“Canceling our 1-on-1. Nothing for us to discuss this week.” Direct report meetings can't always be protected, but when they’re inconsistent, or worse - canc...

Sure, it's easier to lead those ambitious ‘A’ players, but how do we motivate and inspire those who appreciate and hopefully love their role, but have no int...

We can blame Stephen King, but the truth is we fear clowns for two primary reasons… 1. Clowns wear make-up and costumes that disguise their true identities a...

No failure. Just feedback. But that doesn’t mean growth doesn’t hurt sometimes. And if growth propels us forward, must it require hardship? Can we experience...

Communication. It's fundamental to the success of every leader, at every level, in every industry. A single experience with a boss who rarely listens or who ...

I’m not a hugger by nature. But when leadership proves once again to be a lonely place, even when surrounded by well-intentioned people, it’s not only the le...

See if this sounds familiar... You attend a workshop or conference, gaining some new and exciting ideas. You’re excited about your learning and committed to ...

I recently received mail with the caption “THIS PAGE IS INTENTIONALLY LEFT BLANK.” My initial reaction was a sarcastic ‘wow, good thing they were clear about...

Didn’t see that one coming from my 7-year-old. You can be the smartest, most experienced leader, and still be caught off-guard with questions. “When am I get...

Early for a meeting, I briefly sat in a food court before heading to my client's office. Following the coaching session, I instinctively reached for my comp...

So when I was briefly left alone in a CEO’s quarters, immediately I noticed a half-read leadership book lying face down on the desk. And it wasn’t just there...

We work twice as hard leading up, begin our vacation exhausted, struggle to ‘shut off’, wrap up when we’re starting to relax, then put in extra time catching...

This is real life for most of us. Our little guy’s been sick this week, which got me thinking about how so many others are not afforded the flexibility they ...

Is this how you’d describe your reporting relationships? When launching a new coaching partnership today, the conversation between leader and sponsor (i.e. h...

Herb Kelleher didn’t. The co-founder of Southwest Airlines was well-known for his quick wit, eccentricity, and even an infamous arm wrestle, as a devoted cha...

It’s how I recently challenged a leader after hearing about actions that had backfired. As expected, she quickly shared personal lessons learned, but through...

A recent meeting started as you might expect - exchanging greetings, with the first two leaders politely declining my handshake due to a migrating office flu...

I have no boss, don't wear a uniform or work a standard workweek. Some mornings we rush out the door, and other days we take our time. She twirls in my offic...