It was an early Monday morning in late January and I was waiting outside my Los Angeles hotel for my Lyft driver. When Carlos arrived in his cream-colored Hyundai Sonata, I made two quick observations:
1. His vehicle had barely met the minimum standards for a shared ride driver.
Read MoreI could tell as soon as they walked in the room that this was going to be a fun group to work with. My task for the afternoon was to take a corporate leadership team of about 40 people through some team building activities. As I stood before the group I explained that our session would
Read MoreWhen I was a kid there was a tree in our front year. I used to race home from elementary school to climb that tree. I wanted to see just how high I could climb. I loved to push my luck as I inched dangerously higher and higher than the day before. As a kid, it was all about how high I could
Read MoreAs I look back on the last six months I am amazed at the opportunities that have come my way. For the most part, my mindset has been to simply walk through open doors exploring whatever I find. I have spent much of the last six months saying yes to new opportunities. But as I look back
Read MoreI walked to the back of the store toward the “copy center” to pick up an order that I had placed online. As I walked up to the register another woman and an employee were just beginning their conversation and I was able to witness their interaction.
Read MoreAs I walked down the hallway I passed a variety of typical Halloween decorations; pumpkins, cobwebs, black cats and everything orange, it was a sea of orange! Then I saw something that caught my eye, enough so that I had to stop and take a closer look. It was a ghost, who appeared
Read MoreI want to share a story with you about a friend of mine. This is a friend I have a lot of respect for. He works in the medical field and he is really, really good at what he does.
Read MoreI recently heard a story that resonated with me. It was one of those moments when I heard exactly what I needed to hear, at precisely the right moment.
Read MoreThe last few weeks have been an interesting journey for me. Less than ten days ago I completed a week of soccer day-camp as the Head Women’s Soccer Coach at the University of Illinois Springfield. Later that afternoon I resigned from my position. After nearly twenty years in
Read MoreOne of the concepts I love to share with leaders is the idea that great leaders pay it forward. Often times as leaders, we become so focused on what we need to do that we fail to see the needs of those around us.
Read MoreOne of my favorite leadership concepts to share with the others is the idea that “great leaders say come with me.” I don’t believe that leadership is about telling others what to do, instead, I think leadership is about choosing to join people on their journey. My belief in this concept was put to
Read MoreI first shared this story several years ago when I was coaching at Wayne State College in Nebraska. Years later I still find value in these words. Enjoy…
Read MoreI had just landed in Atlanta. After 10 days abroad and a long day of international travel I was finally back in the United States. I knew I had about six hours before I would be back in the midwest but I was making progress on this journey. I also knew that I would have to go through
Read MoreI was speaking with a friend of mine recently about some frustrations she was having at work. Her organization is at a critical time in their history. The pressure is on to produce better results and jobs are on the line. This organization is struggling to retain quality employees and the overall
Read MoreThere are many attributes that I value in a great leader. One of the plain and simple concepts about leadership that I think is far too rare is the idea that great leaders make things better.
Read MoreShow up. Great leaders understand the significance of just showing up. You can’t take care of your people if you aren’t with your people and that often means leaving the comforts of an elevated life and joining the dirty work in the trenches. I believe at the heart of great leadership
Read MoreIn regards to leadership, I think the one question I am asked the most often is, “how can you tell if someone is a good leader”? There are many ways to assess someone’s leadership ability. For example, there are surveys and questionnaires, tools for 360-degree feedback or the archaic and
Read MoreA few weeks ago on an episode of Ellen I heard about the story of Mason Wartman, the owner of Rosa’s Pizza in Philly. Mason formerly worked on Wall Street but left his job to start his own pizza business. Rosa’s Pizza is a simple place, they sell slices of cheese pizza for a dollar as well as
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