The Art of Listening vs. The Ignorance of Interrupting 72 Interruptions … Yes, count them! Vice Presidential Candidate Tim Kaine interrupted his opponent or the debate moderator 72 times in a 90 minute period. That’s once every 75 seconds! He wasn’t interested in debating, he had an agenda and he was driving it home. He…
Influencing Others: Outside-In or Inside-Out Your greatest ability to influence others comes from the fact that influencing others is not an outside-in job … it is an inside-out job! Before I explain why … answer the following questions and be brutally honest with yourself: In a conversation with another person, do you spend the majority…
Are You a Leader or a Glorified Individual Contributor? No one ever said that being a leader was going to be easy. In fact … I believe that being an effective leader is one of the greatest challenges one can face in their lifetime. Why? Because it requires a fundamental shift in how you perceive…
Emotional Intelligence: Opinions are like … There is a famous saying about opinions and what they are like … I will spare you the details and just say that sometimes as a leader you have to wade through the garbage and the noise so you can drill down to the truth of the situation. But…
How To Make Better Decisions … “This indecision’s buggin’ me … exactly whom I’m supposed to be … so you got to let me know … should I stay or should I go?” The Clash When it comes to making decisions … sometimes we get stuck. Maybe you’re being confronted with the decision to begin…
Leadership Faux Pas #10 – Don’t Be a Jackass! I think it is fair to say that at one time or another we have all worked for a jackass. And while we may be advancing as a civilization, I think we can safely say that jackasses will continue to take up a percentage of leadership positions…
Leadership Faux Pas #9 – Confusing Humility With Humiliation “True humility is not thinking less of yourself; it is thinking of yourself less.” ― C.S.Lewis Sometimes leaders confuse humility with humiliation. Look up the definition for humiliation and you will see words like … embarrassment, shame, indignity, and degradation. Look up the definition of humility…
Emotional Intelligence and Getting Lost … “We shall not cease from exploration, and the end of all our exploring will be to arrive where we started and know the place for the first time.” – T.S. Elliot At certain times in the career of a leader they may find themselves lost. Maybe they get bored with…
The 10 Biggest Mistakes Entrepreneurs Make Entrepreneurs are a special breed. It takes a great sense of determination and a willingness to risk, sometimes everything you have to start a company. That said, if the company grows and is successful, there are a few traps that entrepreneurs fall into … especially if it is a…
Leadership Faux Pas #8 – Being a Micromanager One of the biggest challenges I hear employees struggle with on a regular basis is dealing with a leader who is a micromanager. One of my clients once shared that their manager would go back into her reports and change margins and layout styles … all the…