Is it OK to Get Angry?
- On September 6, 2018
I was so angry. Angrier than I can remember being in years. Something I thought was fixed, had unraveled again. It was important to me. And the person who I thought was taking care of it, wasn’t. This is not a feeling I’m used to, anger. I really try to approach things with an open
The Art And Science Of Listening
- On October 31, 2017
Great leaders listen. They don’t just hear, they actively listen. When you are talking with them, they make you feel like you are the only person in the world. Many of our interactions are transactional information exchanges, yet there are those times when it is time to go deeper than the casual exchange. That is
Band-Aids And The Brain
- On July 12, 2017
Rock. Paper. Scissors. Skin. Skin loses every time. As I was abruptly reminded when I suddenly found myself sprawled out, face down on a rocky trail in the Catoctin Mountains. Slowing rolling over, relieved that nothing seemed broken except my pride. I figure there will be some swollen knees from taking the brunt of the
Where Joy Lives
- On August 9, 2016
I met a man this week. Someone who, because of his disability, I put in a (mental) box and dismissed. Seriously combat wounded, his obvious physical and mental challenges frightened me. And I made a too quick decision that there was nothing to learn from him. And I was dead wrong. We naturally do that.
Want To Be A Better Negotiator? Improve Your EQ!
- On January 5, 2016
Does the word “Negotiation” put a knot in your stomach? Turns out 39% of professionals in the U.S. feel uncomfortable with negotiations, according to a 2012 LinkedIn Survey of global professionals. Are you one of those who would consider a visit to the dentist more enjoyable than negotiating for something you really want?
Stuck On A Problem? The Best Question Ever A Leader Can Ask
- On October 6, 2015
What is the most powerful question you can ask when an employee has a problem? — How would you like me to help you think about this? — Yet, what’s our natural tendency? We make comparisons: “Oh I had something like that happen to me
What’s Your Workplace Mojo?
- On September 22, 2015
A Tale of Two Companies Two colleagues had recent job transitions and very different experiences. S. started a new job at a different company. When she walks in the office on the first day, there is a cookbook, two pots of herbs, and a vase of flowers on her new desk. Leaning against the vase
Which Stripe Is Your Reality?
- On August 18, 2015
Hot August days at the beach always bring to mind one of my favorite images for looking at reality: a Beach Ball. A beach ball has many different colored stripes: red, blue, green, white, yellow, orange. Which stripe are you on right now? Does the whole ball look that color, or are you just not
Can You Move The Grand Canyon?
- On December 11, 2014
Have you ever been to the Grand Canyon? It all started thousands of years ago with a trickle of water trying to find the path of least resistance. Over time, that trickle of water became the Colorado River and the rock it passed over wore deeper and deeper to become one of the most magnificent