Articles

Slack “Slacker,” “slacking off” – not something that most people appreciate or strive for as a descriptive adjective. But what if I could help you understand that one of the surest ways to increase bandwidth and true productivity is to become a slacker? In their book “Scarcity,” authors Sendhil Mullainathan and Eldar Shafir explain the…

SUSTAINABILITY Recently I have had several opportunities to be introduced to organizations and individuals who are involved with this concept of sustainability and renewable energy – the green movement. I was intrigued by the concept and how we could apply it to the environment and my interest immediately became focused closer to home. More specifically,…

UNPLUG AND RECONNECT Technology provides us with a plethora of opportunities to reach out and touch someone. We are able to connect or reconnect with family, old friends, business colleagues and classmates. But the irony is that being “plugged in” has at times caused us to tune out, and this can seriously threaten our ability…

LEADERSHIP PRACTICE What can you do to dial it back in a way that’s enough but not too much? Put people at ease Ask others what they think Listen to their answers Frame your solutions as questions Share the credit for good ideas Pick your battles Would you rather be effective over the long run…

Let me start out by stating that I am competitive, at times very competitive, so as I ask you to reflect on the title of this article, I am reflecting right along with you. The emphasis on winning at times has become all consuming – be the fastest, smartest, win the game, get the highest…

LEADERSHIP PRACTICE According to a study on effective teams released by the Best Companies Group, the five most crucial components of high-performing teams were: Goal Setting: knowing where you are going Communication: the best use of your eyes, voice, and ears Trust: believing in others and being trustworthy yourself Accountability: doing what you say you…

LEADERSHIP PRACTICE Here are a few tips intended to help you reignite your commitment to daily energy renewal movement for yourself: Find a variety of activities that you really enjoy for each of the dimensions of energy renewal (physical, mental, spiritual, and emotional). Block out time at the beginning of your week for each of…

EFFECTIVENESS SIMPLIFIED Sometimes we can over-complicate what it really takes to become more effective in both leadership and in life. We sometimes get caught up in the next new book, exercise gadget, or miracle diet and forget to keep things simple. I’ve learned through experience (a lot of trial and error) that there are a…

LEADERSHIP PRACTICE To re-frame your thoughts from judging to discerning, seek to understand where others are coming from, and more importantly how they got there. When someone proposes an alternative viewpoint, don’t disagree with them immediately and judge their idea as stupid or wrong. Instead, ask them questions to better understand where they’re coming from…

EXERCISING GOOD JUDGMENT Everyone has heard the word “judgment” and for most of us this word has a negative connotation related to the inevitable unfairness we associate with judging others. What does that really mean? Judgment can be exercised for good, especially in delicate or stressful situations, and in this context it is often referred…

LEADERSHIP PRACTICE If you want to pay attention to the things you might normally miss, practice spending a portion of your day showing up differently, doing the opposite of what you would normally do. If you’re usually the type of person with all the answers, practice saying “I don’t know.” If you usually drive to…

LEADERSHIP PRACTICE As Ralph Simone writes in his last post, we are sometimes too focused causing ourselves to be closed to new ideas. An important aspect of collaboration is remaining open to new ideas, even if they seem to disagree with what you know to be possible or true. It is essential for you to…

THE PARADOX OF FOCUS When you use the zoom feature on your camera, there’s a trade-off you need to make. To focus on a specific object or portion of the image field, you must gradually give up your ability to view the rest of the image field as you continue to zoom in. This inverted…

I was intrigued recently when I heard someone pose the question, “is google making us stupid”? My first inclination was to say no, of course not. I was thinking that it provides an opportunity for many people to access information and resources rather easily and quickly. I was having a hard time seeing the relevance…

ONE WEEK TO LIVE Some time ago, I lost a good friend unexpectedly. The loss hit me at many levels; however, what was most difficult to shake was the missed opportunity to spend a few hours on his last day with him. He had invited me to a luncheon where a famous coach and motivational…

LEADERSHIP PRACTICE Self-awareness is a key leadership practice that can help you build on your strengths and identify any specific thoughts, behaviors, or habits that might be holding you back from reaching your full potential. Once you’ve identified a thought, behavior, or habit that you want to change, set a specific intention to detail how…

IT IS NOT THE SPEED, BUT THE DIRECTION How many things can help us move faster? Faster internet, faster planes, fast cars, faster products to help us clean, study, and lose weight. But with all of the things that are taking us places faster, are we even going in the right direction? Life can move…

CREATING SPACE It is the space between the notes that makes the music possible. It is the space in and around the vase that defines it’s shape. And it is the space that we create in our lives and our leadership that gives rise to insights, inspiration, and innovation. Unfortunately many of us have grown…