So many times when I talk to business leaders, they talk about growth. And it always leads me to one question, why do you want to grow? Usually, I get that “you’re a heretic” look as if I've somehow slandered the flag, mom, and apple pie all at one time. But what is the reason? … Continue reading Why do you want to grow your business, to get more or give more? Your answer is key to whether it happens or not.

How do we listen? It sounds so easy. You just listen someone says. But when I say listening, I mean truly listen. And what do I mean by that? I mean listening to understand. When we are confronted with someone who represents or vocalizes a point of view that we vehemently disagree with, we often … Continue reading Listening: what it really is, why it’s hard, and why we need to do it.

But what is inclusion? I can tell you, in this context, it has nothing to do with different races, genders, creeds, or religious persuasions, it has to do with involvement. Have you ever worked in or are you currently working in a place where your leadership doesn’t involve anyone but themselves in anything. In other … Continue reading Engagement requires inclusion.

In the book This Book Will Make You Kinder, the author, Henry James Garrett, seeks to answer two key questions: Why are we kind? Why aren’t we kinder? Garrett, for those of you who are not familiar with him, is primarily known for his illustrations (he calls them cartoons) of animals who comment on subjects … Continue reading Book Review: This Book Will Make You Kinder by Henry James Garrett

I once played in a ballet orchestra. Those are the folks in the pit below the stage. I remember during a rehearsal of Prokofiev’s Cinderella there was a section where most of the orchestra was playing and I glanced at the basses who were sawing away quite furiously. During a break, I was walking around … Continue reading Listen hard, pay attention. Everyone matters.

I recently read an article that was criticizing the idea of servant leadership. In the article, it mentioned the thought that employees were only, in the final analysis, a means to an end and that leaders were really not there to serve. Let’s look at those two thoughts individually. Means to an end. When I … Continue reading Leaders run things and employees are cogs in the machine. Not!

I’ve recently become interested in design thinking. It began when I heard about something called service design. It piqued my interest so I did a little research and learned more about not only service design but user experience design, interaction design, product design, customer experience design, brand experience design, you name it, there seems to … Continue reading Design thinking should be the future of business.

It’s a new year, it’s a time to decide your direction. What will you drive forward this year? What success will you see? All of it is determined by what you do. Read that again. Will you gather a tribe of people who believe what you believe and begin leading them? Will you stand for … Continue reading It’s time to decide.

The big day of the holidays is over, and now we have what I call the “dead week” before we turn the page on the calendar. Why is this week so special? This is the week where your phone rings less and things are quieter, and that means you have time to reflect, ideate, and … Continue reading Now is the time to get to work on your new year.

It’s the holiday season, and no matter who you are, what you believe, or what your background, you can participate. So go ahead, celebrate: The people in your life who support and help you. The successes you’ve had. The opportunities presented this year. All the things you have that bring you joy. All the things … Continue reading Celebrate