Toxic People are Like Moldy Fruit

Think about this – you have a piece of fruit that has been sitting on your counter for a while.  On the outside, it looks “perfectly fine”. No brown spots or blemishes. You bite into it and you think it is OK but on the second (or third) bite you encounter mold. You immediately get … Read more

Kick Ass, Break Glass

I have seen this expression in a few places, mostly talking about breaking through the glass ceiling.  The issue is that no two people will do it the same way, so it is challenging for leaders to develop their people in order for them to be promoted. In other words, we all have our unique … Read more

Reinforcement

As a corporate trainer and an adjunct professor, one of the things I stress is applying what you learn. I tell my participants/students that if they “throw their notes up on a shelf and never look at them,” then it has been a waste of time – both theirs and mine. I then suggest that … Read more

Greener Grass or Not?

The Roman poet, Ovid, wrote: “…the harvest is always more fruitful in another man’s field.” The proverb the grass is always greener on the other side of the fence is often shortened to simply: the grass is always greener. So how often do we envy what others are doing? Do we always think things, jobs, status, etc. … Read more

What is Your Window of Tolerance?

As we are fully aware, there are many stressors in our lives, both personally and professionally.  It amazes me how some people handle these stressors extremely well while others are always on the verge of having a meltdown. Is it harder to remain sane when we are confronting so many more changes and challenges than … Read more

The Power of Acknowledgement

When was the last time you received a compliment? More importantly, when was the last time you complimented someone else? High fiving a colleague, subordinate, friend, or family member and then saying “good job” does not really do much. Yes, you acknowledged that they did something great but there is a much better way to … Read more

How Does Your Company Reward Valuable Employees?

There have been numerous articles discussing the compensation of the CEO versus the average worker. A CEO’s pay can be in the millions while a staff member could make in the $50,000s to $70,000s. Some questions arise including, “Is the CEO worth it?  And is a staff member who contributes significantly worth more than they … Read more

Why Leaders Need to Ask the Right Questions

Even though most business leaders have years of experience and confidence in their knowledge and abilities, knowing that they don’t always have the answers is a critical skill all great leaders must develop.  They not only need to ask the right questions of their employees, vendors, clients, partners but they also need to constantly question … Read more

Why Great Leaders Spend Time Every Day Learning

A leader’s mission is to direct and motivate an organization so it can achieve profitability.  Although this seems like a simple statement the reality as we know is much more complicated. A leader needs to oversee a maze of issues while staying ahead of their competitors. On top of it, one bad move and it … Read more