We talk a lot about communication on this blog, because communicating well is integral to the human experience. We cannot build or maintain relationships without good communication skills. The fallout of bad communication is all around us. Part of the … Read More
Picture this: A man nervously fumbles through his wallet. He’s about to buy a large coffee, which costs $3.19. “Oh, oh, oh,” he started nervously, looking around and shoving his hand into a deep pocket. “Looks like I don’t have … Read More
“He would give someone the shirt off his back before they knew they needed it.“ These words came to mind as we celebrated the life of my wife’s grandfather a couple weeks ago. Do you know the feeling you get … Read More
He was in his mid-50s. Unkempt hair. Tank top. Flip flops. Ripped jean shorts. No helmet. Riding a bike with a cigar in his mouth. I confess to making a quick judgment about how his cigar—before 8 a.m.—belied any effort … Read More
In the latest book by Jim Kouzes and Barry Posner, Everyday People, Extraordinary Leadership, they share research showing who people identify as their most influential leader. Options included political leaders, historical figures, business leaders, and celebrities. However, the majority of … Read More
I’ve brought up this topic before, but the importance of being clear in your communication can not be over-emphasized. There’s a subtle vocal tick careful leaders avoid using–“honestly.” Often we use this word to get the listeners attention and emphasize … Read More
Roughly 80% of our decisions are based on our emotional state and 20% are based on logic. There are three reasons for leaders to know what drives decision-making: To ensure our decisions aren’t overly influenced by emotion. Also, to extend … Read More
Following a recent training session, a manager expressed their frustration about not getting buy-in from a team member. “Almost everyone on my team puts this into practice, except for a few. What am I supposed to do when someone doesn’t … Read More
After 30 years of teaching and facilitating workshops, one lesson is abundantly clear: people learn more when exploring with others. This can be in practice, breakout groups, and table discussions. Side conversations make learning real. Applying learning to real-world situations … Read More
I’ve been reading Atomic Habits by James Clear, and I love it. Clear emphasizes our accidental efforts to sabotage our goals by focusing too much on them. We keep trying to make goals better. For example, if our goal is … Read More
