Leadership

I remember reading once that it is useful – if not necessary – to be chameleon-like in order to create rapport and to be effective in interacting with others. I had a tough time swallowing this advice, and in fact, I was offended recently when a client referred to me as chameleon-like. I didn’t take…

The seven simple leadership lessons I was reminded of by 41 client leaders this past week: Rapport isn’t rocket science. All it takes is for one face-to-face interaction to really shift (for the better!) a relationship that’s been solely built by telephone and email. Influence isn’t just a topic underneath the heading of Leadership; it…

When I ask a new client, “What gets you back to your center?” most responses have something to do with church, time with family, working out, a hobby, or spending time outdoors. What I enjoy most is not necessarily what they do; rather, it’s how they say what they do. When a client says something…

Years ago, Gary Chapman wrote a bestselling book titled “The Five Love Languages,” in which he described the various ways people prefer to be spoken to in order to feel loved. It was a great book for people interested in making true connection and strengthening relationships, and just as there are certain languages for love, there…

The first session of our 2019 LeadFORWARD class started last week. As I prepare to work with and support a new group of accomplished leaders, my intention is to start this journey as if I’m beginning right along with them. This is our 8th LeadFORWARD class, and I want to be sure that time, confidence…

As leaders, we are often in situations that involve uncomfortable conversations – but conversations that are necessary to help our teams and employees achieve maximum potential, for themselves and for the organization. Unfortunately, because these conversations can be difficult, they are often avoided. A few years ago, our team put a definition to the term…

My niece, who attends Clemson University in South Carolina, shared a required reading from her economics course with several of my family members. Knowing how much I adore human behavior and psychology, she thought this book would be “right up my alley.” And my father-in-law knew I’d enjoy “Predictably Irrational” by Dr. Dan Ariely, the…

A longtime client recently observed that he thought I was refreshingly more unfiltered of late in sharing both my perspectives and opinions. At first, I was concerned about being offensive, but his use of the word refreshing put me at ease. He then asked if he could probe a little bit as to why I…

A supervisor influenced the company president to change a decision. An intern influenced a senior designer with a fresh idea. A millennial persuaded her baby boomer manager to get back into regular exercise. A son influenced his father to be more patient. A college graduate convinced an entrepreneur to take a chance and hire him….

I was recently approached by a client with a question; he is a high-level leader in a medium-sized organization, and the question was, “Why does everyone think that they can lead?” When I asked for some clarity, he shared a story: “The Operations Department is going through some restructuring. We communicated what we planned to…