5 Keys in Setting Goals

All of us have experienced the frustration that comes from really wanting to accomplish something important and thinking we are really committed to it only to realize several months later it did not happen.  When I evaluate personally and professionally where the breakdown occurs it usually centers on the disciplines Read more

The 12 Elements Of Emotional Intelligence

It is absolutely impossible to effectively lead others if you first don’t have the ability to lead yourself.  Knowing yourself, both strengths and weaknesses, is a critical part of this process of being effective.  This post by Daniel Goldman is excellent and will help anyone who wants to improve: We Read more

The Power Of Listening To Resolve Conflict

Most of us are not very good listeners to begin with much less when conflict arises within the team.  We immediately start listening to respond instead of listening to understand.  If things get worse, then we will interrupt to try to transition the momentum back in our direction.  This HBR Read more

Corporate Shepherd

There are many leaders today that want to move beyond just making a profit to really making a difference.  They want to be successful and that’s great but they also want the significance that only comes from adding value to other people. When leadership is approached from a Christian perspective Read more

4 Commitments Leaders Must Make

One of the most successful executive coaches in the country is Marshall Goldsmith.  He wrote a great book that I would highly recommend What Got You Here Won’t Get You There. The simple thesis of the book  is your competency and skill set is what has got you to where Read more

The Chemistry Of Great Teams

I have probably learned more from Pat MacMillan on this subject than from any other writer.  His book The Performance Factor is still a must read if you want to fully understand all the dynamics involved in leading a successful team. When selecting team members you must have the right Read more

3 Must Do’s Before Termination

There may be nothing harder to do as a leader than make the decision to terminate an employee.  To be honest we feel to some degree we have failed and that is hard to accept. This is especially true if we hired the person in the first place.  Not only Read more

Effective Leaders Value Their People

Leaders have always been evaluated based on the two extremes of the tasks that must be done compared to the relationship skills involved in motivating the people who will actually do the work.    The theory was some leaders are born project managers and others are great in customer service. In Read more

When Management Becomes The Problem

I started working in a management culture that clearly defined expectations and the role of the manager was to make sure the people under them were not making any mistakes.  Every time someone did, a new rule or process improvement was developed to make sure that never happened again.  In Read more