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

Developing Leadership Skills: What Do Great Leaders Have in Common? Two groups of authors and researchers have recently tried their hand at identifying what exactly makes for great leadership skills: Jim Kouzes and Barry Posner (who wrote The Leadership Challenge), and Michael Jensen, Werner Erhard, Steve Zaffron, and Kari Granger

A word is dead when it is said some say, I say it just begins to live that day. – Emily Dickinson Words can uplift or cause lasting harm to others, but can words uplift or cause lasting harm to nearby substances like water and rice? Can those substances absorb

“The human mind gets creased into a way of seeing things.” -Antoine Lavoisier, Reflections on Phlogiston Kripkean Dogmatist If you are showing up as a Kripkean Dogmatist then you treat any new information that disagrees with your position as irrelevant. The moment you know that what you are hearing, reading

When the gears of your organization or team lock up, how often is it because someone is waiting for permission to take action? And how frustrated, angry, and irritated do you get when this happens? What does it mean to be responsible? At Pixar, there is a collaborative culture and

If you feel “not ______ enough,” seeking entry into a more elite circle isn’t necessarily going to make you feel full and complete. There’s a reason why Groucho Marx’s line, “I would never join a club that would have me as a member,” is so often recited. Without self-acceptance, any

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

Significant others are, in effect, Secret Business Partners. They can act as sounding boards. They can ask questions others may be too afraid to ask–ones that often begin with “Why?” They can also use their knowledge of their partner’s strengths, failings, and personal history to add context and make judgments.

Those who will not slip beneath the still surface on the well of grief turning downward through its black water to the place we cannot breathe will never know the source from which we drink, the secret water, cold and clear, nor find in the darkness glimmering the small round

Gandhi wisdom: Gandhi showed his wisdom in how he handled people that were difficult. This story is a great lesson for all who deal with difficult people.

Your emotional IQ is determined by the level of your emotional intelligence. It’s a major factor in your personal and professional perceptions and interactions. Find out just how important it really is!

Your emotional IQ is determined by the level of your emotional intelligence. It’s a major factor in your personal and professional perceptions and interactions. Find out just how important it really is!

If you are the one driving the organization, limit the hairpin turns in strategy, vision, or mission. Your helmet may be screwed into the car, but your coworkers’ helmets aren’t. Don’t give them whiplash.

Jobs at risk for automation An Oxford University study conducted by Carl Benedikt Frey and Michael A. Osborne suggests that 47 percent of US jobs are at high risk due to computerization; they could be replaced in the next decade or two. This study was based on a detailed study

We shall not cease from exploration And the end of all our exploring Will be to arrive where we started And know the place for the first time. Through the unknown, remembered gate When the last of earth left to discover Is that which was the beginning; At the source

In the U.S., we tend to focus heavily on one or the other: deficits or strengths. A child art prodigy may spend her days in the learning center to become an average speller. A standout soccer player may spend so much time playing that sport and traveling to games that

Organizational psychologist Chris Argyris, a Harvard professor, uses what he calls the “Ladder of Inference” to explain how we take actions based upon beliefs–and how our beliefs, in turn, lead us to select observational data.

When death comes like the hungry bear in autumn when death comes and takes all the bright coins from his purse to buy me, and snaps his purse shut; when death comes like the measle-pox; when death comes like an iceberg between the shoulder blades, I want to step through

As a teenager, I found myself with 16 others on the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Maine in a 30-foot pulling boat with 12-foot swells and no tiller or rudder. The seas were getting rougher and the sky was crackling with lightning and thunder. We were scared, wet, and

A business partnership is a system. Sometimes that system resembles a couple or family system. And like any couple or family, there may be one over-functioning and one under-functioning person in the partnership. Often the over-functioning one does a great job of compensating for the other’s dysfunction, but that doesn’t

“Mirror, mirror on the wall, who is the fairest of them all?” In Snow White, the queen has it all seemingly–privilege, power, wealth, and beauty. She’s just not quite as fair as Snow White. That shouldn’t be a problem, right? Just shrug it off. Take your second place trophy for

“Vision is the art of seeing what is invisible to others.”–Jonathan Swift As leaders, we can feel too visible–both when things go wrong (and people seek someone to blame) and when things go well (and people want to give us too much credit). More often, though, we don’t feel visible

Becoming a Leader:  Challenge #13–Learn to Evaluate Risk Risk is part of business, relationships, life, change, you name it. Typically, when you operate inside of your comfort zone, you don’t experience risk nor do you develop the ability to evaluate risk when it is presented. Innovation suffers. Change ceases. The

Becoming a Leader:  Challenge #12–Build Your High Performance Team Trust. Lack of trust will limit the performance of your team more than lack of technical skills. All-star and Pro-bowl games are, well, boring. The top “technical” skills are on the field, but these teams lack the depth that is built

Everyone in the organization need not be friends, and disagreements should, in fact, be encouraged (to improve decision-making), but the culture should be friendly and open. People should feel encouraged to lead and to help define the organization. When people feel encouraged to belong, they will contribute like they do.

“We are addicted to our thoughts. We cannot change anything if we cannot change our thinking.” ― Santosh Kalwar, Quote Me Everyday You make a vow not to eat sugar. A few minutes pass. Still, no. And then an hour. That is a definitive no! That is an absolute I

“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

Blind Spots One of my early Electrical Engineering professors (this was in the early 1980’s) always talked about the knowns, unknowns, known unknowns, and the unknown unknowns (blind spots).  This can also be written as follows: I know I don’t know I know that I don’t know I don’t know

As an Executive Coach, I work with leaders who are already very successful. They come to me because they want to further succeed and sometimes because they feel overwhelmed. They feel like they’re working too much. Even when they’re not working, they feel like they should be–which takes some of

“The dilemma of authority in our time, the particular fear it inspires, is that we feel attracted to strong figures we do not believe to be legitimate.”    –Richard Sennett, Authority Power begets power. Power also begets followers, who presume the power will be used appropriately and for their mutual

High performance executive coaching clients, those that want to go from great to greater, often believe when they begin working with an executive coach that they are going to be fixed or that there will be heavy lifting involved. This myth sometimes keeps them, and may be keeping you, from finding

Finding Purpose in Life Our days are filled with raising families and building relationships, growing a business or pursuing a career, serving others and our communities, and trying to stay mentally and physically fit. How much time is there really to give consideration to the human purpose–the big Why? The

Finding Purpose in Life Our days are filled with raising families and building relationships, growing a business or pursuing a career, serving others and our communities, and trying to stay mentally and physically fit. How much time is there really to give consideration to the human purpose–the big Why? The

When an alcoholic reaches for a bottle at ten in the morning or finishes an entire bottle of vodka in one sitting, it’s pretty easy for everyone (including the alcoholic) to see the problem. It’s harder to see alcoholism starting. A drink after work to take the edge off seems

There’s a thread that you follow. It goes among  Things that change. But it doesn’t change. People wonder about what you are pursuing. You have to explain about the thread. But it is hard for others to see. While you hold it you can’t get lost. Tragedies happen; people get

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

There is a trough in waves a low spot where horizon disappears and only sky and water are our company. And there we lose our way unless we rest, knowing the wave will bring us to its crest again. There we may drown if we let fear hold us within

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

Leadership Reality: Achievement vs. Intimacy As a student, you had your #2 pencil at the ready, pressing against the bubble almost ready to snap when the teacher said, “You can start.” You had another just-as-sharp pencil in your bag as a backup, next to your mini ruler (just the right

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

Holding on to anger is like grasping a hot coal with the intent of throwing it at someone else; you are the one who gets burned.  – Buddha Leaders seem to struggle with eruptions of anger more than others. They burn through assistants and prompt talented coworkers to leave for

“If I have the belief that I can do it, I shall surely acquire the capacity to do it even if I may not have it at the beginning” — Mahatma Gandhi What is holding you back? Is it your job? Is it the long commute? Is it too many

We become religious, then we turn from it, then we are in need and maybe we turn back. We turn to making money, then we turn to the moral life, then we think about money again. We meet wonderful people, but lose them in our busyness. We’re, as the saying

  ; Have you ever tried to enter the long black branches of other lives — tried to imagine what the crisp fringes, full of honey, hanging from the branches of the young locust trees, in early morning, feel like?   Do you think this world was only an entertainment

“I turned my head for a moment and it became my life” – David Whyte A Decision for Life In 1980, I attended Otumoetai College in Tauranga, New Zealand as an AFS student and stayed with a family. When they decided to host a student and when I agreed to live

Today I met with a wonderfully interesting and experienced consultant, Tom Siders from L. Harris Partners,  who was part of the management team that grew McGladrey from sub $400 million to over $1.3 billion in revenues. According to Tom, clients want the three A’s: Availability Affability Ability Availability Availability is

You have your limits. You believe you know what they are, and you likely adhere to them. But what if you are limiting yourself with either your belief system or your biological system? What if you’ve misjudged your limits? Have you tried pushing past your limits recently? Pushing Past Your

Do you ever become disproportionately mad at another person? You may chalk that up to the channeling of a full day of frustrating events, but it may also be because you’re repressing or suppressing a part of yourself.

The CDC today reported a national outbreak of Busyness Syndrome across the United States. Leaders in all walks of life are asked to stay home, stay attuned to familiar needs, play with the kids, and walk the dog. The underlying cause of the disease is said to be lack of

It doesn’t interest me if there is one God Or many gods. I want to know if you belong or feel Abandoned If you know despair or can see it in others. I want to know If you are prepared to live in the world With its harsh need To

Leadership and the Art of Struggle are often not spoken of because Leadership paired with Struggle is taboo. Learn to embrace the struggle to become better.

This morning I woke up and went for a run with my wife Chris. When I sat down and dusted off the piles of mail and musings on my unkempt desk (enjoying the beginnings of summer), I saw this poem that could only have found its way to my desk

Do you believe “Good things come in small packages” or “The bigger, the better”? Or does it fluctuate based upon context, stakes, and convenience?

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.

Creating Change that Lasts A lot of leaders struggle with knowing when to NOT offer their opinions. When they’re asked a question, they answer reflexively. Answering, though, is what leaders should do less and their coworkers should do more. Ironically, leaders generally want more accountability from their coworkers, but then

He was brilliant and rich beyond measure, but also moody. He suffered from massive highs and dismal lows. The suffering was so great that King Solomon requested his most trusted minister, Benaiah ben Yehoyada, find a magical ring that would temper his moods–something to make a sad man happy and a

Breaking Mental Barriers is a great challenge for you as a leader. Discover two amazing questions that will make it simple.

Tilting at Windmills Many of our “enemies” are illusions–specters of past traumas or the product of misguided beliefs. We allow old narratives to play out again and again, unquestioned. We simply draw our swords and start swinging, just as Don Quixote does in Miguel de Cervantes’ novel. That’s where the

Tilting at Windmills Many of our “enemies” are illusions–specters of past traumas or the product of misguided beliefs. We allow old narratives to play out again and again, unquestioned. We simply draw our swords and start swinging, just as Don Quixote does in Miguel de Cervantes’ novel. That’s where the

From Therapeutic to Performance As executive coaching continues to expand, the field is shifting away from a therapeutic model to a greater emphasis on business performance, leadership, and communication. Coaching has already changed significantly since it emerged barely 15 years ago. Coaches initially came from psychology or counseling, and their

Despite the growing popularity of executive coaching, common misconceptions persist. These misconceptions revolve around the nature of the work executive coaches do and the results they’re expected to achieve. It’s time to uproot the most persistent and pernicious of these misconceptions. 10 Frequent Misconceptions About Executive Coaching:  “I don’t have

Integrity matters. Rescheduling a meeting results in less trustworthiness & less integrity.

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.

  Sheryl Sandberg’s new book (Lean In) is out or should I say “in.” Her message to women is to be more ambitious, grab a seat at the table, raise your hand, and take credit for the work you’ve done. She believes that women have a tendency to lean backward

  Sheryl Sandberg’s new book (Lean In) is out or should I say “in.” Her message to women is to be more ambitious, grab a seat at the table, raise your hand, and take credit for the work you’ve done. She believes that women have a tendency to lean backward

How do you frame your work so that your audience–team members, customers, service providers–doesn’t miss valuable content? How do you make the most important information the most visible and aesthetically pleasing? How can you avoid having to re-frame an argument later?

Being right can be addictive, in part because being right gives us a shot of dopamine and adrenaline. Our adrenaline, though, can alienate others.

The Fox and the Grapes fable by Aesop (circa 620-564 BC) is a powerful example of cognitive dissonance.

Leaders may feel like they need fewer challenges, not more. In fact, what they need are new challenges, not the same ones, over and over. The focus of today’s post is on how to challenge yourself in new ways and, in the process, develop as a leader. Digital Photography School

Leaders may feel like they need fewer challenges, not more. In fact, what they need are new challenges, not the same ones, over and over. The focus of today’s post is on how to challenge yourself in new ways and, in the process, develop as a leader. Digital Photography School

Leaders may feel like they need fewer challenges, not more. In fact, what they need are new challenges, not the same ones, over and over. The focus of today’s post is on how to challenge yourself in new ways and, in the process, develop as a leader. Digital Photography School

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

The Entrepreneurial Guide to Success Joe Powers is the owner of the Canadian Honker, an unassuming “comfort food” restaurant in Rochester, MN. The restaurant is located directly across the street from St. Marys Hospital, part of the world famous Mayo Clinic. Heads of state, Fortune 100 executives, and media personalities

The Entrepreneurial Guide to Success Joe Powers is the owner of the Canadian Honker, an unassuming “comfort food” restaurant in Rochester, MN. The restaurant is located directly across the street from St. Marys Hospital, part of the world famous Mayo Clinic. Heads of state, Fortune 100 executives, and media personalities

In Driven, two eminent Harvard professors, Paul R. Lawrence and Nitin Nohria, identify four core human drives

We don’t often consider the way decision making is driven by energy: anabolic (positive) and catabolic (negative).

We experience two forms of energy (anabolic and catabolic) in our work and personal lives. How best can we use those forms of energy to perform?

Lance Armstrong is a winner. Lance Armstrong Doping has allowed him to win as the most massive swindlers in all of sports.

To be an exceptional leader or follower you must be self-aware and to be self-aware it is essential to understand what are your needs? Discover your needs..

To be an exceptional leader or follower you must be self-aware and to be self-aware it is essential to understand what are your needs? Discover your needs..

This video will provide a clear overview of the executive coaching Process

The Power of the ASK We have covered a lot of ground regarding your network (see Related Links below). Now we need to put the power of your network into action. Ask. Asking seems simple, and it is, but not if you get preoccupied with concerns about your image. Do

The Power of the ASK We have covered a lot of ground regarding your network (see Related Links below). Now we need to put the power of your network into action. Ask. Asking seems simple, and it is, but not if you get preoccupied with concerns about your image. Do

The Power of the ASK We have covered a lot of ground regarding your network (see Related Links below). Now we need to put the power of your network into action. Ask. Asking seems simple, and it is, but not if you get preoccupied with concerns about your image. Do

Think back to when you had a great idea that was either ignored or stolen by someone more senior. You probably said to yourself, “Wait until I’m in charge, then I can implement my ideas.” You might have been angry enough to decide not to trust your supervisor with further

Think back to when you had a great idea that was either ignored or stolen by someone more senior. You probably said to yourself, “Wait until I’m in charge, then I can implement my ideas.” You might have been angry enough to decide not to trust your supervisor with further

When you are following your values, you will be happier, have better work/life balance, and really enjoy what you do. As an executive coach, my job is to make sure your values and work are in alignment. Sometimes, though, clients and prospects confuse what I do as a coach with

When you are following your values, you will be happier, have better work/life balance, and really enjoy what you do. As an executive coach, my job is to make sure your values and work are in alignment. Sometimes, though, clients and prospects confuse what I do as a coach with

Stop it:  A message from Bob Newhart We so often hear about all of the things that we must start doing and rarely hear about the things that we need to stop doing to become better leaders. Here is a clip of Bob Newhart playing the part of a psychologist.

As a leader, do you lead a purposeful life? What do you believe is your highest purpose? And what habits or qualities (i.e. virtues) allow you to succeed?

“The final mystery is oneself” — Oscar Wilde Would you spend the rest of your life following the notions of a 12-year-old child? Probably not. Why is it then that people feel attached to the life trajectory and vision they formed at that age? When we’re young and imagining our

One of the most used habits of successful leaders is asking questions. And the exceptional leaders know what questions to ask and when to ask them.

Principle-driven leaders want to know themselves well, and yet they often get their principles from others.

These 9 limiting beliefs will hold you back from leading life that you desire and deserve.

Becoming a Leader:  Challenge #11–Focus A FranklinCovey study on goals revealed the following: 1. If you have 2-3 primary goals, you will most likely accomplish 2-3 of them. 2. If you have 3-10 primary goals, you will most likely accomplish 1 or 2 of them. 3. If you have more

The time will come when, with elation you will greet yourself arriving at your own door, in your own mirror and each will smile at the other’s welcome, and say, sit here. Eat. You will love again the stranger who was your self. Give wine. Give bread. Give back your