When Was Your Last Turning Point?

Recently I have been working with a client on their performance management system. Like my client, many companies are abandoning the annual review because it is not effective in motivating employees. It is very hard to discuss a year’s worth of work in a one- or two-hour discussion and come away with an impactful outcome. … 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

Do You Have a Zest for Life?

The best leaders have a zest for life.  It is not just with business, but in all facets of their lives including family, volunteering, friends, hobbies, exercise, spiritual, etc. They appreciate all they have and show that gratitude in numerous ways. They also serve as role models for their employees as well as others including … Read more

How to Get Your Employees to Yearn for More

How does a leader motivate their team or entire organization to yearn for more by taking on challenges with the idea that all of their efforts will end up with positive results?  How does a leader keep others engaged when the initiative has many pieces and will take a long time to complete?  To start, … Read more

The Importance of a Win-Win Mindset for Leaders

There are some leaders who always want to win no matter what the consequences are to others. They are very competitive and do not take into consideration how their decisions may affect others. Then there are other leaders who only focus on the needs of others and may ignore their own goals completely. Ideally, a … Read more

How Sustainable is Your Company?

Sustainability is challenging for most businesses because of several factors – competitors, the economy, and changes in the overall market landscape.  A business that has been around for years may now find itself struggling to survive. An interesting article by Mark Perry of The American Enterprise Institute (AEI) analyzes the list of Fortune 500 companies … Read more

What is the Key to Resiliency for Leaders?

Resilient leaders are the ones who can bounce back after being faced with a difficult challenge.  These challenges could occur from a downturn in the economy, a defective product, bad customer experiences, or possibly unsustainable profitability. The key to being resilient is to recognize that the situation is most likely temporary and to recognize the … Read more

Learning to be Objective is Critical for Effective Leaders

Leaders need to be objective but that is a difficult challenge when dealing with all the other demands and deadlines facing them daily.  They may also be experiencing stress or even lack of sleep which affects their ability to think, and more importantly act objectively. The important thing for a leader to recognize is how … 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

How to Deal With a “Know-It-All”

Supposedly Sir Francis Bacon is credited with the quote “knowledge is power.”  A true leader definitely needs to be experienced but they should also seek out others who are more knowledgeable in certain areas than they are. Ego gets in the way, however, because some leaders won’t admit they don’t have all the answers. If … Read more