Benefit of the Doubt: Part 1 of 4
In February, Yahoo’s new CEO Marissa Mayer made an announcement that I think we can safely call controversial, to say the least. Everyone from Richard Branson to the late night talk show hosts have weighed in. She decided that all employees who had any sort of...
Your Pain is Your Passion
That was the answer I received when I asked an experienced coach back in the beginning days of my coaching dream how I was to determine my “niche.” All I needed to do now was figure out what she meant! In true coaching form she resisted the urge to just...
Quit Asking for Permission!
“There is nothing in a caterpillar that tells you it's going to be a butterfly.” -Buckmister Fuller Did you know that Walt Whitman’s life masterpiece, the poetic epic Leaves of Grass, was self-published? Neither did I, but I recently learned that it was criticized in...
Leadership Just Got Personal
Adapted from Steven's new book "Leadership Just Got Personal" Things are not always what they seem. Man, if only I had a buck for every time that rang true in my life! That’s one of the big challenges we face when “leading in a world of service,” isn’t it? Things are...
Wagon Wheels vs. Bicycle Wheels
Leadership, It's Where you Place the Pressure that Counts! Here's a leadership lesson from an engineer - apparently we need to see with more than our eyes. Did you know that wagon wheels and bicycle wheels work in exactly the opposite way? NEITHER DID I! They are...
Debt Ceiling Lessons in Leadership
The U.S. debt ceiling debate over the last few weeks could be teaching you one or the other of two significant leadership lessons. Which lesson do you want to learn? One is autocratic. When facing opposition to your needs, wants, expectations or desires you could...
Real Leaders Take, They Don’t Give
They take responsibility. They don’t give excuses or blame. You can always tell a great leader because they never spend time pointing fingers or calling people names. Instead, when things are not going well they ask a simple and powerful question: “What role have I played in this problem, or how have I contributed to the outcome?”
Leadership Lessons from Naturopathic Medicine
As I was pondering the problem of leaders who overlook negative symptoms in their organizations, I received food for thought from my naturopath at Nature Cures Clinic. In a newsletter article, Nutrition Mission: Improve your Health through Food, nutritionist Maria...
Leadership Lessons from the Theatre
Have you ever been responsible for a group of people who, try as they may, just couldn’t seem to gel into an actual team? I had this experience years ago in Scotland when I directed a one-act production called Impromptu, in which the real-life actors were playing...
Calling All Courageous Leaders – Please!
Watching the State of the Union Address and the Republican Response this week, I realized that we live with a leadership model designed for zero-sum gain. Real progress in our nation’s capitol is not being made, not because we do not know what to do, but because we...
