vision

Jul 02 2012

What does longevity have to do with leadership?

Longevity is not leadership. Leadership is leadership. And longevity is longevity.

Don’t get me wrong – I love hearing about leaders who launch organizations and serve them for 20, 30, or 40 years. But does tenure make great leaders?

One of my best friends is one of the most loyal people I know. He will likely serve his current organization for the rest of his life. I have learned much about consistency and contentment through our friendship.

My father has been serving the same organization for more than 25 years.

Organizations and teams can benefit significantly from a leader who communicates and implements bold, compelling vision through changing seasons over a long period of time. And Sarah and I are looking forward to investing the most fulfilling and productive years of our lives in a long-term role within an organization.

Yet I’ve learned that although some executives man the helm of an organization for a long period of time, they are not always leading.

Jun 27 2012

Complaining – 3 quick ways to break the habit

It’s so much easier to complain about a problem than it is to solve it.

Photo Credit: M. Oppenheim/Getty Images

I’ve worked with hundreds of organizations over the past 15 years. And I’ve learned that nearly everyone complains – many do it regularly.

There are several reasons people complain:

Jun 15 2012

The best business decision I ever made

One of the best movie lines of all time – Don’t ever let somebody tell you that you can’t do something. – Will Smith, The Pursuit of Happiness. Take 60 seconds to watch the clip – it’s good!

It’s true – there will be haters. Go ahead – admit it. Say it – out loud – there will be haters.

And that’s ok. Because you can learn from haters. I’ve written a post that lists 6 things I’ve learned from critics.

Let me be clear, there is a time to listen. And there are people to whom you should listen. To be honest, there are people I should have listened to more often.

But there are also times when it’s not productive to listen to the advice of well-meaning people.

So here it is – the best professional decision you’ll ever make…

May 21 2012

3 mistakes you should never make with your team

You’re going through the most challenging situation you’ve faced in your career. Mistakes surround you. Morale is low. Revenue is missing projections. Your team, your organization is depending on you. What do you do?

It’s painful. Sometimes it’s not fair – it’s not your fault. The team has not been resourced properly. Certain team members aren’t pulling their weight. You have to do something!

Whatever you do, make sure you don’t make these 3 mistakes:

May 09 2012

Dreams – Are you living yours?

We all have dreams. And most of us believe that we have a special gift. That we can somehow touch the lives of people in a meaningful way. That we can make the world a better place.

At some point in our lives, we’ve all had a vision for what our life and work could become.

What happened to that vision? Has it taken a back seat to the busyness of life? Did it get lost somewhere along your journey through a cluttered and noisy world?

BONUS: I’ve created a NEW Guide that will walk you step-by-step through writing your own Personal Life Plan. You can find out how to get a copy of this life-changing tool at the end of this post.