That is a very strange title to read from a guy who has designed and delivered training for the last 25 years, and whose company provides a wide range of workshops, both inside organizations and in public settings.
But the title is accurate.
Training may not be the answer, and it most ... Views: 591
That is a very strange title to read from a guy who has designed and delivered training for the last 25 years, and whose company provides a wide range of workshops, both inside organizations and in public settings.
But the title is accurate.
Training may not be the answer, and it most ... Views: 615
I live in Indianapolis, Indiana – the only town in America that doesn’t have Memorial Day weekend - we have Race Weekend. This doesn’t mean we don’t honor those who gave their lives for our country (in fact, we honor them in more ways than most), it just means that the last weekend in May is ... Views: 834
I’m of the age where I remember television shows moving from black and white to color - Bewitched, The Beverly Hillbillies and Andy Griffith immediately come to mind. When these transitions happened they were widely advertised, but we didn’t have color television yet (the fall of 1972 for us). ... Views: 747
Every two years the Olympics come onto the collective consciousness of the world. And while some watch for the pageantry, the human drama, the patriotism or the actual athletic competition (all of which can be compelling reasons), I believe there is another universal and more useful ... Views: 571
In 1919 the Boston Red Sox had a star pitcher who also had home run power like no one had ever seen. He helped them win 3 world championships. His name was Babe Ruth. At that time they were a powerhouse in baseball – winning 5 of the first 15 World Series match-ups.
In 1920 the Red Sox ... Views: 568
During a recent guest conversation for members of our Remarkable Leadership Learning System, creativity expert Josh Linkner said “an idea is a like a spark.” I’m sure that isn’t the first time I’ve heard that metaphor, but it struck me in a new way.
Like you, I’ve experienced sparks, and ... Views: 563
PTFE or polytetrafluoroethylene was discovered on April 6, 1938 by Dr. Roy Plunkett at the DuPont research laboratories and it was patented in February of 1941.
You know PTFE as Teflon – the non-stick coating used on things like pans, griddles and grills. This chemical now has a growing list ... Views: 903
You may be thinking “I don’t lead leaders; I don’t need to read this.”
Even if you don’t (yet), there are three important reasons why you need to keep reading:
• Some day you might lead leaders – and thinking about these ideas now is worth the minimal effort required.
• You may want to share ... Views: 922
As a leader/manager/supervisor in an organization, part of your responsibility, obligation and an implied (if not stated) expectation is to be a coach.
Recently I was asked a very valuable question about that role, and the reality that many leaders live in. The question came from someone ... Views: 950
It happens often.
You are leading a team and some (maybe all) of the members see themselves as individual contributors, not necessarily members of a team. They state (and show) that they’d rather work alone, and prefer individual accomplishments and results to tying their fortunes to a ... Views: 853
It is a bit daunting to write an article with the title I just typed. It reminds me of those questions you get asked during ice breaker exercises or at dinner parties . . . “If you could take only five books to a desert island what would they be?”
I’m not very good at those kinds of ... Views: 1961
Apparently today is Show and Tell Day at Work.
Who knew?
When I read this fact, it got me thinking . . .
I went back to Mrs. Fredrick’s kindergarten classroom on a warm spring day. I was called to the front. It was my turn to share! No, I don’t remember exactly what I showed off, but I ... Views: 932
We all use questions everyday – in every part of our lives: as a leader, as a peer, as a parent, as a team member, as a spouse. We can’t get through the day without asking at least some questions. Even if the only questions you ask all day are:
“How are you doing?”, or
“What’s new?”
You are ... Views: 833
There are hundreds of companies large and small that offer services to help leaders grow and get greater results, ours included. This means there is a large market of organizations that look for, secure and use these services to equip their leaders to become more effective. There are many more ... Views: 866
It is possible you could take longer than 90 minutes, and you could perhaps spend a bit less time, but if you will look at your calendar for New Year’s Eve and give yourself 90 minutes to do what follows, you will be very glad you did (and it will give you one more reason to celebrate).
Find a ... Views: 1106
People collect everything from McDonalds Happy Meal toys to antique guns to books to cars. Of all the things you’ve heard of people collecting, perhaps questions isn’t on that list.
Collecting questions might seem unusual, but consider this: people typically collect things for at least on of ... Views: 860
I could start this article extolling the importance of listening in our everyday lives, in our ability to lead others, in our ability to improve relationships and communications in general. I could lament that while throughout our school experiences we were taught the communication skills of ... Views: 741
About ten years ago Cliff Arnall, a British scientist, reportedly created a calculation to determine “the most depressing day of the year.” The equation includes seven variables: (W) weather, (D) debt, (d) monthly salary, (T) time since Christmas, (Q) time since last failed attempt, (M) low ... Views: 992
Professional sports leagues create special event games called All Star Games. They create teams of the best players from their leagues to play a game, show off their talents and sell tickets.
One way or another (by votes of media, players or fans), the players are selected and the game is ... Views: 915
Before I get to the lessons, I need to give you a bit of background. On July 4th, we hosted the ninth annual Farm Party at our farm in Michigan. A flag was signed by nearly all of the 88 attendees of this event. Present also were the flags from the last four years, hanging as banners in our ... Views: 933
The most influential CEO in the world (George W. Bush) is facing mandatory retirement in 16 months and already there are 20 men and women vying for the job – very publicly. They are talking about how they will do things differently if they are chosen, and they are doing everything they can to ... Views: 735
Since at least 1894, the US Department of Agriculture has created guidelines and models for creating a balanced diet. With each iteration of their recommendations the dietary experts try to give us an easy-to-use guideline for eating in a healthy and well balanced way. This is a useful practice ... Views: 567
When you think back over your life and the strongest relationships in it, you will quickly find moments that played a big part in those relationships becoming what they became. While this might very well be true for your relationship with your spouse or a romantic relationship, it is just as ... Views: 1039
Farmers and ranchers put fences up primarily to keep their animals where they want them. The fence defines the boundary of where it is OK for the animals to live and graze. Fences serve several practical purposes – as I said, they keep animals where they want them and, as important, out of where ... Views: 768
Somewhere in your organization someone will give a presentation today. It may be you, the person in the next office, or someone who works in another department. Even if you work solo, there are times when you will be the presenter.
Few would argue that being able to present effectively – ... Views: 640
Recently I was asked to be interviewed for a podcast, and the interviewer asked me to pick a couple of articles from his website to comment on during the interview. As I reviewed the site and looked at a variety of articles, I selected two and decided that rather than just commenting on each, I ... Views: 863
We all want feedback – we want to know how we are doing. Getting that input gives us a benchmark of our current performance and helps us improve. It is important. It is necessary.
And it isn’t enough.
Consider your basic performance review (even if it is a really effective one) or most any ... Views: 758
“Happy Birthday to me, Happy Birthday to me, Happy Birthday you leader . . . Happy Birthday to me.”
Today is my 52nd birthday – a year for every week in a calendar year. The other day I was thinking about how birthdays are different as an adult than as a kid. If you are like me, birthdays ... Views: 759
Recently promoted? Leadership and learning expert Kevin Eikenberry shares the 5 conversations you need to have with your new boss - right away. (These work even if you're a veteran.)
If you`ve just been promoted, this is obviously for you. If you have been in your role for awhile, but your ... Views: 869
Delegation is something that every leader has feelings about.
Some feel they do it well. Some don’t even know where to start. Some have seen a good example of it. Some feel like every time someone has “delegated” to them, it felt like they’d just been dumped on. Some think it is something ... Views: 849
Toby was a young and ambitious salesperson. Part of his training had been to spend time with Janice, a veteran and very successful salesperson at the firm. As Toby went on sales calls with Janice he took notes, and one of the things he marveled at was Janice’s ability to ask great questions. In ... Views: 947
When we think about remote or virtual teams, we may think about flexibility, freedom and perhaps even high productivity. And when people are working out and on their own, we typically think that interpersonal issues might not matter as much or happen as often.
Unfortunately, this isn’t always ... Views: 883
46 years today and tomorrow (as I post this), July 20 and 21st, 1969, are days that everyone my age or older remembers.
These are the days when the Apollo 11 spacecraft landed on the moon (the 20th) and when Neil Armstrong became the first human to walk on the moon (on the 21st).
This was an ... Views: 900
Unless you live under a rock, live outside the United States or are a non-sports person, you know the National Football League held their draft of players last week. If you don’t know, this annual event allows teams to pick players based on a prescribed order that they have the right to hire for ... Views: 802
I spent most of last week coaching leaders on their skills, abilities and results through the use of 360 assessments. While the experience, scope and overall skill of these leaders varied widely, one of the lessons I received from this process was a reminder of and deepening appreciation for the ... Views: 902
Music can move us, make us smile; bring back memories - both good and bad - and many other things. Today, I plan to show you how music can help make you a better leader.
Everyone has a connection to at least some music; everyone has favorite songs, genres and more. In this article, I am not ... Views: 949
The leader purposefully strides to the front of the conference room table and is prepared to begin. Smiling warmly, she turns to the group, and asks the group a question. Since she wants their response she allows the pause to encourage people to participate. After creating a conversation, she ... Views: 937
"Thank you"
Saying "thank you" is something most of us learn at a young age. It's also something we teach to our children . We all know that gratitude is important, which is why, in many parts of the world, we have a day called Thanksgiving to remind us to be thankful.
It is unfortunate in ... Views: 771
238 years ago this week, a group of men, a group of leaders, risked their lives and livelihoods to declare their (nonexistent) country’s independence from England. If you are from the United States, I wish you a Happy Independence Day!
But actually I am wishing that all of you (regardless of ... Views: 766
Lots of people have visions of crashing and burning when giving a speech. The nightmares seem real, and yet while you may not like presenting and may have had some blunders, you’ve likely not had a presentation-nightmare-come-true like Michael Bay (Director of the Transformer movies, among many ... Views: 754
Every leader deals with leading, championing or even driving change. And every book and article about doing that will talk about the importance of the vision for the changed state. There is a good reason for that – a vision of the changed state you want people to move towards is critical to a ... Views: 925
Luck.
Some think it is some kind of magic.
Some think there is no such thing.
Some think only others have it.
Most wish they had more of it.
Years ago I heard the definition of luck as:
Labor
Under
Correct
Knowledge
While I believe there is truth in that clever acrostic, ... Views: 796
When you hear or think about the word December, many things likely come to mind; but one word that likely doesn’t is . . . productive.
Today I want to challenge that thought, and even give you some very specific ways to use the last month of the year to be as productive, or perhaps more so, ... Views: 921
Personal development.
Professional development.
Leadership development.
Regardless of which words you use, chances are as the New Year begins, you are thinking about some sort of development; some sort of approach to creating change, growth and advancement in your life.
As you think ... Views: 873
Learning.
In a world where change seems to come hurling toward us like a bullet train, we know learning is needed just to survive, let alone thrive.
And while most everyone would nod at the idea that we must be lifelong learners, the list of excuses people have for why they aren’t and can’t be ... Views: 875
Trust. Your ability to lead is severely hampered without it, and the more of it you have, the easier leadership becomes. Plus, with greater trust comes greater speed of implementation, clearer communication and much more. It is certainly something that leaders must spend time creating and ... Views: 840
Let me start by saying I am not a camel expert. Some of what I know about camels, I have learned from reading throughout my life. Some I learned yesterday when talking with colleagues - people who know more about them than I do. I however have become more interested because of my recent personal ... Views: 882
I’ve got four questions for you… four questions that can, as I promised above, change your results. I’m going to say more about each of them, how they can make a difference, and when you would want to apply them, but first, here they are:
Why?
Why not?
Why not me?
Why not now?
You can apply ... Views: 906
The role that firefighters play in our society is secure. The way that we honor their service is appropriate. I have close friends who are and have been firefighters, and so I personally hold them in high regard. Great firefighters are leaders of their teams in situations far beyond what most of ... Views: 1002