There are many things competing for our attention on the day-to-day. Things we have to do. Things we want to do. Things other people want us to do. The list goes on. But what should you focus most of your time on?
Read MoreIntegrity, honesty, loyalty, self-sacrifice, accountability, and self-control. According to Jim Rohn—the man many consider to be "America's Foremost Business Philosopher"—these are the six essential traits of good character. But should one be elevated above the rest? What is the most valuable character trait?
Read MoreI've written before that "belief is the first step to take when faced with an ambitious task." Optimism matters. Positivity is important. Below are three thoughts I have about optimism:
Read MoreI feel like the people who need feedback the least usually want it the most. And that the people who need feedback the most usually want it the least. Have you ever noticed this?
Read MoreWe are very much part of a 'quick fix' culture. This was the case ten years ago, and it's still the case today. We get frustrated if we have to wait more than two minutes for service at a restaurant. We grow annoyed when waiting for a stop light to change. We want instant solutions to every complex problem and every fractured relationship.
Read MoreDelegation is hard for me. Between 2017 and 2021 I was the Head Coach of the Belgian national team for American football. We had recently brought on a new assistant coach going into my second season at the helm who—needless to say—lacked some experience. He was a bright young coach but just didn't have the coaching background the rest of the coaches on staff had accumulated.
Read MoreA quick Google search on leadership will yield thousands of different definitions. Many are good, some are not, but it's clear there isn't a universal agreement on a singular definition. Because of this, many of us pick and choose various perspectives on leadership and use them how we see fit.
Read MoreOne specific similarity exists between a coach with a staff, a manager with several direct reports, and a department head in an academic setting: they are all charged with leading a group of people. Perhaps you fit into one of the aforementioned categories or maybe you find yourself in a realm outside of the ones listed above.
Read MoreI used to cold call a lot more than I do now, but I've realized over the years that what was once taught is now obsolete. If you’re staring at your prospect list and dialing up a phone number to cold call, there are three important factors to keep in mind.
Read MoreNew York Times best-selling author Anthony Tjan revealed in his popular book Good People: The Only Leadership Decision That Really Matters that "65 percent of working Americans would prefer a new boss to a pay raise." Think about that. Statistically speaking, more people care about that relationship than their salary.
Read MoreMeetings are important in all areas of life. Whether it’s a manager leading a product review, a coach calling a timeout just before halftime, or a parent summoning the family together to discuss some house rules, meetings provide us an opportunity to clearly communicate our expectations and instructions to our colleagues, players, and family.
Read MoreSeveral correlations can be made between business meetings and sports timeouts. The two share similar DNA regarding their purpose and projected outcome, but oftentimes they are used very differently. When you break down the constructs that make up what a business meeting should look like and what a sports timeout should look like, there are striking similarities. Peering through the lens of how American football coaches use timeouts, here are three things every meeting should have:
Read MoreWe’ve all been there. Aimlessly wandering the aisles of a gargantuan convention hall with little desire to engage with “potential connections in your industry.” Futile attempts at small talk run rampant as your Trump icebreaker isn’t getting as much traction as you hoped. Instead of having conversations that start with “So what do you do?” you ask the nearest server “Is lunch covered with registration?”
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