In his most recent book, Leaders Eat Last, Simon Sinek has based the title on a practice of the US Marines. When gathered to eat, the most junior members of the group are first in line, while senior leadership waits until everyone else has been served. The book is, in my view a must read. But here … Continue Reading
There are a few things that are either black or white. But very few. Most of the time almost everything is defined based on perspective. Thursday many in the United States will enjoy a holiday tradition that has come to combine turkey and the National Football League. We’ll argue the blurry line between solid defense and pass interference. … Continue Reading
I can’t control much; but I can determine to treat every individual I encounter with respect and dignity. I can be kind. I can monitor what comes out of my mouth, and strive to speak words that encourage. I believe the way I treat a person is a direct reflection of who I am — … Continue Reading
The mid-seventies motion picture All The President’s Men popularized the phrase follow the money. In the dramatization of the political scandal that became known as Watergate, the informant referred to as Deep Throat offered this phrase as the key to identifying those responsible for the dirty trick. Questions about the events surrounding the 1972 U.S. … Continue Reading
There is no shortage of communicators talking about the challenges attendant to listening. Type effective listening into your search engine, and you won’t have to wait long for the evidence. In 1.8 seconds more than 1 million resources will be one click away. Tips, tricks, guidelines, best practices, secrets, insights, barriers, ten-step-programs, five keys, principles, systems — … Continue Reading
Can we admit that we all say things we wish we could, in the vernacular of the day, walk back. When I’m the offender, though she’s been gone for many years, I cannot escape the influence of my mother. She believed words have power . . . that what comes out of our mouths is … Continue Reading
My friend, Petri Darby said it this way: When I don’t know how I feel, or what to think, I turn to how I want to feel, and what I want to think.” Great counsel, friend. Here goes. I want to think that violence, hate and fear do not define who we are — who … Continue Reading
We have a propensity for doing whatever it takes when the chips are down. A cause or challenge seemingly bigger than our ability to manage is often the mission to which we are drawn in droves. This plays out in the way we respond in the face of disaster — like the loss inflicted by … Continue Reading
“Move more. Assume less.” This was the response of a CEO friend when asked about his success in turning around a consulting firm on the brink of extinction twenty-two months earlier. Don was retiring, and he was reflective. “In the early days we were determined to meet the market at its point of need. That … Continue Reading
I shared a first version of this post in December of 2012 in the wake of the unthinkable in Newtown, Connecticut. And here we are again…unable to imagine the news we woke to…searching for a way to digest the senseless…groping for words that mean something…wondering what we might do to make a difference. I don’t know about you; but … Continue Reading
A long time ago I worked for a guy who talked a great game. He talked about a workplace with great culture…about transparency and trust…about being the kind of place the best and brightest wanted to work. That’s what he said. But he rarely delivered. Once every couple of weeks he would make the rounds, … Continue Reading
Volume can be misleading. Increasing the decibel level is no guarantee a message will be heard. Exercising the loudest voice in the room doesn’t equate to connecting with anyone. Bigger and louder — shake-the-ground-you-stand-on-boom notwithstanding — doesn’t ensure anything will resonate. And siren call aside, the same is true for even the most seductive distribution … Continue Reading
Everyone has a list of things desperately in need of change. We’ll stipulate that the only constant in our world is change. In reflective moments we might even acknowledge a need for personal change. But all the agreement notwithstanding, the fact is that change is tough — potentially painful. And often the result hardly seems … Continue Reading
Way more often than not, the individuals I most want to hear from — those whose thoughts and opinions influence me the most — are doing less talking than everyone around them. Those from whom I have learned the most almost always teach more by way of what they do than what they say. The … Continue Reading
We can talk about it until we’re blue in the face. We may write about it, speak on it, and build entire initiatives around it. If we have enough juice, in some circles we might even be able to insist we be called one. But when it comes to what it really means to be … Continue Reading
I remember when we used to be able to disagree. Friends could vigorously debate, and go home friends. We could go to school, work alongside, and build neighborhoods with folks with whom we held differing views, values and convictions. We could even talk about it. Those were the days. But that kind of dialogue may be dead. These … Continue Reading
There are few things we value more than winning. From t-ball to spelling bees to the professional sports franchise we adopt, nothing matches the thrill of finishing on top. It impacts (some might suggest, disproportionally) self-image, the way we relate to those around us, and commerce. While it’s tempting to go off on the relative value … Continue Reading
So often we act as though leadership is wrapped up in a title, charisma, or eloquent messaging. Yet, many times the individuals I most want to hear from — those whose thoughts and opinions influence me the most — are doing less talking than almost everyone around them. The best leaders I know seem to … Continue Reading
Vision is an amazing thing. Add other senses and emotions to what the human eye is able to behold, and suddenly an impression is burned into the intangible canvas of our consciousness. Today, in his post titled Standing Tall, John Nosta gives beautiful voice to what many of us feel, as he shares perspectives forever … Continue Reading
Some accomplish it with the pen (“mightier than the sword…”). Some with poetic eloquence. Others, by way of a simple invitation. Some by the sheer force of their example. Whatever the methodology, real leaders encourage conversations around core ideas, agendas and solutions. A loud voice can distract for a season. Given the resources, would-be leaders can … Continue Reading
No one likes to lose. Whether a single game, or a season’s campaign…a friendly wager, or betting the farm…a skirmish, or a war…even a conversation or a debate — winning has become a definitive measure of success. We want to win. A winning attitude is an asset to be prized in colleagues, and cultivated in … Continue Reading
It is much easier to be a critic than a creator; easier to respond and react than to innovate and initiate; easier to correct and follow than to map and lead. Opinions flow freely from the comfort of the cheap seats, where no investment in the possibilities of the future is required. Charting new territory … Continue Reading
Every single real leader I know would be shaping opinion, facilitating change and moving the proverbial ball regardless of the job description, title on the business card or position in the org chart. Leaders can’t help it. They don’t simply change the rooms they walk into. They change them for the better. They have much … Continue Reading
