“What would happen if we spoke the truth?” – Alison Bechdel Last week in this space the topic was truth telling, and the fact that as leaders we give up the right to remain silent when we see things in our organizations that aren’t the way they should be. A few loyal readers pointed out … Read more
“Truth-tellers are not always palatable. There is a preference for candy bars.” – Gwendolyn Brooks Almost everyone on Earth wants to be liked. It’s a standard part of the human condition. When people like us, it makes us feel good about ourselves, it makes us feel safe, it makes us feel comfortable. And there’s nothing … Read more
“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed, citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.” – Margaret Mead Chances are good that at some point – probably many points – you’ve heard someone talk about how the world has become very small. Because of technology, or this … Read more
“Assume a cheerfulness you do not feel, and shortly you feel the cheerfulness you assume.” – Chinese proverb Some days it’s hard to get our minds off of what’s wrong with our situation. For the past couple of years, it feels like there’s actually lots of those days. It’s easy to focus (obsess?) about everything … Read more
“Excellence does not require perfection.” – Henry James One common trait I see in the great leaders I work with is the desire to do things better. Whether it’s how they produce their good or service, whether it’s marketing, whether it’s something internal or people related, they’re always looking to improve. It’s just a regular … Read more
“It’s taken me all my life to learn what not to play.” – Dizzy Gillespie Last week in this space the topic was focus, and the importance of zeroing on what matters and getting your people to do the same. Based on some of the feedback I got, that’s a topic that people tend to … Read more
“The fewer rules a coach has, the fewer rules there are for players to break.” – John Madden As leaders, we are bombarded by ideas and information about how we’re supposed to manage people. If you search the internet for “manage people” you get about 7.75 billion hits. There are books, articles, podcasts, training courses … Read more
“We generate fears while we sit. We overcome them by action.” – Dr. Henry Link Here we are again. It’s the first week of January, and I feel like I should write something about it being an opportunity for a fresh start, or a time to begin anew, or a time to be re-energized. About … Read more
“It is the lives we encounter that make life worth living.” – Guy de Maupassant I’m spending some time with people who make my life especially joyful this week. I hope you are too, and I hope that refreshes and recharges you. May you find joy all year long, but especially this time of year, … Read more
“One should pay attention to even the smallest crawling creature for these too may have a valuable lesson to teach us.” – Black Elk Last week in this space I wrote about the importance of making sure we learn whatever lessons 2021 can teach us before we turn our focus to the new year. We … Read more
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