I don’t know one leader, at home or at work, who hasn’t dealt with criticism, and is most likely dealing with some degree of it right now. Truth is, if you’re not getting some heat, you’re probably not doing much worthwhile. In fact, that’s one way some people avoid criticism. One way to handle critics is to fantasize about working in a criticism-free zone. With great regularity leaders leave where they are to find that place, only to find that place doesn’t exist. Clearly th

Everyone makes mistakes and does things the wrong way sometimes. Problem is, too often we engage in the old Watergate syndrome: We try to cover up, and in the process make things worse. Mistakes and wrong choices WILL happen and they can lead to hurt feelings, poor business moves, broken relationships, and even worse. While every leader is bound to blow it from time to time, what you do after the error is what really matters. You cannot be a great leader unless you prove that

It’s easy to revise an org chart and restructure your hierarchy. But revising mindsets, behaviors, and attitudes—in other words, your organization’s leadership culture—is much tougher. But it’s vital because culture can make or break your strategy. Quite often, a leader has a very good sense of the culture of their organization. They just haven’t effectively learned from and discovered how to lead within the culture. Different people in the same organization can have differen

The last year and a half has been filled with one shift after another. The novel coronavirus pandemic has changed our world. We have all been faced with adjustment after adjustment, shift after shift, as we discover new impact of the virus on our society. Work has been heavily impacted with many changes. Vaccinations are urged and occurring all across the world. Now workers are beginning to return to the workplace to try to establish a new normal yet again. It is very importa

Simon Sinek delivered a talk that I watched on YouTube. Much of it was taken from his book, Leaders Eat Last. It was so powerfully impactful that I wanted to share with you some thoughts I gleaned from it. What does it mean to be a great parent? I can’t tell you five things. I just know that if you want to be a great parent, you have to be a continual student of parenting. It’s not a list of “to-dos.” It is a lifestyle. It begins with realizing that you have a great ongoing

If you are a leader, then you have been frustrated with the people you are called to lead, maybe even angry. Maybe you have said things like me—how many times do I have to say this? When are they are going to get it? Are you kidding me? This is ridiculous! Yet the toughest person I have ever had to lead is myself. I have discovered that the better I lead myself, the more amazed I am at how much better the people are that I have been asked to lead. Ultimately, we are all respo

You know how it works. Tom treats deadlines as if they are non-essential and expects bonus points if he ever hits one. Pam trash-talks co-workers to anyone who will sit still for five minutes. Jordan either comes late, leaves early, or takes an extra hour for lunch every day. You know it’s time for a difficult conversation, but you just can’t face it. If you’re a leader, however, you’re going to need to get used to managing difficult conversations once in a while. They’re par

When you think of quality control, you probably think of manufacturing businesses inspecting products for flaws. In reality, quality control processes can be used in all types of businesses and organizations, whether they are product-based or service-based. Quality control is a key component of a well-run enterprise. A quality-control program helps ensure that your business or team is delivering a consistent product, service, and customer experience. Developing quality-contro

We all know an elite leader when we see one, but defining one can be elusive. What actually makes an elite leader stand out from the pack? It starts with their mindset—their consistent way of thinking. Elite leaders have certain characteristics and make decisions in common. Elite leaders are visionaries. Andy Stanley defines a vision as “a mental picture of what could be, fueled by a passion that it should be.” These elite leaders have that vision and cast it compellingly a

Follow-up is so simple, yet complicated. It’s simple, but not easy. It takes effort. Most people think that you only need to follow up on leads who are interested in your product. But you must also follow up to get meetings, to get in front of people, to explain your value, to close a deal. Keep thinking follow-up. This is so vital that today I have summarized the follow-up advice from Steli Efti, a recognized authority on this subject. You can get more information from https

Ask many managers what their greatest work challenge is, and they’d most likely say something along the lines of “managing difficult employees.” Business is always dealing with people and standards, so things can go wrong, such as dissatisfied clients and missed deadlines. When something goes wrong, a manager typically responds by firing off an angry group email blaming whatever she sees as the general issue. Feeling attacked, employees often lash out in response through emai

The NFL is going to be having their draft next month. They will spend thousands of dollars trying to determine who to pick in the draft. Yet, if you were to look at the success of the draft over the years, it would be shocking. Remember, Tom Brady, the greatest quarterback in history, wasn’t chosen until the 6th round. Sometimes the best players who will be the greatest assets go almost unnoticed. For us who are building teams for our companies and businesses, hiring is a rea

Here at Leader’s Edge we always want to pass along things we are learning and resources we have discovered that will help you gain an edge in life and leadership. Today I want to do that by sharing information on a new assessment by Patrick Lencioni called Working Genius. It is designed to help every leader figure out what energizes and what drains them, and where their best contribution originates. I am currently having all of our teams do it because it is so good. Patrick L

Tom Brady just won his 7th Superbowl ring. Incredible, right? Here’s what his coach, Bruce Arians, said of him and what his arrival to Tampa Bay meant to the team. Arians said that he thought the 2019 Buccaneers were “a very, very talented football team, but we really didn’t know how to win.” Then Brady arrived as a game changer for everyone. He called Brady a “winner” who ran the ship for the team and said that his leadership “permeated through our whole locker room. Knowin

The first time I ever heard a discussion about the scarcity mindset was when I heard Tim Sanders speak at a Global Leadership Summit. It was fascinating to me to hear a discussion putting words to the difference between people that I have observed over and over. Scarcity is the assumption of a fixed outcome, one that can’t be altered, as opposed to assuming there are many different options and ways it could happen. Each of us, every day through many individual moments, whethe

Leadership can be exhausting. To say 2020 was difficult is probably the minimization of the year. Nothing we thought was the plan at the start of the year came to fruition. Whether professionally or personally, we seemed to have had little to no control. We have felt every possible emotion, sometimes in the same day. Bottom line, 2020 drained the batteries for many of us. And that’s a problem. If the leader isn’t winning, no one is. When your battery is charged as a leader, e

All of us know about IQ, EQ, SAT scores, physical fitness, class predictions, and a score of other things that claim to predict future success in challenging situations. But research (and my personal experience, for what it’s worth) has found one thing that outranks all those others: Grit. That word may conjure up pictures of John Wayne. But according to the Oxford dictionary, grit means “courage and resolve; strength of character.” Grit is the ability to stay steady, holding

Sam Silverstein said, “Accountability is the basis of all meaningful human achievement.” We can all make incredible goals, but if we don’t have anyone keeping us accountable, who’s to say that we’ll actually do what we said we would accomplish? We are at the point in January where resolutions have already fallen by the wayside because the vision has vanished, we aren’t putting in the work, or we just can’t find motivation or inspiration. Accountability addresses all of those

It feels like nagging, which is why many of us hate to do it. But leaders who inundate their teams with the same messages over and over, in multiple venues, need not feel bad about persisting. Research says it is effective leadership. Parents understand it. Redundant communication, accompanied with an escalating sense of urgency, does the trick for them. Newer research says that getting employees and team members to listen and deliver are not too different. Asking multiple ti

Years back I heard a very wise man say, “When you are making your ‘to-do list,’ remember that your ‘to don’t’ list is equally important.” I have learned that this is so very true. The things I don’t do, the things I eliminate from my life, are just as important as the elements I keep and build. To accomplish this, I must be ruthlessly honest with myself. That’s when growth happens. What do you need to eliminate from your life? You need to take a close and honest look. Just as