It’s been quite a month. Two notable deaths, and the remembrance of one notable birth. Two notable men gone. Kim Jong II. He was the dictator/god of North Korea, a man from the East. Christopher Hitchens was the iconic leader of the emerging atheist class of the West. Neither one died because they were penniless....Read More

(Not To Be Confused With Introspection) The famous Irish poet Oscar Wilde once said, “The final mystery is oneself.” But how do you unravel the mystery that is you? For one thing you need to be self-aware. Yet this won’t happen without reflection. Now we talk about reflection, disproportionately, at this time of the year....Read More

CAUTION!! You are about to enter the time-to-take-action zone. It’s an annual sojourn that usually starts right after the Thanksgiving holidays. We refer to them as resolutions. But resolutions do not equal intentions. The journey between now and the New Year is a bit treacherous. There are psychological obstacles and optical illusions that need to...Read More

It seems logical on the surface to cut training. After all, budgets must be trimmed in this economic environment. Not only is the training financially a burden, but there is so much on the organization’s plate that entering into this kind of “extracurricular” activity is time consuming. There is an urgent need to focus on...Read More

(Are You Prepared To Attract Qualified Workers?) You’ve read the headlines. One day they say, Companies Report Record Profits. The next day it’s, Unemployment Is At 10 Percent. What gives? Payrolls have been cut to the bone. Technology has created a surplus of unskilled labor, thus layoffs. It will create new and better jobs, but...Read More

How often do we hear, “Millennials have it so good”? This usually comes with a spoken, or unspoken statement that they are spoiled. Interestingly enough, they didn’t spoil themselves! The “Me” Generation spoiled them. The “Me” generation spoiled the “We” generation. Here’s the reality—they don’t have “everything” so good. They simply have a different set...Read More

(Putting Out The F.I.R.E.) Bad listening skills will hurt your career. They will also hurt your relationships in general. The skill of great listening is intricately tied to our emotions. Can we actually live, let alone listen, without being lead by our emotions? It might not seem possible if you have leaned too heavily on...Read More

Our history is filled with stories of people who turn major setbacks, addictions, and bad decisions into a purposeful future. When Chuck Colson went to prison for his major part in Watergate, his fall from grace gave rise to a nonprofit that has become a redemptive turn around for multitudes of imprisoned inmates. He is...Read More

The answer to that question is simple to understand, but not as easy to execute. Some of the most important things in life are accomplished when we have a sense of urgency. And some of the greatest stresses we endure are experienced when we are bombarded and ambushed by the urgencies of life. What’s the...Read More

Is There An Upside of Giving Up Control? I met Charlene Li in Chicago at the American Society for Trainers and Developers conference (ASTD) last year. She is the co-author of Groundswell. Her new book, Open Leadership: How Social Technology Can Transform the Way You Lead, continues on the same theme.  It’s about changing the power...Read More