Remember the fire in the belly you felt on the way to achieving a goal? The goal might have involved a project execution, career advancement, or a sports championship. You came to work each day focused and energized. Yet as you reached your goal, it’s likely that a subtle process began to take hold, one […]
5 Steps to Self-Discipline
Think about the last time you decided to improve something about yourself, your team, or a relationship. If you’re like most people, you started strongly, then faded slightly, then faded more, and eventually slipped back into the same pattern that motivated you to make the change initially. It bothers you when you think about it, […]
High-Performance Culture: Cliché or Reality?
I often grow weary of the clichés and jargon I encounter in sports and corporations. Yet every once in a while, I embrace a term that falls under the “cliché” or “jargon” category because the phrase captures the essence of something special in a way that no other words can. That’s why I’ve come to […]
Three Rookie Leadership Mistakes
You’ve taken your first head coaching job, executive position or perhaps even become a CEO. You are simultaneously excited and overwhelmed. You look forward to the challenge and the opportunity. In order to capitalize on your success, you’ll need to avoid these common pitfalls that frequently occur with the big promotion. Mistake #1: Managing Versus […]
Do You Really Delegate?
Any successful leader must master the art of delegation, yet in realty few do. Why is that? Let’s look at the typical progression of leadership to understand why it is so difficult to delegate effectively when you’ve arrived at the top. How Did I Get Here? You achieved a position of leadership by delivering results. […]
The Difference Between Success and Excellence
Most people believe success and excellence are interchangeable terms. After all, if I’m successful I’m excellent, right? Not so fast… Results Versus Potential Success is an absolute term. If you are the highest producing salesperson, win the game, or beat the earnings forecast, you are successful. Success in the performance world is about achieving outcomes […]
Five Signs You are a Self-Aware Leader
Years ago, a CEO I was working with said to me, “You know, no one gets to be a CEO without an ego.” What struck me about his comment was that I perceived him as one of the lowest ego CEOs I have ever worked with. He possessed the self-awareness to understand that he had […]
Is Team Building a Waste of Time?
Mention the words “team building” to a group of senior leaders and you can feel the collective groans, sighs and various other forms of displeasure. Most senior leaders feel traditional team building is a waste of time. This might seem curious coming from an executive coach, but I agree with them. Except for the social […]
The Right and Wrong Ways to Use Executive Coaching
Executive coaching has become an explosive field. I’ve seen examples of highly successful coaching and also witnessed extremely poor practice. Making an investment in executive coaching requires significant time and resources for any individual or organization. Given that investment, here are some thoughts that will help maximize your coaching benefits. Start With The Right Assessment […]
Understanding Process and Outcome
If I had to choose a single concept most important to achieving sustainable excellence, it would be understanding the relationship between process and outcome. This principle is key to professional excellence but also to realizing your full potential in any area of life. Master this concept and life becomes simpler, more productive, and more focused. […]