Development

When it comes to building a winning team—whether in business, sports, or life—one question always rises to the surface: Who’s responsible for culture? The answer is simple. If you’re a CEO, a business owner, an executive leading a team, a department head—or frankly, anyone responsible for the performance of a group—you are the Captain of the Culture. Let’s talk about what that actually means. Culture isn’t something you can hold in your hand, but you feel it. It’s the tone of your workplace. It’s the vibe in the room. And as a leader, you’re setting it, whether you realize it or not. What values are you modeling? What kind of atmosphere are you creating? Do people walk into work energized and supported, or are they [...]

One thing is certain: change is inevitable. I love this quote (source unknown): "If you don’t like change, you’ll like irrelevance even less." That says it all. Change is here to stay. As leaders, we must not only accept change but embrace it. Let’s see it for what it is: an opportunity to move forward, to learn, and to grow. Change reveals things—about ourselves, our team, our culture, and our systems. Recently, in a coaching session, a client was confronted with an unexpected and significant shift in her team’s direction. It was uncharted territory, and the change created uncertainty and chatter among her team. She admitted she lacked confidence in her ability to unite the group and lead them forward. Together, we [...]

Crafting a vision is arguably the most critical role of a leader. Creating one that inspires and engages is critical. Vision begins and ends with your heart; you must feel it before you can see it. As leaders, we must build relationships rooted in trust. Without trust, there is no relationship, and people are unlikely to follow. So, what makes a vision compelling? First, remember that people buy into the leader before they buy into the vision. Trust is the currency of that relationship. We must have absolute clarity in our messaging. People want to know: Where are we going? Why are we going there? How will we get there? Most importantly, what is my role in this vision? When this clarity exists, a vision can create a magnetic pull. That’s when engagement [...]