FORBES – Beyond AI: The Power of Reputation, Relationships and Human Connection

As leaders and professionals, we often face a complex dynamic: being too hard on ourselves or letting ourselves off the hook too easily. This internal struggle can strip away joy, ease and true connection while allowing poor behavior and bad habits to flourish. Our inner critic constantly tells us we’re not doing enough, not good enough or not achieving fast enough. This self-judgment robs us of presence and keeps us trapped in a cycle of dissatisfaction. We forget we’re human, not machines. Left unchecked, our inner critic drains us of joy and our ability to connect deeply with others—two essentials for a fulfilling life. On the other hand, we can also be too easy on ourselves, neglecting exercise, rest and self-reflection. We push work ahead of family and friends, only to feel resentment for our choices. We indulge in poor habits—overeating, drinking, mindless scrolling (or worse, porn and illegal drugs)—to avoid feelings of disconnection. There’s a popular message today: “I don’t care what others think.” But that’s not only untrue, it’s dangerous. As humans, we are social beings. We thrive in community, camaraderie and connection. Without these, we starve emotionally, which can lead to darker paths—addiction, loneliness and isolation. The [...]

By |2024-11-01T08:53:52-07:00November 1st, 2024|
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Navigating the AI Revolution: A Leadership Journey Towards Humanity and Relevance

“The Daily Show reported recently that scientists in Japan had invented a robot that can recognize its own reflection in a mirror. ‘When the robot learns to hate what it sees,’ said Jon Stewart, ‘it will have achieved full humanity.’ ― Steven Pressfield, Turning Pro The rapid evolution of AI technology presents us with a paradox. On one hand, it offers unprecedented opportunities for innovation and efficiency. On the other, it challenges us to keep pace with its advancements, ensuring our skills, our businesses, and indeed our very sense of self, remain relevant and in demand. Amidst this tsunami of change, one truth stands clear: the future we are steering towards will reflect our inner selves. The creations of today, powered by AI, will amplify our beliefs and values like never before, at a velocity that history has not seen. It is within this context that I invite you to engage with a conversation that transcends the immediate challenges of technology and touches the core of our leadership ethos. Steven Bartlett, in his podcast The Diary of a CEO, hosts an enlightening dialogue with Mo Gawdat, a luminary in the realms of technology and human happiness. Mo's journey—from spearheading innovation as Google's Chief Business Officer to exploring [...]

By |2024-04-25T09:55:29-07:00April 25th, 2024|
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The Power of Language: A Key to Effective Leadership and Influential Organizations

Language is a beautiful thing. It’s far more than just a tool for communicating, but a magic wand that shapes our view of the world and how others perceive us. It’s a vehicle for expressing thoughts, emotions, and values – and it’s at the core of all human connections. There is a fascinating connection between language and leadership, and how the power of words can shape the course of teams, organizations, our world. Let’s explore. As leaders, our choice of words can do wonders. It’s more than just sharing information, it’s a chance to inspire and motivate our teams, fostering a dynamic, positive, and productive work atmosphere. Our words carry weight, instilling trust and confidence. Conversations become chances to influence, connect, settle disputes, and effectively convey our vision. One concept that beautifully highlights the influence of language on our minds is Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP). In a nutshell, NLP is a set of tools and techniques that allow us to understand how our minds work and how we communicate with others. It provides insights into our patterns of thoughts, feelings, and behaviours and offers strategies to make positive changes in those patterns. The term ‘Neuro’ refers to our brain and nervous [...]

By |2024-01-18T08:10:23-08:00June 8th, 2023|
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FORBES: What Are You Focused On? How Your Thoughts Impact Your Future

As published in Forbes We create the world as we are. In a very real sense, you create in the external world whatever you focus on internally. Thoughts of lack create lack. Thoughts of problems create a life filled with problems. Thoughts of possibilities and solutions create new ideas, energy, possibilities and solutions. You can decide to focus your thoughts on the issues of the day or on the faults of others, and many do. If you are often disappointed, frustrated and angry, this may be why. Focusing only on the present situation or the shortcomings of others is a terrible way to live, but because so many people are doing this, it can seem normal. This is the antithesis of leadership. You can decide to focus your thoughts on things that happened to you in the past or on your own faults, but to do so is to be completely self-absorbed. Focusing only on yourself, you will interpret everything that happens as being about you. If you are easily jealous, hurt or offended, this may be why. This is another terrible way to live. I know because I spent years doing exactly this. Alternatively, you can choose to focus [...]

By |2022-09-15T08:57:59-07:00September 1st, 2022|
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Forbes: Leaders, Dreaming Matters.

As published in Forbes. If I could impart one idea that would have the greatest potential to advance you and your future success, it would be this: Master the ability to dream. Now, I know this sounds light and fun. Perhaps even easy. It isn’t. The ability to dream is a discipline, and it is one that few of us are actually good at doing well or consistently. First, let me define what I mean by dreaming: the ability to focus your thoughts on ideas that give you energy. It is the skill of keeping your attention for an extended period of time on an outcome you want to create, often in the absence of any evidence that its realization is even possible. Dreaming is the ability to see in your mind’s eye a positive future and glimpse the realization of that future, and to experience the feeling of the dream’s realization along the way, such that the accomplishment of the dream is merely another rewarding moment in a long series of rewarding moments. Unfortunately, many of us have a hard time focusing our thoughts. Sure, we can think about an outcome that we want to occur — a successful [...]

By |2022-05-12T13:03:18-07:00May 12th, 2022|
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The Real Work Required for Exceptional Communication

We often believe we must become something other than who we are in order to lead and communicate with power and presence. We do not. We need only to become fully ourselves. This sounds easy, except it isn’t. This is where the real work of leadership development exists: to know ourselves, accept ourselves, and our reason for being - our dreams, purpose and values. Then, we must have the courage to live our lives accordingly, to create the world we intend, and when challenged, criticized, or mocked, to stand firmly in our resolve (and often alone). Being fully one's Self - the best, highest version of ourselves - is power, strength and presence. And, exceptional leadership communication that engages, connects, aligns, and moves people to act, results. Here is an example

By |2022-04-15T08:23:37-07:00January 15th, 2022|
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CU Insight: Leaders, How Are You?

As published in CU Insight At this stage in your life, with everything occurring in the world and the vast implications to the global economy, your industry, and your business, few things get to be about you—how you are feeling or really doing, deep inside of yourself. As an experienced leader, your job requires you to give to everyone else: vision, strategy, answers, time, attention, information, approval, feedback, coaching, encouragement, validation, and confidence. It seems everyone around you either wants or needs something from you in order to perform and be successful. You focus on others all day at work. Then, if you are a spouse, parent, child to aging parents, and/or volunteer in your community, you continue this focus on others throughout the majority of your personal life. When is your life ever about you?  Steve Jobs used to walk with his coach, Bill Campbell, on Sundays, which he used as time for himself; time to reflect, talk freely, hear himself think, get perspective, and focus himself. If you don’t currently have someone like Bill in your life, please use this post as one way to quiet the demands, fears, and noise of the world to make time for [...]

By |2021-10-22T16:34:17-07:00October 22nd, 2021|
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CU Insight: Leadership Insight

As published in CU Insight How do you define leadership? Do you think of great leaders you admire and strive to be like them? Do you feel in order to be a good leader you need to be something more than you are? Do you ever feel you’re not doing “leadership” right, like there’s some special characteristic you’re not sure you possess? Perhaps you are waiting for some grand experience to call forth your leadership? If so, this may be the problem. Leadership does not live in the arena of grand actions and gestures. If it exists at all, it is found in our unglamorous day-to-day thoughts and the corresponding actions that occur to us to take as a result. It’s easy to busy ourselves with the appearance of leadership and many do. I know I have. We read the books, attend the courses, follow and quote the gurus, seek and hold the titles, but as we do so, we often fail to listen to and hear ourselves. In all our working and striving to be in charge of something or someone, we forget the only thing that actually matters: to listen to our own highest counsel and to be [...]

By |2021-07-02T16:24:39-07:00July 2nd, 2021|
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CU Insight: Real Conversations – The Five Questions Worksheet

As published in CU Insight When I ask executive audiences, “How many of you know that you need to have a conversation but you have been putting off actually having it?”, almost every hand will raise. Maybe your direct report hasn’t delivered the report when he said he would. Or perhaps you noticed how a newer team member has been a courageous voice on a challenging project. Whatever it is, we know we need to get better at addressing the real conversation, in real time, and to do so directly with the person or people involved. However, not many of us are comfortable doing so. Many prefer to avoid confrontation or any form of conflict. We are also surprisingly inept at sharing the positive impact others have upon our lives and/or the incredible contribution of their work. There are so many great things we think and feel about others that we simply do not share. For some, sharing the positive impact others have can be even more challenging than sharing the things we want them to do differently or better. After all, why provide feedback that sounds like praise? Isn’t it their job to get the work done well? We [...]

By |2020-11-06T10:08:46-08:00November 6th, 2020|
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CU Management – Leadership Matters: How We Build and Break Trust

As published in CU Management. Practice these leadership fundamentals to consistently convey your intentions, competency and reliability. Although many of us have had to deal at some point with a senior manager who seemed to lack morals, empathy or sincerity, the majority of organizational leaders are not compulsive liars and cheats, out to pull one over on the rest of us. Most leaders are healthy, well-adjusted adults who have invested greatly for the opportunity to contribute to their chosen profession and industry. They are often highly educated, competent and want to do the right thing. They are you. Why, then, does a lack of trust plague so many professional relationships, teams, departments and organizations? As we work at leadership level, we might notice that we still have these kinds of thoughts: “He is so frustrating to deal with.” “I don’t like her.” “We can’t count on the sales team.” But what we are really saying is that the person or people involved have not fulfilled some necessary level of trust: “He is so frustrating to deal with because I don’t trust him to follow through.” “I don’t like her because I don’t trust that she has my best interest at [...]

By |2020-10-19T08:34:42-07:00October 19th, 2020|
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