Bill Berthel, Author at Emergent

Bill Berthel

Recently, I found myself engaged in a conversation with a small group of friends on a perennial topic: incompetent bosses. When one of my friends wondered aloud how unqualified people end up in high-level positions, another replied, “That’s the Peter Principle for you!” The Peter Principle was first identified by Dr. Laurence J. Peter, a…

Bill Berthel

I recently heard a stand-up comedian claim that his brain is a jerk. He said his brain has all it needs to make him feel good—the happy hormones and electric neurons, the synapses and lobes and cortices—but it doesn’t function as advertised. It makes him think dark thoughts and worry about everything. It makes him…

Bill Berthel

To be clear, I’m not talking about a hard day, I’m talking about an off day. The kind of day when you feel guilty about feeling bad because nothing particularly bad has happened. It seemed that everything I did and everything I said was missing the mark. I wasn’t falling on my face, but I…

Bill Berthel

My vehicle was at the service department for a minor manufacturer recall so I took the opportunity to ask the technician to look at a separate issue that I was concerned about. The separate issue was taken seriously and looked at. It turned out to be a larger issue than I was entertaining, and the…

Bill Berthel

A good friend once told me that she’s a good friend because she can openly disagree, share a different perspective and not polarize or alienate me in the process. I married that woman and she’s been my best friend for many, many years. Upon reflection, it seems that life would be so much easier if…

Bill Berthel

For my regular readers, you know I am interested in and sometimes write about human motivation as it relates to leadership. An understanding of what motivates us and why we choose to lead (and conduct many other activities and behaviors) can assist us in developing and improving. Underneath that interest in motives is simply a…

Bill Berthel

Like many people, I need to be inspired to make a change in my life. Sometimes the change is a pain I want to avoid or remedy, and often it is something I want to improve. I am something of an inspiration junkie, so I make change best when I am inspired by something or…

Bill Berthel

A question that many growing organizations wrestle with is whether they want to grow their leadership team from existing staff (internal candidates) or source new talent (external candidates) with demonstrated leadership experience. There is understandably a sense of mutual loyalty and value in providing existing employees with opportunities for growth and development. However, sometimes leaders…

Bill Berthel

Have you ever approached a 4-way intersection simultaneously with three other vehicles? It happens to me sometimes at an intersection near my home. It’s the type of intersection that has four stop signs and no traffic light, and when four vehicles arrive at the same time, there is often a moment of observing the other…

Bill Berthel

And it’s not just leaders. Many corporate high performers struggle to care for themselves well – myself included at times. My healthy habits – restful sleep, good nutrition, diligent hydration – are sporadic at best, and my exercise routine is not routine at all. I also find that I am often a very shallow breather…

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