
Become intentional in your leadership growth.

Create authentic professional presence
I've completed thousands of talent calibrations and talent reviews in my years as a talent leader for organizations. One common theme that comes up year after year regardless of leveling in the organization is the idea of having a good professional or executive...
Finding Leadership in the Matrix
Bullet time. Red pill, blue pill. Simulation vs. reality. The Matrix series was a cultural phenomenon in the late '90s and early '00s. It's the story of Neo, a hacker who discovers that the world around him is a simulation created by machines to enslave humanity. With...
Finding Leadership in Seinfeld
Seinfeld is a great comedy show from the 90s that is known for its observational humor and the absurd situations that the group of four friends find themselves in. The show was hugely popular when it first aired and today finds itself in a new renaissance...
How your friendship helps your leadership
I can look back on my life and see where there was always a group of friends that were there for me to support me as I grew older and tried to figure out life. No matter your life stage, your circle of friends can impact your leadership skills in a positive way. ...
A reminder of what you can’t control
Have you ever warned yourself out mentally thinking about a person, situation, or change that you ultimately have no control over? Maybe a better way to phrase the question is not how, but how often! Growing through and letting go of those things that you can't...
A reminder of what you can control
Sometimes it just feels like you are just being tossed about during your day or week. Maybe you feel like you are crawling to the proverbial shore at the end of the day as your ship (plan) was wrecked and sunk again. It's not difficult to fall into a cycle of despair...
Time Management: Successful leaders delegate
One of the most common opportunities for newly promoted leaders is the skill of delegation. It comes in part from being the expert in the areas of their previous role and still retaining those responsibilities and partly from passion areas that the person just loves...
Time Management Series: Eliminate time stealers
Positive intent. I love that phrase and use it quite often in communication and coaching. It sums up so many shortfalls in a real way. A person had all the positive intent in the world, but maybe how they went about getting to a solution wasn't quite right. You'll...
Time Management Series: Build your system
Lee Cockerell retired EVP of Disney World, walks around with a pocket calendar and day planner in his pocket and has been for years. You could find him in corporate meetings jotting down notes and then later in the day out in the parks referencing what was up next and...
Time Management Series: Prioritize your time
One of the challenges of time management is that many people don't think of time in terms of a commodity that consistently depletes. A great illustration that drives this point home, was a conversation between two people around the concept. The interviewer asked...
Ask great questions
If you want to know a simple move to come across to others as more likable, engaging, and enjoyable to be around, you need to understand one fact; most people love to talk about themselves. That's not a negative about the other person, most people find personal value...
Tips to strengthen your active listening skills
We all want to be heard, valued, and appreciated. Part of being heard and valued is actually letting other people fulfill that want and need. In order to effectively work with customers, co-workers and even friends and family, you’ll need to leverage active...
Be a scuba diver
I love scuba diving. Between the calmness of the water, the unique experiences, and how you tune in different parts of your body that you normally don't pay attention to, it's a wonderful activity to participate in. Last summer, I attended a Scouting...
Be a rower
I love the sport of rowing. It's exciting to watch the boats as groups of 4-8 rowers work in unison to get the small vessel, sometimes only as wide as your waist, to the finish line. It's not uncommon for these races to come down to the wire with a second or less...
Be a dolphin
Dolphins are loved across the world for their intelligence, playfulness, and curiosity. You'll likely be hard-pressed to find a person who has a grudge against dolphins unless you are John Oliver. There are several things that we can learn from dolphins to apply...
