Dial Down the Overblown Ego

How often have you heard that our favorite topic is ourself? This is certainly true but a few people go overboard. We call them egocentric. At a neurotic level, they become narcissistic. This comes from the Greek character Narcissus who fell in love with his own reflection in a pool of water and remained there,…

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The Language of Leadership

A warm smile is the universal language of kindness. – William Arthur Ward An entry in Reader’s Digest relates the story of an individual calling for information about one of his credit cards. He stated, “I got the following prompt: ’Please enter your account number as it appears on your statement.’ Then the system said,…

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VICTORY!

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.…

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Make Sure You Don’t Define Yourself Via Feedback

In our lives, we get feedback from others.  Positive, negative and befuddling. It’s too easy to let that feedback become part of our self-image, personally or even as an organization. That’s a huge mistake, because often, feedback/criticism/stereotyping is just one glimpse into the fabric of who/what you are.  It’s just an opinion. One of my…

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Dialing the Ego Just Right

Ego Problem #1 You’ve seen this individual many times. The employee who regularly shares with you how great he (she) is, what a terrific job he is doing (“I just made an awesome presentation.”), how much he knows (“Sorry to correct you but the research on this says…”). He refutes or deflects constructive feedback (“No,…

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Are You A Believer?

It’s okay to let those you lead outshine you, for if they shine brightly enough, they reflect positively on you. – Billy Hornsby Last year MarketTools, Inc. conducted a survey on employee satisfaction. The results revealed that most employees may not feel appreciated. Nearly 50 percent of employees surveyed have considered leaving their jobs. And…

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21 Awesome Ways to Show Appreciation

One of the key ways to improve customer and workplace relationships, is by showing appreciation. Here is a list of 21 ways that have been used by attendees at my presentations and workshops on building a more positive, productive and profitable organization. Awesome Acts Appreciated Anywhere “Too often we underestimate the power of a touch,…

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Stop Making Excuses

Last week I was 10 minutes late for an important meeting across town. Rather than offering up an explanation (LA traffic), I simply said, “I’m sorry for being late.” Then, watching the time, I finished up the meeting on time.  While many might think that the explanation excuse is helpful, it’s actually a waste of…

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Five Leadership Lessons from Gabby Douglas

Leadership is the capacity to translate vision into reality – Warren G. Bennis One of the emerging stars of the 2012 London Olympic Games is Gabby Douglas. If you missed her performances with her teammates, the Fab Five, you missed quite a show. Douglas won the gold medal in the all-around contest and in the…

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4 Reasons Why You Need Patience…Right Now!

It is not necessary for all men to be great in action. The greatest and sublimest power is often simple patience. – Horace Bushnell A recent story in Business Management Daily about the success of online shoe retailer Zappos brought my attention back to one of leadership’s most needed and personally challenging virtues – patience.…

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The Blessing of Plan B

Most people go to their grave with their music still inside them – George Bernard Shaw In Bits & Pieces a story is told of Antonio; an Italian boy who loved music, but whenever he tried to sing the music that was in his heart, it came out so badly that all his friends laughed…

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Step into Your Leadership Strengths

I was working with a coaching client recently, “unpacking” the results of his Leadership Circle Profile (360˚ feedback assessment). While his profile was very positive–he is doing well as a leader–I was struck that on several less desirable factors (e.g. Passive, Critical, Arrogance) he scored himself high while his employees saw him as low, not…

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