It’s been almost a year since the larger corporate workforce transitioned into isolation. Adaptations have been tough, technical bandwidth had to be enhanced and those of us who depend on social interaction were forced to pivot. Eventually, we all figured it out. While there cannot be a silver lining in a time of such tragedy,…
I first discovered Dan Pink when I read his book, A Whole New Mind. In a time when managers were advising me to read Jack Welch; this book took a different approach. The Mac was gaining popularity, graphics were replacing spreadsheets and the right brainers now had a point of intrigue. Mr. Pink’s follow up,…
I left the world of compliance consulting for a career in incentive consulting because I was tired of management by consequence. For years, I have stood fast by the premise that there are two ways to manage employees: By the bench or by the basket If you manage your players by fear, they will do…
If you were anywhere near La Pera Circle in the 80’s you would have heard the echoing of a ball bouncing. I played basketball for hours in my early years. I didn’t play pick up games nor did I play organized basketball; I just shot for hours…on my own. I would play out games in…
Remember when we would ponder our direction? Nowadays we have to do it all (and then some). There are products to learn, people to hire, alliances to form, markets to penetrate….and a whole lot of technology that is supposed to make things less complicated. Some times the path of least resistance beats the information highway. Does…
As a young man, I was drawn to the sport of wrestling. I started at a very young age and practiced through my college life. I have medals and messed up ears to prove it. I liked wrestling because there was a degree of personal accountability unlike any other sport. The wrestling team worked out…
Having just made a well-educated and difficult career transition, I had a chance to experience the job seekers world in 2012. I met corporate recruiters who asked qualifying questions irrelevant to my skill set, was offered large cash bonus offers, and received the “why our company is the best” speech from CEOs. None of it mattered! In the…
I remember a VP once told me not to get too close to my team. This way, it would be easier to discipline those who were not achieving. Just yesterday, my son asked me if I ever had to fire anyone. I told him I do not believe in firing people. As he persisted, I…
First there was Maslow who created an avenue to employee benefits, then Employee Rewards, and more recently Employee Engagement. Today, Culture seems to be the buzz word. We are consistently evolving employee rights into human improvement strategy. The fluff is gone and even kindness has an ROI metric: ~ Does a rewards strategy cheapen the…
You start your day by hitting snooze twice, you yell in traffic, and your heart pounds as you approach the office door. It starts and ends with your boss and his/her ability to instill confidence in you! …Reset…. You leap out of bed ready to attack the day, rock out to the radio on the…
It is safe to say we were all inspired by the 2012 Olympic games. None more so than the 70,000 volunteers who gave their time to ensure the event was safe and efficient. Who wouldn’t want to be part of a worldwide extravaganza where each nation sends their most gifted athletes to represent their flag.…
I am sure Leaders Beacon will be afloat with memorials to the Great Stephen Covey. For those who are unaware, Mr. Covey author of “The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People”, has died in a cycling accident outside of Provo, Utah. I was introduced to Stephen Covey in my leadership class at Arizona State University. I…
We all face challenging personalities on a daily basis. It could be that customer who has great expectations, maybe it’s the channel partner who takes but does not give, and sometimes our greatest challengers are on our team. Some call them “problem children”, but I do not recognize that label. Leaders Beacon is the Holy…
The Ables are not just a family from Oklahoma. They are the functions of what empowers talent in your organization. I was conducting a thorough organizational assessment for a large company recently. One of the organization’s leaders explained to me that she did not have the luxury of examining every area of her organization. There…
I consider myself an enthusiast of people improvement. Motivational speeches, blogging, coaching, mentoring, and Employee Engagement consulting are my thing. It is a massively fulfilling cross-over of personal ambition and professional drive….a purpose driven passion. Life is good! In my advocacy for people empowerment there is a prominent obstacle: People are still working in silos…
Throughout this year I have had the pleasure of teaching a seminar on “Cultivating Employee Engagement” to a variety of professionals. I moderate an interactive conversation as we explore the pillars of what attracts and retains great talent. I told the story of the Goldman Sachs employee who posted his letter of resignation in the New York Times.…
I am often asked about the keys to leadership. Of course, there are core characteristics that we can list and quantify. Most often, however, I hearken back to sound advice. The best bosses I have had assisted my career development through very human interactions. The strategy book is thrown out the window and you talk to one another…
“To be the best, you’ve got to beat the best. That’s all there is to it.” – Adam Vinatieri As a writer I expound on certain events to bring metaphorical significance to different walks of life. Such is the extended purpose of the media. Unfortunately, there are a lot of people with a lot of…
The Great Jim Collins is at it again. The author of “Good to Great” and “Built to Last” has brought us another installment in his collection of business and leadership development owner’s manuals. In “Great by Choice”, Collins takes us through the development of ambition and its equated value to 10x Leadership. With the support…
A few weeks back Greg Smith published his letter of resignation from Goldman Sachs in the New York Times. There were those who applauded Mr. Smith’s call for human dignity in a professional world turned shark tank. Most of the reaction I encountered, however, spoke of sour grapes. Mr. Smith’s detractors cast him away as…