Jeremiah Poulsen

Exploring the Art of Execution: A Leadership Perspective

In recent months, I’ve been thinking a lot about execution. The concept has recurred lately in various projects, decisions, and relationships that hold significance in my life. In fact, I’ve decided to designate execution as my focal point for the year. And the more I delve into the subject, the more I find it to…

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Embracing the Fierce Gravity of Leadership

In the dynamic world of leadership development, we do not operate in a vacuum. We are constantly being acted upon by formidable forces which influence our range of choices and, in so doing, shape our journey. Consider the axiom, “Gravity is fierce.” This seemingly unconventional notion seems to encapsulate the essence of leadership. The forces…

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Essential Elegance

A 1977 brochure introducing the Apple II computer said, “Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication.” It takes a lot of hard work to create something simple, to truly understand the underlying problem and come up with an elegant solution. It’s not just minimalism or the absence of clutter. It involves digging through the depth of complexity….

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Stepping into the Fray

If you know me, you know that I’m a fan of the Buffalo Bills. And you can guess how I felt after our tragic Monday night loss to the Denver Broncos in the last seconds of regulation. I was at Highmark Stadium for the game, and those who’ve seen a tough loss in person understand…

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Circle of Influence

When I first heard the phrase, “Leaders bring the weather,” it brought me back to wrestling practice in high school. Always eager to get a leg up on our future opponents, we made a literal change to our training environment: to increase the temperature in our small upstairs gym, we wrapped ice packs around the…

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Begin With the End in Mind

“Begin with the end in mind.” It’s a phrase that has been stated and restated for decades. I first came across this concept while reading The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen Covey. I was highly intrigued by the way the author framed this particular practice. The best way to describe his approach…

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Balancing Confidence and Humility

In the realm of professional leadership, there exists an essential but delicate art: the balancing of confidence and humility. These crucial qualities are present in everyone, but each leader exhibits them in different proportions. Picture a leader who exudes unwavering self-assurance while maintaining an open mind, receptive to the insights of others. This leader has…

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Vulnerable Leadership

Are you tired of feeling like you need to have all the answers as a business manager or leader? Do you struggle to connect with your team and create a culture of empathy and trust? Are personal challenges making it more difficult to lead effectively? If so, it’s time to consider embracing your woundedness and…

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Self-Awareness

I recently encountered a significant and potentially expensive technology problem that required a phone call with tech support. The specialist at the other end of the line was incredibly helpful and remarkably kind. At the close of our call, she asked me if I would be willing to stay on the line to complete a…

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Emotional Ignorance is Expensive

In our day-to-day lives, we are bound to encounter people who lack empathy. It might be the person in line ahead of us haranguing the stressed-out grocery store clerk, or the Facebook warrior calling people names in the comment section. And each of us, at one time or another, has done harm to someone else…

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