It has become clear to me in coaching people (including myself) that there are two fundamental principles a client must learn, practice and embrace before they can be happy and at peace on the inside, and fulfilled, engaged and flourishing on the outside. The first is “I’m upset because…” when that thought is followed by […]
Two Client Wake-Up Calls for Coaches Read More »
Pursuing a signature ‘style’ as a leader is a misplaced effort. Effective leaders care about delivering on what is needed in the moment, rather than hoping to hear, “She’s so visionary…” when being discussed among their teams. Being the leader who is required ‘now’–in real-time–distinguishes the great leader from the average. Korn Ferry’s research, drawing
Be the Leader Required “Now” Read More »
Silence can be strange, uncharted territory for both leaders and coaches. When our egos are agitated and threatened we start talking more and more, trying to fill the air with a tone of superiority and words of significance. We fear the very silence that would connect us to the people we are communicating with. I
Leading from stillness and silence Read More »
One of the most brilliant minds I’ve ever encountered in my time on this planet is that of Werner Erhard. He’s always been a controversial figure, but in my experience the people who have the most critical things to say about him are those who know the least about what he really teaches. His training
I Was as Shallow as a Human Could Be… Read More »
The term ‘transformational leadership’ was introduced by James MacGregor Burns in his 1978 book, “Leadership.” He set a high aspirational bar by defining it as a process where “…leaders and their followers raise one another to higher levels of morality and motivation.” In “Leadership and Performance Beyond Expectations,” Bernard M. Bass in 1985 used slightly
Transforming is a Feeling… Read More »
As the possibility of automation “replacing” human employment through robotics and artificial intelligence has become a reality, many of us are experiencing a degree of whiplash. The World Economic Forum predicts that by as early as 2025, automation will displace nearly 85 million jobs. On the other hand, according to its analysis, a tech-driven economy
Human’ish Leaders Leverage the AI Gaps Read More »
When we were children we were always in close touch with what we wanted. We ran around looking for it and had no problem asking for it. But as we grew older, interacting with society now, we switched from Want To to Should Do… trying to find out from others what they think we should
Find Out What Your Leader Really Wants Read More »
During my career, I was directly led by a dozen or so different leaders. I have led thousands of employees and contractors and have advised and worked with hundreds of leaders directly, and thousands more, indirectly. No matter the trappings or apparent success, across the experiences, there is a single word that always exposes a
A Leader’s Hypocrisy, in a Word Read More »
It was once thought that reaching ‘enlightenment’ required a lifetime of commitment to daily practices of mindful meditation and study and giving up all manner of the worldly good stuff. And even that wouldn’t assure you’d get to the objective. This, for obvious reasons, is sometimes called “The Long Path.” As is the case with
The Short Path to Humanity in Leadership Read More »
Leon C. Megginson was a U.S.-born (Alabama) Ph.D. and business school professor. He offered his interpretation of the central ideas contained in Darwin’s On the Origin of Species back in 1963. Megginson’s remarks are frequently attributed to Charles Darwin. However, after an exhaustive search of Darwin’s writings, they were never found there.[1] Megginson wrote, “Yes,
Leaders: Choose One — Strength or Adaptability Read More »