Learning from others who have succeeded before you can be a difference-maker in your own pursuits. In fact, strong advisers have played a key role in the achievement of nearly every celebrated leader. The challenge is, how do you connect with the best mentors and persuade them to contribute to your success? I’ve observed that […]
Read MoreI never had a dog growing up. In fact, for years I didn’t really understand what all the fuss was about. Pets seemed messy, expensive and illogical. And then, without planning or consideration, I came across a puppy that was irresistible. So in mid-July, a new member was added to the family — da Vinci. […]
Read MoreThere appears to be a massive achievement gap in our country. The large number of people that have a big goal to accomplish dwarfs the small number of those that actually achieve it. Working with many startups and high-performance leaders over the years, I’ve observed a pattern that is followed by those who rack up […]
Read MoreMost people who are struggling and want to improve their situation aren’t lacking vision. While they may not know the exact path forward, they have clarity on what a better career, family, or community might look like. It’s easy to imagine a job where you get to contribute your best work, have the respect of […]
Read MorePlan Z … Chances are your parents instructed you to always have Plan B. We all are familiar with this concept — a fallback plan in the event things go very wrong. The notion is so widespread that it’s even the name of a morning-after contraceptive pill. Most people first focus on their careers, which […]
Read MoreThe dog ate my homework … Jan was furious she didn’t get that big promotion. “I deserved it,” she complained. “The boss is a jerk. My company doesn’t get it. The person who got the promotion instead of me is a suck-up.” When life doesn’t go the way we hope, it’s easy to attribute blame […]
Read More“I could never do that.” “This is impossible.” “There are a million obstacles.” When facing a serious challenge, it’s easy to amplify the hurdles in our minds, which in turn makes the problems seem insurmountable. Our fearful inner voice has a way of exaggerating the barriers and then talking us out of even trying. The […]
Read More“Our greatest strength is our people,” the CEO boldly proclaims at an all-company meeting. “We treat each other with respect and our culture enables creativity.” These encouraging sound bites are rendered impotent, however, when that same CEO barks orders and scolds her staff in that afternoon’s leadership meeting. Most leaders know what to say. They […]
Read More“I have an idea” vs. “I have a concern.” In meetings, what do you suppose the ratio is at your company between these two phrases? What do you think the ratio was five years ago? What is the ratio at Google? Facebook? Quicken Loans? It really got me thinking about where we are applying our […]
Read MoreThe sneeze of your seatmate on an airplane sends a bolt of disgust through your mind. “Now I’m going to catch what this bozo has!” From popping endless vitamins to dousing with hand sanitizer, we go to great lengths to protect against germs. We don’t want to catch what someone else has. Or do we? […]
Read MoreThink about how much time you spend fretting about what might happen. Those deer-in-the-headlights moments are not only agonizing but they are profoundly unproductive. With each minute you spend in a state of worry, you’re robbing yourself of the opportunity to contribute to your own success and the world around you. The funny thing about […]
Read MoreWith mounting pressure and competitive tension, you may be seduced into sloppy leadership patterns that can ultimately hurt your business. In these challenging times, thoughtful leadership has never been more important and it is your responsibility to continuously refine your game. Here are seven common traps to avoid: 1. Violate trust. This goes beyond straightforward lying, […]
Read MoreWe all face incredible challenges in our lives. Difficult people. Ruthless competition. Time constraints. But so many of us succumb to an imaginary and impotent demon that strangles our potential and restricts our progress. This fictitious monster is called simply … the past. While the past can be a great teacher, it can also shackle our […]
Read MoreA few hours after I posted this blog, 19 firefighters tragically lost their lives in Arizona, giving everything they had to save ours. Our hearts and prayers go out to their families, and courageous firefighters everywhere. The alarm rings at the fire station, and the brave men and women respond with instinctive urgency. In a […]
Read MoreWe all get provoked. An angry associate; a cranky customer; a snarling spouse. In these cases, the primitive part of our brain designed to protect us in the wild kicks in and our autonomic response is to recklessly fire back. We lash out, hit below the belt, and respond with uncontrollable emotion. That’s where the […]
Read MoreRobert Linkner was one strange dude. He forged his own path as he journeyed from hippie to psychologist to retailer to financial planner. He had a hilarious, dark sense of humor, was an incredible chef and had a series of oddball hobbies. He took pride that his tastes in music, travel, food, and life were […]
Read MoreLast week I heard from three different people on three separate occasions about how they had a great idea but missed the boat. “I had the idea for Groupon five years ago”, a friend claimed. “I coulda been the one to land that big promotion, but I never shared my ideas with the boss”, another […]
Read MoreIf you set out to climb Mt. Everest, one of the first things you do is hire a Sherpa. Originally an ethnic group in Nepal, today a “Sherpa” is the common term used for the leader of a mountain climbing expedition. In business terms, you are hiring a CEO to help you get to the […]
Read MoreToo often, leaders accept defeat when challenges seem insurmountable. They concede quickly, bowing to the pressures of the day. If others in similar situations can’t overcome certain obstacles, it is easy to rationalize that nothing can be done. While some shrug their shoulders and accept the unacceptable, others are busy getting creative and generating meaningful […]
Read MoreIn our frenetically busy lives, we all smack up against the same obstacle: time. The 24-hour clock is a brutal and unforgiving foe. It’s easy to fill the hours, feeling busy and anxious, only to look back at a stunningly puny amount of productivity. With unlimited access to information and frictionless global markets for goods, […]
Read MoreThink how polished you were on the day you interviewed for your job. Or applied for a small business loan. Or went on the first date with your spouse. You took the time to look and act sharp. You were engaged, thoughtful, and energetic. You were a great listener. You were empathetic. You cared. Fast […]
Read MoreAt some point on the journey, every great contributor to the world was met with resistance. The ones who made the biggest impact in business, politics, invention, education, and even humanitarian and civil rights were attacked as much as they were celebrated. Innovation is routinely met by fear from those that the advances disrupt. Bold […]
Read MoreIn the context of seemingly endless challenges, many of us have paused to reassess what it really takes to win. What attributes will we need to overcome the strong headwinds of this hyper-competitive business storm? We certainly know that the models of the past won’t cut it. To seize our full potential – in both […]
Read MoreWhen bugging my fiancée, Tia, about what she wanted to do next weekend, she jokingly jabbed back with a line that struck me: “I just want to be fabulous,” she beamed. Although her response was meant to be playful and not taken seriously, her simple words could not have rung more true. Dictionary definitions for ‘fabulous’ profess a […]
Read MoreA website is considered user-friendly if it is simple and painless to explore. Ergonomics engineers study human-machine interactions to ensure that cars and other manufactured products provide an enjoyable experience in addition to their core function. Consumer Reports ranks dishwashers and flat screen TV’s alike based on their level of user-friendliness. Twenty years ago, this concept was […]
Read MoreImagine that a loved one is on the operating table in a life-or-death situation. You and your family gather in the waiting room waiting with baited breath for the doctor to communicate the results of this life-saving procedure. When the surgeon finally arrives, you don’t want to hear about how hard she and her team labored. You don’t want to hear that she “gave […]
Read MoreChildren overflow with plans for bold adventure, inspiring careers, and triumphant victories. I’ve never met a seven-year-old who aspires to middle management or wishes they grew up to become a paper-pushing bureaucrat. As we mature, we dilute the potency of our dreams, learning to settle instead of lead. We adults too often let fear impede […]
Read MoreGandhi was a giver. So were Mother Theresa, Dr. King, and Thomas Edison. They profoundly contributed to the world, leaving the place better than they found it. Because they gave so much, they are revered and hold a special place in history. Bernie Madoff is a different story. Same is true for the Enron guys, […]
Read MoreSure, we’d all love to win the lotto, possess prodigy-level talent, or be born into royalty. The luck of the draw can seem painfully unfair as some are stricken with disease while others grab an oversized helping of fame and fortune, and then come back for seconds. Without question, there are many factors that we […]
Read MoreIn our professional and personal pursuits, we’re often so focused on finding the answers that we fail to ask the right questions. A sense of curiosity and wonder will allow you to zero in on your calling and seize your full potential. Remember the childhood game of 20 Questions? Here are 20 that we should […]
Read More
