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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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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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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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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There are plenty of style questions that get asked of leaders – often stated as a dichotomy. Here is one for you – are you results-based or process-based? Perhaps this isn’t one you have thought about, yet I would suggest you should. Let’s talk about the question – and what the best answer might be.Results-Based

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You’ve had this moment. The moment when you know you need to make a change. When your need meets your willingness to change. I call this the coaching moment. When we are most open to advice, counsel, and guidance – and ready to try something new or different. Being a great coach takes more than skills

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One of the most important parts of a leader’s role is to coach those they lead. While few would disagree with that statement, many aren’t doing as much coaching as they should. That fact itself should concern organizations. But it isn’t the only problem. Do you (and your leaders) know if you are coaching the

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When you move into a leadership role, you assume responsibility for the results achieved by other people. You likely got both the opportunity and the responsibility because you are a high achiever. You know how to get things done, and you are good at what you do. And you expect the same from your team.

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Questions are powerful in all sorts of conversations, including those as a leader. I’ve often been asked for the perfect or even best question for a specific situation. It is a valid request, but the wrong question. There is rarely one perfect question that will always work.Let’s start here…Have you ever been in a conversation with

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Talent attraction has been an important topic and source of concern for wise senior leaders for many years. After all, the organizations with the most talented people have a big competitive advantage. But the focus on talent attraction for any organization only grows when one of two things happens. They lose talent (like many have

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