Isolate the “But”

You know what I’m talking about … the infamous and dangerous word “but.” There are two versions of “but” that we love to use. First, is the “but” that virtually negates everything we said before it: I don’t want to complain, but … I don’t want to sound negative, but … I love your […]

Stop Being Lazy

“Who me,” you say? “I’m not lazy.” Well, I’m specifically referring to a particular form of laziness – the laziness inherent when you say some version of “that’s just the way I am.” I don’t buy it. My eyes are brown, by hair is gray (mostly now) and my height […]

In You Must Go

You knew it was coming – with the debut of The Force Awakens you had to know I would share a message with a Star Wars theme. Yet perhaps not the message or reference you anticipated. One of the often forgotten scenes from The Empire Strikes Back occurs when Luke […]

It’s Not You, It’s Me©

Back by popular demand and following up on last week’s Leadership Lessons from Butch & Sundance, this week’s leadership and life lessons come from the television. Specifically, from the wisdom of Seinfeld – the show that claims to be about nothing but is really about everyday life (if you look […]

Who’s to Blame?©

None of us want to admit that we blame or make excuses. While we know that blaming, excuse-making and playing the role of the victim are prevalent in our culture, certainly it must be everyone else. The problem is that the math just doesn’t add up – if the majority […]

The Seduction of Helpless© (adapted from Unmask: Let Go of Who You’re “Supposed” to Be & Unleash Your True Leader)

Who wants to be helpless? Anyone? Anyone? Let’s try a different question: Are you living in a largely helpless state by virtue of your choices? If you’re like most people, you just offered an emphatic “NO” to both of these questions, but I’m going to challenge you. Are you ready […]

Calendar Reality Check©

Some time ago, I wrote a blog on the topic of commitment and priorities. My premise was and is that our problem is not one of priorities but of commitments. We try (unsuccessfully) to address all of our competing priorities, when the solution may actually lie in making more clear […]

The Gift of Choice©

Whether you are a movie buff or not, most of you probably have seen the classic The Blues Brothers, starring John Belushi and Dan Aykroyd. In one memorable scene, John Belushi is tracked down by his ex-fiancé (played by Carrie Fisher) who is armed with a machine gun. When confronted, […]