One of My Favorite Work-Life Strategies
One of my favorite work-life strategies is, “If I do nothing, it will hopefully go away.” It’s effective when the stakes are low like obnoxious music coming from a neighbor’s house or an email chain to support somebody’s agenda that I shouldn’t have been on in the first place. When the stakes are low, avoidance helps us not sweat the small stuff. It works. Yet, like every work-life balance strategy if avoidance is overused we miss out on the opportunity [...]
What an Employee Once Taught Me
The best leadership training I ever received was from an employee. It was back in the day when I owned a small computer service company and everybody on our team, including me, was under the age of 30. It was a fast, fun, and very impulsive culture that clearly reflected its leadership (and not always in a good way). Then one day, a young man suffering from my whimsical decisions decided to take some initiative. He began to measure the [...]
One Simple Truth
The events in last week’s news reminded me of a simple truth. Our inner landscape will always be reflected in our outer world. As a person, a group, or a nation, our minds create our actions. And in that truth, we may become a victim of somebody else’s mind, or somebody may become a victim of ours. In either case, healing begins when positive action is taken. As Eleanor Roosevelt once said “It’s better to light a candle than to [...]
A Thought I Can’t Forget From Asia
I am several weeks back from my trip to southeast Asia. Yet, there is a scene that is permanently inked in my mind. I feel stronger every time I think of it, so I thought it was worth sharing. One morning in Cambodia, I was walking on a long sandstone path up to an expansive ancient temple that rose from the jungle floor through the towering trees. A scattering of tourist walked back and forth from the Ruins strutting to [...]
You Mean My Assumptions Aren’t Facts
I am absolutely positive I know what I’m talking about. After all, I have been around the block a few times, have collected a few facts, listened to a few opinions and I am now certain that I have the RIGHT answer that will completely justified the reaction I’m about to launch. The above can happen in our brain in less than a few seconds and convince us that our assumptions are facts. That what we perceive is ultimate reality. That [...]
What happened to the pause?
Have you ever noticed that the people sitting at the top of the corporate ladder tend to end their sentences with a period? They pause. Take a breath and let the point land on the speaker. These leaders understand that the less they say the more people will hear. They make their point, keep eye contact with their listeners, and refrain from clouding the message with stuff that isn’t important. A pause communicates strength. It shows your listeners that you [...]