For decades, Black Friday has been a hot media topic every November. The biggest shopping day of the year has evolved into a weekend of jaw-dropping sales, shoppers camped out in sleeping bags, and crowds shoving their way to deeply discounted wares. I won’t even go there. But what about Cyber Monday, Black Friday’s younger…
Back to School: A Lesson in Easy vs. Good
No matter how old I get, colorful trees still get me thinking of back to school. Of summer’s lazy days coming to an end, replaced by the drudgery of classroom life. With September, we say goodbye to the spontaneous, unscheduled days of summer, replacing freedom with strict school bells that order us from one activity…
Impact in Leadership: Try Less, Watch for More
“The one who knows much says little.” – Proverbs 17:27 I was watching my grandson play a video game the other day, and I noticed that periodically, in anticipation of whatever trouble his player is about to confront, he will pause the game and select a new batch of appropriate weapons. Good leaders function in…
The 6-Year-Old in the Room
When I work with clients as they analyze whether a candidate is a good fit for a position, I hear one comment more than any other: “I’d like someone with industry experience.” “Why?” I ask “Isn’t it obvious?” my client replies, surprised by my question. Nope. Not in my book. The reasoning for this experience…
Hook a New Habit: A Smart Tip for Behavior Change
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: behavior change is just plain difficult. Why? Because that old behavior is on autopilot. It’s so ingrained that it’s simply second nature. So changing it is like kicking a familiar old habit. But fortunately, I have a trick—a tool that actually leverages old habits into positive…
Invested in His People: A Notre Dame Developer Credits Others
In my power-alley attributes seminars, one of the inherent traits we study is what I call the developer attribute. A developer is an encourager, delegator, and mentor—one who is focused on others achieving their goals, who’s driven toward teamwork. Often self-effacing, a developer tends to work behind the curtain. To give you an example that…
