Many managers I talk with feel they are pretty good leaders. That is, until they receive the results of a staff and peer review. Some are shocked that their scores are so low. Others just can’t take in the data – they actually reject the feedback. If you do not possess the skill of empathy [...]

“I have not failed. I’ve just found 10,000 ways that won’t work.”  ~Thomas A. Edison I know you’ve heard this many times, but it bears repeating: Failure = Opportunity to Learn. A device I use to remember this comes from a story I heard many years ago during a coach training class. We had just [...]

Accountants say, yes!, according to a survey by Ajilon Finance, a leading specialty finance and accounting staffing firm, and the Institute of Management Accountants (IMA). Two findings I thought were particularly interesting: 1. Soft skills ranked as more important than hard skills.  Thirty-three percent of the accountants who responded felt that an ability to inspire [...]

In a crisis, our reaction is often to “batten down the hatches” — a nautical phrase meaning to seal the hatches (doors & portals) against a storm. But in this current economic downturn (a more pleasant word for “crisis”), it’s a time for business leaders to open up the doors and windows. This is a [...]

Professional Services Marketers are keenly tuned in to production mode, there’s no doubt.  My business partner and co-developer of the Marketer as Leader program, Jodie Charlop, NCC, co-wrote an article with me that appears in the July ’09 issue of the Legal Marketing Association Southeastern Chapter newsletter. Production “trap” implies there just might be an [...]

I’m a big fan of Lee Glickstein, who teaches “Relational Presence” through his work with Speaking Circles International. I’ve taken his trainings and participated in a Speaking Circles Study Group for several years. His process has removed my fear of public speaking, enhanced my ability to authentically connect with an audience, and boosted my confidence [...]