For several years (a lifetime ago), I tended bar in Madison, Wisconsin. It wasn’t all sunshine and roses, but I worked with some of the best people I’ve known and learned some important lessons about life. Many of those lessons have to do with leadership. The tales you collect working in a bar are long and varied, but I recollect just a few below … Read More 7 Things Bartending Taught me About Leadership
Can you guess the three prominent U.S. organizations that these values belong to? Organization One Communication Respect Integrity Excellence Organization Two Integrity Commitment Advocacy Respect Excellence Organization Three People as a competitive advantage Ethics What’s right for customers Diversity and inclusion Leadership Answer Organization One: Enron Organization Two: Veterans Affairs (under Eric K. Shinseki) Organization Three: Wells Fargo (under John G. Stumpf) Yes, the stated … Read More Use Your Values
How you think in any given situation can determine how successful you are at solving problems, making decisions, and even getting to a satisfying place in your life. Going with your gut response is acceptable in some situations, but if that’s how you consistently operate, you are likely making things more difficult for yourself and the people around you. The same is true for over-analyzing … Read More Kissing While Texting: Why You Should Think About How You’re Thinking
Two days ago I would have told you that I do not get nervous about public speaking. I do it for a living. I am used to it and have a certain confidence about my ability to convey a message to an audience. I am so confident, in fact, that I coach other people on how they can be better public speakers. But, two days … Read More A Public Speaker Comes Clean
Performing strategically can be daunting. Your operational and functional work will always take priority unless you carve out specific time for the strategic stuff. Strategic effort is particularly frustrating when you’re in the weeds and tensions are running high. The irony, of course, is that is when you need strategy the most. Getting started can feel like the hardest part. Ideally you want a … Read More Trying Out Strategic Planning
