How to Seek Feedback Like a Leader
Leadership Freak
NOVEMBER 2, 2023
Don’t ask something stupid like, “How am I doing,” when seeking feedback. Here are three practical questions to wak when seeking feedback.
Leadership Freak
Albert Einstein’s Advice Before He Died
Leadership Freak
NOVEMBER 3, 2023
Just months before his death, Albert Einstein gave some life advice to Pat Miller. Here it is.
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How to Define Deadweight
Leadership Freak
SEPTEMBER 18, 2023
Teams rise when you ditch deadweight. One bad apple lowers performance by 30 to 40 percent. How to define deadweight.
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Meetings are Too Big Too Frequent and Too Long
Leadership Freak
SEPTEMBER 14, 2023
Nearly 7 in 10 complain meetings distract from work. Meetings are good when you're disappointed they're over.
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7 Ways to Learn to Say No with Kindness
Leadership Freak
SEPTEMBER 13, 2023
A person who can’t say no is a slave with many masters. A world without ‘NO’ is filled with frustration. Imagine saying no with courage and kindness.
10 Self-Defeating Behaviors You Need to Let Go
Leadership Freak
SEPTEMBER 12, 2023
“What you most need will be found where you least want to look.” Attributed to Carl Jung You repeat what you ignore. What self-defeating behaviors might you be ignoring?
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Take the Next Step
Leadership Freak
AUGUST 30, 2023
The life you want won’t appear like a rabbit out of a hat. Magic won’t help. Just take the next step. Fear stands between you and the life you want.
Choose How You Show Up Before You Show Up
Leadership Freak
AUGUST 10, 2023
You see the world the way you see yourself. Strength sees opportunities. Weakness sees threats. Self-perception shapes the way you show up. A 1-day challenge. Practice a best-self-visualization. Here's how.
How the Power of Focus Protects You
Leadership Freak
JULY 19, 2023
Senbere Teferi was the clear winner of the 2023 Peachtree Road Race. Just yards from the finish line she focused on the wrong thing and ran off course. You go where you look.
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3 Signs You’re Offering Destructive Support
Leadership Freak
JUNE 28, 2023
Leaders are learning about emotional well-being at work. Support is an essential aspect of leading today. There is a danger, however. Some support is destructive. Today, I'm offering you an opportunity to reflect on your support efforts. The goal of support is enabling. It's helpful to spot the signs of destructive support.
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4 Steps to Manage a Manager Who Can’t Communicate
Leadership Freak
MAY 5, 2023
You want to succeed but when managers create confusion high-aspiration people pull their hair out. Managers who communicate poorly demotivate talented people.
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4 Surprising Realities That Infuse Meaning into Leadership
Leadership Freak
MAY 4, 2023
Organizations can’t give leadership meaning. Bosses and colleagues can’t give it. Meaningful leadership is your responsibility alone. Meaning is energy to run a painful race.
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3 Ways Remarkable Leaders Put Themselves First
Leadership Freak
APRIL 27, 2023
Remarkable leaders put themselves second. But only fools sacrifice their future to make transitory purchases. It’s deadly to put others first when you should put yourself first.
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My Wife Fixed Our Toilet Handle with a Paper Clip
Leadership Freak
APRIL 7, 2023
My wife fixed our toilet handle with a paper clip. It broke again the next morning, so I lifted the tank lid and pulled the chain. Then I went to the gym.
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3 Ways to Bring Your Best Self
Leadership Freak
MARCH 24, 2023
Phonies aren’t successful. They might appear successful, but fulfillment requires whole heartedness. Your best self doesn’t wear a mask. You never get where you want to go when you leave yourself behind.
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3 Reasons Variety is Essential
Leadership Freak
MARCH 23, 2023
Common wisdom deceives you. You’re boring because some knucklehead said: You fall behind if you continue doing the same things, even when you’re doing great today. 3 reasons variety is essential: #1.
3 Emotional Intelligence Practices for Busy Leaders
Leadership Freak
FEBRUARY 27, 2023
Emotional intelligence is rocket fuel for competent, intelligent leaders. “CEOs, on average, have the lowest EQ scores in the workplace.” Emotional Intelligence 2.0 Five components of emotional intelligence.
The Secrets to Self-Leadership
Leadership Freak
JANUARY 25, 2023
I thought self-leadership was gobbledygook when I first heard the term. You live in frustration when leadership begins with others.
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5 Questions for Considering the Alternative
Leadership Freak
DECEMBER 28, 2022
Summers passed slow when I was riding my bike with friends. Those days feel like yesterday. One season blurs into the next. Time gains momentum.
A Delightful Accident
Leadership Freak
DECEMBER 26, 2022
I like soft fudge. A little softer than Play-Doh is perfect. The original maker of Play-Doh was a soap company, Kutol Products. It was used for 20 years to clean wallpaper.
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6 Real World Ways to Build Hope
Leadership Freak
DECEMBER 7, 2022
Sometimes the voice in your head whispers, “It’s not worth it.” Sometimes that voice is right. Sometimes it’s time to build hope.
5 Simple Ways to Improve Meetings
Leadership Freak
DECEMBER 5, 2022
Meetings are dead ends when talking creates the illusion of action. 5 simple ways to improve meetings: #1. Determine purpose. Cancel the meeting when you don’t know why you’re meeting. Discussions waste time.
How to Offend Christmas
Leadership Freak
DECEMBER 2, 2022
Generosity, joy, and kindness seem easier during Christmas. If we could flush commercialism it would truly be the most wonderful time of the year.
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3 Powers of Proactive Worry
Leadership Freak
NOVEMBER 30, 2022
Worry isn’t just in your head. You feel worry in your body. Some have stomach issues, others neck and shoulder pain.
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5 Ways Arrogance Struggles on its Own
Leadership Freak
SEPTEMBER 15, 2022
Meaningful service and happy feelings don’t always go together. But arrogance – the hidden enemy of leadership – makes the burdens of leadership heavier.
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Saturday Sage: 7 Ways to Build Your Village Today
Leadership Freak
SEPTEMBER 10, 2022
Village building is for people who want to shine by helping others shine. A rewarding life might seem upside down. What’s upside down about village building?
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A Bad Boss is Like a Drunk Skunk
Leadership Freak
AUGUST 25, 2022
A bad boss spews stink like a drunk skunk. Bad bosses don’t smell their own stink and team members don’t tell them they reek. A malodorous boss thinks stink is sweet.
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What if You Smelled Like Your Attitude
Leadership Freak
JULY 11, 2022
When someone has a bad attitude, we say their attitude stinks. What if you literally smelled like a skunk when you had a bad attitude? Ellysan, one of our granddaughters, couldn’t pronounce skunk.
How the Example of Billionaires Leads People Astray
Leadership Freak
JULY 6, 2022
Smart people fail when they wrongly follow the example of billionaires. Take Oprah Winfrey for example. The example of billionaires: Oprah Winfrey: Oprah didn’t find broadcasting. It found her.
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2 Dangers for Arrogant Leaders
Leadership Freak
JUNE 22, 2022
I grew up in an anti-authoritarian time, the 60’s, and lived in a self-reliant culture of farmers in Central Maine. High self-reliance combined with an anti-authoritarian spirit lends itself to arrogance. #1.
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How to Move from Talking to Action in 10 Steps
Leadership Freak
JUNE 17, 2022
Parents say, “If I’ve told you once, I’ve told you a thousand times.” Frustrated leaders ask, “How many times have we talked about this?” Talking isn’t working when: Problems persist.
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How a Successful Woman Entrepreneur Began Without Investors or Ambition
Leadership Freak
APRIL 29, 2022
Sometimes ambition finds us. I talked with a woman entrepreneur who didn’t begin with a vision to become an entrepreneur.
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3 Secrets to Employee Retention
Leadership Freak
APRIL 21, 2022
Employee loyalty is a relic of the past. Employee retention is a fantasy in organizations when people are treated like tools.
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How Managers Become Leaders
Leadership Freak
NOVEMBER 19, 2021
Only 1 in 10 managers actually have the talent to manage. But lacing on leadership shoes is like discovering you’re lactose intolerant after devouring a container of ice cream.
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You Want People to Take Ownership – But How
Leadership Freak
OCTOBER 29, 2021
“Anything that affects my team is mine.” Brandon Ross* “If the traffic light in front of my building isn’t working, I’m having someone look into it.
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Weekend Update: 9/6/2021 to 9/10/2021
Leadership Freak
SEPTEMBER 11, 2021
This week I wrote about everything from recognition to reputation. It was a special joy to share some reflections on the leadership of Sir Ernest Shackleton.
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Blame: It’s E. B. White’s Fault
Leadership Freak
SEPTEMBER 1, 2021
I slept late this morning. I slept late partly because my friend is vacationing in St. Martin. I slept late partly because our granddaughters started school and I didn’t. But mostly, E.B.
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How to Lead with Patience and Not Get Walked On
Leadership Freak
AUGUST 10, 2021
You were born exasperated and impatient. Patience emerges after we learn that we aren’t the center of the universe.
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A Pig in a Suit Still Stinks
Leadership Freak
AUGUST 9, 2021
A professional environment is a pig sty that slows development, blocks innovation, and belittles authenticity. If professionalism is about competence, count me in. But there’s a difference between being professional and professional environments.
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3 Questions that Resolve Stress Quickly
Leadership Freak
JULY 20, 2021
#1. The worst question: For some reason, when I ask, “What’s the worst that could happen?” stress loses some of its bite. You’re stressed about traffic, for example.
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Self-Consciousness: Solving the Hidden Hinderance to Enjoyment and Performance
Leadership Freak
JULY 8, 2021
The more energy you expend worrying about yourself, the less energy you have to make a difference in the world. Self-consciousness drains energy, enjoyment, and effectiveness.
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The Most Neglected and Misunderstood Tool of Leadership
Leadership Freak
JUNE 25, 2021
Your most powerful tool of influence isn’t a strategy or technique. It’s a person. Your most powerful tool of influence is you.
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