The endless assortment of messages, feelings, and attitudes we bring from our past into our present influences how we see ourselves. It also directly impacts our ability to relate to others. While growing up, we learned to judge ourselves and our capabilities based on how others saw us. Whether their judgments were complimentary or condemning…
DetailsPrayer does not change God, but it changes him who prays – Søren Kierkegaard The stated mission of the United States Military Academy is to “educate, train and inspire the Corps of Cadets so that each graduate is a commissioned leader of character committed to the values of Duty, Honor, Country and prepared for a…
Details“Building confidence in yourself helps you develop the right mindset to master life’s challenges, opening the floodgates for an outpouring of opportunities to make enduring connections” If the thought of interacting with others sometimes takes you out of your Comfort Zone, you’re not alone. Most people are susceptible to moments of self-doubt. Nothing is…
DetailsEvery tomorrow has two handles. We can take hold of it with the handle of anxiety or the handle of faith – Henry Ward Beecher I read a story about a man back in 1835 who visited a doctor in Florence, Italy. He was filled with anxiety and exhausted from a lack of sleep. He…
DetailsHaving 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…
DetailsThe October 2012 issue of Harvard Business Review features “Big Data” as the theme. There are a number of articles of import for those leaders whose enterprise has access to large amounts of data–operational, market, what have you. They look at where the data is coming from, the increasing role it is playing in business…
DetailsWhile most people don’t describe themselves as “difficult” (although some actually find pleasure in doing so!) difficult behavior can nonetheless come from anyone, anytime, anywhere; we all have the capacity to express it. What constitutes difficult or prickly behavior is very subjective,shaped by our personal perceptions. We each define individually what annoys or frustrates us;…
DetailsEvery adversity, every failure, every heartache carries with it the seed on an equal or greater benefit. – Napoleon Hill Lou Holtz shares the story of a blind man who was being led down the street by a guide dog. When they came of the corner of a busy intersection, the dog crossed against the…
DetailsAs of today, I’m back to blogging as the epicentre of my social media plan. For the last few months, my Facebook Page has been my go to for posting updates related to my business, writings and my outreach. Why not? It was easier than a blog post, and once you figured out what Edgerank…
DetailsA study a couple of years ago the Center for Creative Leadership asked 158 executives enrolled in their leadership development programs what are the three most critical challenges you currently face? Their responses clustered into 14 categories but the four most frequently mentioned were: Leading across multiple groups (building maintaining and leveraging relationships across all…
DetailsAssume the Next Message You Send Will Be Misunderstood In working with companies and organizations to assist them in improving customer and workplace relationships, I find that misunderstandings are one of the leading factors that cause people to lose respect, trust, cooperation and the derailing of relationships. The problem starts with the fact that there…
DetailsAdopting the right attitude can convert a negative stress into a positive one – Hans Selye It was reported in the September issue of Inc., that 43 percent of small business owners and managers say they feel more stressed now than they did a year ago. What are they stressed about? 54% say they are…
DetailsI 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…
DetailsLeadership development and succession planning are often seen and treated as separate activities. Yet they really should go hand in hand, or even be thought of as two-sides of the same coin. You can’t have an effective succession plan if you’re not continually identifying and developing high performing, high potential people in your organization, and…
DetailsIn my workshops and coaching on presentation skills, one of the key areas we focus on is how to deliver a presentation to persuade, influence and motivate others. Based on my book, “Present with Power, Punch and Pizzazz” and over 20 years of working with companies on presentation skills and personal presence, I have put…
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