Leading Thoughts for June 12, 2025 IDEAS shared have the power to expand perspectives, change thinking, and move lives. Here are two ideas for the curious mind to engage with: I. Matt Higgins on self-awareness: “Self-awareness telegraphs to supporters that it’s safe tobelieve. When you meet someone with high self-awareness, even if you consciously surmise … Read more
Don’t Forget the Banjo: Leading Through Crisis The survival of Ernest Shackleton’s crew is the greatest survival saga in human history. AUGUST 8, 1914—28 men depart for Antarctica. JANUARY 18, 1915—Their ship, the Endurance, is caught in pack ice. NOVEMBER 21, 1915—The ship sinks. AUGUST 30, 1916—The crew is rescued. The survival of all 28 … Read more
How to Lead When the Room Panics: 7 Essential Strategies CRISIS doesn’t create leaders; it reveals them. It strips away the trappings of title and tenure and shines a spotlight on judgment, courage, and decisiveness. And while no sane executive welcomes a crisis, the best don’t waste one either. Crisis is the ultimate leadership stress … Read more
Become a Pro at Ignoring Stuff The crew in the treatment bay of the Life Flight helicopter saved my life. I sought them out on the one-year anniversary of my accident (11/20/2011). I asked the pilot how he dealt with the trauma behind him. He talked about ignoring stuff. Curt said, “I turn away when … Read more
Business Leaders: It’s Time to Start Thinking About Our Talent in New Ways SUCCESSFUL enterprises are those that can command significant margins by doing a great job of understanding what drives their customers. They know their customers’ pain points, how their product or service addresses them, and what they can provide that no one else … Read more
The Silent Superpower of Conversations “Seek first to understand, then to be understood,” — Stephen R. Covey Real conversations begin with listening. Don’t nod and plan your response. If listening feels easy, you’re probably not doing it. “As a matter of fact, have you never noticed that most conversations are simply monologues delivered in the presence … Read more
Great Conversations Break the Rules Momma said, “Don’t interrupt.” Let people finish. Pause. Make space. Master the habit of letting people finish before you speak. But the rules experts make up get in the way of great conversations. 6 Ways to Break the Rules and have Great Conversations Break the good habit of letting people … Read more
Loving Leadership Isn’t Soft—It’s Essential IF you close your eyes and visualize “peak performance,” what comes to mind? A Tour de France champion training in a wind tunnel, with wires monitoring the disciplined, finely tuned athlete? A highly efficient, symbiotic team delivering breakthrough innovation in record time? A climber overcoming every adversity to summit Mount … Read more
Winning in No-Win Situations No-win situations feel like running on a hamster wheel. Running faster multiplies frustration. Three things never go away in leadership: competing priorities, limited resources, and increasing expectations. It doesn’t matter how fast you run. You have to run faster tomorrow. You have to lay off people and still deliver results, for … Read more
Leading Thoughts for June 5, 2025 IDEAS shared have the power to expand perspectives, change thinking, and move lives. Here are two ideas for the curious mind to engage with: I. Rosamund and Benjamin Zander on accepting reality: “When we dislike a situation, we tend to put all our attention on how things should be … Read more