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  • Lead from behind

    Lead from behind

    Much has been written about leadership, but what makes a great follower? In fact, who even wants to be known as a follower? Being a follower brings up a terribly unhealthy picture: you are uncreative, require close management, have little intellectual capability - and certainly have no leadership potential. While [More]

  • Thinking inside the box

    Thinking inside the box

    After a seminar I recently delivered, I was approached by two undergraduate business students and asked if I could give them some advice. They hoped to get into consulting, and wanted me to suggest the "best" courses they should take over the next two years. I gave them some ideas, [More]

  • Two ears and one mouth

    Two ears and one mouth

    Did you ever wonder how children can so quickly learn new things? And ever hear the expression "Children should be seen, and not heard"? Maybe there is a connection between these two concepts that can help us be better leaders. Consider: it is 100% impossible to learn from others if [More]

  • Sweat the Small Stuff

    Sweat the Small Stuff

    Several years ago. I decided to change my voice message to one that ended with an enthusiastic "Have a Great Day". Soon afterward, something funny started happening. When clients and colleagues left messages, they invariably ended with "Have a Great Day" too! This got me thinking about how something as [More]

  • Mirror, Mirror on the wall…

    Mirror, Mirror on the wall…

    Most people dread the thought of their annual performance review. We imagine the worst: our managers will dredge up examples of our poor performance, then set impossibly high goals for us for the coming year. OR even worse, when the review is completed skipped: we have no idea how well [More]

  • The Five W’s

    The Five W’s

    During school, we learned about the five W's as elements that should be used in a great story. But as leaders, they serve an even more important purpose. These Five W's, Who, What, Where, When, and Why, along with others like "How", are words that start questions. In particular, they [More]

  • Think and Grow Rich

    Think and Grow Rich

    No matter how clever you are, no matter how much education you have, and no matter how important your job title, thinking will only get you so far. Those who are successful, on the job and off, are those who successfully translate their thinking into action. Whether you're looking to [More]

  • A Lifetime Return on Investment

    A Lifetime Return on Investment

    Recently I was a speaker at an international gathering of HR professionals. For three days, participants walked through the trade show, sat in conference rooms learning new ideas, and met other folks in the business. The wonderful thing about all this education and training is that once you learn something, [More]

  • When is the best time to plant a tree?

    When is the best time to plant a tree?

    Q: When is the best time to plant a tree? A: 20 years ago. Q: When is the second best time to plant a tree? A: Today. Right Now. [More]

  • Learning from the Rest

    Learning from the Rest

    Ever hear the expression Learn from the Best? This is great when it comes to a coach or consultant, but a more powerful concept is Learning from the Rest. Each day, we interact with our workmates, friends, and sometimes even the youngest of children. Each of these folks has something [More]

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