Making plans work

Personally, planning falls between having my teeth drilled and car trouble.  Life is too short to spend it planning.  When I think back on leadership meetings I’ve attended or led, there was abundant… Continue reading

Communication blockers

“One of the basic mistakes that psychologists have documented is that we tend to blame people and their personalities for problems and ignore situations.” Chip and Dan Heath Complaints about your communication style… Continue reading

Critics and coaches

Critics tell you what you did wrong.  Coaches point out the wrong and tell you how to be better. It’s easy for leaders to become “critical critics” because their nature is seeing problems… Continue reading

Criticism and vision

Here’s a suggestion for handling criticism. Adopt personal, professional, or project vision statements. Here’s one of my personal vision statements.  “Become an effective, dynamic public speaker.”  That vision informs the way I handle… Continue reading

Motivation

Fear of the board, the CEO, getting fired, people, failure, and loss are all things that motivate me.  I remember the first public event I hosted at the college.  My predecessor warned me… Continue reading

Talking

One thing I learn when I’m speaking is I don’t know as much as I think I know. Here’s what I’ve learned about talking.  Most of us do it too frequently and for… Continue reading