Category Archive: Communication

How to Rise Above Butterfly Conversations

I hate wasting time in conversations that bounce around and never arrive. Talk – for the sake of talk – is for Saturday morning coffee with friends. But, successful leaders itch for next steps… Continue reading

He Forgot How Much He Mattered

Their faces dropped when Doug walked past the cash registers, around the corner, and out of sight. He carried a breakfast sandwich in his right hand. Moments before he’d said to me, “Look… Continue reading

How Leaders Dilute Their Impact

Image source Brevity increases impact. The Gettysburg address had 267 words, give or take a couple. 50 years ago, Martin Luther King Jr. spoke for about 16 minutes. Who doesn’t remember, “I have… Continue reading

Lousy Leaders Suck at Difficult Conversations

Lousy leaders build mediocre organizations because they dance around issues. But, remarkable is the result of difficult conversations done skillfully. Mediocrity arrives when difficult conversations are avoided. Why lousy leaders suck at tough… Continue reading

Caught in a Rip Current

On the edge of panic, I struggled against the rip current that pushed me away from the sandy beach. My 5’ wife and 6’1” son watched. A wave knocked Dale, my wife, into… Continue reading

How to Stay Focused and Flexible

Navigating the tension between two contrasting qualities takes maturity. Leaders tend to be tenacious or kind, for example, but not both. Either/or is easier than both/and. The ability to be two things at the same… Continue reading