Even the most plugged-in leaders get it wrong sometimes. This fact was driven home to me the other day as I listened in on a phone conference led by a regional manager named Pete who manages a group of customer service teams spread across the northern half of the United States. My purpose in joining the…
Professionals Don’t Offer Excuses
As a workplace professional, you know that making excuses doesn’t cut it, so you strive to avoid acting the victim if your work actions don’t make the grade. But is there ever a time when an explanation is warranted to help clarify your actions? After all, because you’re a professional and you always aim to do your best,…
Are You an Opinion Leader?
Imagine for a moment that top management at your workplace surveyed all members of leadership asking, “Who are the most respected and influential individuals regardless of job title in our organization?” Would your name appear at least 10 times in the survey results? If so, then you might be an opinion leader, as defined by authors…
Following. It’s the New Leadership
If you find yourself still thinking about a three-minute video clip six days after you first saw it, chances are it had a pretty powerful message. That’s definitely the case for me as I reflect on the hilarious, but insightful video clip shown at the TEDx Grand Rapids event last week. The video features Derek…
TEDx Grand Rapids – 8 Ideas Worth Sharing
I’ve joined the ranks of TED aficionados. Last Thursday, along with 599 other lucky people, I participated (on-site) in the first-ever TEDx event in Grand Rapids, Michigan. A TEDx event is a spin-off of the popular TED Conference. For those unfamiliar with TED, it’s a unique conference format designed around “riveting talks by remarkable people,…