03
Aug

Life Lessons from Steve Jobs

Over the past few months, I’ve been “standing on the edge of a precipice” (thanks Jacqui @gosocialsa for the analogy and the inspiration). I finally made my decision to follow my heart, and take a leap of faith. Although my mind was already made up, videos like this continue to inspire me and confirm that I’ve made the right …
26
Jul

10 Rules for how to be a good leader

I recently wrote a post about how to be a good employee, and promised an upcoming post about being a good leader.  Here’s what I’ve learned from working for some great leaders and from doing the best I can to lead my team effectively. Get to know your team as individuals.  I don’t mean that you should become best friends with your …
10
Jul

A personal story of lack of feedback and it’s impact.

I recently wrote a post about how to give constructive feedback.  It reminded me of a personal experience I had with a lack of feedback.  As an extremely driven individual, I am motivated by feedback.  I actually crave it.  I want to know what I’m getting right and what I’m missing so I can continuously improve.  Here’s a story …
27
Jun

How to give constructive feedback

I recently wrote a post about receiving feedback, because I think this is an important art that many leaders lack.  Even more important for a good leader is to master the art of giving meaningful (A.K.A. constructive) feedback. Giving honest, meaningful feedback with the goal of helping others to improve will engage their hearts and minds and build …
20
Jun

Listen Leaders! Show your people you value them

One of the most important elements of engagement is a feeling of being valued.  The problem is that many leaders don’t know how to show that they do value their teams. When I’ve discussed this essential need of feeling valued, managers often think that they’ve done all they can to make employees feel valued.  “I got business …
12
Jun

Do pyjama (pajama for my US friends) days build engagement?

I was chatting with friends the other night and one of them mentioned that morale was poor at their workplace, so they were having a “wear your pyjamas to work” day. Will having a pyjama party actually improve morale?  No way. In fact, my friend was dreading it, and thought it was somewhat impractical in a work environment where half of …
06
Jun

How to be a Superhero from TED Talks

I make a point of always smiling at people on the street, in the office, or wherever I may be.  I often have people commenting on this, and have actually wondered at times if it makes me come across as somewhat ‘simple’. But then I saw this TED Talk by Ron Gutman, and realized it’s actually my superpower 🙂 Watch the talk and check …
01
Jun

Get to know the people you don’t like

I ran across this quote from Abraham Lincoln, and it rang very true for me as a lesson I’ve learned over the years. “I don’t like that man.  I must get to know him better.”  For me, this speaks to the importance of understanding people with different perceptions and views from your own.  This leads to learning and outcomes …