Not long ago I was hired to provide executive coaching for the CEO of a medium-size company. The Board of Directors hired me because they were concerned about the CEOs "ability to get things done." There had been complaints and even some hard evidence tha...

Many times in both my personal and professional life I have encountered people who focus much of their thoughts and energy on what has happened to them in past, rather than dealing with what is happening now, or better yet focusing on what could happen in...

To be an influential leader and manager, you have to be a champion of the "grand corporate strategy" as well as your own individual job strategy. However, the problem with implementation of most corporate strategy is that managers and team members alike ...

About 20 years ago while I worked for American Stores Company (now part of Albertson's) I headed up a customer service program named "Smile and Speak Up." Employees attended a two-hour customer service training class and then tried to be seen being courte...

What is it that drives some businesses downhill over the years, while others continue to grow stronger? What is the key to success? Some believe the solution is found in the process of strategic management. This process gives direction to the organizat...

It has been said that Generation X is the most ignored, misunderstood, and disheartened generation our country has seen in a long time. No one can define who belongs to Generation X. While most agree that there is a generation after the Boomers, no one ag...

Why Coaching? It's a good question, and the answer is found in the heart of human nature. We have heard it many times from couples to world councils - communication is the key. Noted author and lecturer Leo Buscaglia declared, "Communication, the a...

Not too long ago ship captains could actually whip sailors who disobeyed orders; managers could fire workers on the spot for virtually any reason, or even no reason at all; and students could be expelled from school for any minor infraction of the rules. ...

In the competitive world of business, companies may decide to forgo leadership training in order to cut costs. However, a high-quality Leadership Development course can save six figures off a company's bottom line each year. Not only does a company need...

There was a CEO of a large company who had an interesting object on his desk. Over the course of many years the object had been the topic of numerous conversations by most employees and visitors who found themselves in his office. When I heard the story a...

If you are like the leader or employees in the research we have conducted, you would have little difficulty describing the elements in an effective coaching session. Even ineffective leaders could correctly define what should occur. The difference was t...

The concept of leadership development is not new. Over the last few decades, many scholars and business leaders have written books, articles, and curriculum on this topic. So, why another arti...

Many years ago I learned a valuable lesson on leadership from a very wise little-league football coach. I had volunteered as an assistant coach for my son's 12 year-old peewee football team, and with that responsibility was the opportunity to help the hea...

In last month's article we looked at the four basic adverse reactions to people performing together. The psychological classifications we looked at are called: mobs, gangs, committees and ...

The role of leadership is changing because of technological advances, increased competition (both domestic and international), and the desire of employees to be more involved in managing their own work. Now and in the future, leaders deal with a more edu...