Perseverance & Managing Failure
Sustainable Excellence Through Process, Discipline & Focus (Part 1)
Don’t rely on the latest tip of the day or fad of the month to achieve your personal or collective best. There will always be another leadership or self-help book, infomercial, exercise program, diet, etc., proclaiming to take you to the Promised Land. Truth be told, many techniques are helpful for temporarily improving some aspect…
Read More5 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,…
Read MoreWhat Does Success Mean to You?
Most of us seek success. Is there anything wrong with that? Let’s face it, success is better than failure. Winning is better than losing. But high performers can also seek success for the wrong reasons. In addition to creating plans and goals to achieve success, I believe it’s important for high performers to understand why…
Read MoreCan You REALLY Let Go of the Outcome?
I’ve written before about the concept of process versus outcome in achieving sustainable excellence (see Understanding Process & Outcome). For a leader, coach, or performer, the basic concept is simple: Focus on the task at hand and let the outcomes take care of themselves. I’ve spoken with countless clients about this over the years. But…
Read MoreWhat We Can Learn From Adversity
Adversity originates from many sources. It could follow the loss of a big game, failure to get a promotion, a bombed presentation, or losing a business deal to a competitor. More seriously, adversity may result from being fired, significant financial difficulty, the end of a relationship, or serious illness. Regardless of the source, we can…
Read More5 Steps To Resiliency
Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg and Wharton professor Adam Grant have recently released a new book on resilience. Sandberg lost her husband suddenly in 2015. As she struggled to adjust to life without her mate she became interested in resiliency and how she could demonstrate this quality in response to her own personal tragedy. As I came across…
Read MoreTransparency: Corporate Buzzword or Leadership Necessity?
Our world these days is filled with jargon and nowhere is that more apparent than in the realm of leadership. Every few years another term takes hold that is often used mindlessly in an attempt to motivate and inspire. In reality, these terms are often dismissed by experienced team members as the latest flavor of…
Read More5 Reasons Leaders Don’t Give Tough Feedback
Most of us agree we can’t be great without candid feedback, especially about things we can improve in ourselves and our performance. Yet often we don’t receive this feedback at all or react poorly when we do. Lisa McKale recently published a very nice infographic on Resourceful Manager regarding this topic. In my experience these are typical reasons…
Read MoreUSA Women’s Gymnastics: A True High-Performance Team
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…
Read MoreAre You Motivated By Ego?
If you are a performer it’s key to understand why you choose to compete. If you are managing or coaching performers it’s even more important to understand what motivates them in order to lead effectively. Research has identified two primary motivations for individuals who enter into the world of competition. They are ego and mastery.…
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