By: Gary Cohen If you consider that when I was in college in the early 1980s, the world population was 3 Billion people. Today the world population is 7 Billion. While death by disease, war, and famine are down significantly the complexity has more than doubled. Take a look at

Artificial intelligence, or AI, has been dramatized in plenty of science fiction movies. In these films, the robots gain consciousness, realize that humans are their enemy or simply unnecessary, and attempt to destroy them. While it doesn’t seem likely that robots will be attempting to eradicate the human race anytime

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

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

How many times a year do you hear a story about a low-performing person who cannot be switched or removed from your department (or from the organization) because the paperwork hasn’t been done? Or because obligatory conversations have yet to take place? Or because what that person has done might

The Essential Guide to SWOT Analysis is a comprehensive and interactive guide that introduces and then details the fundamental aspects of SWOT analysis. The co-authors, Jackson Hille, Content Associate of FormSwift, and Justin Gomer, a Lecturer at UC Berkeley, decided to make the guide upon noticing the below-average quality of

When I learned I had ADHD at age 40, I was grateful to have a label for my way of being. I read all I could on the subject. In the process, I discovered compensatory strategies for leading myself and others. One of the most effective strategies I employed was

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 eye translates signals via rods and cones to the optic nerve. In general, there are far more rods on the periphery of your retina and a much higher concentration of cones in the central fovea. Rods help us detect motion and see in the dark. Cones allow us to

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

Are you still serving SHIT sandwiches during performance reviews? Or are you providing positive and negative feedback when it is most useful and meaningful? When it happens.

Daniel Kahneman, Nobel Laureate and founder of behavioral economics, says that we have two selves: our experiencing self and our memory self. Our experiencing self likes to be happy in the moment—with people we like, in a comfortable environment, and engaging in fun activities. Our memory self is more interested

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

  Suit-able Leadership Your wife says your wardrobe is handicapping you professionally. You respond by finding a wardrobe consultant. He eyes your wide-lapel suit and room-for-two pleated pants and says, “Listen, Italian would be perfect!” What does that mean? It means he loves Italian. But do you–or could you? If

Is there a team member you work around? If so, take a minute to list your reasons. Did he betray your trust? What is it that you don’t like about her? Cite specific incidences that caused you to write this person off. Now take a minute to consider the consequences

“My fascination with letting images repeat and repeat–or in film’s case ‘run on’–manifests my belief that we spend much of our lives seeing without observing.”           – Andy Warhol Say it 7 times to make it so. There is a reason this became an adage. It works.

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

If you can live by “Don’t Yuck My Yum” you are likely removing one of your biggest obstacles.

According to myth, Ariadne provided Theseus with a sword and a golden string. He attached the string to the labyrinth’s door, slayed the Minotaur with the sword, and used the string to retrace his steps. The focus of today’s post is on how you can head into the labyrinth 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

Each business is susceptible to many hazards, toxins, and contaminates. These threats may come in the form of legislation, litigation, regulations, competition, supplier dependability, financing, etc. What threats are you particularly vulnerable to? Have you discovered a telltale sign that can provide you early warning before one of these threats

Obstacles seem untimely, unfair, and unavoidable, but are they? Here are 5 ways to overcome obstacles.

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

The starting point in most of my coaching is teaching leaders how to lean back. They need to erase their whiteboards to make white space in their lives to tackle the really big things I have been hired to help them achieve. Without this white space, they don’t have enough

“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

Leaders value loyalty highly because they want people they can trust, and they don’t want to be stabbed in the back. But do leaders overvalue loyalty? Loyalty Straight Up Loyalty alone can leave a bitter taste. You can trust loyal workers to support you and stand by you during tough

 Repetition Penetrates the Dullest of Minds “Nothing is pleasant that is not spiced with variety.”–Francis Bacon On my trip to New Zealand, I was reintroduced to the best snack ever, Ginger Crunch–a pastry that has never made it stateside. That is a spicy and sweet sort of variety I can

  ; 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

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.

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.

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.

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

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

Decision Model A model can be anything that defines a process (iterative, linear, or chaotic) in which you move from a particular starting point to a desired destination. Some models are rather straight forward. Take, for instance, planning a business trip from Rochester, MN (my home town) to Los Angeles,

  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

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

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

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

Pope Resigns – As a leader, did he make the right decision?

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.

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

Becoming a Leader:  Challenge #9–Learn From Criticism You can’t learn from criticism, and you’re not likely to receive constructive criticism from colleagues in the future, if you react defensively. When you’re criticized, don’t return fire immediately. Use your Emotional Intelligence (EQ) to remain calm and try to understand both the

I was betrayed. We have all been betrayed by friends, colleagues, co-workers, bosses, partners, spouses and our own contract with life.

Sense of urgency declines as organizations grow A sense of urgency is often lost as an organization comes to scale. The more the bureaucracy grows, the harder it is for the organization to keep moving forward fast. A syrupy molasses coats the gears. As a leader, you wake up every

The people who burn the brightest can burn out. Are you a high performer who is no longer performing at a high level? Instead of showing up at work at 6 or 7 a.m. after a good workout, are you showing up between 9 and 10 without having exercised? Do you feel filled

Criticism feels so harsh and none productive. It is often hard to listen to from others and although we don’t like to admit it. It is difficult for others to hear from us. Converting criticism into commitment can be done in several ways. Read this post to find out how

Limiting Beliefs: How are you programmed to fail? What limiting beliefs do you have that suppress your capacity grow and succeed?  These are hurdles that you place and only you can remove.  Typically, a limiting belief will contain some sort of negative word like never, can’t, impossible, and don’t.  Let’s look at

Limiting Beliefs: How are you programmed to fail? What limiting beliefs do you have that suppress your capacity grow and succeed?  These are hurdles that you place and only you can remove.  Typically, a limiting belief will contain some sort of negative word like never, can’t, impossible, and don’t.  Let’s look at

Reptilian Brain We still have vestiges of our reptilian brains, pushing us toward either fight or flight, but human brains have evolved. The neocortex stores a vast amount of sensory data: sights, sounds, smells, textures, and tastes. A simple algorithm tells us whether we have encountered a similar stimulus pattern

These are the winners of the Unstuck Contest! Check out who won and what their entries were!

Activate Your Goal It’s one thing to want a new job or career; it’s another thing to actively pursue it. If you don’t develop a plan with specific actions, deadlines, and accountability, what’s to keep you from getting distracted by your everyday concerns and obligations? You need leverage–both positive and

As a leader, you’re accustomed to stretching and stretch assignments, since leaders handle a wide array of responsibilities and have to respond to unexpected challenges. You may not, however, stretch your team members the way you yourself were tested on your rise to your current leadership position. Think of the

In coaching leaders I find one of the most difficult areas for them to overcome is firing one of their direct reports. Over the years I have come to see six clear barriers for them to overcome to move forward on a decision that they have been avoiding. This post

Leaders don’t enjoy firing people. They may feel relief after they’ve done so, but rarely joy. Even Donald Trump seems to feel a measure of regret when he says, “you’re fired!” Leaders want to inspire their team members to improve and become success stories. They want to find a way—perhaps

As a leader, you know the importance of hiring good people (as well as the cost of making poor hires), so you lay out role and responsibilities for each position, using very specific and explicit expectations. You modify job descriptions to address past oversights or new circumstances. And yet, six

As a leader, you know the importance of hiring good people (as well as the cost of making poor hires), so you lay out role and responsibilities for each position, using very specific and explicit expectations. You modify job descriptions to address past oversights or new circumstances. And yet, six

Today’s leadership tip on how to avoid superheating new team members comes from thermodynamics. The old adage “a watched pot never boils” reminds us that time passes slower when you’re waiting. On the other hand, if the fire or stove is hot enough, the water does, in fact, boil, whether

As a leader, you’re responsible for important decisions and, in many respects, the well being and growth of your team members. You are faced with many choices, and the more choices you have, the more opportunities there are for regret. Regrettable leadership, however, may not be such a bad thing.

Amygdala hijacking occurs when a stimulus causes an unusual and excessive emotional reaction. The term was coined by Daniel Goleman, who wrote Emotional Intelligence: Why It Can Matter More Than IQ. Neurologically speaking, rather than routing a stimulus through your neocortex (the “thinking brain”), this message goes directly from your

David Whyte asks the question, would you rather fail at your life or succeed at someone else’s? So, whose path are you on? Our lives have porous boundaries. Often, it’s unclear if what we do and value are chosen, suggested, or implanted. Maybe your dad, mom, sibling, or friend played

Leadership Development can involve shifting mindsets–from resource-building to resourcefulness. When resources are not limited, dramatic change rarely happens because there is no imperative or imminent risk. As a result, resource-building leaders often miss great opportunities for organizational and personal growth. When resources get thin, leaders tend to adopt a resourcefulness

Executive Coaches help clients discover the gap between their expected  and actual outcomes. The easiest way to bridge the outcome gap is by eliminating unproductive or counterproductive behaviors. These behaviors aren’t hard to identify because they’re usually wrapped around a particular fear. Once the fear, behaviors, and consequences are brought

Everett Rogers came up with the Diffusion of Innovation model, which explains why and how a meme can move through a social system. Memes are generated by Innovators, and require a committed group of risk-taking Early Adaptors to propel them forward. The Early Majority are the next critical group needed

The first couple of meetings we have together, clients often want to vent about their organization. Each time it has a slightly different flavor, but the commonality is striking. So many of them struggle with the cultural fit. When I was younger, I went to synagogue because I was asked

The most effective way, I’ve found, to stop triangulation is for the CEO to communicate that employees caught engaging in triangulation will be fired. It is amazing how fast the behavior changes!

I have the opportunity as an executive coach to sit in on different conferences around the world. In reflecting on the speeches of key executives, it amazes me how out of touch they seem to be with their rank and file. It’s not always obvious at first because they’ve rehearsed most of

Leaders don’t accept common knowledge, they challenge their assumptions In a PGA tournament, Tiger Woods found his ball behind a 1,600-pound boulder. Tiger asked the Rules Official Orlando Pope if a boulder is considered a “loose impediment,” which are permitted to be moved. The rule book didn’t say anything explicitly about the

Business Partnership Communications I was in a business partnership for 18 years. As I learned then and I’ve been reminded frequently as an executive coach, partnerships thrive on communication. When communication is faulty or under-nourished, mistrust grows and partnerships get strained or fail. Sometimes a partnership clicks on all cylinders

Intelligence, for leaders, can be more of an impediment than an asset. It’s an asset if you use it to elevate others. It’s an impediment if you assume that it authorizes you to make as many decisions as you can. In other words, you might be too smart for your

Click to hear: ASTD TCC Podcast Gary Cohen Interview Company leaders today face new and increasingly complex problems. Most of these problems are intractable, if not, in the end, problems without real, lasting solutions. It is an extremely frustrating situation for today’s leaders, who are accustomed to finding answers and

When you find yourself in a deadlock with a partner, employee, or boss and are about to give up, don’t! It is when you hit these moments of irreconcilable differences that you may actually take your relationship to the next level or reach new insights. Stifle the fight-or-flight urge and

When you find yourself in a deadlock with a partner, employee, or boss and are about to give up, don’t! It is when you hit these moments of irreconcilable differences that you may actually take your relationship to the next level or reach new insights. Stifle the fight-or-flight urge and

Gary Carter, COO of the company that produces “American Idol,” says that producers who break the rules do so at their own peril. He recalled the time Simon Cowell brought back past contestants that lost for another chance in the last round of the contest–alienating lots of contestants and audience members

I was at a party enjoying festivities around the pool and sitting next to an IT Manager from a Fortune 100 company. When he learned about my vocation as an Executive Coach, he shared with me his frustration with his company’s HR department. For a few years he’d wanted to find

I was at a party enjoying festivities around the pool and sitting next to an IT Manager from a Fortune 100 company. When he learned about my vocation as an Executive Coach, he shared with me his frustration with his company’s HR department. For a few years he’d wanted to find

When you make a signifcant error (something that costs you $100, $1,000, $100K, or $1 M–or whatever “significant” means for you), how soon do you forgive yourself? Do you ever lose trust in yourself? What is your tolerance for errors? When coworkers, friends, or loved ones make a significant error that

“We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act but a habit,” wrote Aristotle. Not all habits produce excellence, however. What habits are holding you back? Are you watching too much TV? Are you spending too much time with people that are not in alignment with what is

If you want to change the organization’s culture—from blaming to learning—start by celebrating when a team member declares an error or failure. Make sure to celebrate the awareness and not the failure itself. Errors aren’t desired, but they do present learning opportunities. Celebrate learning from failures. The revelation of an

Leaders are trained to identify when revenues, EBITDA, number of new customers, and retention of customers are up or down. They are less likely to receive training in how to identify values conflicts. Values conflicts can have a tremendous impact on employee engagement, employee retention, and alignment. They can take

If a loyal employee is no longer contributing in a meaningful way—not because of lack of effort, but because of an inability to adapt to a new direction or new methods—the leader will try training, coaching, mentoring, or stretching assignments. If those fail to work, the leader has two choices:

If you are defensive, there is likely a story or narrative that is preventing you from seeing or thinking clearly. When we get defensive, we tend to lash outward instead of questioning the beliefs that led to our emotional reaction. Don’t try to justify your defensive behavior. Seek to find

It is flattering to know that people on your team agree with you. It’s a shot in the arm for your self-esteem. But, like a narcotic hit, it can become addictive. The more approval you get, the more you come to expect it and feed off it. You may start

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

The Heroic Journey draws from early work from Joseph Campbell and from many cultures around the world. We are all presented by challenges throughout our lives from which we may choose to learn, or not. The Heroic Journey model offers us a valuable perspective on the cycle of life and

Who are you having a hard time trusting? Is it a coworker, spouse, parent, sibling, child, customer, or vendor? How is it getting in your way? How can you make them more trustworthy? Now change the focus. Instead of thinking about how someone else is untrustworthy, focus on why it

Today I had the chance to catch up with Joseph Grenny on his way back from Califonia. Joseph along with his three partners have written three New York Times Best Selling books. I believe this next one, Change Anything: The New Science of Personal Success, will meet the same fate.

Do you have trouble accepting responsibility? The beauty of the human spirit is we are constantly picking ourselves up after we fall. Accept and learn from what has happened, pick yourself up, take responsibility, and move on. Your relationships will improve and your performance will improve. Don’t spend your time

Often you will stop yourself from achieving your dreams because you’re afraid of the risks. Some risks are not worth facing, of course, but some hold much more power than they should. Test your assumptions about the risks before giving up any dream. You may find that your assumptions are

There’s a fine line between tenacity and stubbornness. After a period of time, if your idea doesn’t start to move on its own, with gravity, it may be time to move on. Yes, there are many historical examples of people who kept slogging their ideas forward and upward and eventually

My executive coaching clients are usually receptive to my feedback—after all, it’s why they hired me. When they get defensive, it’s usually a clue that I am onto something deep. If they try to deflect an issue entirely, I know I’m onto something deep.