The internal struggles we face have a direct impact on our leadership. Being a good leader of others means first being a good leader of yourself. By not controlling our emotions, we subject those who look to us for guidance to toxic behavior. The first step in...
Over the course of your career, you’re bound to have a few startling setbacks. In my new book, A Leadership Kick in the Ass, I explain why setbacks and failures often provide valuable lessons that can actually enhance your career. Career butt-kicks share a four common...
Now that your New Year’s resolutions have come and gone (for many of us), it’s time to take a fresh look at the year. I’ve described this previously as the Etch-a-Sketch effect. Some of you don’t know what an Etch-a-Sketch is. It’s a toy that allows you to draw...
There’s been a lot written about “strength-based” development approaches in recent years. You’re better off building on your natural strengths and talents, research suggests, than trying to improve your weaknesses. The usefulness of the strength-based approach...
Isn’t it funny how obvious and oblivious are so close? — Author unknown My work with leaders sometimes involves inviting the leader’s direct reports to purposely kick him or her in the emotional keister. One of the most effective ways of doing this is having the...
Guest Post by Chip R. Bell “I’m a soldier of service,” he said proudly when I thanked him for helping me locate an item in the Home Depot near me. I smiled and asked him what that meant. “It means I am here in service of my customers,” he replied. “My job is to...
In the same way people without children can’t really know what it’s like to have kids until they do, you can’t really know what it’s like to be a leader until you actually lead. Even in organizations that invest in leadership development struggle with helping new...
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