The Peaceable Leader

Do you know a peaceable leader? What is a peaceable leader?  Think back to all the leaders you have known, in business and in other fields. Now think about those you would consider the best. What do they have in common? I have had the privilege of knowing, working with, and working for several exemplary…

Strategic Planning for 2019: 7 Questions for Laser Focused Results

It’s fall, which in the business world means it’s time to start strategic planning for 2019. Goodbye, summer; it’s time to rev the engines and charge ahead! Strategic planning is rather like the business equivalent of New Year’s resolutions. The best of intentions combine with a glorious vision, and we set out to conquer the…

6 Tips for Implementing a Breakthrough Idea

Implementing a breakthrough idea can be the pinnacle of achievement, or the train wreck of the century. You’ve explored and analyzed, checked the marketplace and competition, pulled ideas from other industries and thought way out of the box. Or perhaps a bolt of lightning struck you with a transcendent “Wow!” moment during your morning shower.…

Rationalization and Redirection, and Leadership

As a business leader, are you prone to rationalization and redirection, or are you exercising true leadership? Rationalization: It’s easy to fall into the rationalization trap. Your colleague or predecessor took action which you view as inappropriate.  There may have been repercussions, but not as severe as you would have hoped, and the outcome was…

Manipulation Tactics: Ten Traps and How to Avoid Them

In business, manipulation tactics can be subtle or blatant. They can be a part of cultural norms, or press uncomfortably into the realm of the unacceptable. We can argue that almost all of business, indeed almost all of life has elements of  manipulation. A good report card might net an ice cream sundae for an…

How Not to Improve Employee Morale

It may be a rude awakening, or a creeping uneasiness, but at some point, you and other leaders in your organization may decide to make a concerted effort to improve employee morale. You may have been caught blindsided. You may have issued a survey with the expectation of stellar feedback, only to be caught in…

The Other Generation: You’re Not Crazy, and Neither Are They!

In business, communicating with “the other generation” can seem like a step into insanity. It’s hard to maintain civility when your statements or questions are met with confusion, frustration or, on occasion, downright hostility. Be reassured; you are not crazy, and, surprise, neither are they. Almost no one on either side of the proverbial generation gap…

Be Promotable – Communicating to Win!

Are you communicating to win? Are you promotable? Promotion is all about demonstrating your capability and being ready when opportunity strikes. Strong communication skills alone won’t get you the job, but a track record of poor communication can definitely handicap you in the running. Take a  hard look at your track record. How well do…

Be Promotable: Seven Critical Considerations

Career growth requires one thing – that you be promotable. For most of us, promotion is a desirable thing. It can include a wider scope of responsibility and authority, more challenging assignments, new opportunities and an increase in salary and benefits. Promotion is seldom automatic or random. There is a conscious decision made by a…

6 Steps for Embracing Failure

How successful are you at embracing failure? Failure is inevitable. No matter how hard we try, sometime, somewhere, things aren’t going to go our way. Failure can be a minor inconvenience, or it can be a disaster that churns your stomach. You can step into a landmine, and suddenly your world is flipped end over…