It’s no great comfort for the flying public that air traffic controllers have been nodding off on the job and pilots have been forced to land unassisted. As scary as that may be, personally, I don’t blame the controllers. They were set up for failure. Continue Reading

Last week here in South Louisiana we celebrated Mardi Gras, or “Fat Tuesday”. What a fun time! Mardi Gras Day is the culmination of the Mardi Gras season, which officially begins on Twelfth Night, or January 6th each year. It runs until the day before Ash Wednesday and is a time for celebration, revelry, and often, indulgence. Ash Wednesday begins the austere, reflective time of Lent. Continue Reading

In my work as a leadership coach, I take the approach that the best advice I can give my clients is none at all. In fact, if I’m doing my job properly as a coach, I am asking more than telling.

I believe that a leader’s job is much the same. Sure, you can take the time to figure out what your team member, Joe’s problem is, and then come up with a solution for him. I understand that often the quickest way to get Joe back on track is to tell him what to do. And if you have the answers to his dilemma, why would you withhold them when he obviously needs guidance? Continue Reading

I was reading Facebook this morning. Okay. I admit it.  I am, rather, uh, inconsistent in my participation in social media. But as I say, I was getting all caught up on my “Facebook Friends’” lives. I noticed an all too common thread in the posts this morning.

It seems that everyone hates Mondays. They dread going back to work after a wild weekend, or a relaxing two days off, or whatever it is that they just experienced.  One friend even posted “Monday morning… I detest you!”

Seriously?  Pretty strong stuff! I am left wondering if these people are chronic complainers, if they enjoy getting all of the sympathetic responses (and attention) to these posts, or if they are really that disengaged with their jobs? I actually know many of these people, (as opposed to what my friend calls her “fake Facebook friends”), and I know them to be good people who don’t fit the first two descriptions. But surely this level of lethargy can’t be legit. Or can it? Continue Reading

My friend, Maxine is fond of reminding me that, much as we might wish to and try to, we can’t change other people. I know this to be true, but must admit, I need to be reminded now and then. This New Year, why not focus on improving yourself instead of trying to change someone else? Continue Reading

What kind of leadership brand are you creating? “But I’m not a product – heck I don’t even have a logo, why would I have a brand?” you might be asking.

I respectfully disagree, my friend. No, I’m not a marketing expert, but I do play one on TV. Er, seriously, though, I have read enough books on marketing to know that your brand is not a logo or a slogan. Your brand is what you’ve become known for. And yes, as a leader you have a brand, whether you realize or not. Continue Reading

I have always told participants in my leadership development workshops (as well as my kids), that how you treat others is like a boomerang… what you throw out there will come back to you.

When I had the opportunity to travel to Australia last year, (which was awesome, by the way), what do you suppose I brought back as a souvenir? Yep, you guessed it, a beautiful handcrafted boomerang! It sits on my desk as a reminder to be conscious of the way that I treat others. Continue Reading

A while back we went on a seven day cruise of the Caribbean! It was phenomenal, as you can imagine. But my purpose is not to rub in your face my sunny, relaxing, exciting vacation!

Before we left, my friends and cruising mates were concerned about a hurricane that was heading our way. I was looking forward to this vacation so much that I simply didn’t want to hear about a hurricane. In some ways, I guess I was in denial. I didn’t watch the weather forecasts and continued packing bathing suits and sunscreen. Continue Reading

I have a confession to make. Here, lean closer. I don’t want just anybody to hear this. I have never watched a reality television show! You heard me right. I’ve never witnessed one airing of “American Idol”, never dialed up “Dancing With the Stars,” and never tuned in to one episode of “Real Housewives of Anywhere,” “The Bachelor/Bachelorette,” or even one installment of “America’s Got Talent”. Not that there’s anything wrong with any of that. Reality TV has just never interested me. Continue Reading

We’re all being asked to do more with less these days, but some people are feeling the pressures more than others. Are your employees still Fired Up! about their jobs, or are they Burnt Out?

I’ve heard from friends and colleagues lately that they are seeing more disengaged employees than ever before. Dubbed “The Walking Dead” by many management experts, these are the employees who are just going through the motions. They do the absolute minimum that they have to do just to get by. I’m willing to bet that you pictured a co-worker or team member when you read that last sentence. Yep, we all know at least one person who is burnt out, checked out, and pooped out. And yet, he or she is still taking up space on the job. (Hopefully it’s not you!) Continue Reading