Are meetings getting in the way of work?

We’ve all been there: Soul sucking meetings with little direction, no clear champion, and no decisions. Brainstorming sessions that result in great ideas but no real deliverables. The "quick chat" that turns into hours. As a leader you must change the way meetings are conducted in your organization, knowing full well that they are a necessary component of communications in today’s environment.

Be More Innovative—Use the "IMAC Method"

The digital age has brought intense disruption and competition to every industry and every profession out there. So, understandably, organizations and teams must be more creative and innovative in order to simply survive… let alone thrive. Over the years, I've had the privilege of working with numerous organizations and leadership teams on ways to increase their innovation and speed to market with their products and services.

Mind Your Own Bamboo

When a person or a team sets a goal to do something extraordinary (aka your Bamboo Dream), whether that goal is to go to the moon, win a gold medal, or change an entire industry, critics, killjoys, and naysayers come out of the woodwork saying things such as: You are crazy. That will never work. Why are you wasting your time? What makes you think you are so special?

Manage Your Anger or It Will Manage You

An executive recently asked me, “Do you ever get angry?” I believe the question she really wanted answered is, “How do you manage your anger or frustration?” Even though sometimes I feel like an alien, frustration and anger are a “normal” reaction for human beings. I have never been one to be over the top with rage, but I have had my moments.

Finish What You Start

How many bricks does it take to complete a patio? The same amount it takes to start building a patio. Answer: ONE! This is the approach I took when I wrote my book Water The Bamboo — "one page at a time" — besides, you can only water one bucket at a time. You must focus on one brick at a time to finish. However, if you are like most people, you start more patios than you finish. I think it's okay to not finish from time to time but one should address this if it becomes a pattern.

Laugh More in 2016

In speaking engagements I use humor to inspire and engage my audiences. (Little known fact, I have performed stand-up comedy shows.) However, lately I have noticed there are days I am not laughing enough. Research shows kids laugh up to 415 times a day while adults laugh only 15 times. This year one of my goals is to laugh more. Besides, why should the kids have all the fun?

What if your team improved 1%?

I spend a lot of time reading books and articles on leadership, peak performance, and innovation to help my clients reach their strategic goals. In my book Water The Bamboo® I encourage leaders and teams to identify their Bamboo Dream (vision) and to faithfully water it for five years before it grows 90 feet in 60 days. The watering (effort) is essential to success.

Manage Your Own Punch Bowl

Being a leader requires emotional energy. There are lots of demands on your time and energy. I was recently leading a seminar with a group of upcoming leaders and I was asked, "How can I stay positive in such a demanding world as a leader with the complexity of all my roles?" I responded that it’s up to you to fill your punch bowl. Every day I think about what activities I will engage in that will fill my punch bowl.
 

Lessons from a Legend

As a former Division I college basketball player, I'm always excited this time of year as practices get under way. It is like the holiday season: new shoes, new teammates, and a new season. Even though it has been years since I have played in a competitive basketball game, it gets me fired up about the season of my current life and business. In honor of the season I think it is only appropriate to make a special tribute to one of the game's all-time greatest coaches, the late John Wooden.

Advice to Your Younger Self

My youngest daughter just turned 11. This momentous event got me thinking about what advice I would give the 11 year old me. I then started asking a lot of friends, colleagues, and random people this: Given all that you know now, and what the 11 year old you was dealing with, what advice would you give yourself?

Can you and your team survive a punch in the face?

As the great American “philosopher” Mike Tyson once said after he was told that a boxing challenger had a plan to defeat him, “Everybody has a plan until they get punched in the face.” I am not a Mike Tyson fan but no matter what you think about him, he had at least one moment of genius.