If you want to be a better leader and teammate you must change. It is impossible to get something different if you are not willing to BE something different. We must change to grow. You’ll notice that acorns grow into big trees, not 500-pound acorns! You are a...

If every day is a success, failure becomes impossible. But to achieve this, you must first define what success truly means to you. 💡 Any fool can be busy—believe me, I’ve been there. Yet, we all know that a day filled with activity doesn't necessarily translate into...

A business owner recently shared his shift in priorities to focus on sales and marketing, and he wondered how long it would take to see tangible results. From discussions with other CEOs and business owners, the consensus was clear: it could take one to two years. But...

If you want to build a great team, you need to have some belief. Start with dropping limiting beliefs like: Nobody wants to work anymore This next generation is a mess It’s not like it used to be There may be elements of truth, but let me ask you, does buying into...

As you set your goals, plans, and resolutions for the year, ensure each has a strong reason behind it to keep you motivated. A major goal requires a significant "Why." For example, you might have personal goals such as becoming more assertive, improving communication...

I can't recall where I first encountered this quote, but it's a powerful reminder. As many people set their New Year's resolutions, some may dismiss them as a waste of time. However, I believe they can be incredibly impactful. Set your resolutions, but also resolve to...

Mitigating Execution Risk: A Key to Achieving Your 2025 Goals Execution risk is the top concern for savvy investors. Projected returns matter, but they’re irrelevant without a capable team to bring them to life. As you plan for 2025, the focus should be on your team’s...

There’s always a better way to get more done quicker and better. Likely it will require less of you.But only if you embrace the idea that there must be a better way.You don’t have to do it all yourself. You don’t have to do it the hard way. You can use technology. You...

Gaining efficiency can be hard – whether it’s in the government or your own company. The Trump initiative dubbed DOGE (Department of Government Efficiency) has been tasked with identifying ways to make government more effective. Putting aside the scale of the problem...

It takes guts to improve and grow. The leaders I work with have all demonstrated that courage. Because it takes guts to: Be open to coaching from someone they just met Asking people to give their feedback in a confidential 360 Talking about areas for improvement...

Here’s a quote from Jeff that should be valuable to anyone: “We are stubborn on vision and flexible on details.” I take this to mean: First, stick with what you want to achieve. Don’t reduce the target. One leader I know expresses it this way: “Don’t let others...

Are you interested in succeeding or COMMITTED to succeeding? All things being equal, it is the committed who experience the most success. It’s true for fitness goals. It is true for financial goals.  It is also true for business goals. You see it on the football...

“That’s so dumb.” That’s what my dad told me years ago when I told him I had made a business trip up to Whitefish, Montana and back to Phoenix in the same day. “Don’t you know Glacier National Park is right there??” he said. “Oh, I’ll be back,” I answered. But he was...

I continue to read through a list of books by billionaires and am now on Barefoot to Billionaire by Jon Huntsman Sr. One early nugget in that read is: “You can buy brains, but you can’t buy loyalty.” There’s a lot of truth in that statement. It’s why you cannot trust...

You need strong bonds to be successful. You need strong bonds with friends and family. You need strong bonds with your customers and suppliers. And you need strong bonds with each member of your team. A CEO shared with me that 40% of the people who leave his...

With over 10 years’ experience working with 1000s of leaders and teams, I know what works and what doesn’t work to improve leadership. I know how to build teams without wasting time and guesswork. There are proven ways to structure programs, training, and coaching...

Learning to sign ASL with a family member who is deaf has reminded me of a key element of communication.... Communication is not just about your ability to SEND a message, it is about your ability to RECEIVE a message. I can finger spell in ASL and know several signs,...

There was an article in the WSJ that described how some big firms working to shuffle people around to keep engagement high when they cannot offer promotions. That may or may not be an option for you and your organization. It’s not really the best strategy anyway. If...

I cannot see or hear you, but I am going to bet your answer is a YES. Most leaders would want respect. Not everyone hits the mark. Some miss because they want to be liked. Some miss because they mistake respect for fear. The truth is getting respect is pretty...

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....

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...

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...

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...

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...

“Disunity is the enemy.” These words came from a Fire Chief in describing the challenges of leading a team in a very polarized environment. I was surprised to hear that disunity was an issue in a firehouse, but maybe it is not so surprising given all the examples of...

Great leaders and teams demonstrate curiosity. Curiosity is essential if you and your team want to make sure you quickly get the results that you desire. Sam Walton was very curious about the customer experience and was constantly shopping Wal-Mart’s stores and those...

One of five key obstacles to getting the team an organization needs to deliver exceptional results is leaders that are not respected. Lack of respected leaders means people are at risk of leaving or (worse) staying and not giving their best. Respected leaders are an...

Who is coaching you? No, I am not asking for a recommendation. I am asking for a reflection.What inner voice do you listen to most of the time?Working with clients and reflecting on my own self talk I have noticed three primary types of inner voices.The first voice is...

I was visiting with a sales leader who helps companies spend less on employee healthcare through predictive analytics. He said “Any company that is in the people business is in the healthcare business.” He has a point. And any business with people is in the people...

According to McKinsey only 12% of companies who start a transformation project will see it though long enough to see results that last more than three years. Yet those companies that did see their projects through to completion enjoyed (on average) 2X more profits...

Have you heard of Red Bull? Of course you have. But why? The first reason is that the founder saw an opportunity (energy drink in Asia) that did not exist at all in Europe or the US and brought it to market. People loved the product, but that is not why it went on to...

Want to improve accountability? Most leaders do. The problem is accountability is a fuzzy word.The first step is to get clear on what outcomes you want people to be accountable for. A simple way to get this clarity is to ask “What can the team count you for?” The...

Next level success requires constant improvement. As one of my mentors says, “You can only coast downhill.” Everyday is a chance to improve. This prospect of constant improvement should not exhaust you, it should invigorate you.Improvement is life. Stagnation is the...

One of the key success disciplines of any team is the ability to get the right things done in a timeframe that matters.This discipline is called Speed of Implementation.Speed is POWERFUL.In fact, with the world we live in today, SPEED is the new BIG.Remember: Bullets...

The following quote is from a sociologist named Charles Cooley. Read it carefully. “I am who I think you think I am.” Read it again if you didn’t totally get it. What he’s saying is that people come to understand who they are by imagining what others think of them. It...

Leaders will say their biggest priority is finding and retaining great talent. They also complain about big companies coming in and taking all the good talent, the effect of government disincentives to work, a pervading culture of entitlement, and on and on. These can...

According to the Chinese zodiac, this is the Year of the Dragon, which, according to my research represents authority, glory, ability, and SUCCESS.How does an entire year of massive success sound to you?I hope the idea gets you fired up. If it does, then get set to...

Bradley Cooper continues to impress me. Several years ago I wrote about how he was going beyond what people (at least me that is) would have expected of him. At that time I was impressed by the work he did on A Star is Born, a film he directed, produced, and in which...

Yes your team CAN be even more successful in 2024. And this is the key: Thinking Bigger and Moving Faster. Sounds simple, right? It is. And simply powerful. The truth is that most leaders and teams UNDERESTIMATE that they can achieve.  They also OVERCOMPLICATE...

Never reject one of your gifts. We all have many gifts and a leader should lean into as many of them as they can. Leaders should also encourage each of their team members to do the same. Just because something comes easy or natural to you doesn't mean it’s not...

You know I like to collect colorful words, phrases, and metaphors to make a point. This one comes from Vic Valliere at CCS Presentation Systems: “Everyone has red flags in their pockets.” What this means is that every member of the team is here to help each other… and...

The conversations that we often dread the most give us the most relief after they are done. But the message MUST get across. When leaders hear the phrase “tough conversations,” sometimes they will limit their thinking to performance issues of individuals on their...

What is feedback? I know you know what feedback is. But what does it mean? When you give it does it represent failure? Bad news? Disappointment? Lack of ability? Judgement? Too often people will hesitate or delay giving feedback. They have weird feelings about it....

A world of prosperity and abundance requires energy -- lots of it and all kinds. We need it ALL: coal, nuclear, solar, oil & gas, geothermal, wind, hydropower… PLUS leadership energy. Great leaders get people organized, inspired, focused, and executing at a high...

I believe you are the answer. Now here are some of the questions: Who is going to keep us focused on the right things? Who is going to have a positive impact on this culture? Who is going to help us raise the bar in new and innovative ways? Who is going to make the...

Why did I decide to become a coach to leaders and teams? I get that question from time to time – usually at networking and social events. The answer is both selfish and altruistic. I wanted to have a bigger impact. I don’t think I am alone in having that desire. In my...

During the middle of an August heatwave in Phoenix, I started telling my wife and anyone else who would listen that I thought we were “turning a corner.”And it was true. (Even if we LOVED the heat, there was no way it was going to last.)I said this because it was...

Sometimes people are expected to wear a lot of hats. That’s totally fine as long as the important hats are, in fact, being worn. The reality is that people will wear the hats that they enjoy and will ignore or neglect the others. Two examples: A team of sales people...

Deion Sanders (aka “Prime Time”) is making news as the coach of the University of Colorado football team. As I understand it, their first win of the season equaled the total wins of last season. (Yes, the Buffs only won one game last year.) Now the team has a new...

After a biopsy, the PA at my dermatologist instructed me to keep a band-aid on with Vaseline, but “no Neosporin.” (She was very emphatic about it.) Me: “Why? I have been using it for years. I thought it was a great medicine.” PA: “Some people are sensitive to it.” Me...

For my upcoming podcast, a CEO shared his journey to build the oldest and largest handwritten automated note company in the US. His company makes its own robots from 3D printed parts. It uses AI to automate the production and quality control of the cards. It works...

A past client recently shared with me the term “Jesus bolts.” He told me that this colorful word describes the bolts that hold a helicopter wing to a rotor motor assembly. Obviously, these are critical connections. Lose this bolt and the whole thing comes down.How...

The kickboxing gym at which I used to train was basically two gyms in one. They had a series of classes for regular people plus they had other classes that were by invitation only. (The by invitation only classes had more than their fair share of “killers.” Several...

Unfortunately, I can’t remember where I heard this phrase so I can’t give proper credit. But it’s a cool phrase, right? It basically means taking the meaning out of your words. When I first heard it, I immediately thought about mission, vision, and values. These get...

Do you play to win? This might seem like a snarky question. It’s not. Of course, you want to win. But some teams just don’t act like they want the results as much as they seem to enjoy getting caught up in the details. Teams can get busy. Crazy busy. But busy doesn’t...

Ever feel like a loser?You’re not alone. Even very successful people struggle with feeling like they are going to be “found out” to have little or no talent after all.One CEO asked me if they were good enough to participate in a group with other CEOs. (Those other...

The best #CEOs back up their team. Sometimes that means taking the heat for an error, oversight, or generally underdelivering on expectations with customers.  As a young and eager salesperson I once made the mistake of including the name of a strategic partner in...

Currently, only a small number of the US population have the habit of regular exercise and staying physically active. But that small number can have a big impact. Their example can encourage others to be more active. Their kids might see their efforts and decide they...

I had just started my gym workout when a guy comes up to me and asked “how many more sets do you have?” My answer of “three of four more” made him pretty grumpy. While he stomped off, I looked around the gym. It’s a BIG gym and was lightly attended given the early...

All feedback is not created equal. Some, as my mentor Alan Weiss, likes to say “is for the giver, not the receiver.” One example was at the gym where a guy tapped me on the shoulder in between a set of squats with some helpful advice on my form. I understood his...

Ted Lasso, the popular Apple TV series has ended after three seasons.I think one of the reasons for its popularity is that its characters developed over time. It wasn't just what happened to the characters (the plot), but it was how each of the characters...

In the dark, early mornings, it is tempting to think that all is quiet and peaceful. You might think that at that hour, the world is filled with people still in bed or slowly getting ready to start the day. It’s not. Even at that hour, there are plenty of people...

Home Depot success story started when the founders were both fired from their jobs leading a home center store.They could have been bitter and spent years fighting for their lost compensation packages. Instead, they focused their efforts on creating an even better...

How quickly do you and your team get after new opportunities? Ever experience analysis paralysis? Procrastination? Here’s my take: Do you have a dream? Start now. Do you have an idea to improve the results you are getting? Start now. Do you have thoughts that, if put...

Do you think the level of enthusiasm of you and your teams have on impact on business results? If so, how do you maintain or improve it? Here’s my take: Every day is a fresh new day. And every day can benefit from a good dose of enthusiasm. Enthusiasm will open you up...

My Facebook account recently got compromised and I was notified that my account was immediately and permanently disconnected.  So far, it appears that there is no appeal to this decision.Even though I do not use Facebook often, this feels like a big loss. I value...

A contact of a contact reached out on LinkedIn. (I welcome people connecting with me on LinkedIn…you should too!)BUT this person also wanted to break the ice by sharing all his scores from different leadership assessments (Kolbe, Enneagram, Strength Finders, etc.)....

I read recently about Matija Pecotic, as rising star in tennis. His career is notable because until very recently he was working full-time at a real estate investment firm and competing in tennis on the side. After notching some big wins, he is ready to devote more...