Nobody likes to hear that they’re wrong. Criticism, no matter how “constructive,” usually hurts. Even the most tactfully phrased comments made with the best of intentions can still deflate, discourage, or anger the unlucky person on the receiving end.
I think people in leadership particularly dislike criticism. Even leaders who claim to welcome honest feedback still bristle or ache a little when that honesty hints at a mistake or a flaw…
...As I’ve said many times, I strongly believe that “Leadership Excellence is the Ultimate Strategy for Success.” I also believe that an organization’s culture is paramount to its overall impact and success. And as is true with so many things, an organization’s culture starts at the top. Building and exemplifying a strong, positive company culture …
Author and speaker Jim Clemmer says, “The basic foundation of leading is optimism.” If you stop to reflect on that statement, it really does make sense. In order to be a leader, you must lead someone somewhere, and optimism is at the heart of forward progress. Conversely, pessimism is the language of stagnation. It’s …
As all great leaders know… leaders are not perfect. Try as they might, every leader still has flaws. They still make mistakes. They still fall short. They still have regrets. They still yearn to do better. Every leader is imperfect. So why is it that so many leaders try to appear flawless? While strength and …
As a leader, you likely spend a lot of time talking, teaching, training, delegating, and making decisions. That’s what you do, that’s what leading is about. But in order to lead effectively, leaders must start by listening. As author and speaker John Maxwell says, “Listening is the foundation for all leadership decisions.” In order to …
I recently revisited a blog article from last summer, written by bestselling author and speaker Jon Gordon. In the article, Gordon shared five leadership lessons he learned from some highly successful organizations and teams. I think these five lessons are essential for every leader to remember, so I am passing them on to you today: …
The beginning of a new year tends to be a time of fresh starts, new beginnings, big ideas, personal resolutions, and professional goals. As a healthcare leader, you set the bar for those whom you lead. Their eyes are on you; you are the example, good or bad. So as you begin this new year …
Image copyright © Dan Nielsen As a healthcare leader, you’re always busy. The healthcare industry never takes a day off. Healthcare needs don’t stop and give you a break for the holidays. And when you do get a break, there’s just even more work to do when you get back. With all the busyness …
As I drove up the winding road toward the top of the hill, my anticipation mounted with each light post and flag I passed. I was already impressed by the California landscape, with green rolling hills and bright blue sky as far as the eye could see. When I rounded the last corner and reached …
Treading carefully across the frozen ground, the man hurried down the dark street, hunching his shoulders and turning his collar up against the sharp winter wind. Approaching his destination, he could just make out another shadowy figure waiting by the west gate, outlined against the white backdrop of the house. Drawing close to the other …
He had long yearned to serve his country as a soldier, but poor eyesight prevented any possibility of winning appointment to one of the academies. Undeterred, he memorized the eye chart and entered the National Guard, going on to serve in the First World War. Upon arrival in France, he was soon promoted to captain …
Had his peers fully understood the extent of his limitations, few would have expected him to attempt what he did. None would have blamed him if he hadn’t even tried. But he wasn’t a man to back down from a challenge. He realized that the odds were stacked against him and enormous obstacles stood in …
He lay awake that night and thought about the irony of his situation. There were so many people who would give anything to be in his place, people who had carefully planned and diligently worked for years hoping to attain what he had just had handed to him. Though he accepted his sudden ‘good fortune,’ …
His dream was coming crashing down around him. This wasn’t how it was supposed to be; this wasn’t what he had worked so hard to achieve. From the time he was a little boy he had known he wanted to join the Navy. He had worked hard throughout school in order to have the grades …
The hostility of the crowd was almost palpable. The room was filled with scowls and angry mutters that escalated into full out boos and hisses as the congressman took the stage. His stomach turned as he approached the middle of the platform, and he took hold of the podium with both hands to still their …
A young freshman cadet hurried down the hallway, running late for his next class at the military academy. Turning a corner, he suddenly collided with another student. Sprawled on the ground, he looked up and winced when he saw the derisive smirk on the face of the upperclassman he had just run into. As expected, …
Geoff Brenner is currently the president and CEO of TPC, a spin-off organization of Healthcare Coalition of Texas—the parent company that Geoff led as president & CEO from 2008 until its merger with TPC in 2014. Prior to becoming president and CEO, Brenner served as senior vice president and vice president of Business Development, and …
As a healthcare leader, you understand the critical importance of improvement. In all aspects of the healthcare industry, you are always seeking improvement, whether it be more efficient methods, greater financial margins, better quality of care, or simply the daily forward progress of an individual patient’s health concern. Improvement makes the healthcare world go round. …
There are many advantages and disadvantages of ‘running with the pack.’ Just a few of the many perceived advantages include encouragement, protection, pacing, conserving energy by drafting, knowing the position and potential strategies of competitors, and avoiding risk. The most highly successful participants, in sports and in all areas of life, run with the pack …
My new book, Presidential Leadership: Learning from United States Presidential Libraries & Museums is published and available on Amazon! Here are a few things people are saying: “Should you not have the time, energy, or money to travel to the presidential libraries and museums around the country, reading Dan Nielsen’s book is …