Do you sometimes just get ideas popping into your head? Good ideas? Explore those! Working with a client about a year ago, I was thinking about how to help leaders keep track of what’s going on with their team members. Suddenly, the idea for a new tool came to me. I taught this to people in my leadership classes and refined it even more to be usable and helpful. Let me share this with you and you can see how it might be helpful. Feel free to try it out if it makes sense. This “People Leader...
8 days ago • 1 min read
Stressed? Irritated? Frustrated? Anxious? When was the last time you really disengaged your survival brain and gave those self-sabotaging throughts and emotions a rest? When you feel stressed, that's your survival brain activating. Consider trying this technique: Rub two fingertips together for 10 seconds with such attention that you can feel the fingertip ridges. Then rub all the fingertips of one hand against the fingertips and palm of your other hand. Or, Hear the farthest away sound you...
15 days ago • 1 min read
Sometimes, technical leaders get good at people leadership and lose touch with the technology. Not often, maybe, but it’s a risk that increases as they advance through leadership levels. One of the technical leadership success factors is “Tech Savvy.” But the nature of Tech Savvy changes as you go up the ladder of responsibility. You can’t ignore it, because that is the domain or context in which you are leading people. It is key to your functional credibility. It's what enables you to help...
22 days ago • 2 min read
Not long ago I conducted a leadership survey for one of my clients. For the most part, employees and leaders both agreed on the leadership development needs for their organization. But there was one area where leaders’ and employees’ views on the same thing were way off: Encouragement and recognition. This wasn’t a surprise. Image credit Etienne Girardet on Unsplash As employees, we always want more reassurance that we’re on the right track, that we’re not missing anything important, that our...
29 days ago • 2 min read
Are you dealing with change in your organization? Tough times require more communication. When change is happening, don’t wait until you have “The Answers” to talk with people. When many leaders face challenges with change, they tend to communicate less because answers aren’t clear. Their natural reaction is to wait until they have something concrete and definite to talk about. This is a mistake. Image credit nik on Unsplash In the absence of a constant stream of clear and relevant...
about 1 month ago • 1 min read
This week I hope you might enjoy a quick peek at three tips from my new book, “Profit Accelerator: 12 AI-Enabled Strategies to Double your Small Business Income.” This book is for business owners looking for ways to grow their business in smart, doable ways. Taking strategies from accounting and post-pandemic buying psychology, it’s surprising what people can accomplish when they apply these ideas in their own businesses. But first… READERSHIP CHECK! ACTION: Please reply to this email with...
about 2 months ago • 3 min read
Have you ever gotten the “Sell Me This Pen” challenge in an interview? You can apply Positive Intelligence® principles to get a realistic and honest solution to the challenge. Check this out. (I have another PQ class starting the week after Labor Day. Contact me or click here to get more info.) First, understand that the "Sell Me This Pen" interview question isn't about selling a pen. It's a test of your sales skills, creativity, problem-solving abilities, and understanding of the customer's...
about 2 months ago • 3 min read
Is stress slowing you down? Harming your health and peace of mind? Here is a technique that you may find helpful. This comes from the Positive Intelligence® library. (I have another class starting the week after Labor Day. Contact me or click here to get more info.) To start, think about the many past events and circumstances throughout your life that have caused you stress and worry. At the moment that you're feeling the stress, those events or circumstances feel important! Image by Vitaly...
2 months ago • 1 min read
“You keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means.” “The Princess Bride” has become a classic movie. Those who watch and re-watch the movie can recall many of the characters’ most humorous, moving, and inspirational quotes. August is pirate month, according to the bookshelf at the local library where I'm doing my Business Growth Workshops! (See what those are here.) For a light-hearted break this week, let’s look at a few of the leadership lessons to be learned from...
2 months ago • 2 min read