“You’ve inspired me to do more.”
“When you stood up for what you believed, I knew I needed to as well.”
Nice compliments, right? For me, it was eye-opening. As a speaker and writer, I am always hoping someone is inspired by my words, that maybe, I have packaged information in just the right way to really connect with a person’s desire to improve. But these recent incidents had nothing to do with my blog or speaking events. These were people who I touched through mundane day-to-day events.
A greater emphasis is being placed on transparency within our culture. Transparency within companies is being demanded, and with the increasing usage of social media, a company’s actions are magnified and communicated exponentially. People are not afraid to tweet, post, or blog about the experiences they have had with companies. What should we be doing to protect our companies from dissatisfied customers? Some react by withdrawing and attempting social media anonymity. Companies miss great opportunities when they do this!
Did you know there was a guy smarter than Einstein? Do you know his name? I don’t remember it. Why? Because talent doesn’t equate to success. I personally know a lot of talented people who waste their lives…brilliant people. Why? They aren’t willing to do what’s necessary to succeed. Here are a few tips to get you ahead of the pack: Continue reading
How often have you taken the time to think about what really interests you at work, what has perhaps shaped the career choices you have made so far? Think about those times when you get really absorbed in something; the time flies by, doesn’t it? Why is this important? Because it’s all about bringing more of yourself to work. When you really enjoy what you do, you are more likely to perform well and be satisfied with your career. What comes to your mind when you think of career satisfaction? Continue reading
Dale Carnegie wrote a great book – well, at least I think it’s a great book; I’ve read the first half of the book four times, but have yet to finish it. How to Win Friends and Influence People has stood the test of time. Recently I have wanted to give this book to a few people after observing their methods of getting what they want.
People don’t care what you want, they care about what they want, whether it’s your team, a customer service representative on the phone, or your neighbor. If we are not selfish people, we actually do care what other people want to a degree. However, when looking from a 50,000 foot perspective over time, we move through life with significant focus on ourselves. Some are better at moving the focus off themselves onto others, but that is not the focus of this post. For a moment, assume that to some degree, people do engage in self-focus. Continue reading
This topic has been weighing on me lately. It seems many of the sacrifices good parents make could also be said of good leaders. Leaders spend much of their time on stage. I am not sure if many of them realize how much the things they say and do get analyzed by those who work for them. Leaders often become protagonists or antagonists in the hallway stories. Leaders need to realize they set the culture, the morale, and the work ethic within their organizations. While there are many points we could make on this topic, here are a few that stand out to me. Continue reading
During a recent shopping trip, I witnessed a car accident. It was almost surreal how it played out. When I pulled into the parking spot, a woman in the car in front of me was preparing to back out. I noticed there was a car stopped behind her. As I got out of my car, the woman began backing out. The stopped car began honking. The woman who was backing out seemed to be looking straight ahead, instead of in the rearview mirror. The other car continued honking as I yelled the only thing I could think of: “Hey, lady!” She didn’t stop until she hit the other car. Continue reading
I was watching the latest Winnie the Pooh movie with my daughter. Being too lazy to get up and turn the movie off, I watched the credits. I loved when I saw an entry for the person with the role “caffeination.” Movies do a great job of giving each and every person credit for the work they did on the movie.
The person on Winnie the Pooh ensured coffee was readily available when needed. This allowed each member on the set to focus on their roles and not have their time taken away by making their own coffee or even leaving to get coffee. Continue reading
Yes, that’s right, I’m writing a leadership lesson about roadkill. As I was driving to an event last night, I was very inspired by the poor animal who died prematurely. Projects are often killed prematurely, leaving quite a mess. Needless project death could be avoided by watching for a few warning signs. Continue reading
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