Blog
A Leadership Lesson from Metallica
“You can either focus on looking good or getting good, but you can’t do both.” –Marshall Goldsmith, Top Ranking Executive Coach On April 11, 1983, at 9am, the band members of the soon-to-be global rockstars Metallica were preparing to record their first studio album...
Consider All Time and Space
Photo by Deddy Dayag There is a wonderful story about President Teddy Roosevelt that teaches an essential life perspective. William Beebe, the naturalist, and a close friend of Roosevelt, is credited with sharing it. At Sagamore Hill, New York (nick-named the summer...
3 Things Every Leader Needs to Know About Motivating People
As a leader, how important is it to know what really motivates people? Answer—pretty darn important! In today’s post, we are going to discuss what research says truly motivates people, and some of the all-to-common mistakes that most leaders and managers have been...
Right Speech: A Leaders Words Matter
Few things are more important that a leader’s words. A careless word can wound for a lifetime. An encouraging word might energize someone for a year. A badly timed reaction might cost someone their job, or a close relationship. As I’ve confessed in the past, I...
Leadership Lessons From Winston Churchill—The Roaring Lion
It’s hard to imagine a more difficult leadership assignment in the history of the world than what Winston Churchill faced. There is a reason his most iconic portrait by Yousef Karsh was dubbed—The Roaring Lion—due to his penetrating scowl and fierce resolve. It can be...
The Holmes-Rahe Life Stress Scale
A few years ago, I was going through a challenging chapter of life. I had a meeting with my coach at the time, and he recommended a strange exercise. At one point in our conversation, he stopped me and said, “Let’s imagine we climbed into a helicopter and flew up to...
What is Good or Bad? A Tao Parable
A farmer and his son lived on a farm in the countryside. They owned a beautiful horse they cherished deeply. The farmer entered the horse into a village contest and won first prize along with some money. When his neighbors gathered to congratulate him, they said...
