Conversation

Why didn't we listen to Henry Ford?

In the early days of the modern age, we had a leader who believed in the power of the human spirit. When he created the assembly line, we embraced that as a tool that ultimately extinguished the human spirit in the workplace. Why didn’t we listen to what else he had to say? (read more)

You won't be good at what you don't do

You would probably not expect yourself to place well in a swimming race if you only got into the pool once every six months. And if you need to generate custom reports from the accounting software, you’ll probably seek training and experience so you can increase your comfort with the programming parameters. When you engage … Read more

If you're not uncomfortable, you're not leading

People don’t like to be uncomfortable. I cannot recall the last time I had a conversation a leader where the subject of “difficult conversations” about performance did not come up as one of their most feared situations.  Second to that is concern about telling people that “change is coming.”  Meanwhile, we face the reality that … Read more

You Can't Change Other People

“You can’t change other people. You can only change how you respond to them.” I first heard this life lesson from a mentor when I was a newly minted supervisor 30 years ago. At the time I was struggling with how to manage several very difficult personalities on my team. What I learned in that … Read more

Are You as Happy as You Want to be?

Are you are as happy as you want to be?  Have you “succeeded” yet still find happiness elusive?  Do you sometimes feel “stuck” in your career or your life, without a clear path to what’s next for you? If those questions caused you to pause for a moment, I invite you to read on. What … Read more

Happiness is Colored Socks

Today, I celebrate colored socks. Two months ago I offered my newsletter readers 13 ideas for changing the world, starting with themselves.  One of those ideas (and the one most often commented on) was, “Wear Colored Socks (or something that adds a splash of color, flamboyant, or “wild” to your wardrobe).  The concept is that … Read more

+ More