How do I motivate my team, my kids, my spouse, my anyone? It’s an age-old question with a myriad of different answers ... too many to even summarize here. So, in our information-overloaded world, let me boil it down to this. If you want to motivate, then appreciate. We do more for those who appreciate us.…
In an age when much more is being written than spoken, appreciation for the tone of the written word is being lost. For example, a typical cryptic text or email relies on emojis to communicate a serious, sarcastic, or playful tone. Even the craftiest emoji user loses subtle intended meaning. When you are speaking, the…
Here is an excerpt from Leadership Matters. It contains 31 daily insights to inspire extraordinary results. day 7: Connections How often do you hear people speak with envy about companies with “real heart”? Companies like Starbucks, Ben & Jerry’s, Southwest Airlines, Harley-Davidson, Nordstrom, The Container Store, Apple, FedEx, Fossil and Google, to name a few.…
All the questions in the world will not help your team if you are not listening. You don’t learn when you’re talking; you learn when you’re listening. Excellent coaches are also excellent listeners and learners. Mark Twain said, “If we were supposed to talk more than we listen, we would have two mouths and one…
Although Harry Potter’s cloak of invisibility is a very cool accoutrement, invisibility is really the last thing that most humans want. Humans have a fundamental need to be seen and heard. Simply acknowledging people, their input or efforts is validating. We don’t require 1,000 likes from social media “friends,” but we do need human-to-human affirmation that…
Winning leaders are accessible and authentic. That formula for leadership success has not changed in 25 years. Here are some examples and steps you can take to step up your leadership game. For 25 years, we asked lots of clients and colleagues questions about their experiences with strategy execution (what we call "adherence"), including this…
Leadership inputs yield predictable organizational outcomes, particularly during uncertain times. This infographic illustrates the effects of leadership clarity and consistency versus leadership ambiguity and inconsistency. Your team's health and productivity are your choice. They are depending on your clarity and consistency now more than ever. Contact us to discuss how we can help. ------------------------------------Check out 7 Moments... that…
I am a pretty proficient texter, although I can't hold a candle to your average teenager. I recall when I purchased my first iPhone years ago, I was typing a text to my technology partner, Harry. I was encouraging him to do what he does best. I kept is short and sweet by writing, "Just…
The more we lead, the more we work with leaders, and the more we parent, the more we see compelling parallels between leadership and parenting. Leaders are parents, and parents are leaders. They are in different settings with parallel roles. Here is an excerpt from a poem by Dorothy Law Nolte, Ph.D. titled, "Children Learn What They Live." As you…
Most of us are so technologically connected that we couldn’t disconnect even if we tried. Many of us fear having to stare down that dark tunnel of technology withdrawal. What we are talking about, however, is connecting versus being connected. We live in a high-tech world, but building positive relationships is still a high-touch job.…
