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.

Read More

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

Read More

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

Read More

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

Read More

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

Read More

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

Read More

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

Read More

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

Read More

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

Read More

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

Read More