How Do I Get in the Zone?

Hand holding a card with the word 'Excellence' written on it.

You know the feeling. Everything is going your way. The ball goes straight down the fairway every time. Before you hit your shot you KNOW it’s going to be good. The words are rolling off your tongue during the speech or presentation. You have the audience on the edge of their seats. You close the…

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Thoughts On Leadership From A Fortune 20 Executive

Word cloud featuring leadership and corporate success terms.

I’m fortunate that practically all my corporate clients genuinely care about leadership and demonstrate this commitment in our engagement. However, many executives claim to be interested in leadership yet their behavior often doesn’t match their speech. I’ve recently crossed paths with a senior leader (not a client) who writes about and demonstrates leadership. Karin Hurt…

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Radio Interview on the Psychological Aspects of Performance

Person analyzing business data on a tablet.

Enjoyed a great radio interview with Bryce Johnson http://www.unpackinit.com on sport psychology. We discussed a range of topics that also apply to executive coaching and any other performance oriented pursuit. Some of the concepts we discussed include: The importance of psychological skills at the highest level of performance Can mental toughness be learned? How can I…

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Redefining Passion In Leadership

Silhouette of a person flexing muscles with arms raised.

In your leadership journey you have undoubtedly heard about the need for passion. It’s true that passion is essential to excellence. But I find leadership passion is very misunderstood. Passion comes in many different packages. When we think of passion we often go to images of highly charismatic, often dramatic, leaders giving impassioned speeches to…

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Don’t Waste Your Time With Mission Statements

A woman presenting ideas to colleagues in a modern office.

Many performers have been summoned to a “team building” meeting and asked to create a mission statement for their athletic team, corporate department, non-profit organization, etc. The problem with these meetings (and most forms of team building) is they ultimately turn out to be a waste of valuable time. Performers have been through these types…

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USA Women’s Gymnastics: A True High-Performance Team

Two women smiling and looking at a laptop together.

There are numerous articles and books about high-performance teams. I am influenced by these sources and use them in my work with executive and sport teams. However, when you are witnessing a true high-performance team in real time you are emotionally moved and intuitively understand the elements involved. I had that experience while watching the…

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Excellence Keys: Prepare, Perform, Evaluate

A hand stopping falling dominoes with a green piece.

In any performance oriented situation or profession, there are three keys to achieving sustainable excellence. You won’t knock it out of the park on every occasion. Guess what, you’re human! But I’ve found that following this three step process allows performers to achieve consistent excellence over time. Prepare I’m surprised how many executives attend important…

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Why The Mighty Fall

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With the John Edwards trial continuing in North Carolina this week and Tiger missing the cut at our Charlotte tournament last week, I’m reminded of the dynamics that usually occur when famous performers make life altering mistakes in their personal lives. I’ve worked with many of these clients and there is usually a fairly typical…

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