Personal Effectiveness

Leaders Who Know When to Shut Up Get Better Ideas from the Team

February 26, 2018

For many years, I worked with a highly effective (and very respected) leader named Jack, who at the time was a senior executive at a large insurance company. After working together on a few corporate projects, Jack asked me to lead a three-day strategic planning session for his team. About two hours into the first […]

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My Must-Attend Conference of 2017 #workhuman

January 19, 2017

This time each year, many people peruse their industry’s conference offerings to decide which ones to attend. If you’re in the human resources, talent management, organizational development or leadership functions in your company, I suggest the WorkHuman 2017 conference. Now in its third year, the conference—sponsored by technology solutions provider Globoforce—seeks to help companies build […]

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A Dose of Medicine for Executives with BSO Syndrome

December 26, 2016

As a member of a company (big or small) you’ve probably felt a case of organizational whiplash from time to time. You know what I’m talking about? It’s that sensation you get when so many different “Big Ideas” get introduced (and then eliminated) by upper management, it’s as if your head has snapped back and […]

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Leaders Who Get a Swift Kick in the Butt Are Better for It

December 12, 2016

Leadership, as a topic, can be perplexing. As a leader, you are expected to be bold and calculated, passionate and reasonable, rational and emotional, driven and patient  . . .and yes, confident and humble. Faced with all of these often conflicting factors it’s enough to make you scratch your head and wonder, Where on earth […]

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4 Ways to Make Better Leadership Decisions

December 5, 2016

Kendra* is a newly promoted vice president of IT at a rapidly growing mid-sized firm. She’s been working overtime to staff up her department to meet the demands of her company’s growth. With each job candidate Kendra interviews, she feels the pressure to make job offers quickly. Her team is swamped, but she knows that […]

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Finding Your Sunshine At Work

October 3, 2016

Every summer, I plant a small veggie garden in my Michigan backyard. Even though the location is too shady for some of the sun-loving plants, it’s the only place that works in our yard, so we (and by “we”, I mean both the plants and I) make do. This summer I experimented with the placement […]

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Michael J. Fox’s Life Lessons on Work, Optimism, and Choice

May 17, 2016

“I’m going to a conference next month and the keynote speaker is Michael J. Fox.” “Cool! Although, I just saw on Facebook that his health isn’t very good. I hope he’s able to make the event.” Such was the conversation I had several weeks ago with a friend. I’d seen the post about Michael J. […]

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Leaders Who Care Too Much Have Control Issues

January 15, 2016

It’s good to work with a boss who cares. As with most things in life, too much of a good thing can cause problems. Compassion in a work team leader is a desirable trait, but leaders who care overly much tend to avoid critical decision-making and stunt their employees’ growth. It’s an issue of understanding the boundaries […]

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Closing the 3 Gaps – A Blueprint for Inner Peace

January 12, 2016

Hyrum Smith’s teachings have had a profound impact on the way I prioritize my life. As a young professional, I recall listening to an audio tape on how to effectively use the Franklin Planner time management system. Hyrum, then the founder of the Franklin Institute, was a charismatic speaker who was passionate about helping people […]

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The Promise of Leadership

December 28, 2015

People expect things of you when you become a leader.  “When we step into leadership, we may not be aware that it comes with implicit promises in the form of expectations,” says Bob Anderson, co-author of the recently published Mastering Leadership. When I interviewed Anderson in advance of the book’s publication, he shared his perspective […]

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