Archives

The Year I Discovered Copernicus… (A lesson in “Servant Leadership”) If memory serves me, I was approximately 24.  A young HR professional (we called it “Personnel” back then…), I was working for a well-known consumer products company at their largest manufacturing facility, which was located on the high plains...

It was about a year before I had completed my Bachelors’ Degree (…back before dirt was invented), and I had been selected to become an Intern for the Career Development Office at my College.  The internship required me to study and learn about careers, job search tools/techniques, resume writing,...

In these increasingly polarized times, I sometimes find myself engaging in conversations that quickly turn to unproductive verbal sparring matches.  Inevitably, I regret my contribution to the scenario’s incivility, the lack of resulting insight, and the potential damage to the relationship. I often spend a fair amount of time reflecting...

Are you getting an ROI on developing your Talent? In meeting with CEO’s and CHRO’s to discuss their Talent Strategies, we’re repeatedly hearing concerns about: Talent Attraction & Retention Future Focus & Vision Strategic Alignment & Execution Business Owner Mindset Leadership Bench Strength Organizational Agility In this increasingly complex...

Why Leaders Should Be Storytellers: And How to Become One  The art of storytelling can be traced back to the earliest days of human history. Cave drawings and illustrated experiences eventually evolved into spoken tales and traditions shared around campfires.  Enter any museum and you’ll see artifacts depicting crude...

Weaving a Psychological Safety Net A key element of emotional intelligence in Leadership is the ability to create a work environment that allows people to focus on their work… as opposed to protecting themselves. This means building a culture that fosters engagement and commitment as opposed to resentment and mere...

When you reflect on what you want out of your life and career, you probably have big dreams. Most leaders do.  Good leaders aren’t just focused on their own aspirations, they have high expectations for their team and organization too! Dreams and goals are incredibility important… but unless you’re...

Trust Is Critical for Leadership Success  Trust isn’t a concept to take lightly.  This behavioral characteristic and cultural dynamic is critical to forging relationships and is the foundation of success. It’s a fundamental element of leadership.  Little moves forward, nor can be sustained, without trust.  That said, all too...

Five Ways to Become an Agile Learner “Learning Agility is about knowing how to learn — knowing what to do when you don’t know what to do. It’s about learning from experience and applying it in new ways, adapting to new circumstances and opportunities.” – Center for Creative   Leadership  Today,...

Repeat after me – “I am not the center of the Universe”  Ultimately, growing as a Leader requires developing two things:  Humility and Empathy… We can’t learn – if we think we already “know”… and we can’t lead – if we don’t strive to better understand what it is to...