As an Introvert, it took me a while to fully believe in the importance of networking. Mostly motivated by my fear to “put myself out there”, I convinced myself that it wasn’t an essential formula for success. As I progressed in my career and my span of control grew, I began to understand the true … Read more
As a leader, you can have several goals depending on the commitments of your position. There are many metrics that determine whether or not you are performing a good job. There are financial goals, marketing goals, and development goals. Several priorities are calling upon your attention. Where do you start? What is your number one … Read more
This week’s 5-minute motivation is meant to challenge your thinking about leadership. What does it mean to be a leader and how can a leader start a movement? Do you want to inspire action from your team, your family or community? Derek Sivers discusses the transformation of a “lone nut” into a leader. He uses … Read more
The productivity question that every leader must face at one point is, “Do I complete this task myself or delegate it to someone else”? Depending on the situation, completing the task yourself can be a lot quicker. It takes a while to properly train someone to be effective in a new role. What you need … Read more
It is easy to get caught up in the urgency of the moment. There is so much to do in a day that you might be tempted to direct your team’s next actions. After all, being directive gets the job done quicker. However, one trait that successful leaders have is the ability to ask the … Read more
It is not an easy thing to do. It is much easier not to do. Having a difficult conversation about an employee’s performance can be a challenge. When you push-off having that conversation because, “you don’t have the time”, or because “you are afraid it will demotivate and make performance worse,” the only person you … Read more
You work hard to inspire your team. You create development plans in partnership with your team members to ensure they continue to enhance their competencies. Sales are going well, you’re happy and your team is happy. You recognize, celebrate and think that all is going exactly as planned. Then it doesn’t. That is when the … Read more
Throughout my career, I have been put in several different challenging leadership positions. In my first leadership role, I was the only female store manager out of over 90 stores. I was one female in an environment at that time dominated by men. I was also Director of a HBC store, leading a team of … Read more
How engaged are you at work? As a leader, do you keep employee satisfaction top of mind? Do you have a plan in place to decrease employee turnover and improve employee engagement? If you do not, don’t be fooled into thinking that you don’t have a problem. The statistics are startling and the trend is … Read more
Grab a Coffee or Tea and take the next few minutes to catch up on some great reads. There is a lot of great information available on the blogosphere that can help direct you towards your goals. Let’s hope that these posts get you to Dream It! Do It! And Inspire! Here are Some Leadership … Read more
We live in a competitive world. Athletes compete for the win, politicians compete to be elected, and companies compete for their share of the buyer’s wallet. Even in our day-to-day, we are competing all the time. Who brings in the highest numbers, who signs the biggest contract? The reality is that our results and our … Read more
I have heard employees complain about it more times than I can remember. I’ve seen the disappointment in their faces when reality is far from the image they had on their minds. When they look forward to meeting the executive only to feel at the end of the encounter as though they no longer understand … Read more
For all who have made a hiring mistake in the past, put your hands up. I have made some embarrassing ones and in every case I reflect back to the hiring process. Should I have seen something that would have given me a hint that this person would be a “bad hire”? In the majority … Read more
Imagine the following scenario: There is someone in your work that would benefit greatly from an effective communication course. He talks mostly to hear himself think. When you are communicating with him, his eyes wander and you know he is truly not listening to what you are saying. You find that you have to repeat … Read more
Throughout my career, I have seen dozens of different New Managers as they try to succeed in their new role. If you are a new manager, congratulations. You have exhibited competencies that have given you success and got you to where you are now. Now that you are here, where do you start? As a … Read more