If you clicked on this blog post, it says something good about you. (More on that in just a second. First a couple of questions.) Are you a speaker that writes? Or, are you a writer that speaks? It’s an important distinction. For me, I’m a speaker that writes. My first language, if you will,…

One of the pathways of increasing our influence is to become a better listener. After all, great leaders are great listeners. They take time to listen to their customers. They ask great questions of their teams and listen. They do this because they know: Listening and Learning travel together. The challenge for many leaders is they…

A sign of great parenting is when Moms and Dads hear their kids say, “I’m bored.” Too often, kids are over stimulated with screen time and constant engagement. It’s as if boredom is wrong. In actuality, boredom is a gift because it provides margin for kids to think, play and learn how to be creative. That’s not…

Leadership is a different kind of lonely.  You’re around people as a leader, in-person or virtually, constantly. And yet, for leaders, presence and proximity don’t take away the loneliness that comes with leading. It’s not that simple. In fact, the more people a leader hires the more lonely they can feel. It’s also where leaders can get…

As we make our way to a new year, I have an idea that can help you both reflect on 2021 and prepare for 2022. It involves the photos on your phone and a quick trip down memory lane. Here’s how it works: 1. Scroll through the photos from January 1, 2021 to today. 2.…

“Mandate” might be the laziest word in the language of organizations. Sure, there are times for it, and there’s certainly the case for high standards, but when the list of mandates gets too long the leadership culture becomes one of power, not strength. There are a lot of leaders who rely on the power of their…

Last week, I went on my annual planning advance with friends Shane Benson, David Farmer and Daniel Harkavy. One of the more memorable moments was when Daniel reminded us: “The older people get the less risks they take. This is how we get old in our thinking. The opposite should be true. The older we get the more…

Who does what, Peter Drucker famously said, is the most important decision a leader makes. Suddenly, finding ‘who’ has become the hardest part. In August alone, 3% of the American work force walked off the job. That’s 4.3 million people according to the U.S. Labor Department. In many cases, it’s put leaders on their heels asking, “Why…

Last week, Wendy and I went to a restaurant that only had a few customers. When we walked in, the hostess informed us the wait would be 35 minutes. “We only have one server tonight,” she said. The current labor shortage is a real issue. As you’ve probably heard, millions are packing up their work belongings and…

I’m a year into this new venture and it’s always important to pause and look back. Too often we don’t mine our experience for lessons that can help us in the future. It’s why reflection is such a gift. One of the the filters I’ve used in reflecting on this past year is: What I…