First Impressions are Overvalued
You know the old saying, “You only get one chance to make a great first impression?” Good first impressions are critical in your business and personal relationships, right? I disagree! First impressions are overvalued. Sure, first impressions are important. But so are second and third impressions. And seventeenth impressions. If first impressions were so critical, […]
Don’t be Fooled by Your Perception
In business leadership (and in life) you witness, you experience, so think you know. But do you really? Don’t be fooled by your perception! I’ll illustrate this with an old joke, which is funny – and it’s true. A tourist pulled over to the side of the highway and asked a farmer who was tending […]
Don’t Get Back to It – Rise Above Normal!
For business managers, COVID was a tough challenge. As a leader, it’s easy for you to glamorize and idolize pre-COVID normal, to long for it, and wait for it to return before you get on with business. Don’t even try to get back to it – rise above normal. Several years ago, I played the […]
How Not to Negotiate – Make This Mistake
Whether you’re a leader or not, you need negotiation skills. Sometimes you might blow it, so it’s good to understand why. Here’s how not to negotiate. Of course, you want to create a win-win situation. So, understand the difference between interest and position. The best negotiation tactic is to focus on the interest. Here’s a […]
How to Bring Harmony to Group Discord
Imagine that you are running (or sitting in) a meeting and you’re trying to reach a consensus on a pending project or an important action item. Ideally, everyone would chip in his/her thoughts, which would lead to agreement and collaboration. What do you do when it doesn’t work that way? Here’s how to bring harmony […]
Six Ways to Thrive Despite Obstacles
There is a solitary English daisy growing up through a pavement crack in my driveway. Actually, it’s thriving. It intrigued me so I stopped to appreciate it and see what lessons it could tell. I saw six ways to thrive despite obstacles. And even a bonus – how to stand out from the crowd. In […]
Jazz Up Your Teamwork in a Snap
In my leadership development work, I find insight from many areas of my life. When I sang with a jazz ensemble, I was amazed to find how many things I could learn to improve my team’s work. Here’s how to jazz up your teamwork – you’ll improve it in a snap! Members of a jazz […]
Gather Secret Shopper Intel for Free
Hey leaders – want to improve your customer service and your bottom line? I’ll tell you how you can gather secret shopper intel for free. Leadership trainers sometimes get jobs that fall in the “other duties as assigned” category. For me, one of those jobs was posing as a secret shopper for a big company […]
What Success Really Feels Like
Think of a successful business leader that you admire. He or she probably makes it look effortless, even flawless. Success looks so easy from the outside. But, let’s talk about what success really feels like on the inside. You’ve probably seen a bald eagle or other raptor circling in a thermal, gaining altitude with every […]