Why “It Depends” Can Be a Great Answer

When you ask someone a question and they respond, “It depends,” how does that make you feel? Does it make think the person is blowing you off or hedging their bets? Do you wonder if they are non-committal or not as knowledgeable as you thought? It could mean any of those things. Or it could

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My Biggest Pandemic Leadership Lessons – Four Years Later

It has been about four years since COVID-19 moved from virus to pandemic status. And those events changed how we view the world – and work – forever. At this four-year mark, I am looking at the biggest pandemic lessons I learned. After you read mine, I hope you will share your own in the

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The Power of Perception: What Are You Looking For?

There is a well-known game played on car trips. It is most often called “Slug bug” or “Punch buggy”. Regardless of the name, the game rewards those who see a VW Beetle (the “bug”) first. The first person to see the car in question can “slug” or “punch” the other person. (More details are here.)

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Another Way to Problem Solve

You’ve experienced this – as both the leader and meeting participant. The leader asks a question of the group, wanting and needing a response and gets…crickets. Having asked hundreds of leaders what they are thinking at that moment, about half say they wonder why people don’t care enough to say something or share their thoughts.

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What Matters Most When Hiring?

To truly understand the importance of hiring for teams and organizations, look at the cost of a bad selection. Beyond the direct costs associated with those poor matches, there are costs of time, effort, productivity, and training. Not to mention the potential hits taken to culture, trust, and morale. Any such “horror stories” should remind

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Using Schedule Send on Emails

You’ve likely been writing and sending emails most or all your professional life. Maybe you don’t even remember life without email. We write them, hit Send, and magically they arrive in the other person’s inbox. We’ve sent our message; our work is done. This magic is great, until it isn’t. We can make the magic

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Is Napping at Work Ok?

As a high school and college kid working on our farm, I remember my dad sometimes taking short naps after lunch. At the time, I didn’t think my dad was lazy in any way, but I didn’t understand it. As a business owner for 30 years (and now past the age of my dad in

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What Do Your Inputs Tell You About Your Thinking?

As you become a clearer and more vibrant thinker, you become a more effective leader (and human being). To become that clear and vibrant thinker, we must go to the source – our inputs. Set aside the thinking process for a minute. Let’s explore how and why inputs for thinking are critically important – and

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There are Two Kinds of Failure – Which Occur on Your Team?

Failure. This isn’t a word that is super inspiring or brings joy to our hearts and minds. Yet it is something we need to think about as a leader and individual. To think about failure in a more effective and helpful way (and perhaps stop avoiding it), let’s realize that there are two kinds of failure.The

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Five Things Leaders Can Let Go

When I walk through airports, I see people carrying massive backpacks. I often wonder what they are carrying and if they need it all. I wonder how much weight they are carrying and how healthy it is for their bodies. After all, just because the bag will hold it, doesn’t mean it is needed. Then

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