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Can Leaders Be Friends?
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…
Vision – Vibration – Space and Action
Everything in our lives starts with vision – the possibility thinking regarding what could be. It could be as grand as President Kennedy’s vision of “landing a man on the moon and returning him safely,” or as simple as having a good day. Visioning awakens and energizes us to what is possible, and I think…
Together We Stand (and yell)
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…
Underutilize
I’ve been testing out an intuitive feeling regarding resource utilization in organizations –the feeling that most people are underutilized. I can hear the rumblings already from those who are feeling both overworked and overwhelmed, but that’s the point. While some people seem to get rewarded for good work with more work, there are many in…
Not Another Resolution
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…
Feedback for the Win
Top-performing athletes have systems in place to give them feedback around levels of strain, recovery, and sleep so they can improve their performance and reach their fullest potential. It makes sense when we think about this regarding our favorite teams or players and yet, unfortunately, we often fall short of applying this practice to the…
Retirement and college degrees are outdated concepts
What I am about to declare is ungrounded. I’m going to say it anyway. Retirement and college degrees are outdated concepts of the 20th century. First, retirement. I turn 65 years old in a few weeks and I am tiring of hearing versions of a few of the following questions: When are you going to…
Risk
/risk/ A situation involving exposure to danger Recently a friend asked, “What risks are you planning to take over the next year?” I thought about it for a moment and realized this was one of the most profound queries I’d had in a long time. Planning to take risks seems counterintuitive to my safety-seeking personality,…
Grow Them or Buy Them
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…
Happy Holidays
The month of December has, through the years, come to represent celebration – the time of year to gather with loved ones, friends and colleagues in joy and peace, to look at once backward and forward and to reflect on the present. At Emergent, we are reflecting on the values of relationships, trust, contribution, and…