5 Things I Learned Writing a Novel That I Wish I’d Known as a CEO
Two days ago I published an interview with John Bell, former CEO of Nabob (acquired by Kraft) and recently published novelist, about his radical career change. During that interview I asked John if he would be willing to write a guest post for current leaders about...
From CEO to Novelist: A Case Study of Radical Career Change
I just started reading John Bell’s new novel The Circumstantial Enemy and don't want to put it down. Fortunately I’m traveling tomorrow and will have time to finish it on the plane. Can’t wait! I know John Bell as a leadership expert. By the age of 47, John had turned...
Set Goals for What Matters
Goals are powerful, especially if you choose only a few. A laundry list is almost impossible to stay focused on. But if you choose two or three realistic, specific goals, and write them down, you are likely to achieve them. But first, make sure you set goals for what...
Most Popular Blog Posts of 2017
My year-end review has become one of my favorite posts to write. I get to take a step back and reflect on the big picture – to identify my most popular blog posts of 2017, look for patterns, and see what I can learn. Here’s what I found: ➤ Over 30,000 views a month. ➤...
How to Deal With Colleagues Who Deny Reality
Guest Post by Gleb Tsipursky When was the last time a colleague said something so ridiculous that it made your jaw drop? From politics to science to business issues, there are times people’s beliefs are so out of touch with reality, we are astounded. Our typical...
The Risk When a Values-Driven Company Like Patagonia Takes a Stand
We don’t see many examples of companies taking a stand for their values. My own observation is that most companies are driven by profits, not values. Most leaders see values and profits as belonging to different realms - values on the “soft” side and profits on the...
How to Stop People Pleasing and Fall in Love With Your Job Again
Guest post by Scott Mautz Emily Colburn, a 36 year-old marketing director in a mid-sized consumer goods company on the West Coast, was squarely planted among the nearly 70% of us that research indicates have “lost that lovin’ feeling” at work. The inspiration she used...
8 Principles of Collaborative Leadership
Anyone can be a collaborative leader — no matter whether you are the president, a mid-level manager or a front-line supervisor.... no matter whether you are in government, a large corporation, a small business, or a non-profit. On the other hand, just because you've...
Not Feeling the Thanks in Thanksgiving?
Now that the holiday season has begun, you'll be hearing a lot about joy and gratitude. But what if you’re feeling more like Scrooge than Tiny Tim? It's hard to be constantly told you should be feeling joyful when you're really not feeling the thanks in Thanksgiving....
Leadership of the Future: #Podcast Interview With Futurist Bob Johansen
In this 25-minute podcast interview, I had the pleasure of talking with futurist Bob Johansen, Distinguished Fellow of the Institute for the Future about leadership of the future. We discussed the forces most likely to disrupt organizations and what will be required...
Keep Your Team Engaged With Meetings That Matter
How many of your meetings begin with people opening their laptops, ostensibly to take notes and reference documents? Most of us know they are really answering email, conversing on social media and cruising the Internet because we're doing it too. How effective are...
How Positive Images (and negative ones) Shape Your Reality
When you expect to see something, you are more likely to notice it. The reticular activating system in our brains causes us to notice the things we expect to see, and not notice things we are not looking for. And seeing is believing! Literally. Research shows that...