As I sat down to write this article, a dated song danced its way into my mind: The Police singing “Message in a Bottle,” with the famous lyric, Sending out an SOS. Well, sure, it’s a love song, but as a business leader don’t you love your employees? Don’t you want to better connect with…
As a keynote speaker on the topics of leadership, connection, resilience, and relationships, I’ve been spending a lot of time thinking about empathy versus compassion over the past year. In fact, in my virtual presentations on personal connection, I quickly became aware of the buzzwords associated with the COVID-19 lockdown; authenticity, mindfulness, empathy and compassion.…
As a virtual keynote speaker who provides strategies for successful behavioral change, resolutions are so last year. Why? Without massive desire and discipline, individuals fail to achieve their stated goals. And to avoid feeling like a failure, yet again, most people avoid setting resolutions. I should know, as I spent years making and breaking…
Soft skills are often the long-forgotten tools your business is missing. Leaders tend to take these skills for granted, assuming that most employees or applicants already have these abilities perfected. Few take the time to assess employees on these skills, and even fewer consider the benefits of further developing these skills across their company.…
Six years ago my car was in the middle of a five-car pileup. I distinctly remember the moments that followed as individuals emerged from their cars. No one appeared to be physically injured, although one person showed possible signs of shock. The first car’s driver jumped out, surveyed his smashed bumper, and left the scene…
The woman in the royal blue jacket sitting in the front row gasped when she heard my next request. “One at a time, please walk to the front of the room, plant your feet, smile, and say both your name and where you work.” Easy, right? Simply stating your name and employer information doesn’t require…
Loneliness is detrimental, destructive, and sometimes deadly. Loneliness has the same impact on mortality as smoking 15 cigarettes a day, more than even obesity. Different than depression or feelings of solitude, loneliness is more about the quality of a person’s social relationships. The workplace is not immune, and everyone pays the price when loneliness strikes.…
Mistakes happen even under the best of circumstances. In today’s digitally-distracted, demanding world where many businesses are understaffed, mistakes happen even more frequently. A recent client shared with me that presentation binders [prepared in hopes of inking a major deal], showed up onsite an hour prior to the meeting… with a competing institution’s name on…
Business articles and books which marry the theme of leadership with heart have gained traction of late, and as a speaker on the power of connection, I’m thrilled to witness the joyful union. When Robert K. Greenleaf coined the phrase “servant leadership” over 30 years ago, who knew it would take this long to shift…