Leadership Coaching
Seeing Beyond Tough Times
It’s time to share some insights that I’ve gained over the past eight months—the most challenging and interesting months in my career. I wish I had understood these insights better back in March or April when I could have shared them and helped others. But at that point, they just hadn’t worked on me long…
Read MoreAre You a DHB?
Two years ago I attended a doctoral commencement as a guest of a graduate. It’s a great accomplishment to gain a doctorate. It represents a lot of work, and it usually represents a lot of potential for impact. And yes, you get certain letters and titles before or after your name. The main commencement address came…
Read MoreStampeding Elephants
(A version of this post was originally published here on February 12, 2018.) Imagine that you’re walking along a path outside. As you round a bend, you see an elephant. Before you have a chance to think, his ears go up, his head drops, and he starts to charge straight at you. Your response in…
Read MoreVulnerability and Courage
(A version of this post was originally published here on January 29, 2018.) I’m no psychiatrist but I’ve always been intrigued by the things people do and why they do them. Out of this curiosity, and over many years of observations, I’ve come to my own theories, and even beliefs, about people’s make-up. It is…
Read MoreThe Four Quadrants of Public Speaking
When we think about public speaking, most of us tend to think of standing and speaking to other people while being physically in the same space, or maybe talking at or with just one or two other people we know, again, in person. Here’s the reality: Being physically together represents less and less of our…
Read MoreHow I Stopped Multitasking and Started Getting Stuff Done
(A version of this post was first published here on March 13, 2016.) Have you seen the Pixar film Up? You know, the one about the old man (Carl) who inflates thousands of balloons to fly his house to the jungle, and accidentally gives a ride to an eager young Wilderness Explorer (Russell) who is trying…
Read MoreLeading Change Reprised
Suspense. Is it a bad thing or a good thing? Some people won’t watch a suspenseful movie or read a suspenseful book. Others won’t read or watch unless there IS suspense. Suspense is that sense of fear and excitement we feel when something is unknown. When we don’t know what’s next—but want to know—we have that…
Read MoreAre 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 segment on leaning in to healthy conflict. Steven Covey’s…
Read MoreIs 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 presenting…
Read MoreThe 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 well as you could have been. When we covered…
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