Welcome to the Leadership Digest! Here you’ll find awareness-raising, behavior-changing, and results-driving tips for leaders.
For the last few minutes I’ve been staring out the windshield (as a passenger), down a straight and desolate stretch of highway 441, considering what to write about. It’s December 17, and if you’ve been out on the roads, you know the hustle and bustle is in full swing! This time of year it’s easy…
We all have conflict. Sometimes it is internal. Sometimes it is between us and someone else. Sometimes we are a third party to conflict happening between others. Regardless of its origin, we are human and we experience conflict. When I meet people out and about, and they learn what I do, they often tell me…
Have you ever committed to action you believed was important, only to not follow through with it? Over the past couple of weeks, I’ve taken time to reflect on the goals I set for 2017. I also looked at the actions I committed to taking, in order to accomplish them. Sadly I must admit, I flat-out…
I’ve been feeling quite “Eh” (as my beautiful daughter puts it) for a few days now. “Eh” as in not horrible, but not good. “Dull” is a good way to describe it, and it’s wearing on me. There’s no specific reason. In fact, if I tally the truly important things, everything is actually really good….
Have you ever heard someone speak who really inspired you? One whom you wanted to remember – and share – everything they said? Last week I did! I had the privilege of hearing Pat Williams speak on the seven common traits of great leaders. If somehow you are not familiar with Mr. Williams, a few…
Negative emotions are normal, we all experience them. There is certainly nothing wrong with them, unless of course we loose control in their grip, or they stick around too long. When either of those happen, they become distracting, debilitating, and damaging. Think about the last time you experienced strong negative emotions. Regardless of the specific…
I’m on vacation this week at my happy place. The view from our screened porch (my favorite “in-doors” spot) includes bright green sea grape trees loaded with fruit, and a white sandy beach leading to the Gulf of Mexico. In the midst of all the relaxation and beauty, I have found myself noticing impressive resilience,…
Way back in the 1980’s, after reading an article published by John Mayer and Peter Salovey, Dr. Daniel Goleman became fascinated with Emotional Intelligence (EQ). In his 1995 best seller Emotional Intelligence, Dr. Goleman turned the widely held view that IQ is the most important factor in attaining success upside down. More than thirty years…
This morning I’ve seen so many lovely 4th of July / Independence Day social media posts. Interestingly a big percentage of the posts share the themes of thanking our active service men and women, our veterans, and honoring those who have made the ultimate sacrifice in service to the United States of America. I so…
Not long ago I facilitated a week-long corporate meeting, wherein co-dependent work groups needed to develop urgent action plans. Significant problems had been identified with their program, and real progress needed to be made in a short amount of time. In order to succeed, the meeting environment had to support open communication, creativity, and action-oriented problem…
Have you ever made an assumption about something or someone, only to find out later you were completely wrong? Oh boy, I have. In fact, just yesterday I made a few ugly assumptions about a young lady I have never even laid eyes on. When I found out how wrong I was, I felt terrible….
Internal struggles are tough because of the push and pull between intellectual, emotional, moral, and ethical considerations. Inside those are financial, relational, and even physical elements. They aren’t easy, that’s way we call them “struggles”, but dealing with them effectively, and sooner than later, usually saves us from unnecessary drama and negative consequences. I’m suffering with an…