As leaders, setbacks come with the territory. We wouldn't need leaders if everything ran smoothly—perhaps a strange way to look at job security. If you have been in leadership for any reasonable amount of time, you have come to accept setbacks, disappointments, conflicts, and just plain failure. You see, in the middle of the pain is where we find authentic leadership. It is the leader's mindset: A SETBACK IS NOTHING OTHER THAN A SET-UP FOR THE COMEBACK. We, as leaders, must wear this on our sleeves. Be an example of how to deal with failure, disappointment etc. My friend and author John Maxwell said it best, "EXPERIENCE IS NOT THE BEST TEACHER, ONLY EVALUATED EXPERIENCE IS." This is where the [...]

Destination disease is such a strong phrase that John Maxwell coined.  As a leader, we need to avoid this disease at all costs. The consequences are not good. So, what is destination disease, you ask? It is when you believe you have arrived, have all the answers, are at the top, and have success in your pocket. As a result, the tendency is to stop growing, stop learning, and stop pushing to acquire new skills and knowledge. It is not hard to be content, especially at the top. You have the influence and respect of your people. Here is what I know to be true when you are through learning, YOU ARE THROUGH. That's it, plain and simple. The bottom [...]

Ok, which one do you focus on? Which one do you have a team member focus on? Conventional wisdom suggests, "You already excel at something. Put your energy into improving your weakness." That sounds good, except we need to put the question through the filter of "Where will I get the best ROI?" Because you have limited time. Your time is precious; we need to be careful where we invest our time. Management guru Peter Drucker states, "Put your time and energy into your strengths; you will make your weaknesses irrelevant." I subscribe to that thinking. I have learned we have the best opportunity for growth where we know the most. Please know that I am not dismissing addressing areas that need [...]