Before we direct, correct, encourage, sell to, influence, plead with, or praise people, let’s take a moment to quietly love them. If we can’t love them, let’s appreciate them. We can find even some small aspect about who they are that we honestly appreciate. It takes a minute or two before a meeting. With practice, we can do it […]
Within each of us is a wealth of juicy goodness. As leaders, a big part of our job is to recognize, name, nurture, and deploy that goodness–our team’s and our own. In your corner, Mike PS: How to begin? Get good at seeing it in everyone including you. photo credit: slices via photopin (license)
At work, at home, and in general, we sometimes need to know the meaning of it all. (So, here goes…) We walk through the apparently very real, engrossing, confusing, and painful-and-pleasureful landscape of life. As we do, we struggle. Then, slowly, with the careful and gentle help of the The Poet, we become aware that existence is more than […]
What is the proper response to praise? How should we act when others tell us how talented we are? Downplay? Demur? Or quickly try to deflect with a compliment of our own for them? Maybe we should we analyze their comments for ulterior motives. Nope. The best response to praise from anyone for any reason […]
We get ourselves hamstrung trying to do leadership, influence, or sales right. We read the books, take the classes, and listen to the gurus. Sure, some models and insights from others help. But we would be so much more successful if we would let go and simply lead, influence, and sell as we are. You […]
Like buffaloes walking toward storms to reduce the duration of their exposure, we can best weather criticisms by heading right for them. Try this. Ask the people who matter in your career (and life) what they think you do well and what you could improve. Thank them for their candor. After gathering their input, select […]
Contrary to common wisdom, a leader’s job is not to be the task master, to get other people to do stuff. Nor, oddly, is it to set vision, inspire, align, motivate, develop, preach, market, sell, or coach. A leader’s job is to create an environment where we all consistently and sustainably deliver desired results. We […]
In leadership, influence, and sales, we can blunder by making our case too early. And we know we are making our case too early because we feel bad: rushed, frustrated, tense, or afraid. Perhaps we feel that we need to explain the what, why, who, when, and how. Or maybe we think we want to impress the other person with […]
We can answer the following questions both when we sell something to our clients and when we seek better collaboration with others inside our organization. What do they care about, really? What do they struggle with now? What do they want? What have they tried and why hasn’t that worked? What will be true for them […]
Selling or influencing or leading change can be like riding the local train making all stops: it takes a long time. Often too long. We waste way too much time because we think we need to get our ducks in a row, know the answers, prove ourselves, and be perfect so that others will listen, […]