Yearly Archives: 2024

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Be aware of uploading. 

Today, I am reminding us to be careful that we are not uploading. So what is uploading? Before I explain, I must admit I have been guilty of uploading. As leaders, we are very aware of the importance of communication. A critical part of communication is listening. I might argue that listening is the most important part of a two-way conversation. We have one-to-one conversations with people in our sphere of influence daily. Uploading takes place during these conversations. If you are thinking of your response when the other person is talking, that is "uploading." We would like to believe we are listening, but in reality, we are preparing (uploading) for our turn. The term "listening" is often used loosely. If [...]

By |2024-10-30T17:40:08+00:00October 30th, 2024|Leadership|0 Comments

Are you Theory X or Theory Y? 

Perhaps you are familiar with the two theories, or depending on your age, you have no idea. So here it is. Back in 1960, Douglas McGregor, a management professor at MIT, described two leadership outlooks on human behavior in his book, “The Human Side of Enterprise." Those who fell into the Theory X category believed employees had to be coerced, controlled, and threatened to do good work or take responsibility. Those who fell into Theory Y believed people were generally creative, willing to work and take responsibility if treated accordingly. I decided long ago that Theory Y would work best for me. My hope is you are the same. It is a much better way to lead. My friend and [...]

By |2024-10-22T16:47:03+00:00October 23rd, 2024|Coaching|0 Comments

Chief Pick Me Up Officer. 

I have a story to share. In fact, you may even remember the scene. It took place in the 2016 Olympics in Rio. Two athletes in the 5,000-meter race caught the world’s attention. About 3,000 meters into the race, New Zealander Nikki Hamblin and American Abbey D’Agostino collided and fell. Abbey quickly got to her feet but stopped to help Nikki. Moments after the two athletes started running again, Abbey began faltering, and her right leg was injured because of the fall. Nikki’s turn was now to stop and encourage her fellow athlete to finish the race. When Abbey eventually stumbled across the finish line, Nikki was waiting to embrace her. I remember watching this unfold, as did the entire [...]

By |2024-10-09T13:00:22+00:00October 9th, 2024|Connecting, Leadership|0 Comments

Comparison is the thief of joy. 

The quote, "Comparison is the thief of joy," is from Eleanor Roosevelt. When I read this many years ago, it really hit home. Like most of you, I consider myself somewhat competitive. I like to win just like the next person. As a result, I naturally tended to compare myself or my company to others. In business, I was part of a large distribution network with over 100+ organizations like mine from all over the country. The parent company would publish monthly standings based on sales. Our location was Buffalo N.Y. We would appear in the publication with offices in New York City, Los Angeles, etc. We couldn't compete with the volume of business they were doing. At times, quite frankly, [...]

By |2024-10-09T13:01:31+00:00October 3rd, 2024|Development, Leadership|0 Comments

Where does accountability start? 

Where does accountability start? This is not a rhetorical question. I believe there is a clear answer: it starts with the leader. If you, as the leader, want a high accountability culture, it starts with you. Allow me to explain. It's true: it is lonely at the top. As a result, I have found that from time to time, I have to ask myself some tough questions to hold myself accountable. Here are some examples you may want to ask yourself. Am I keeping my priorities? Or am I wavering on occasion? Am I communicating with absolute clarity? Or is it fuzzy sometimes? Am I really listening to the other person? Am I 100% locked into what they are saying? [...]

By |2024-09-27T12:37:53+00:00September 27th, 2024|Leadership|0 Comments
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