Are You Like Most People?
(A version of this post was originally published here on December 17, 2017.) Here is a little quiz for you: the phrase "seek first to understand, then to be understood" comes from which of the following? The LEAD 24/7 segment on high-impact listening. The LEAD 24/7...
Is Your Virtual Presence Important?
Welcome to my first attempt at a video blog… or vlog as some call it. Most of us are pretty new at this video thing and, even though we may have practiced a lot over the past few months, I’ve noticed that many of us aren’t putting a lot of thought into how we're...
Another Look at Leading Yourself
You’ve probably had the experience of going to sleep in some new place and then having that moment when you first wake up in the dark trying to answer the question "Where am I?". Usually within a few seconds we have an ah-ha moment and reorient ourselves. We realize:...
Stay Calm. Stay Connected
I headed to Meijer on Tuesday, March 17, 2020. I wasn’t prepared for the chaos that greeted me inside the store. People were buying up everything! The pasta aisle was empty; the frozen chicken was gone; there was no toilet paper. People’s carts were overflowing with...
How Successful Are You Now?
In my post last month I referenced three different definitions of success. Here is the short version of the three definitions: The outcome-based definition The process-based definition The identity-based definition If you read that post, you know I applied these...
Stepping Up for Such a Time as This
How many blogs, emails, letters, and other communications have you received from people trying to speak into your life "for such a time as this"? I’m pretty sure I’ve received dozens at to this point, and it’s no wonder because this is a time like no other we’ve...
The Three Ears of Great Listening
A version of this post was first published here on July 15, 2018. Great listening is hard work. When done well, listening will yield huge dividends. If you are not fatigued after a period of focused listening, there’s a pretty good chance that you weren’t listening as...
Leadership in the Time of Quarantine
The last few weeks have certainly been interesting. The pandemic has disrupted our lives in ways many of us have never experienced before, and there is a great deal of uncertainty and anxiety in our world. How do you lead well in a time of quarantine? How do you rally...
How Successful Are You?
How successful are you? Your answer to that question will be determined largely by how you choose define success. I've found it very helpful to use multiple definitions of success. In fact, I've found using the right definition for success in various situations...
Sink or Swim
(A version of this post was originally published here on January 8, 2017) I was a kid when The NeverEnding Story came out. There is a scene in the movie where the hero, Atreyu, and his horse are making their way through the Swamp of Sorrows. The swamp can only be...