There are many paths that lead to success. There are precious few that lead to excellence. Watching some powerful models of pursuers of excellence over the years, I notice some commonalities: They paint a clear picture of "where we're heading" -- the VISION. That...
Nelson Coulter
PatternProblems
We often get steeped in problem solving mode. That busyness causes us to be myopic in both the way we view the problem and the way we attempt to rectify it. Problems are regularly the consequence of faulty systems, patterns of behavior that cause the problems in the...
LearningLimits
Dr. Dylan Wiliam is a prominent thought leader in my profession of Education. I heard him say at a conference once that "a lifetime is not long enough to learn the craft of teaching." Indeed! Or any other professional endeavor, for that matter. Or, for any...
ConsequenceCoincidence
My late friend and wellness advisor, Dr. Roby Mitchell, was fond of saying, "Consequence is no coincidence." The habits we embrace and the decisions we make regarding... Our physical health and wellbeing Our emotional/spiritual health and wellbeing Our relationships,...
ControlFreaks
Control Freaks demonstrate some very common (and unattractive) tendencies. They often ... Threaten Traffic in secrecy Use inappropriate pressure Caste blame and create diversions Bully (when they can get away with it) Dictate impossible tasks and/or timelines Attempt...
VoiceGivers
The late Dr. Stephen Covey got quite famous on the strength of his writing of The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People (2004). He followed that book a year later with The 8th Habit: From Effectiveness to Greatness (2005). Both were excellent; I liked the latter even...
Wanted
Most of us want something we don't currently have. Sometimes it tangible stuff, sometimes intangible. Wishing for it, however, usually doesn't fulfill our aspirations. Consider a well-used recipe for getting what we want: Be crystal clear about what it is we want....
CondensedLeadership
Tomes have been written about effective leadership. One of my faves is Primal Leadership, written by Daniel Goleman, et al (you can find it under the Book Recommendation tab on this site). In the book, DG articulates six types of leaders: Visionary, Affiliative,...
FearShackles
Fear in the workplace is like putting shackles on continuous improvement. When team members have fear, the very best in potential performance and the highest aspirations of the organization are mired in concrete. What would cause apprehension and tentativeness in the...
EmpowerPower
Empowered teams are powerful teams. They can get "stuff" done. Teams that are DIS-empowered feel/look/smell like this: De-energized Helpless Listless Weak Fearful Useless De-valued Teams that feel empowered feel/look/smell like this: Bold Eager Confident Energized...
