It took nearly my entire adult life, but I’ve finally become fashionable. Suddenly, it’s cool not to be career-focused. I’m proud to say I was ahead of the … Read more
Executives Like a Different Style of Leadership Than Everyone Else (and It’s Causing Problems)
What’s your ideal style of leader? Someone who’s driven, competitive, and enjoys smashing through obstacles? Or someone who prizes interpersonal harmony? … Read more
Stuck in the Middle: The Plight of Average Performers
A critical skill for any leader is taking a middle performer and — through coaching, mentoring, development, etc. — transforming them into a high … Read more
Are You Actually Willing to Empower Your Employees?
Empowerment is one of those buzzwords that achieves near-universal plaudits. Of course, leaders want to empower their people. What kind of monster … Read more
Inspirational Leadership Doesn’t Matter If You Don’t Fix This Issue
Virtually every leader wants to be inspiring, to motivate, coach, and stir employees’ passions to achieve breakthrough performance. It’s therefore no … Read more
You’re Misusing the Phrase “Disengaged Employees”
Far too many executives throw around the phrase “disengaged employees” without thinking about what it means, or worse, using an incoherent … Read more
Warning: Your One-On-Ones Are Failing
One-on-one meetings between managers and employees should be a required activity for every leader. This conversation is the fastest and least expensive … Read more
It’s Not True That Managers Are the Biggest Drivers of Employee Engagement
We’ve all heard that managers are the primary drivers of employee engagement, but that’s not true. And once you see why that tired platitude is wrong, … Read more
SMART Goals Are an Excuse to Be Mediocre
SMART goals have been a fixture in corporate life for more than 50 years, but you’ll rarely see successful CEOs use that approach. Chief executives … Read more
Why Learning Programs Fail
To adapt to the changes brought about by the convergence of a worldwide health crisis, a large-scale transition to remote work, and the ever-increasing … Read more
Stop Hiring a Coach to Do a Manager’s Job
During a recent forum, a group of leadership coaches were sharing stories of their latest corporate engagements. One coach shared an in-depth experience … Read more
80% of U.S. Workers Lack High Resilience
With the unexpectedness and magnitude of the disruption caused by the pandemic, it’s not surprising that resilience is a hot topic. Organizations big and … Read more
Size Matters When Recognizing People (but Maybe Not the Way You Think It Does)
What’s the secret sauce to creating a culture rife with recognition, one that keeps employees feeling valued, seen, and heard? Many organizations believe … Read more
The 4 Elements of Employee Engagement You Should Not Overlook
Employee engagement has been top of mind for HR professionals and strategic-minded leaders for more than a decade, and research keeps confirming its … Read more
Killing Innovation
So many really good ideas never see the light of day. They’re either never brought to the table or, if they are, they are shot down as soon as they rear … Read more
The Traditional Approach to Sales Motivation Is Broken
A strong sense of purpose creates more meaning in life, improves health and leads to greater satisfaction from work. Yet there’s a problem: At many … Read more
Cultivating a Culture of Curiosity
Curiosity is not just an emotion. It’s a behavior. In her fascinating article, “Curiosity: The Super-Power We Might Have Overlooked,” author Elizabeth … Read more
Motivating Employees Is Not About You — It’s About Them
What is someone’s motivation to exercise? It could be to lose weight, or it could be for health reasons, or it could be to recover from an injury. If you … Read more
Managing a Brilliant Jerk
Can difficult leaders change, or will they remain their ornery, over-the-top, demanding selves for the rest of their lives — and thereby continue to make … Read more
The Best Way to Develop Interpersonal Skills Is Not the Usual Way
In trying to provide the kind of leadership employees need right now, many businesses are struggling. Executives are aware that people need to feel … Read more