Have you ever been at work when there’s a lot to be done and people are standing around asking way too many questions? Or maybe you’ve been in a meeting and it is the perfect time for discussion. But no one says a word. For business leaders to succeed, they need to understand when and where to ask questions.
Humility. Giving. Sacrifice.
Whether you consider it gospel, history, or myth, the traditional story of Christmas makes for a compelling tale filled with leadership lessons. A young peasant girl is chosen by God to fulfill an ancient prophecy and change the path of the entire world. Together with her fiancé she has to make a long journey that ends with the birth of baby Jesus in a dirty stable, surrounded by animals, and shepherds sent by angels.
When you think about dedication or commitment to loyalty, one of the things that always comes to my mind is family. Now, just to give you a little background, my dad was in the military, a basketball coach, and a high school principal. This sets the stage for the story I’d like to tell you about what he taught me about loyalty.
Finding great employees is one thing; keeping them in your organization is another. Many employees that fall into this category know that their skills and experience are valued and highly marketable, making it easy for them to move on to other workplaces, even those that belong to your competitors. In order to keep them happy, productive, and working for your company, you should consider following these four leadership tips.
What is integrity? It’s that idea of truth and honesty. It’s the opposite of a lie. And it’s the opposite of deceit or manipulation. A person of integrity knows the right thing, says the right thing, and does the right thing.
I’ve been learning about this topic all my life – as a little kid, teenager, and now as an adult. And I’d like to tell you three quick stories on the lessons I’ve learned about integrity.
“If you want to build a ship, don’t herd people together to collect wood and don’t assign them tasks and work, but rather teach them to long for the endless immensity of the sea.” – Antoine de Saint-Exupery
When I talk to the executives of different companies, I’ll often say, “Here’s one of the rules you need to have as a leader. You 100%, absolutely have to brag… About someone else.”
When you brag about yourself, that’s called ego. But when you brag about someone else, that’s called encouragement. What kind of leader do you really want to be?
Let me tell you a story in history about the danger of overconfidence…
There’s something special about the start of a new school year. How can leaders take advantage of the back-to-school spirit?
Here are six ideas to consider:
If anyone has earned a solid retirement, it’s Michael Phelps. A quick summary of his career: The most decorated Olympic athlete of all time with 28 medals, 23 of them gold. He swam in 5 Olympic games, finished with a medal in 93% of his Olympic races, has more medals than 108 countries, and broke 39 world records during his career. Oh, and a few years ago he launched the Michael Phelps Foundation to promote the sport of swimming and healthful living.
With the opening of the 2016 Summer Games approaching, it’s a topic I often hear leaders talking about as I speak at conferences and events.
Unfortunately, the conversations so far have mirrored the headlines, focusing on issues with the host site or the games themselves. There are stories of construction delays, water quality concerns, crime, and of course the Zika virus, which is keeping some participants away. Doping scandals have becoming an unfortunate part of most international events, but the recent twist has involved the quality of the labs doing the testing. Even feel-good stories like the progress of the Olympic torch have had a way of turning bad, as when an endangered jaguar, after taking part in a torch ceremony, escaped its handlers and was killed by the military.