Whatever your reasons for celebrating this time of year, it’s safe to say that the vast majority of us recognize this as a season of giving. Giving presents, our time, possibly some hugs, often good wishes, money, you name it. Whatever the gift, this is a season when giving to others takes precedence over receiving…
Tragedy, Solidarity, & Leadership
Like most of us, I don’t have words to describe my response to the horrendous attacks in Paris last week. Sadness, disgust, horror…so many thoughts come to mind. But wherever I turn, I see people responding to the tragedy with messages of support, hope, and unity. Take this simple image from the Amazon website: Already,…
Overcompensate Your People
I’m often asked for advice on what to offer new candidates, or on what size performance increase might be appropriate for an existing team member. I tend to respond quickly: “Take what feels right and raise it at least 10%. Or if you can, find out what the person thinks he or she should make, and raise that…
Leadership Lessons from George & Abe
Before this month passes us by, I’d like to take a closer look at the 2 great American leaders we honor every February. Although some view Presidents’ Day as a way to recognize all American presidents, many believe that this minimizes the legacies of the men whose great leadership in fact spurred the creation and evolution of…
See Yourself as Others See You
One of my clients recently shared this brief video when responding to a blog post, and I loved it! In this interview for Fortune magazine’s “The best advice I ever got” series, Eric Schmidt – Google executive chairman and former CEO – makes a couple of keen observations about the value of leadership coaching, and…
What E.T. & Lou Gerstner Teach Us About Excellent Customer Service
We all remember that iconic little alien E.T., who so wanted to get in touch with his home ship that he repeated his “E.T. phone home” mantra right into the #15 slot of American cinema’s top 100 quotations. But what our present day ETs (Executive Teams, that is) don’t always remember is that anyone who…
