I have a friend who got ensnarled in a toxic work environment. The poison was created by a narcissistic colleague who mistreated teammates, lied, made up stories that damaged people, and pretty much manipulated anything that would further his own cause.  After a long ordeal, upper management had finally had enough and made a power … Continue reading Changing your name will not change who you are. 

Came across the term “good-handedness” in a newsletter by Austin Kleon. It describes “the immediate feeling on reading the first lines of a book, or starting a movie, etc., that you are in good hands.” It got me thinking. Shouldn’t good-handedness apply to businesses? Shouldn’t our impressions of a business be such that we feel … Continue reading Good hands.

Integrity: doing the right thing by doing things right whether anyone knows it or not. The enemies… Cutting corners: skipping steps, leaving out parts, or skimping on details to save time, money, or both. Shortcuts: doing work more quickly than and not as thoroughly as standard procedure in order to avoid undesirable difficulties or complications. … Continue reading Integrity’s enemies.

When I was young, I had many friends whose parents doled out lots of rules. Consequently, those friends were always, it seemed, trying to find ways to get around those rules or to break them outright. When I became a parent, my wife and I decided to go a different route and limit rules. Essentially, … Continue reading Leadership. Try it.

Reliability is about showing up come hell or high water and getting the job done. It is critical to building and maintaining trust, the linchpin for successful business.  Be reliable, earn trust, get more work. The formula is foolproof. But it must be managed. It requires caution.  More business means more busy-ness …which is good. … Continue reading A warning about reliability.

Mike Easley is an author you may not know, but after reading his new book, Becoming a Leader Worth Following, I am convinced you should get to know him. The book is not a fable or research-laden tome on the “mystical” qualities necessary to be a great leader; it is a journey that takes readers … Continue reading BOOK REVIEW: Becoming a Leader Worth Following by Mike Easley

Yes, it’s true. There is no best.  Why? Because tomorrow, somebody who’s working hard and continuously improving will make it, whatever it is, better.  Besides, our view of best is a moving target. Think of how our view of ideal body types has changed. In the 16th and 17th centuries, plump with rosy cheeks was … Continue reading There is no best. There’s something better.

Most people want to make progress in their careers and see success. Most people, regardless of their job or role, want to matter and do work that matters.  But showing up every day and getting it done, while a good place to start, isn’t enough.  If the work you do isn’t very special, you won’t … Continue reading Bringing your best begins with one person. 

Ordinary. Average. No one wants to be that. But a lot of organizations are.  Studies show that, in our experiences, what gets prominence in our memories is the high emotional point and/or the low emotional point.  Think about it. When you follow a sport, you remember the good games …and… the bad games.  If you … Continue reading Ordinary sucks. Go for extraordinary.

Matthew Tenney is a speaker, writer, and teacher who works with organizations to develop more effective leaders who serve. He has an interesting background that includes military service, a prison sentence for his involvement in a fraud scheme, and time in a monastery. Through all of this, Tenney’s life has evolved from value extraction to … Continue reading Book review: Inspire Greatness by Matt Tenney