Articles

I am energized by the outdoors, nature and specifically trees. I need to live near them, and I am fortunate enough to have an enormous, 130-year-old white oak right outside my office window while I write this book review. It sprawls across the road, reaching for our neighbor’s sunlight, while remaining heavily rooted 100 feet…

According to Marketwatch1, the average U.S. employee who receives paid vacation has only taken about half (54 percent) of those days in the past 12 months. Additionally, another challenge – new to the digital age – is the number of people who take their vacation time but continue to work, checking emails, voicemails, etc. This…

I have been a student of effectiveness for over 30 years and have always been curious about the rituals or routines that people perform on a daily basis. So when I spotted the book, “My Morning Routine – How Successful People Start Every Day Inspired,” I was intrigued. Secretly I was interested in seeing how…

The subtitle of Carol Dweck’s book, “Mindset,” says it all: ”How we can learn to fulfill our potential.” In my work with clients, I am continually studying and learning about how we can all increase our potential. This book describes and gives numerous examples of how changing our mindset can and will do just that.…

When I did a book search on Amazon using the word “leadership,” there were more than 50,000 results. I was kind of surprised, however; I thought there’d be more. As many of you know, we at Emergent immerse ourselves (and maybe sometimes too much so) in reading – but with very positive and helpful intentions.…

We come together in teams and organizations for many reasons. One over-arching reason is that we can accomplish more together than we can as individuals. We’re often left with the sense that teams are critically important towards greater accomplishments and we are reminded that even the examples of seemingly singular heroes, entrepreneurs and “lone wolf”…

Imagine conducting performance reviews that are not only effective but engaging – reviews that are embraced by every leader and employee in your organization. Impossible? Not in our experience. The key is continual open dialogue. Very different than the typical annual event, effective performance management reviews are less about the paperwork and more about the…

In our practice, we believe in the unlimited potential of every leader, so the title of this book – “The Art of Possibility” –  really piqued my interest. It was recommended by a friend who is an adjunct faculty member at NYU. This book is one of the required readings of her graduate class, where…

Leading is required in all areas of our lives – home, work, family and relationships – and yet we often forget that leadership is not a title; it is an action. The concept that Emergent calls LeadUP is defined by speaking and influencing from any position or project in which we are involved. The concept…

Illness was no doubt the final cause Of the whole urge to create; By creating, I could recover; By creating, I became healthy. – German poet Heine imagines God explaining Creation We come together in teams and organizations for many reasons. One foundational reason is that we know we can achieve certain goals with others…

The Power of Eight by Lynne McTaggart turns the self-development paradigm on its ear. The book describes a number of scientifically validated studies of the healing power of intention, but more importantly also reveals the mirroring positive impact that the sending of good intentions has on the sender of these intentions. People from across the…

A common challenge when working with organizations, teams, and leaders for developing more sustainable leadership performance is understanding emotional intelligence. We can define it, and most people know they need more of it, but we are often stymied by the area/competence called “Emotional Self-Control.” When not correctly understood, this competency often makes leaders feel they…

Ralph Simone is on a mission to help people become more effective. That mission was recently advanced with an interview by Stan Linhorst of the Syracuse Newspapers, in which Ralph’s leadership and personal life philosophies were explored. Ralph reflects on the impact of life experiences – from newspaper deliveries to sports to Sweetheart Market –…

Like so many of our clients, I have struggled with meditation practices. It can be challenging to learn how to get our minds to quiet down and simply not think, and when we don’t immediately find success, we label our attempts as “failures.” This cycle of disappointment can often prevent us from wanting to try…

I have always been fascinated with the concept of integration – as opposed to balance – in terms of time spent inside and outside of work. Gandhi’s quote, “We are one indivisible whole,” recently caused me to challenge the artificial separation that the concept of “work-life balance” implies. That challenge was reinforced by an interview…

What can you do when a team isn’t performing to its potential? High performing teams – the idea that the sum is greater than the combined efforts of the individual parts – sometimes elude even the best and most talented performers and leaders. And tiny tweaks, it turns out, can make all the difference. For…

I just heard it again today: “Sometimes my voice isn’t heard.” I’ve heard this complaint from leaders at all levels–individual contributors, middle managers, and senior level executives, and it’s a critical issue. When people don’t feel heard, they often believe they’re not being fully utilized for all they have to offer – and often, they’re…