Definition of Leadership Many people have weighed in with different definitions of leadership. Mine is pretty simple—influencing others to accomplish meaningful results. Leadership is not only about what we do on our own but how we influence others to raise their standards and performance to accomplish results. The best leaders are collaborators who inspire, empower, […]

Last week my blog was an interview with a friend who was complaining about becoming a grumpy old man due to the increasing demands and expectations put on him by his employer. This is a pretty common phenomenon for a lot of people these days as companies cut costs and run lean, expecting their existing […]

Then I wrote a couple of blogs recently on the value of doing hard things. One of my readers agreed with my premise but also went on to share a different take on this theme that has to do with becoming a disillusioned worker. Here’s what he said: “I worked very hard when my kids […]

I recently watched the 1982 movie “Gandhi.” What an incredible story about the power of integrity, living from ones deepest beliefs, even in the face of severe opposition and danger. In one poignant scene, early in the movie as he is just beginning to rally his fellow Indians against the tyranny of the British Government […]

In my last newsletter/blog, I talked about the importance of the “why” aspect of your personal vision. Your “why” is your personal purpose. It can be thought of as the reason you exist and a crucial key to finding meaning and joy in your life. You’re probably familiar with the name Victor Frankl, author of […]

There are three levels of a personal vision, all equally important—why, how and what. “Why” do you exist? What is your personal mission or purpose? As you step back from your day-to-day routine, how do you define what your life is about? Answering this question creates context for your actions and gives your life meaning […]

Make no little plans; they have no magic to stir men’s blood and probably will not be realized.  Make big plans; aim high and hope and work remembering that something noble once recorded will never die, but long after we are gone, will be a living thing, reasserting itself with ever-growing insistency. Daniel H. Burnham […]

This is one of my favorite stories, one I often tell at the beginning of my seminars. Once upon a time, while walking through the forest, a certain man found a young eagle. He took it home and put it in his barnyard where it soon learned to eat chicken feed and to behave as […]

In my last post I introduced four principles for creating positive relationships: empathy, honesty, responsibility and shared vision. I consider them the four cornerstones of a good healthy relationship, whether it be marriage, parent-child, boss-employee and so on. My goal is to grow in my ability to live these qualities in each of my relationships. […]

In my post­­ last week I talked about a familiar theme. It’s not circumstances but our choices that determine the quality and outcomes of our lives. My example last week was a key moment in which I had to make a decision about how to handle a recent Saturday evening. The choices I made were […]