I admire Scott Raecker; he’s a great speaker with wonderful stories and spot-on content. His work on character education has touched many. And when he had the floor for five minutes at the 90 Ideas event, he shared two big insights with us, and one of them was unexpected: Drink water. I’ve blogged about … Read more
I’ve heard a few versions of “Ask yourself if it needs to be said” before speaking out loud. When I heard Kristi Knous speak recently at the 90 Ideas event, I appreciated her 3 questions for leaders before speaking. I wrote Kristi, as I wanted to get her words just right, and she graciously emailed … Read more
Because conflict can be tense and uncomfortable, we might want it to end quickly. DiSC-wise, S types, and even some i types, find productive conflict awkward at times. Caving in works. It ends discussion.
Belittling can be direct, like calling someone an idiot, or it can be slightly more subtle. Either way, when our back is against the wall in a conflict situation, and things turn unhealthy, making others look small is a tactic that can rear its ugly head.
We love big stories about exciting, game-changing leadership moments. But when you’re asked about the best leader you ever worked with, you probably don’t respond with a story or example of their biggest project or resume-builder. Instead, you talk about the way they made you feel. Years from now, people will forget the little things you … Read more
Leaders and experts speak highly of the ability to adapt; people who can adapt to changing situations have a growth mindset, rather than a fixed mindset, and can stay nimble in volatile times of change or uncertainty. Sometimes, though, the only time we can develop those skills are in actual crisis situations. Adversity helps us … Read more
In earlier posts, we’ve looked at the Five Dysfunctions of a Team, and we’ve looked at DiSC. Please look back for a refresher if you need one. Most teams struggle with the “Trust” and “Conflict” behaviors, and this series of short posts examines the ways each DiSC style can influence those areas. The Steadiness style can … Read more
A couple years ago, I did a 4-post series on “Being Easy to Work With” which was based on DiSC styles. It’s time for a simple reminder of a serious key to success for anyone – leaders, or direct reports. Keep your standards high, but constantly seek to be easy to work with. Be the person … Read more
I don’t usually share news through my blog, but this news is BIG! My first book is now available. Launch event and ordering info are below, and I want to personally (through this mass publication) invite you to come! And, please buy as many copies of my book as possible and give copies to everyone you know … Read more
I was visiting with a seed scientist once, and I opened the conversation with a simple “So, how was your week?” “Oh, Alan,” Dr. Kim said. “I worked on the Acme project this week. And I learned a lot. There were a lot of mistakes, so we learned a lot. It was a week of research … Read more