As nice as it is to receive a gift or be the recipient of a favor, I really think there is no greater joy than being the one serving others. And the benefits of serving others go far beyond receiving a heartfelt ‘Thank you.’ Simply knowing I’ve helped someone or surprised them with something special …
I have always considered every person to be a leader. Not in the sense of a senior leader of a company, with direct reports and senior leadership responsibility, but in the sense of influencing others. For me, leadership is all about influence. We all influence others at home, in our family, in our …
In his book The Little Book Of Talent: 52 Tips For Improving Your Skills, Daniel Coyle discusses ‘hard, high-precision skills’ versus ‘soft, high-flexibility skills.’ According to Coyle, hard, high-precision skills “have one path to an ideal result; skills that you could imagine being performed by a reliable robot.” Soft, high-flexibility skills “have many paths to a good …
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 …
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 …
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 …
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 …
As part of the research for my next book, titled Be An Inspirational Leader: Engage, Inspire, Empower, I am interviewing highly successful inspirational leaders from all across America. Following each interview, I contact several colleagues of the person interviewed and ask for additional perspectives regarding the leadership of the individual I interviewed. The response has been …
Sandy Morford, CEO of Los Angeles-based Renovo Solutions, understands the significant challenges and opportunities of leading an organization through difficulty. As a small start-up company several years ago, Renovo Solutions was faced with a frivolous lawsuit by a much larger competitor. The intent was pretty clear: shut down Renovo through financial hardship. Morford …
As a leader, you’re expected to have the answers. Whether the questions are coming from customers, clients, competitors, employees, or the media, it’s important to be equipped with the right answer at the right time. But there is something even more important for leaders than having the right answers. Michael Hyatt recently addressed this topic …
People, including current and future leaders, who truly want to grow, achieve greater success, and become better leaders, spend significant time closely observing and learning from the top performers. In the book The Little Book of Talent, Daniel Coyle writes: “We each live with a ‘windshield’ of people in front of us; one of the keys …
A recent issue of Inc. Magazine featured a brief article titled “The Three Things Employees Really Want.” Columnist Marc Barros explained that money is nice, but what employees care about most goes far deeper than just money: Purpose. Nobody wants just a job. People want to be part of a company that is clear about …
The late John Wooden, an extraordinary leader and basketball coach, had a powerful leadership statement: “Don’t tell me what you’re going to do. Show me what you will do.” This leadership philosophy and expectation is as relevant for organizations, teams, colleagues, friends, and family as it is for individual leaders like you and me. “Don’t tell me what you’re …
“What are you becoming?” This is a critical question every leader should frequently ask him or herself—and answer in detail. This is also a question every leader should frequently ask each and every direct report and team member. Not only is the question critical to achieving your potential and reaching your personal and professional goals and dreams, it is …
As leaders, we are constantly coaching, teaching, and influencing those whom we are privileged to lead. Leadership is very serious business! Your leadership will have a long-lasting positive or negative impact on each person and each organization you lead. We really don’t have a choice. If you are a leader—and everyone is a leader—you are …
I have long been passionate about achieving greater success and helping others achieve greater success—however you define success. Today I want to take a closer look at exactly that—how we each define success. Darren Hardy, the founder and publisher of SUCCESS magazine, has the unique opportunity to intimately speak with some of the most …
Former cabinet member John W. Gardner said, “The first and last task of a leader is to keep hope alive—the hope that we can finally find our way through to a better world—despite the day’s action, despite our own inertness, shallowness, and wavering resolve.” Create, nurture, and keep hope alive—this is a universal …