If you look at the major news stories in business, politics, diplomacy, whatever, it’s pretty hard to miss that most of the crises we face are crises of leadership. I once worked for a man who couldn’t pull the trigger on a project, ever. I would bring him a request with all the supporting documentation. […]
The Top-10 Characteristics of Lousy Leaders
Are You Letting Hurtful Words Sabotage Your Success?
We all know our words are powerful. We can slice someone to pieces with just a few syllables. That’s bad enough, but what happens when we turn that power on ourselves? As a young man, the writer Peter Leonard showed a short story to his famous father, novelist Elmore Leonard. Instead of encouraging his son, […]
Four Emotions Derailing Your Goals
Emotions are powerful, especially if we let them work in our lives without paying full attention. They can derail our goals if we let them. In my experience there are four emotions that usually come mixed in a powerful cocktail, sure to undermine our goals: fear, uncertainty, doubt, and shame. Most of us succumb to […]
How to Unplug While You Are on Vacation
For the last few years I’ve taken a short sabbatical each summer. I’m looking to rest and focus on intense relational time with Gail. The challenge is unplugging from the Matrix. Anyone who’s attempted it can relate to the difficulty. I’m at the computer or on another device a large portion of the day, every […]
Why Retirement Is a Dirty Word
When I left Thomas Nelson a few years back, it seemed like every other person I met asked if I was retiring. I bristled every time I heard the question. In fact, the more I think about the purpose and meaning of work, the more I’m convinced that nothing destroys our sense of purpose and […]
Why Wait for Permission? Just Go!
Are you waiting for someone to give you permission to lead, grow, or move in your organization? What if you already have all the permission you need? I was recently invited to sit on a board and observed something there I’ve seen countless times in other settings. Some people around the table had no trouble […]