Leadership vs. Management

Leadership is not management.   Many use the the words manager and leader synonymously, but a leader is not necessarily a manager and a manager is not always a leader.   So what’s the difference?   Warren Bennis makes several differentiations in his book “On Becoming a Leader.”   – The manager is a copy; … Read more

Be a Gainer, Not a Loser

Many people are thinking about losing weight this time of year. It’s by far the most popular new year’s resolutions.   My good friend Tim Nations recently blogged about his mindset shift related to his goal of losing weight every year.  His new plan, in 2014, is to focus on gaining, rather than losing. No, … Read more

Motivate Employees Like Prisoners

Motivating employees can be tough. Especially employees who are not in a job role they want. You think that is hard? Now, imagine if your job is to motivate prisoners to be law-abiding and  productive members of the community. In the U.S. the prison population is four times higher than it was 30 years ago. … Read more

The Top 5 Books on Motivation

  I am often asked about what books I’d recommend on the topic of motivation and persuasion. So I thought I would write this post to be a resource.   I believe each of the authors mentioned below have produced solid, science-based, yet practical books anyone can trust and use. I don’t agree with everything … Read more

5 Motivation Killers Leaders Must Avoid

When the opportunity presents itself, I like to ask people what motivates them and what hinders their motivation. I’ve asked this question to a wide variety of people from teenagers to business owners and CEOs. Young and old. Rich and poor. And people from all around the world.   I’ve even asked this question to … Read more

How to Write Motivational Emails

We tend to think of motivational communication as something we do verbally, but motivation can be fostered through written means as well. When you think about all of the emails we write, most of us have many more opportunities to motivate people with our written words than our spoken words. With practice, anyone can write … Read more

3 Ways to Motivate the Unmotivated

Let’s face it, there are people who just don’t seem to care about giving their best at work. This is one of the biggest frustrations of managers. It’s easy for us to believe these people lack a work ethic or have a significant character flaw. This kind of thinking often leads to a negative relationship … Read more