The 2 Most Important Ways to Connect and Influence

Do you want to influence and persuade more effectively? If so, you will have to learn how to connect with people in a way that builds trust and this often requires that you make this trust connection quickly!  Many of our daily interactions are quick and involve little conversation and exchange of words. A brief, “How’s … Read more

The Two Problems with the Strengths-Based Approach

Character Strengths

Strengths-based leadership has been a popular topic for nearly two decades. I’ve had the opportunity to teach the concept and administer several strengths oriented assessments. While the strengths approach has great merit, there are a couple of problems that exist.   First, we have to make sure we don’t over-rotate toward developing our strengths and ignore … 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

The Power of Imperfection

  Perfection is a damaging myth. The more you pursue it the further you are from it. A common fallacy is that we often believe people expect us to be perfect. The truth is, we all know that nobody can be perfect. In fact, people don’t want to be around perfection pursuing people. It’s a … Read more

The 3 Elements of Charisma

We’ve all experienced the power of charisma.   You know when someone has it. You enjoy being with the person. They are interesting. They draw you in.   It’s hard to distinguish exactly what it is that you like about the person, you just know you like to be with them. They inspire and motivate … Read more

The Dark Side of Goals

Goals are great and they are certainly a scientifically proven method for achieving the outcomes we have in mind.  But while goals help us focus on our desired achievements, they can easily become the very thing that keeps us from being truly successful in life. Don’t see me as a pessimist — I’m far from … Read more