It has been many years since I’ve had young children living in my home, and many more since I was a child myself. Even my grandchildren aren’t that little anymore. But one of my colleagues recently had her first child, and I’ve had the privilege of interacting with her little girl a few times in …
Tip number six in Daniel Coyle’s book, The Little Book of Talent, is “Choose Spartan Over Luxurious.” Coyle correctly explains that we love comfort—state-of-the-art practice facilities, oak-paneled corner offices, expensive fluffy towels, and all kinds of other luxurious creature comforts and statements of status. Coyle asserts that “luxury is a motivational narcotic: It signals our unconscious minds to give …
You’ve probably heard the phrase, “Excuses are like armpits… everyone has them, and they all stink!” I’m not sure who first coined this amusing analogy, but it does have some truth in it. Of course some excuses really are valid, but many just plain ‘stink.’ Whether it’s to explain why someone is late or …
As a leader, your job, your responsibility, your priority is not to manage nor accept the status quo. Your job, your responsibility, your priority is to personally exemplify continuous improvement and to create and maintain a culture that encourages and supports continuous improvement. That means a culture that encourages, accepts, supports and learns from mistakes. In the chapter …
Do you have a high-definition mental blueprint of what you consider to be ultimate success for your life? Personal success? Professional success? Even organizational success? In his book titled The Little Book of Talent, Daniel Coyle presents 52 tips for improving the skills you select that will lead to your vision and your definition of …
A couple of years out of high school, I had a job that I absolutely hated. The environment was everything a personal, professional, and organizational development and growth environment should not be! I did not stay long, but long enough to never, ever forget the terrible, degrading, negative-driven environment in which I worked. Even though I absolutely …
Have you ever had a boss that you simply couldn’t stand? I’m sure we’ve all been there—unfortunately, “I hate my boss” is a far too common sentiment! But what about the opposite—have you ever had a boss whom you found it a pleasure to work for? Sandy Morford, CEO of Renovo Solutions, has …
I love penetrating, thought-provoking, high-impact quotations. I constantly look for them, save them, and share them via my websites, articles, books, and presentations. In my opinion, it is hard to find a more penetrating, thought-provoking, high-impact quotation than this one attributed to Aristotle: “We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, …
Many people want—even crave—to be leaders so that they can and will have “power over people.” Many leaders want to advance further up the leadership chain of command so that they will have ever-increasing power over people. Power, particularly perceived power over people, is very addictive. For many leaders, their addiction to perceived power over …
Some people are habitual procrastinators. It doesn’t matter what it is—doing the dinner dishes, paying a bill, or writing a term paper—they put it off until the last minute. But even if you’re not a notorious deadline pusher, it’s likely there are at least a few things you tend to procrastinate about. Maybe it’s starting …
In the book titled Difference: The One-Page Method for Reimagining Your Business and Reinventing Your Marketing, author Bernadette Jiwa focuses on thinking differently and being a ‘difference thinker’ in order to create totally new programs, products and services. Much of what she writes is also directly applicable to leadership excellence. Consider these statements, found in the …
There are certain success traits that sometimes feel unattainable. Especially when you read those lists of “25 traits essential for success,” or “top 10 characteristics of successful people,” etc.—it can be overwhelming! There are just too many ‘essential’ success traits to possibly develop and practice them all. Also, I am a firm believer in …
In the midst of significant change throughout America’s healthcare system, I can think of no better time to read and study the recently published book by Bernadette Jiwa titled Difference: The One-Page Method for Reimagining Your Business and Reinventing Your Marketing. Seth Godin, the world-class marketing guru, author, speaker, and blogger wrote the following about this …
As a kid, did you ever make a club with your friends? You might not have had an official clubhouse, like on The Little Rascals, but you probably had a special place you hung out, and certain rules about who could be part of the club. Or maybe you didn’t create a club, but …