Lunchbox Mentality

Forget what Hallmark and others say that January 1st kicks off the new year. I always feel that the new year for me starts the Tuesday after Labor Day. This view started even before I became an Adjunct Professor but obviously it means even more now. It is a time for a fresh start with … Read more

So What?

When my parents had parties, my father used to joke that my mother cleaned so much that she even cleaned the third-floor silver.  My mother took great pride in our home so if someone told her that the house was immaculate, she was thrilled. I admit that when I have company over, I only clean … Read more

Insecurity and Jealousy

It seems that there is an uptick in the number of employees complaining that their bosses are micromanaging more, or at least trying to be a bit more controlling than they used to be.  I used to think that it was this way because leaders’ roles are multi-faceted so trying to minimize mistakes and reduce … Read more

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

I’m Tired of Repeating Myself

I have been thinking lately that more and more people are hard of hearing, maybe due to listening to loud music or noise pollution.  However, I realized that the real issue is that many people just are not listening. In fairness, educators especially in elementary, middle, and high school focus on what used to be … 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

Let It Go!

I am currently reading Jack: Straight From The Gut which is the autobiography of Jack Welch, the former CEO of General Electric.  When he became CEO, Jack had a philosophy that if any of their 40+ businesses were not #1 or #2 in that industry then they must either be “fixed, sold, or closed”. The … Read more

Stressed Desserts

According to the American Psychological Association, around three-quarters of adults (76%) said they have experienced health impacts due to stress in the prior month, including headache (38%), fatigue (35%), feeling nervous or anxious (34%), and/or feeling depressed or sad (33%). There are many reasons that people feel stressed but what should leaders do about this? … Read more

How To Be An Effective Influencer

A leader that is influential versus controlling and/or authoritative is much more effective.  By influencing others to achieve an objective, a leader is empowering them which is much more productive and beneficial to an organization in the long run. Influencing others is not easy. So how to does one do it?  In most cases, trying … Read more