The single greatest catalyst to my professional development was an unassuming man who first approached me as a peer.
I met this gentleman at a networking event, and I immediately noticed how he engaged with others through his genuine interest in them. As people informally mingled, it was as if he was learning the most profound [...]
Archive for October, 2007
An Appreciative Incident … That Changed My Life.
Posted in Coaching on October 30, 2007 | 1 Comment »
A Barber’s Leadership Lessons – In memory of my mother
Posted in Leadership on October 28, 2007 | Leave a Comment »
My mother had a barbershop in West Vancouver and she insisted, like her father had done with her, that I learn the family trade. I resisted. I didn’t want to be a barber. My mother countered that having a trade was important so I would learn the trade – just in case.
“Just in case” was [...]
What is Your Promise Kept?
Posted in Leadership on October 28, 2007 | 1 Comment »
When I studied marketing in school, my professors drilled one idea into me (or at least it is the only one that I can recall now, ten years later): a brand is a promise kept. Over the last ten years I have often reflected upon those carefully selected words: promise, kept. Two key words that [...]
Strategy. Getting from here to there.
Posted in Leadership on October 28, 2007 | 1 Comment »
I once read that Mrs. Fields of Mrs. Fields Cookies responded with the following when asked about how she had achieved her success in business, “People like to eat cookies and I like to bake them – that was my business plan.” What I love about her response is that it was so wonderfully simple, [...]
Organizational Mastery
Posted in Leadership on October 27, 2007 | Leave a Comment »
It took me two years to get it.
Two years of being continually frustrated! It felt like I was always waiting. Waiting for things to stabilize; waiting for systems and processes to be in place; waiting for resources to be available; waiting for the new hires to finally get up to speed so that we could [...]
Coaching is not giving advice!
Posted in Coaching on October 27, 2007 | Leave a Comment »
Recently a colleague sent me a link to a short piece on Seth Godin’s blog called “Coachable.” In it Seth defines coaching as insights or advice from others, and suggests that those who are coachable (ie. those who can take direction) will be more successful than those who cannot.
To illustrate his point he cites the [...]
Leadership 425: Self-Trust
Posted in Leadership on October 27, 2007 | 1 Comment »
I am always a little offended when I read an article entitled something or other 101 – as if the concept presented is so basic I should have already mastered it. So, although the concept of self-trust is a leadership fundamental, I believe its application actually operates at an advanced level – at a 400-course [...]
Dangerous Conversations – The Leader’s Tool
Posted in Communication on October 15, 2007 | Leave a Comment »
How often do you engage in the kind of conversation that stimulates changes in performance? Before you answer this question, reflect on the following: How many conversations do you have during an average day? How many of these simply function as social lubricants helping you slide through the day without having to address the real [...]
Leading you: Where’s Your Attention?
Posted in Leadership on October 15, 2007 | 3 Comments »
Do you have the ability to focus your mind on what you want, when you want?
It is often said that our most precious commodity is time. I disagree. Because the experience of time is relative, I do not find it an adequate measurement tool. Rather, I propose that our most precious commodity is our [...]
