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It’s often said that self-awareness is the first step to greatness. However, when it comes to comparing how self-awareness manifests across different generations, we often find only misconceptions wrapped in stereotypes. From Boomers to Zoomerd, every generation seems to have its label, its strengths, and its designated breakfast cereal preferences. But could diving into self-awareness…

In preparation for an important presentation to a potential client, I found myself looking at a blank PowerPoint slide deck, not knowing where to start. Much like when I begin most of my writing, the blank page stares back at me, taunting me, telling me it has to be perfect, as perfect as the page…

It was April of 2003, and I was in New Jersey attending the first module of my coaching certification training while my wife and two young children were navigating the challenges of an ice storm that left them with no power for a few days. So, while I was focusing on the coursework, wondering if…

In the realm of leadership, accountability is a key ingredient to driving success for everyone involved. Whether it’s in execution, collaboration, delegation, or leveraging technology, taking ownership of your responsibility as a team leader sets the stage for remarkable achievements. Recently, I had the privilege of collaborating with an exceptional leader who embodied this ethos.…

Mindfulness practices are a great way to create a small but meaningful counterbalance to the hectic nature of life and leadership. Meditation, an elongated strategic pause in activity and thinking, is probably the most well-known. But many people enjoy more active mindfulness practices such as yoga, or, as I like to call it, “my morning…

I am not sure if it’s courage or naivety, but I have never been afraid of “leading up.” In a hierarchical structure, leading up means managing those above you—influencing the direction of your organization despite a lack of positional authority. It’s giving your boss your honest opinion and asking for what you need. It isn’t…

Connection is a bit like money. If you have enough of it, you take it for granted. But when you’re missing it, endless challenges result, and you are reminded of its irreplaceable value. I was recently struggling to create a new performance management model for a client. I couldn’t figure out what the client’s team…

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…

When drafting a piece for the Emergent blog, I tend to use the voice-to-text function on my iPhone and then later find the note and coax it into coherence, to then share with our in-house team of editors to make it fit for public consumption. These are the blogs I like best to write. The…

My colleague Erika Davis and I were recently guests on Alex Canavan’s podcast, Cultivate. Alex is an impressive young leader here in Syracuse with a passion for bringing people together. Her focus is on female leaders, and she herself has a voracious appetite for learning and development, an attribute all successful leaders share. The focus…

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…

For much of my adult life, there’s been a voice in my head. It’s a voice at once demanding and prideful, one that encourages me to follow its advice and rewards me handsomely for doing so. And what does it say? Be accountable to your emotions! I identify strongly with this voice, and consider it…

In my upcoming book, there’s a chapter called “Get Out of Your Own Way.” As I teach what I need to learn, I wrote that chapter to remind myself how often I hold onto things that prevent me from living as well as I could. The main roadblocks blocking my path to higher awareness are…

It’s the time of year to set resolutions, and I’ve got mine: Stop resisting what is and grasping at what I don’t have. I have been doing a lot of introspective work recently and once again am getting the opportunity to relearn a lesson. Simply stated, I am repeatedly tripped up by the illusion of…

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.…

As we reflect on the accomplishments and milestones of 2023, it is with pride and…

All of a sudden it’s the holiday season! The ground is frozen and white. The skies are dark before the day is over; I feel like I must have taken a long autumn nap and missed the onramp to the holidays this year. In part, I have been far too busy with work. I usually…