Most Powerful Words

During a recent personal retreat, I heard a speaker share several examples of powerful and empowering words – what he called the most powerful words– and over the past month I’ve added on to this list. Most important, I’ve started to realize that using these words with our team members […]

What If They Know?

There’s an old saying: “You can run, but you can’t hide.” I’m not sure about the derivation or intended meaning of this saying, but it reminds me of the ways that we attempt to hide from others what we’re really thinking. Frankly, I think it’s impossible to hide our feelings […]

It’s All In the Name

Earlier this month, I had the opportunity to spend a few days exploring Santa Fe, New Mexico, and it was a fantastic experience. I had never been there before, and I saw and experienced many different places, including the historic Santa Fe Plaza area and the Canyon Road galleries (an […]

The Business of Life

I recently wrote a blog about the difference between making a living and making a life, in which I encouraged people to focus on making a life (which includes making a living) rather than merely focusing on making a living. From this you might wrongly surmise that I see business […]

The Leader Pause

I recently had an unexpected encounter with one of the audience members in a large group setting where I was speaking. I was not able to read her name tag, and I didn’t hear her (due to my hearing loss) when I asked for her name. As a result, I […]

Reframing Expectations

In my journey over the past couple of years, I’ve experienced an amazing amount of peacefulness and calm (often in the midst of chaos), and I rarely experience stress. When I start telling people about this, I usually get one of four comments or questions: Where are you getting your […]

Are You a Humble Storyteller?

For many of you in sales or business development, you face a regular (or even daily) challenging question: Where’s the line between aggressively promoting your product or service versus arrogantly pitching and pushing your product or service? Similar questions include: What’s the difference between bragging and sharing? What’s the difference […]

Peace on Earth?

You’ve heard it before, especially around the holidays – “peace on earth” (sometimes accompanied by “good will toward men”). This phrase is sometimes used to discuss the concept of world peace. If you’re like me, the concept of peace on earth or world peace can feel and seem overwhelming and […]

How Do You Measure a Year?

If you’re a Broadway fan, you likely recognize this question from the opening song (“Seasons of Love”) in the musical Rent (listen in to hear the entire song). Rent is one of my favorite Broadway musicals for two primary reasons – it’s a love story, and it invites us to […]

What’s Their Story?

I recently came across this impactful statement by author Muriel Rukeyser: “The universe is made of stories, not of atoms.” I believe this is true. Yes, the universe may technically be made up of atoms, but the world that you and I live in is populated by people – and […]