post is excerpted from The 5 Coaching Habits of Excellent Leaders.) The past two posts have addressed the keys to Personal Reliability which provides a booster effect for Reliable Coaching. In other words, if you are seen as personally reliable, it is much easier to use the 5 coaching habits of excellent leaders. The…
