A Tribute To My Mother
I found this quote in my mother’s journal: “Every parent, no matter how hard they try, will be both a blessing and a curse to their children. My hope is that my children will appreciate the blessing, if not immediately, then later in life, and perhaps more importantly, my hope is that they take the […]
RAISING ACCOUNTABLE KIDS: It’s About Principles, Not Perfection
You can observe a lot by watching. – Yogi Berra When grandparenting you aren’t in the thick of the responsibilities that come with raising kids, so you have a bit of time to observe. So, as a grandparent, here’s three observations I have about the state of child raising these days: There’s no more important […]
The best leaders are the ones who have the courage to face the demands of reality.
When Jesper Brodin, CEO of Ingka Group/IKEA, was asked to take over management of IKEA China, the operation required significant change to be successful and sustainable. He would have to close offices and support many employees to find new employment. Before accepting such a difficult restructuring, he asked himself an important question: “Do I have […]
The Authentic Leadership Academy
The Authentic Leadership Academy is just a month away, and we are so happy to be back in person for this transformational event!! Whether you are looking to level up your own leadership or develop the leadership of those in your care, the Authentic Leadership Academy promises to deliver an experience that will inject new […]
Self-Care Is Not an Option Or A Luxury. Self-Care Is a Responsibility.
We all understand the reason flight attendants tell us to, in the event of an emergency, “put your own oxygen mask on first.” We are truly no good to anyone else if we don’t look after ourselves. One of the accountabilities that comes with leadership is your responsibility to take care of yourself—and no situation […]
Five Common Mistakes Leaders Make That Break Trust
We all understand the importance of trust and how it’s the glue that holds organizations together. However, trust is like a delicate flower. What can take years to earn can be destroyed in a decision. What are the biggest mistakes leaders make to break trust – and how can we avoid them? We all get […]
The undervalued virtue of human goodness
The undervalued virtue of human goodness Growing up on a farm meant that we took our garbage to the dump every month. A man named Monti lived there in a discarded trailer. Monti lived off of what other people dropped off. He had a thick, matted grey beard that hung down his chest and was […]
Leadership and the trap of the tyranny of the transaction.
Every leadership position comes with two components: transactional and transformational. Transactional deals with administration, budgets, planning, forecasting, measuring, and managing tasks. Transformational has to do with mentoring, connecting, inspiring, coaching, welcoming, building your culture. Transactions get the job done. Transformations make the difference. In every job, there’s always a pull toward the transaction. It’s the […]
How To Fix An Accountability Problem
It’s frustrating when the people we work with don’t meet our expectations. While it’s easy to blame others, people fail to perform as expected for three reasons: Communication. People are not clear about expectation(s). Make sure you have communicated clearly what you expect and how you will measure results. Be sure to include both operational […]
We can understand, at least intellectually, that straight talk is critical to trust.
Yet how do you embrace it when you have grown up trying to keep the peace, be nice, or avoid the hard truths? 1. Be Intentional. Straight Talk is important enough that we have made it one of our team values. 2. Be clear. How we define it and describe it. We Talk Straight: a) […]
