Be a Good Leader By Being A Good Person
John Coltrane, the great American jazz saxophonist and composer, once said that to be a better artist you have to be a better person. He could easily have been talking about leadership. My research and observation of leaders during the past couple of decades has demonstrated clearly that great leadership can’t be reduced to techniques […]
From Leadership Training To Leadership Development: The Duty To Care
I just got off the phone with my friend and colleague, John Knapp, Retired Deputy Minister of Alberta Agriculture and author of The Leader’s Practice Guide: How to Achieve True Leadership Success. John is one of the old school leaders with true character. But John was not only a leader with class, he was one […]
The Big Value Of Small
According to the Greek storyteller Aesop, a little mouse ran up and down a sleeping lion who awoke, grabbed the poor helpless rodent and opened his big jaws to swallow him. “Pardon, O King,” cried the little mouse, “Please forgive me. I promise never to climb on you again. And if you let me go, […]
The Roots Of Employee Accountability
“There are a thousand hacking at the branches… to one who is striking at the root.” – Henry David Thoreau Certain species of bamboo trees in Southeast Asia grow less than an inch in four years, but in their fifth year will grow over a hundred feet. An unseen root system develops below the surface […]
Supervisory Skills: Make the Journey Worthwhile
Do you ever worry that you do not have what it takes to be a good manager; that your supervisory skills fall short of your staff’s expectations? If you do worry about it, what are some of the things you can do to gain the skill and confidence to perform at a higher level? let’s […]
Triple Your Personal Productivity
Have you ever had the experience of looking back on your week with the sinking feeling that you didn’t get as much done as you’d hoped? When building a successful career or a business of your own, your time is perhaps your most valuable asset, and your income is a direct result of how you […]
Give the Gift of “Attending”
It’s always nice to receive an unexpected gift, especially this time of year. This week I was genuinely surprised by one of those presents. The staff of the Southeast Regional College in Weyburn, Saskatchewan, sat with me for a day and gave me their presence as I led them through a workshop on building an […]
Change Requires Preservation
When we moved to Cochrane, Alberta to raise our children in 1991, there were no stop-lights in this small foothills community. Today, there are more than fifteen and it takes about five times longer to cover the same distance through town. You no longer buy fly rods at the fly shop. You buy them at […]
Leading Authentically With An Ego
Realities in recent times have demanded a new approach to leadership. I recently had a very stimulating dialogue with a group of CEO’s about the difference between the ego and the soul and what it all has to do with being an influential leader. In an age of spiritual awakening and consciousness, leaders driven by […]
Two Minutes On Leadership
A participant in one of my recent leadership programs was challenged with preparing a two minute talk to a group of high level leaders from across Canada. She asked me what I think is the most important thing or habit leaders need in order to be successful. What would your answer be if someone asked […]
