Individual Growth:
To be what we are, and to become what we are capable of becoming, is the only end of life.
– Robert Louis Stevenson
I’m an idea guy. I love to brainstorm and come up with ideas on how to make things better. I am also someone who can ignore the details or forget about them quickly.
The more I work with leaders the more I realize I am not alone. All of us have strengths that can also be our weaknesses. They are two sides of the same coin. Our strengths often turn into weaknesses when they are misapplied or taken to an extreme. Continue Reading…
“If you ever find yourself trying to read me, stop it. I am not intentionally being vague. I am just being a bad communicator at that moment.” This statement became part of my introduction to people joining my team.
Most people reacted to that statement in two ways. Some seemed relieved. Some were confused. Whether it was relief or confusion, both reactions were the result of working on teams where they spent too much time trying to figure out their boss. Continue Reading…
Self-awareness sounds like some new age, kumbaya, talk show topic. As an aspiring man’s man, my low sensitivity level has not always allowed me to consider things like self-awareness. But, obviously I have or I would not have been able to write that last sentence…
Self-awareness is a critical element for the success of a leader. As a leader, if I do not recognize who I am and how I affect other people, I will never reach my potential. Continue Reading…
Every time people around me use statements or questions from the list below, I feel an aneurysm coming on. They make my head hurt just reading them.
I know why you said what you said! I know why you did what you did! I am able to diagnose your motives. Because I believe I know your motives, I am sure you are the problem and not something else–like me!
These are all lies. But, they are lies that we easily fall into. I’ve done it. I have been sure of someone’s motives. Have I ever been right? Maybe. Continue Reading…
What are my priorities for 2013? What accounts and what goals should I focus my efforts on? The time is now to think ask these questions. Do not wait until after the holidays.
These are key questions that will help me continue to grow and lead others to grow. Taking the time to get the answers to these questions does not have to be complicated.
Somewhere along the way I picked up a tool that helped me clear through the clutter of brainstorming sessions and simplified my action planning.
Continue Reading…
When I relocated to Texas after 5 years managing in Buffalo, NY, I took over a team where one of the representatives had gone through initial training with me. Lori and I had known each other for 10 years.
Two months into being her boss, Lori asked me point blank, “What is your problem? This is not the Dave Anderson I expected.”
My response was: “Lori. If I don’t roar now, I will never be able to roar later.” Continue Reading…
Email is a terrible way to communicate. There are multiple studies showing about 50% of all emails are misinterpreted. My experience and your experience probably support that fact.
I have received angry emails from my customers, my peers and my leaders through the years. They can make me both angry and frustrated. Unfortunately, the way I choose to respond to those emails usually escalates the emotions involved.
We all have a choice in how we respond to these messages. Continue Reading…
Question 1: Are sheep without a shepherd still sheep? Answer: Yes.
Question 2: Is a shepherd without sheep still a shepherd? Answer: No.
A shepherd without sheep is just a hygienically challenged man walking the countryside with a stick in his hands.
Leaders: It is the people that make you a leader not the title!
I will be publishing top blogs from previous months for Thanksgiving week. Have a blessed holiday!
I’ve read multiple articles on how coaches should deliver negative feedback. As part of a Fortune 50 company with a stellar training department, I sat through many sessions on the same topic. I even wrote a blog a few weeks ago addressing some of these coaching issues: Wanted Coaches: Wimps Need Not Apply.
So much of our time as leaders and trainers is spent on becoming better at delivering bad news, we miss the importance of being good at delivering positive feedback. Through employee surveys, I was often reminded by those I led that I was not very good at the positive reinforcement.
I will be publishing top blogs from previous months for Thanksgiving week. Have a blessed holiday!
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