Tilting at Windmills Many of our “enemies” are illusions–specters of past traumas or the product of misguided beliefs. We allow old narratives to play out again and again, unquestioned. We simply draw our swords and start swinging, just as Don Quixote does in Miguel de Cervantes’ novel. That’s where the term “tilting at windmills” originated. [...]
From Therapeutic to Performance As executive coaching continues to expand, the field is shifting away from a therapeutic model to a greater emphasis on business performance, leadership, and communication. Coaching has already changed significantly since it emerged barely 15 years ago. Coaches initially came from psychology or counseling, and their mission was to solve a [...]
Integrity matters. Rescheduling a meeting results in less trustworthiness & less integrity.
Entrepreneurs like not only to identify new opportunities and threats, new strengths and weaknesses, but also to act on them. They like to shake the snow globe.
Sheryl Sandberg’s new book (Lean In) is out or should I say “in.” Her message to women is to be more ambitious, grab a seat at the table, raise your hand, and take credit for the work you’ve done. She believes that women have a tendency to lean backward as they consider whether and [...]
How do you frame your work so that your audience–team members, customers, service providers–doesn’t miss valuable content? How do you make the most important information the most visible and aesthetically pleasing? How can you avoid having to re-frame an argument later?
Being right can be addictive, in part because being right gives us a shot of dopamine and adrenaline. Our adrenaline, though, can alienate others.
The Fox and the Grapes fable by Aesop (circa 620-564 BC) is a powerful example of cognitive dissonance.
Leaders may feel like they need fewer challenges, not more. In fact, what they need are new challenges, not the same ones, over and over. The focus of today’s post is on how to challenge yourself in new ways and, in the process, develop as a leader. Digital Photography School offers a weekly photo challenge [...]
Focusing, by definition, will narrow your field of vision. That’s great…if you are on the right path. Not so great if you and your team are trying to solve the wrong problem. How do you and your team keep yourself open not only to new solutions, but also to new problems?
Focus I am an avid photographer, and when taking pictures I am focused on focus. Without focus, the shot is a bust. What do I want in focus? and What do I want out of focus? are questions I ask. A wide aperture provides minimal depth of field (only a small portion of what is in the [...]
The Entrepreneurial Guide to Success Joe Powers is the owner of the Canadian Honker, an unassuming “comfort food” restaurant in Rochester, MN. The restaurant is located directly across the street from St. Marys Hospital, part of the world famous Mayo Clinic. Heads of state, Fortune 100 executives, and media personalities are routinely cared for at [...]
In Driven, two eminent Harvard professors, Paul R. Lawrence and Nitin Nohria, identify four core human drives
We don’t often consider the way decision making is driven by energy: anabolic (positive) and catabolic (negative).
We experience two forms of energy (anabolic and catabolic) in our work and personal lives. How best can we use those forms of energy to perform?
