Engagement—the degree to which people invest discretionary effort on the job—has been all the rage in business circles for years. “Engaged” employees are absorbed by and enthusiastic about their work. They have a sense of psychological ownership of their organization’s purpose and success. The Gallup organization’s Q12 survey has gathered data from tens of millions…
Read More
You’re contagious. And you’re surrounded by people who are also contagious. I’m not referring to a flu bug or a case of measles. I’m talking about how you view your environment, how you respond to personalities and issues, how you live your life. Have you ever been around someone who brings a dark cloud into…
Read More
“People are born ignorant, not stupid. They are made stupid by education.” That may sound like a line from a comedian. But it’s actually from Bertrand Russell. You know—the British philosopher, logician, mathematician, historian, essayist, social critic and Nobel laureate. Not known for comedy. Intentionally or not, Russell provided a fair description of what often…
Read More
Enjoy the little things, because one day you’ll look back and realize they were the big things. That may sound like a line from a syrupy greeting card. But it turns out to be an important ingredient in workplace issues like engagement, wellbeing, productivity, and even profit. Star Dargin knows a bit about the rough-and-tumble…
Read More
There are almost as many leadership theories as there are would-be practitioners. Many of those theories—or call them frameworks or philosophies—have excellent underpinnings. I’ve found that, regardless of the latest leadership formula you may choose to try, a few simple guiding principles can always be helpful. Keep it simple. Go back to basics. The stones…
Read More
Our current environment is sometimes touted as the age of tolerance. Consider how many company rosters now include positions like “VP of Diversity and Inclusion.” But the reality signals something else. Each Thanksgiving, the Internet is abuzz with advice on how to avoid letting dinner table discussions devolve into a Turkey Day brawl. Thousands (millions?)…
Read More
Nobel Laureate Albert Schweitzer, perhaps best known as a medical missionary, knew a thing or two about finding satisfaction in life. “I don’t know what your destiny will be,” he once said, “but one thing I do know. The ones among you who will be really happy are those who have sought and found how…
Read More
Ken Blanchard is to leadership development as Bill Belichick is to football and as Oprah Winfrey is to media. He thinks big thoughts, innovates with big ideas, and does it all in a way that makes you say to yourself “Well, of course. That makes perfect sense.” By any measure, Blanchard is one of the…
Read More
My travels have taken me to many interesting sites around the world: Michelangelo’s majestic David in Florence. The Leaning Tower of Pisa. Mount Rushmore. Scotland’s Edinburgh Castle. London’s Big Ben. But I’m especially drawn to sites that, although beautiful in their own way, are more about function than aesthetics. I love lighthouses. The first lighthouses…
Read More