Active listening is an important skill that a leader needs to have and practice. By being an active listener, you can make better decisions, strengthen your relationships with your team, clients, or customers, and also spot opportunities that you might otherwise miss. Active listening requires the listener to absorb information, comprehend the message, and retain the information conveyed by the speaker. While practicing active listening, you should pay close attention to the speaker’s non-verbal cues (behavior, body language) to gain a full understanding of their message. Continue reading

s self-employment right for you? Is 2023 the best time to start your own business? Questions like these are common right now. And the answer is: definitely, maybe. Many leaders, executives, and managers secretly wish that they were self-employed. When they examine past career choices, future opportunities, and the reality that time is finite, they open the window to options and opportunities. Continue reading

How much time and attention do you spend negotiating every day? Think about it: just getting to your work space requires negotiating activities, meals, and space (think nutrition versus convenience, after-school activities, commuter lanes, etc.) At work we negotiate our way through business deals, customer relations, office politics, and career advancements. Such negotiations often require the agility of Captain America, the stamina of Dean Karnazes, and the wisdom of Yoda. Continue reading

What has been your recent experience with confrontations? When did you last initiate one? Confronting someone for their behavior today is no easy feat, especially when emotions are easily triggered and opinions vary. We often become quick to challenge their logic (What were you thinking?!), credibility (Where did you learn to…?!), and personality (Who do you think you are?!) At the other end of the spectrum, we avoid confrontations; we don’t want to make matters worse. But, when we say nothing, we perpetuate the problem (and in some cases, become co-conspirators.) Great leaders and managers understand this. When expectations are left unmet—including protocol infractions, civil disobedience, illegal behavior and everything in between—frustration, lack of accountability, and broken relationships become the norm. What if we could make a positive difference? Continue reading

Develop Your Mental Game As a business leader, how do you develop your mental game? Consider today’s outstanding athletes. Like outstanding business leaders and managers, they overcome obstacles, deal with set-backs, and persevere to reach their goals. After watching a... Continue reading

The Risks of Working for a People Pleasing Leader Working for someone who is a people-pleaser may seem fairly innocuous or even desirable, but such leaders pose daunting challenges for their organizations. If you work for a people-pleaser, you most... Continue reading

A Mindful Lesder Legacy that Endures As a leader, how will your legacy measure up? Your leadership legacy matters. It motivates people in the way they think and behave, today, and in the future. A lasting legacy sets a course:... Continue reading

As a leader, how do you channel stress? How do you use stress to your advantage? More than ever, it’s critical that we take care of our bodies and mind. After all, our success depends on being able to function in a healthy, productive manner. So when your flight, fight, freeze, or fawn response is triggered, how do you respond? How do you signal to your body when you are in real danger, and when you are experiencing stress? Continue reading

Whenever emotions are involved, communication can get tricky. It happens often: at home, in public, and at work. When people disagree, feel un-heard, or feel invalidated, a conversation can go off track. Continue reading

All humans need love: we need to be loved and nurtured, and we need to express love. It’s one of our most fundamental needs. And it’s no surprise that this need carries into the workplace. For many, having healthy business and professional relationships is a top goal. That’s why they practice love in the workplace. Leading with love is doing the right thing, at the right time, in the right spirit (motivation). This type of love embodies courageousness, discernment, justice, and humility—it’s not about our natural preferences. Leaders who practice this type of love know that expressing love, empathy, and compassion is a mutually beneficial endeavor. Even the smallest act of kindness can help meet our need for love. According to researchers, committing kindness over a seven-day period increases our sense of happiness. And, it matters not if it is offered to strangers, acquaintances, co-workers, or close friends—all have an equally positive effect. Continue reading

As a leader, how do you get the right people on your bus? Even in the best of times, getting the right people on the bus is a persistent challenge for leaders and managers. After all, talent is a critical driver of corporate performance. Continue reading

When an apology is in order, how do leaders in your organization apologize? We can’t help but notice when it goes poorly. Sometimes, it’s a matter of people (or a person) not ready or able to forgive. And that’s understandable, especially when there is no attempt at restorative justice. Other times, apologies go sideways when egos get in the way. At best, it falls short as a polished explanation; the apology is an attempt to justify the behavior. This often results in the erosion of trust. Great leaders—whether they are seasoned executives or untitled leaders—know how to humbly apologize. They understand that mistakes happen and that they are not infallible. Real leaders hold themselves accountable and make amends. Continue reading

When an apology is in order, how do leaders in your organization apologize? We can’t help but notice when it goes poorly. Sometimes, it’s a matter of people (or a person) not ready or able to forgive. And that’s understandable, especially when there is no attempt at restorative justice. Other times, apologies go sideways when egos get in the way. At best, it falls short as a polished explanation; the apology is an attempt to justify the behavior. This often results in the erosion of trust. Great leaders—whether they are seasoned executives or untitled leaders—know how to humbly apologize. They understand that mistakes happen and that they are not infallible. Real leaders hold themselves accountable and make amends. Continue reading

Designing You Career: You Are in Charge No one manages your career but you and you must rely on yourself as your own guide, even if you are fortunate enough to have a trusted mentor. Most professionals have already moved... Continue reading

Secrets of Successful Careers: Finding Your Core Purpose & Strengths Why are some people promoted to positions that bring out the best in them, while their peers, who are equally talented, get left behind in positions that do not allow... Continue reading

Jump-start Your Leadership and Team Performance Executives, leaders, and managers are facing tough decisions as we return to work. Newly appointed and seasoned leaders must assess their teams, find the gaps, and fill open positions. Adding to the complexity is... Continue reading

We tend to think of new technology as the space where game-changing innovations occur, but fertile new ideas may reside elsewhere. The Doblin Group, a Chicago think tank, has identified 10 areas where innovation can deliver competitive advantages. Continue reading

The challenges of 21st-century work—rapid innovation, unrelenting change and unprecedented uncertainty—have created a stress pandemic. Depending on your disposition, you may view the future as ripe for a spectacular explosion of creativity or poised on the brink of self-destruction. Either way, there’s no going back. Continue reading

Although trauma and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) are frequently used interchangeably, they are different. Continue reading

The way we live and work has changed dramatically the past year, upending our routines, our identities, and for many, our sense of security. The trauma of job insecurity, health insecurity, major intergenerational loss, and culture assaults leave us reeling and impact our productivity. Leaders are concerned about their employee’s well-being and safety. Continue reading

Why We Need Inspirational Leadership In today’s world, we need inspirational leadership. In a 2017 survey recently published in Harvard Business Review, 85% of 14,500 workers across a variety of industries said they were not working at full potential. Only... Continue reading

Inspirational Leadership What does inspirational leadership look like in your organization? Let me ask: what impact do inspiring leaders have on performance, both organizationally, and at an individual level? Consider this: while an employee’s mindset is important to their overall... Continue reading

Peak performance is not what it used to be, according to leaders, managers, and employees who report teetering on the brink of burnout. And it’s not just individuals: entire organizations are at risk. Continue reading

We are making great strides in corporate social responsibility. Many reflect changes in business policies and practices. But when it comes to business ethics, are we really improving? Continue reading

We are making great strides in corporate social responsibility. Many reflect changes in business policies and practices. But when it comes to business ethics, are we really improving? Continue reading