There’s an old adage that has always resonated with me: “If you are the smartest person in the room, you are in the wrong room.” As someone who was never considered gifted and talented when it came to academics, I haven’t been in this “wrong room” very often. But I have often thought about how I can relentlessly pursue conversations with people smarter than myself to become smarter (see my Intentional Performers Podcast).
Read MoreIt’s 7:30 PM and I am running around my house trying to coax my 5 and 6-year-old to shower, put PJs on, brush their teeth, and get ready for bed. It’s a nightly journey. And while I am focused on the difficult task at hand, one thing continues to pull my attention: my phone.
Read MoreWhat’s your number? What amount of money do you need to have to not make professional decisions based on money? It’s a simple question that many don’t know the answer to. It’s a question I ask most of my clients. While people say that money doesn’t drive their decision making, I find for many, it does. Take a moment and answer the question.
Read MoreIt stings, but rejection can be a great form of opportunity. I have had many rejections, but here are some of my favorites.
Read MoreWhen silence is intentional it can be very powerful. When it's not intentional it can be cowardice. Knowing when to be silent and when to speak up is tricky. Yes, great leaders need to learn to listen in silence AND to speak up when direction is needed. Here are some examples of when I try to be silent and when I try to speak up.
Read MoreLove it or hate it, email is an essential form of communication for most of us. A few years ago, I was drowning in my inbox. I was slipping. Not replying to people and letting things fall through the cracks. I decided to invest money into fixing the problem when I found a company called Superhuman.
Read MoreWhat is wealth? We often attach it to money. Nice things. Capacity. Yet, I love this definition of wealth: plentiful supplies of a particular resource. Can it be money? Sure. But it can also be family, friends, health and more. We need to change our perception of wealth.
Read MoreWe are constantly making meaning of the world. Our meaning drives our story. Our story drives our perception. Yet, our capacity to make meaning can often lead us astray; it can lie to us. We are awful at remembering what truly happened in the past. Our brains like to create neat and tidy stories so that we cleanly understand what happened, but much of life isn’t neat or tidy.
Read MoreSports evolve. Think about the last 30 years and how they have changed; NBA teams take far more 3 pointers, NFL teams throw more, NHL teams have swapped out fighters for speedsters, MLB teams swing away, hunting for homers, instead of just making contact. Evolution is everywhere in sports. Yet, how are you evolving? What about your organization?
Read MoreMuch of my success thus far in life has been because of tremendous relationships. I am grateful for them. Yet, we often don’t have a clear understanding of what creates a great relationship.
Read MoreWhat is essential? Truly. When push comes to shove, what is essential for you? What will you prioritize? How do you prioritize the essential and say no to that which is non-essential?
Read MoreWhat is a captain? How does it differ from a leader? What does it mean to be a follower?
Here is my attempt to make sense of each.
Leadership=influence
Followership=value
Captainship=positive impact
One size fits all rarely works. It may be quicker and easier, but a one size fits all approach often stifles the nuance needed for greatness. Think about the roles below that are often seen as similar, but actually show up in very different ways.
Read MoreThree words: I am enough. Powerful. Often helpful. Feeling as though we are enough allows for us to have peace of mind. Yet, growth mindset, which is one of my favorite concepts, has been embedded into our school, businesses, and many other organizations. So how do we leverage growth mindset while also understanding that we are enough?
Read MoreWho you are is not based on what you do, but what you do does have an impact on who you are. Let me explain further.
Read MoreAre you an entrepreneur? Do you really have autonomy? This question hit me early in my career. I have always craved autonomy. I don’t think I make for a great employee. I love having ownership, or at least thinking I have ownership, of my decisions. Yet, I see many business owners, who like me, don’t always do a great job of leveraging their autonomy. They become just as controlled by their clients and calendars as any employee would.
Read MoreWe often tell others that we put our family first. But is that really true? How much time do you spend with your family compared to your friends or coworkers? Do you really prioritize family over your work? I think the phrase is misleading, and it’s not really true. Saying, “I put my family first,” suggests that family and work are always working against each other. When in reality, they don’t have to be opposing forces.
Read MoreGreat teams are often built from elite talent and process. Both can be invested in. Focused on. When we combine talent with great process we get the best potential outcome. Here’s a further breakdown of how talent and process impact outcomes.
Read MoreGoals are great. They help us have a vision of where we want to go and often involve processes to help us get there. Many have criticized goals, some have even suggested “burning your goals”, but I find them to be helpful when they are underpinned by an understanding of values.
Read MoreThink of a great performer. Maybe an athlete, actor, or musician. Then, go ask 10 people if they are a fan of that person. What you’ll find is that opinions often vary (we just witnessed this with Elon Musk’s Twitter takeover—some think he’s a hero, while others think he’s a villain). The same is true for all of us. We don’t have to be all things to all people; greatness has haters.
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