In the various places I have lived or visited frequently, I’ve always had my spots where I go for solitude – the special places I go by myself to sit and reflect. Solitude is important because it is only when we are alone, with the quietness of our inner thoughts, that we can find the space to truly focus. I … Read More
2 Insights for Better Meetings
Meetings are frequently mentioned in my conversations with leaders as a source of frustration and a barrier to productivity. Meetings do take time, and sometimes it feels like that time is wasted. However, meetings are essential for sharing information, making decisions, and fostering innovation. We can’t get rid of meetings; they are here to stay. But we can reduce the … Read More
10 Leadership Book Recommendations
Limiting my number of book recommendations to a list of ten has been an interesting exercise. There are more that I could add to the list, but these are the ones that have inspired me most to think differently and grow as a leader. I have read these books over the past decade. It’s important to note that my state … Read More
The Case for Organizational Health
Following are some recent comments from our staff about what working in a healthy workplace means to them: “I previously worked in an unhealthy organization and found that regardless of the task I was doing, it was miserable being there. Happiness at work is not as much about the work as it is about being respected by your co-workers and … Read More
5 Keys to Leading Innovation
As children, my siblings and I never had a shortage of ideas, and many of them were actually implemented in some form or another. If an idea didn’t pan out, we would move on to the next one. Being curious and creative was natural for us. If we had an idea, we would pursue it. There was no second guessing, … Read More
Know Yourself – Self-Awareness for Strong Leadership
Who are you? Really! What makes you tick, what gets you going? What are you good at? What are you bad at? Self-aware leaders continually ask themselves these questions. They are curious, they seek out information and welcome the answers. Taking the time to be self-aware, to really consider one’s strengths and weaknesses, to build self-understanding, is not something that … Read More
5 Keys to Finding Great Talent
Organizations are who they hire. Whether an organization succeeds, or even survives, ultimately comes down to the people who work there. I work hard, I am dedicated and a driven leader, but I can’t do it alone. As organizations mature and become more complex, the need for exceptional and diversified talent grows. “Look, I don’t really know where we should … Read More
Why Passionate Leadership Matters
Passion is a profound positive feeling for something that is deeply and personally meaningful. Passion is more that this though. Passion is about vision, and also contains energy, excitement and enthusiasm. Passion inspires others to join and identify with your vision. No one has ever been inspired by a leader who is not passionate. Passion – and alternatively, the lack … Read More
10 Guiding Leadership Principles
Most leaders I know can clearly identify two or three, perhaps even ten or more, guiding principles. These are principles leaders aspire to, strive for and identify as instrumental to their success. I have ten guiding leadership principles. Note that ten is not better than five, nor is fifteen better than ten. These principles are not all equal. Some I … Read More