Does your company allow you to block off time in your work day for creativity—a time devoted to ideation, and not connected to a project that is currently in the works? (Hint: if you have no idea what I’m talking about, the answer is “no.”) It’s a fairly unique concept, this notion of employees outside…
Personal Effectiveness
THINK: 15 Ideas to Help You Talk Less and Listen More
A few years ago, my friend Erin Schreyer posted this saying on her Facebook page. That afternoon, the image found its place onto our family’s refrigerator, where it remains to this day. We’ve had many meaningful conversations using the “THINK” model. From spats with siblings, to ways to talk to a friend about a difficult…
Leadership Self-Control – Are You About to Lose It?
When it comes to exercising restraint as a leader, think of your self-control like a car’s gas tank: you’ve got to look at the gas gauge once in a while to see if you’re running on “empty”. That’s the analogy I use on my monthly Smartblog on Leadership post about ways to avoid losing your…
Seven Gift-Giving Ideas for Your Boss
The gift-giving season is in full swing here in the United States, so I wrote a post for Smartblog on Leadership offering unique ideas for “gifts” that leaders can give their employees this year. Hint: there’s not a gift card or food basket on this list. Read more in 7 leadership gift-giving ideas for the…
The Musicality of Leaders and Teams
Have you ever considered that leadership has a musicality to it? My latest Smartblog on Leadership article explores how successful leadership messages contain the three key elements of music. It occurs to me that you could also look at teams through the “musicality” filter. Melody – the key theme for the team; its purpose Harmony…