A Better Way to Set Goals: The Shift Most Leaders Miss
A mentor recently challenged me to focus less on what I do and more on who I am becoming. That conversation caused me to rethink how I set goals for this year.
When “Driven” Turns Into “Desperation”: 3 Steps to Keep Your Drive Working For You
Learn how high performers can stay driven without slipping into desperation. Discover the three steps that keep achievers focused, grounded, and healthy.
Stop Changing Hats: Know Who You Are For All Your Roles
We are called on to wear many different hats and shift from one role to the next multiple times throughout our day. Sometimes these shifts can cause you to feel off-balance while you adjust to the different expectations being placed on you in each role. What if you could wear just one hat? What if you could be one person and have an undergirding mission that would encompass every box you want to check and every hat you have been wearing? Does that seem attractive?
Been Ghosted? 5 Proven Ways to Respond Professionally
If you’re in sales, business development or any role where you’re offering a product or service, you’ve probably been “ghosted.” Someone shows interest, maybe even asks for a proposal and then—nothing. Crickets…
Don’t Let Grudges Cost You Influence: The Invisible Leadership Skill Most Professionals Ignore
Do you hold grudges? Name the top five people you spend the most time with at work and at home. Do you have anything against any one of them? Have you been offended recently by something they said, did or didn’t do? If so, did you address it? If not, how long do you plan to hold onto it? Offenses, resentments and grudges are interesting. They are used for emotional leverage…we want to make the other person pay. But do they? Or are we the ones actually paying?
How To Prepare For What Is Next At Work
Have you ever missed an opportunity because you were unprepared to deal with it? Or made a mess of a situation because you tried to just figure it out as you went along? I have found the best indicator of future success is the preparation work done in advance. If you are not part of an elite team, how do you train to be ready for the opportunities coming today? I have found a big part of training for the expected as well as the unexpected is in using a technique I call the Three P’s.
How I Define Success At Work…Part 3: Have Fun
Life is really hard at times. Even so, we could use some perspective along the way. We need a way to blow off some steam on a regular basis. Pressure valves keep devices from blowing up. How do you release internal pressure? What do you do that really makes you come alive? Who were you with and what were you doing the last time your really laughed hard? I mean a belly laugh. Maybe you need to plan to do this more often.
How I Define Success At Work…Part 1: Hustle
I decided to define success for our team by giving them three rules to follow. While we worked hard to win every game, we would not measure our success by wins and losses. Instead, we would consider each game a success if we followed these simple rules…
Good Things I Need to Purge
I love the phrase “gird your loins” which is used 26 times in the Bible. It refers to when people wore long, flowing robes and needed to tie them up when preparing for work, battle or needing to move about freely. This is how I see neutral things in my life when they begin to distract me, suck up too much time or become an end in themselves.
Perspective When Stressed
I have a friend who wears a digital watch he sets every morning to count down the minutes in his day from the time he rises to the time he goes to bed. During the day as he looks at his watch, he sees how much time he has left in that day. This is a perspective giver for him to make the most of his time.
How I Shifted from Perfection to Growth
“If I could just make it a little bit better…” This seemingly innocent thought can be a major hindrance to productivity and negatively impact your self-worth. Perfection is an ideal and unrealistic to maintain. It is like striving to reach your full potential…you might get close at times, but it is unsustainable.
Before You Become Open-Minded…
“Be more open-minded.” “Keep an open mind.” These are common statements with a good intent…to encourage us to not be difficult and narrow in our thinking. While this is generally good advice, I think there is a better way to think about this.
The Danger of Being Nice
“I don’t want to be a nice guy. I want to be a good guy.”
High Achiever Versus Overachiever
Have you ever considered the difference between a high achiever and an overachiever? Many lump these two types of people together because on the outside they may look alike. But on the inside, there is a distinct difference.
Is This Thought Helpful?
When was the last time you were miserable? I want to suggest that people or circumstances don’t make you miserable…you do.
When You Are Ready to Give Up Try This
When was the last time you got frustrated with the results of your efforts at work or in life? Or you became disillusioned by a decision made by a superior? These are times when we can be tempted to say, “What’s the point?”