Do You Have Cultural Arsonists on the Team?

Do You Have Cultural Arsonists on the Team?

A CEO used the term “cultural arsonists” when describing dysfunctional behavior in a company. It got my attention. I hope it gets yours. For me, a cultural arsonist is someone who is working in a way that is destructive to the aspirational aspects of the culture....
Keep Your Focus to Win

Keep Your Focus to Win

My neighbor yelling over the fence: “Hey, Gary! Whatcha doing? Meditating??” What? In fact, I was reading my iPad on the back porch. But I thought his question was both funny and ironic. What if I HAD been meditating? The comment would have broken my focus. You need...
The High Price of Discounting Yourself

The High Price of Discounting Yourself

In a recent interview*, the guest asked the audience this question: How much has invalidating yourself cost you? It’s worth thinking about. Invalidating yourself means thinking less of yourself without any evidence. It means downplaying your potential. It might...
Lack of Fit is a Sign of Lack of Ethics

Lack of Fit is a Sign of Lack of Ethics

I was on a call recently with a young man looking for some career advice.He asked if it was right that that he was looking for another job so soon after getting this one.Me: 100%. In fact, it is the ethical thing to do.The problem is that neither he nor his current...
Team and Tech for the Win

Team and Tech for the Win

We had a GREAT two weeks in the south of France. (For me, that phrase does NOT get old!) But on the return home, we had many delays, technical snafus, and logistical hurdles to overcome. It all worked out, but success required two ingredients: team and technology. My...
Share Your Belief to Win

Share Your Belief to Win

Walter Peyton said everything changed when Coach Mike Ditka came to Chicago and firmly stated that this Bears team was going to the Superbowl. Walter believed him and that belief pushed him and the team to think bigger and work harder. It took five years and lots of...