I was sad to hear of the passing of Roger Bannister on March 3. Bannister was one of my heroes who gave me an understanding of a breakthrough early in my life and career. As most know, he was the first person to run a mile in under 4 minutes when he clocked a 3:59.4…
Category: Soft Skills
Three Reasons Nice People Finish First
The old adage, ‘Nice guys finish last,’ isn’t always true. If we could classify every single ‘giver’ and ‘taker,’ and study their career paths over time, we would witness that nice, compassionate people really do finish first. Here are three reasons why. ‘Givers’ tend to be more influential. As opposed to ‘takers,’ ‘givers’ in leadership roles…
Every Day Should Be National Employee Appreciation Day
Each first Friday in March is Employee Appreciation Day. While not all companies observe it, some reserve it as an official day on which to honor and celebrate their employees. Whether on the official day or any other, here are four reasons to show employees appreciation. Appreciation matters as much as money to some employees. Dale…
The Servant Leader
If you are like me, you do not go looking for feedback. Often it feels awkward and points to our leadership blind spots or skill gaps. Since we don’t necessarily like change, it’s natural to resist. This awkwardness can make it uncomfortable to give or receive feedback, so the usual fallback position is to…
What Should You Stop Doing to Start Succeeding?
Open any book on the topic of prosperity, and you’ll find that the only way to generate abundance is to remove anything you don’t want in your life to make room for what you do want. Referred to as the ‘Law of Vacuum,’ many apply this to their lives by ceasing any negative thinking, attitudes or beliefs that hold…
Four Mistakes to Avoid When Trying to Get a Promotion
As if there aren’t enough sources of stress at work, why is asking for a promotion perhaps the most stressful experience? “Because you know you’re putting yourself at some level of risk,” says Lynn Taylor, a national workplace expert and author of Tame Your Terrible Office Tyrant; How to Manage Childish Boss Behavior and Thrive in…
Common, Critical Factor in Fortune’s Blue Ribbon Ranking Is Leadership
Every year, Fortune Magazine spends an inordinate amount of time rigorously evaluating companies by size (Fortune 500, Global 500), reputation (World’s Most Admired), growth (Fastest Growing), worker satisfaction (100 Best Companies to Work For), commitment to society (Change the World), commitment to the future (Future 50) and overall performance (Businessperson of the Year.) Fortune’s recently published 2017 Blue Ribbon list highlights 32 companies…
The Servant Leader
I’m working this week with an executive who must embrace change. In fact, his life just might depend on it. Having a heart attack three weeks ago probably is as good a reason as any to think about making changes in one’s life and work. For most of us, however, it’s simply not that easy…
The Servant Leader
Time out! Do you have followers? Do you have the right followers? What I mean is followers who make a difference to your organization, to the communities in which they belong, and to the families in which they live. Almost 30 years ago as a young sales representative for Dale Carnegie, an owner of a…
The Servant Leader
I was working this week with a global vice president whose organization is facing 7% turnover. He met with his staff and asked the magic question: “In what ways can we…?” It took them 25 minutes to stop blaming and start thinking of possible solutions. Only then did ideas begin to flow: Change how we…