A Good Place to Start

Becoming a good leader means embarking on a path that never ends. People, organizations, and the leader themselves will evolve, change, and adapt in response to their changing world.

I have learned while being mentored by some incredible people. Three of those lessons helped to shape my entire philosophy of leadership, “Humility, Consideration, and Determination.”

Quitting over a flashlight …

We had thought we were inclusive, but we realized we needed to do even more. We discovered the real driving force for our continued success was because we learned to appreciate, acknowledge, and respond to the blind spots that we didn’t even know were there.

Start small, but start now.

B2C/C2B – Building Connectivity between business and charity

Supporting charities and operating a profitable business are not mutually exclusive.

Businesses can help in so many ways, but like any collaboration, charities and service clubs can also help businesses.

Every organization has drama … what you do about it makes all the difference.

Every organization has drama.

Drama is virtually impossible to avoid because organizations consist of people and when you have two or more people together, the potential for drama exists.

That’s not cynical, in my experience, that’s just how things work. Whether it’s good or bad depends on how the organization reacts to and anticipates drama.

Tips for Entrepreneurs, Executive Directors, Managers and other Leaders

Big and innovative ideas aren’t the issue, putting big and innovative ideas into reality is the issue.  Many entrepreneurs, consultants, managers, executive directors, and the people working for them have shared these lessons will me. 

They work.  Use them, share them, and build your organization.   

This is why you can’t hire the people you want

Many small and medium-sized organizations struggle to find the right people in a competitive job environment. A step in the right direction is to stand apart from everyone else.

Give me five minutes of your time and you will not regret it.

“People who move rocks out of your path”

In a book I was listening to recently, the author praised people who take the time to clear obstacles from other people’s paths. The author’s explanation and examples had a very powerful effect on me. The book inspired me to write about people who moved “rocks” for me and for people I have known.

“Nobody seems to want to work today!  We can’t find anyone who wants to work for us.”

The real problem is some organizations are struggling to find people using tools and strategies that worked in the past but these tools haven’t been updated for the employment environment that exists today. It doesn’t matter if the organization is a “for-profit” or “not-for-profit.” In many ways the problem is a basic supply and demand problem, however, there are many more variables in the equation today than ever before.

Revisiting Red Teams

Looking at new ideas and concepts through the eyes of the fearful and the critical can better prepare organizations for unintended consequences. Taking this empathetic approach can reveal weaknesses and potentially fatal issues. This process is called RED TEAMING.

The small things make all the difference

Hiring the right person for any position is part craft and part science. You are dealing with experiences and trying to gauge potential. Reviewing these few points at the end of each interview with your co-interviewer can give you insights into the applicant that might just be enough to influence your decision on who to hire. They can make the difference between hiring someone who “could do the job” and hiring a person “who can excel at the job and grow with your organization”.