If you want a glimpse into how well an organization is run, take a look at how they run their meetings. The value they get out of their meetings usually reflects how well the organization is run as a whole. Meetings are designed to accomplish a particular objective. There are

We are all a result of our habits. This is most apparent in the world of business. Our habits in the workplace dictate our productivity, employee relations, and ultimately our business success.   Everyone goes into the new year with a vision of improvements they want to make to their

  The Internet has completely changed the world, especially the world of business. Not only have traditional businesses become more streamlined and connected, but the web has also brought along a renaissance of non-traditional businesses. Entrepreneurship has skyrocketed over the last decade, as many are attempting to become the next

  by Madisyn Taylor Like birds flying in a V, when we feel the presence of others moving along side of us, there is little we cannot accomplish. As they swoop, drift, and glide, inscribing magnificent patterns across the sky, birds are serene displays of grace and beauty. Long a

Listening has become a lost art, perhaps because we’ve become so focused on ourselves. We’re used to getting what we want when we want it in this on-demand world. Listening is about others. It’s about giving them what they want and need. It’s about connecting with others on many different

“A strategy is a plan that creates sustainable competitive advantage and allows an organization to perform over time, even in the face of a changing environment.”  — Jimmy Brown Your strategic plan should do all three things Brown suggests: 1. Create a sustainable competitive advantage; 2. Allow you to perform

“A strategy is a plan that creates sustainable competitive advantage and allows an organization to perform over time, even in the face of a changing environment.”  — Jimmy Brown Your strategic plan should do all three things Brown suggests: 1. Create a sustainable competitive advantage; 2. Allow you to perform

“The Miracle is not to walk on water. The Miracle is to walk on the green Earth, dwelling deeply in the present moment, feeling truly alive.”  –Thich Nhat Hanh THE 5 MINUTE BUDDHIST (Printable PDF) Harold Ramis produced over 20 movies, most notably Animal House, Caddy Shack, Ghostbusters, and Groundhog Day. He

“Like Achilles, the hero who forgot his heel, or like Icarus who, flying close to the sun, forgot that his wings were made of wax, we should be wary when triumphant ideas seem unassailable, for then there is all the more reason to predict their downfall.” ― Dwight Longenecker, The

Effective meeting models maximize the running of an organization. Understanding and setting the right business rhythm leads to organizational effectiveness.

Focus like the best CEO’s or Olympic athletes by using these 10 methods to drive away distractions.

Focus like the best CEO’s or Olympic athletes by using these 10 methods to drive away distractions.

Focus like the best CEO’s or Olympic athletes by using these 10 methods to drive away distractions.

Today I believe a Mission Statements should optimally be 8 to 10 words in length. I did not always believe this to be true, as you will see from the example below from my first company. Today, I would call this a statement of belief, rather than a mission statement.

Hyperfocus leads to poor decisions & irreversible recommendations. Learn how and what to do about developing situational awareness.

A study by Erik Altmann, associate professor of psychology, found that brief interruptions doubled the error rate for participants performing a difficult sequential task. The research was done at the University of Michigan on behalf of the US Navy, and it has widespread implications. “So why did the error rate

When I was working at CoCo, a collaborative work space in Minneapolis, my tablemate John said to me, “I have been an emphatic talker my whole life and now it’s time for me to become an emphatic listener.” The term got me thinking. What does it mean to be an

Each of us has a world view which is formed based on a certain set of beliefs, values and attitudes that you think is true based on the conditions, environment and experiences you have had since you were born.

Focus on the Goal, Not the Problem When I first meet with clients, they tend to want to focus on their current state (or the organization’s) and specific challenges. They want to vent. Sometimes venting helps them decompress, but too much venting can result in defeatism and paradigm paralysis. They

Focus on the Goal, Not the Problem When I first meet with clients, they tend to want to focus on their current state (or the organization’s) and specific challenges. They want to vent. Sometimes venting helps them decompress, but too much venting can result in defeatism and paradigm paralysis. They

If you are trying to figure out who you are as a leader and what you believe, it is good to go backwards before you go forward. That’s because your current beliefs are often a product of or reaction against parental influence.

If your work or routine needs revitalizing, pack up and go somewhere else. Go to a coffee shop, the public library, a local art center, the park, even a hotel lobby. You might not only get new ideas and new routines, you might also get new customers or contacts.

While generating ideas comes easily for entrepreneurs, discerning which ideas to implement and which to discard does not usually come as easily.

Entrepreneurs like not only to identify new opportunities and threats, new strengths and weaknesses, but also to act on them. They like to shake the snow globe.

Focusing, by definition, will narrow your field of vision. That’s great…if you are on the right path. Not so great if you and your team are trying to solve the wrong problem. How do you and your team keep yourself open not only to new solutions, but also to new

Focusing, by definition, will narrow your field of vision. That’s great…if you are on the right path. Not so great if you and your team are trying to solve the wrong problem. How do you and your team keep yourself open not only to new solutions, but also to new

Focus I am an avid photographer, and when taking pictures I am focused on focus. Without focus, the shot is a bust. What do I want in focus? and What do I want out of focus? are questions I ask. A wide aperture provides minimal depth of field (only a small portion

How to Prepare for a Meeting The first three steps of meeting preparation are: 1. Set a clear and achievable goal for the meeting How to Prepare for a Meeting: Steps #1 & 2 that is in line with the organization’s vision and mission 2. Choose the appropriate type of meeting:

Leadership is seeing how one small change like using an overhand knot verses and underhand knot to tie your shoe can have massive improvement in performance. Are you peeling back the onion and exploring how small changes can be substantial.

What Is Your Personal Brand? You may not like to think of yourself as a brand, but you are one. Most people think of you as the X Person or the Y Specialist. If they don’t…well, that’s a problem. If people don’t associate you with something distinct and valuable, then

The 5-15 reports is a simple concept. The report should take no more than 5 minutes to read and no more than 15 minutes to write.

But no one captures the profound and paradoxical nature of silence better than silent Buddhist retreat leader Gene Lushtak. Prochnik recounts a story Lushtak told him about Ajahn Chah, the most prominent leader of 20th-century Buddhism: “A young monk came to live in the monastery where Ajahn Chah was practicing.

In a TED talk, Dan Gilbert asks the audience if they would be happier winning the lottery or becoming paraplegic. If you’re like most, you’d answer lottery winner. And you’d be right…for a while. It turns out that a year after winning the lottery or becoming paraplegic, people are equally

Aristotle says that the eudaemon life is one of “virtuous activity in accordance with reason” [1097b22–1098a20] We must: 1) Know our purpose. 2) Know how to act on that purpose. 3) Act on that knowledge towards our purpose.

In an article for The Chronicle of Higher Education (“Divided Attention”), David Glenn examines some of recent scholarly findings about multitasking, including the work done by Clifford I. Nass, a professor of psychology at Stanford University. “Heavy multitaskers are often extremely confident in their abilities,” says Nass. “But there’s evidence

Dr. Glenn Wilson, a psychiatrist at King’s College London University, found the IQ of those trying to respond to messages and fulfill work obligations fell by 10 points. That IQ drop is equivalent to losing a night’s sleep or twice the drop seen by those who just smoked marijuana! If you

Big ideas are terrific. There’s no harm in thinking big. Acting prematurely on these ideas is the problem. Many visionaries move from start to finish in their minds quickly and skip many of the steps in between necessary for execution. That’s how they wind up trying to boil the ocean.

The cobblestones were slick from the mist as we walked beside the canals to see James Taylor play at an intimate gathering in San Marco Piazza, Venice. Had the weather stayed as it had been, the stars would have been sparkling like pin holes through a sheet. Instead, we were

In a new organization, leaders are committed to discovering what is it that the customer wants and what the competition is doing. Over time, these same leaders start to shift their focus: from external to internal. It happens so gradually that it’s almost imperceptible. But, in the process, they lose sight of what brought the enterprise

I just spent a week at a hotel in San Francisco that was new and lovely, and yet, when I was trying to work I just could not engage. Some spaces–hotels, offices, you name it–lend themselves to providing energy, focus, and action while others seem to just disengage me entirely.

If you think some of your day is spent on items that don’t align with your goals, don’t stand pat. Investigate. You either have the wrong goals or you are working in non-productive ways. The more you value your time, the more valuable it becomes, and the closer you get

I recently met this amazingly engaging executive from Life Touch who had the privilege of spending seven years with Vince Lombardi. What great stories he had to share, as we circled a mile above San Francisco. We began to talk about Nordstrom and what great customer service they provide to

Rabbi Hillel asked these questions almost two thousand years ago: If not you, who? If not now, when? If not this much, how much? Today, leaders would do well to ask the same questions. Leaders must be the ones who ask the questions and have the conversations everyone else is

In this age of information, it’s so easy to get distracted by a comment, idea, book, motivational speaker, blogger, etc. Before giving in to a distraction, ask, “How does this support our strategy?” You may find yourself with an extra ten hours a week if you begin asking this question and

Many organizations have cut back on people, benefits, and professional development over the past few years. As the market heats up, and it is, those companies must correct those behaviors soon or they are likely to lose their best talent–according to a survey recently completed by Right Management. Right Management is

One of our family’s credos is “Make a promise, keep a promise.” It helps us live up to our commitments. For example, a few days ago my oldest daughter was encouraging me to do my training for an Eco Challenge that I am doing in Colorado this summer. Before she

One of our family’s credos is “Make a promise, keep a promise.” It helps us live up to our commitments. For example, a few days ago my oldest daughter was encouraging me to do my training for an Eco Challenge that I am doing in Colorado this summer. Before she

Big risks are generally for the young—when fewer livelihoods are at stake and when there’s plenty of time and energy to rebuild or start something new from scratch. If you’ve already spent considerable time and energy building your business, if you’ve already had your share of entrepreneurial adrenaline rushes, don’t

You’ve heard “What’s the worst that could happen?” It’s a valuable question, encouraging the asker and responder to demystify and evaluate the risks involved with making a certain decision. The converse, “What’s the best that could happen?” has value, too.

Brain Tracy Explains the power of asking questions to make a sale.

Tony Robbins explains how questions help us stay focused. If you ask the wrong questions you will likely end up with the wrong answer. What questions are you asking?

What is your leadership definition? Please share in comments…

We use narrative to explain our world. Those narrative keep us focused on our assumed beliefs. How are your beliefs holding you captive?

Are you playing to win or just do good enough. In this post you will be challenged to consider taking an extra step to upgrade your team.

The smart, aware executive today is doing something different. He or she is asking questions. Almost like leading itself, “asking” has different techniques and styles. Readers will learn which ones are right and the best fit for them in this article.

Five Critical Qualities you should know about being an entrepreneur.

By Madeleine Van Hecke 1. Reflect on mistakes you have made in the past, and see what blind spots might have caused those mistakes. Is there a pattern – a type of blind spot that seems to occur more often, a type of situation that repeatedly poses risks for you?

By Madeleine Van Hecke 1. Reflect on mistakes you have made in the past, and see what blind spots might have caused those mistakes. Is there a pattern – a type of blind spot that seems to occur more often, a type of situation that repeatedly poses risks for you?

Today I asked Steve Roberts to be our guest blogger. About Steve Steve Roberts was born in Greenville, Ohio, the son of a small-town golf pro and a mom who managed the golf pro shop. The small family lived in the other half of the pro-shop building. Later the family

Exceptional Leaders listen with a great deal of mindfulness. They allow themselves to listen like an artist views the world. This entry will help you think deeper about how you are showing up to listen.

It seems there are always exceptions to the rule – often many. The rule in book publishing: If you have one success, repeat it until it is no longer profitable to do so! Your audience expects a certain style and expertise from you, and will generally be disappointed if their

It seems there are always exceptions to the rule – often many. The rule in book publishing: If you have one success, repeat it until it is no longer profitable to do so! Your audience expects a certain style and expertise from you, and will generally be disappointed if their

I am not a professional marketer. I see social media as a way of saying “I see you.” It is really about recognizing there is someone on the other side of the conversation. Recognition involves three simple steps: 1) Listening. The bulk of people who engage in social media are

Philosophy since the Enlightenment, by Roger Jones This is a great indexing of philosophy to get a more global picture of what has been thought and studied.

In our interview with Bill Treasurer earlier this week he offered some insight into what questions leaders should ask their team or organizations: 1. Where are we playing it too safe, as a business, and why? 2. How am I, as the leader, contributing to our playing it too safe

When the former CEO of a Fortune 100 company calls, people do what he wants especially if you’re a new venture backed hi-tech firm. Or maybe not. The President of this hi-tech firm, Bob, knew this particular CEO/Venture Capitalist who was a long standing investor in his company. But this

Last night I went to the Marc Cohn concert (he wrote “Walking in Memphis”). He had such a personable way of being on stage. He literally wrote two songs on the fly that had amusings to him and the audience based on the interactions that were taking place. It got

When you log onto the Internet, do you stay focused on your search exclusively, or do you occasionally follow strings of curiosity? We often go where our curiosity takes us, which is human nature and usually fun. Problems arise, however, when our curiosity takes someone else for a ride. If