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Leadership Thought #492 - Too Much Judgment of Others Without Facts?

Leadership Thought #492 – Too Much Judgment of Others Without Facts?

It feels like we live in a world today where rushing to judgment on the behaviors and actions of others without all the facts has become the norm.  It is especially convenient when the person in question thinks or looks differently than us.  American is still a place where you’re innocent until proven guilty unless something has changed in our system of jurisprudence that I am unaware of.  Of…

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Leadership Thought #490 - How To Avoid Self-Sabotage

Leadership Thought #490 – How To Avoid Self-Sabotage

It seems like almost every day we read online or in print media about another famous person or business leader who commits self-sabotage.  It’s almost as if they can’t help it.  There is something about success which turns certain people against themselves.   You would think getting to the top of the mountain in life would be its own reward, but this can amplify an individual’s shortcomings and…

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Happy Holidays 2018!

As we approach the end of another year, I wanted to reach out and wish all my friends and colleagues: Christian, Jewish, Muslim and all others a very happy holiday season.  I have always believed that all great truths are universal and not bound by the parameters of any one point of view. The spiritual similarities across cultures and countries have much more in common than not.   After all my…

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Leadership Thought #490 - Sometimes A Leader Sticks Around Too Long: Arsene Wenger

Leadership Thought #490 – Sometimes A Leader Sticks Around Too Long: Arsene Wenger

Sometimes a leader sticks around too long.  I am a big fan of Arsenal Football Cluband this has become a much more difficult chore than it used to be.  The club that used to be known for its innovative offensive play-making and rock solid defense has become sadly predictable to defend and quite easy to penetrate defensively.  Star players from around the world used to line up for a chance to come…

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Leadership Thought #489 - Be Mindful of the 3 Temptations

Leadership Thought #489 – Be Mindful of the 3 Temptations

Temptation is an issue we all deal with.  I don’t usually mix my faith which I deem to be a very personal issue with my leadership development work.  And, I have no intention of radically changing course now, however what we read and study does affect us and inform our beliefs.  From when I was a child I was very fascinated by the story of the “Three Temptations of Christ”which he endured while…

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Leadership Thought #488 - 22 Questions You Should Ask Someone Before You Put Them in A Management Position

Leadership Thought #488 – 22 Questions You Should Ask Someone Before You Put Them in A Management Position

Through the years I have seen many unsuccessful promotions of staff to management positions and bad outside managerial hires.  More often than not, the outcome would have been obvious if the employer had taken some time to ask a few basic questions during the screening process:

What is your personal definition of management?

Why do you want to manage other people?

Have you ever been in a…

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Leadership Thought #487 - Business is Much Harder If You Don’t Have Passion

Leadership Thought #487 – Business is Much Harder If You Don’t Have Passion

In business (and life), patience may be a virtue but passion becomes a prerequisite.  Being a small business owner is hard work especially for founders and growth oriented leaders. You truly must believe in what you are doing to overcome the many obstacles that inevitably appear on your path along the way.  Most people wouldn’t even try and build a business from scratch let alone do what’s…

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Leadership Thought #486 - Be Wary of Angry People

Leadership Thought #486 – Be Wary of Angry People

Whenever you get a disproportionate angry response from someone, there is usually something else deeper going on.  People don’t normally go from 0-60 emotionally in a very short time span unless they are already somewhat vulnerable and/or irritable to begin with.  Moreover, although you may be the target of their invective, they may be trying to use you as a proxy for someone or something else…

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Leadership Thought #483 - Words Matter

Leadership Thought #483 – Words Matter

I remember my mom telling me early on that “words matter.”  Once you say something it cannot be unsaid.  Even if you apologize and/or make excuses, the imprint on another person’s brain is still there.  And, sometimes the repercussions can last for years or even a lifetime.  There are many situations where I wish I would have been more thoughtful rather than just blurt out what’s on my mind or…

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Leadership Thought #482 – We Need Move Towards Not Away From One Another

Leadership Thought #482 – We Need Move Towards Not Away From One Another

We need move towards not away from one another.  I worry that lately we are a culture that has embraced a “divide and conquer” mindset.  Instead of “win-win” we think “win-lose.”  Instead of choosing to co-exist with people who think differently from ourselves, we further and further isolate ourselves from others who could potentially expand our thinking.   It’s not enough to be right, the other…

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Leadership Thought #481 – Tony Romo is A Class Act

Leadership Thought #481 – Tony Romo is A Class Act

Sadly, it seems rare these days when I see something that a professional athlete does that I feel sets a good example for my children and even inspires me.  One could argue that the physical abilities of athletes has grown considerably since I was young.  Their exploits on the field seem to continually set a higher bar for what’s possible on any given playing field. However, more often than not…

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Leadership Thought #480 – Recruiting/Retention Is More Important Than Ever

Leadership Thought #480 – Recruiting/Retention Is More Important Than Ever

The war for talent is not just a contrived theory it is reality.  Despite what our politicians may be saying, there are many good jobs out there at all levels of skill, talent and experience. In all my years of consulting/coaching I have never seen a period where so many companies have vacancies for key positions and are having a hard time recruiting for them.  From what I can see, there are…

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Leadership Thought #479 – Leading A Business Is Hard Work

Leadership Thought #479 – Leading A Business Is Hard Work

If leading organizations and people was easy, then everyone could do it.  I’ve had a number of conversations lately with clients and colleagues who are complaining about how hard they have to work.  More often than not, the average age of these people is under 45.  I try my best to be understanding and empathetic while also trying to bring some realism into the discussion.  I am starting to feel…

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Why We Should Be Wary of a President Trump

Why We Should Be Wary of a President Trump

There are a lot of excuses being bandied about regarding the words of Donald Trump and that once he gets elected he will modify his rhetoric and become more presidential. Sadly, this energy is only growing.  I hear many apologists state that It was just the rigors of the political campaign season and he’s doing what’s necessary to get elected through a competitive primary process. We’ve also…

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Leadership Thought #478 - When Technology Tools Can Become A Liability

Leadership Thought #478 – When Technology Tools Can Become A Liability

I remember when cell phones were a bit of a novelty but then became a regular everyday tool. It was almost as if the world couldn’t have existed without them (but it did). Many technology tools have arrived since then and followed the same trajectory of becoming completely indispensable until something better came along. Now we have watches that provide instantaneous indications that someone is…

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Leadership Thought #477 - Eight Mistakes Leaders Make That Get Them In Trouble

Leadership Thought #477 – Eight Mistakes Leaders Make That Get Them In Trouble

As the saying goes, “sometimes we are our own worst enemy.”  I’ve seen many a good leader go down a “rat trap” of their own making.  Often this is done with the best of intentions, but the results usually have nothing to with the original intention behind them. The following eight leadership mistakes happen much more frequently than they should:

Treating everyone the same – high performing…

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Leadership Thought #476 – Five Traits That Separate The Best Leaders From The Pack

Leadership Thought #476 – Five Traits That Separate The Best Leaders From The Pack

Because of my line of my work I am fortunate to spend time with many successful people and study and research the topic even more.  One theme that runs through of my experience/research is that financial success (while important) is not the primary driver of an individual business leader’s success.  It is more of an outcome for doing something else well and caring about how you do it. Of course…

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