Leader Blog

How to Get Your Employees to Hate You (and Leave You)!

How to Get Your Employees to Hate You (and Leave You)!

I love April Fool’s Day and even though it has passed for this year, I want to share one sort of humor that is appropriate for this special day. No one likes practical jokes and being made fun of, so I find that a great way to relieve stress in a way that gets people...

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‘Weeds Happen’ Is a Fact of Life for A High Road® Leader™

‘Weeds Happen’ Is a Fact of Life for A High Road® Leader™

I LOVE 💖 the sight of a beautifully managed and manicured garden. With healthy plants and colorful blooms, I can see that someone or many someone's devotes tremendous time and energy to maintain and nurture their stunning garden.   I HATE 😡 however the work that...

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The Great Leader Revels in Accomplishment

The Great Leader Revels in Accomplishment

The moment I noticed it I felt the irony. A dragonfly resting on a dragonfly! And that is the moment I saw efficiency in motion.   Let me start at the beginning… On a summer afternoon in our backyard garden, my wife and I enjoyed dinner in the warm sunshine. In...

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Every Business Wants Their Best Employees to Stay

Every Business Wants Their Best Employees to Stay

Alison’s Story   Alison believed that she had the ‘right stuff’ to be promoted into a senior leadership role. Her clients raved about her knowledge of the industry and a deep understanding of her employer’s offerings. In every performance review, her supervisor...

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Commit to the Christmas Spirit Every Day

Commit to the Christmas Spirit Every Day

What would our world be like if every day was Christmas? As you can imagine, we would all experience more Sharing Cooperation Peace and Harmony Courtesy and Kindness Smiles and Laughter Joy… and (something that everyone craves) Love – real love Sadly, this aspect of...

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Angry Birds in Real Life

Angry Birds in Real Life

The common American crow makes many sounds. One which informs you that a crow is upset is quite distinctive. One summer afternoon, my wife and I heard that sharp and loud noise in the sky right above us. Two agitated crows were chasing a hawk. Now this might not seem...

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Gibbs’s Rules

Gibbs’s Rules

One of my favorite TV programs is NCIS. The main character of the show is a retired Marine gunny by the name of Leroy Jethro Gibbs. “Gibbs,” as he likes to be called, is a man of conviction. In this highly rated drama of murder, detection, and high-tech forensics,...

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Where Will the New Leaders Come From?

Where Will the New Leaders Come From?

The Need for More Good Leaders is Everywhere! Have you heard the stories of Kamaria Warren, Carson King, Brecken Hayes, Sasha Thomas, Jack Beason, or Dillon Eisman? You haven’t? You need to! These children represent our next generations (next gen) of leaders and these...

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Gina Cotner of Athena Executive Services

Gina Cotner of Athena Executive Services

Gina Cotner of Athena Executive Services Gina Cotner is the founder and CEO of Athena Executive Services, a firm that pairs virtual Executive Assistants around the United States with busy business owners, entrepreneurs and executives. Her team of high-caliber...

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Job One is to Become a Leader!

Job One is to Become a Leader!

Panera Bread is experiencing 100% employee turnover, annually! Panera is not alone; it is an alarming trend in the fast food space. Employee turnover is extremely high and likely getting worse until solutions are in place. Or until we have no more fast food places to...

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Success Starts with a Dream!

Success Starts with a Dream!

Six Requirements to be a High-Quality Leader, like NASABy Ron Rael“What if we could travel to the moon?”This question has been around ever since mankind learned that the moon was an object that circled the earth. Dreamers such as Jules Verne (1865) and Georges Méliès...

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Code Red

Code Red

Imagine that you told your employer about a harmful situation. You believe that the policy on this issue needs to be changed. You believe that you took the high road in calling the problem to management's attention. I am proud of you for doing that!   What would...

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Accountability Starts with Me!

Accountability Starts with Me!

Accountability is an extremely high standard, and this is why many people and organizations lack this quality. In this insightful article, an expert defines accountability for you, a quality essential for delivering quality customer service. You will discover some reasons why accountability is so seldom practiced and what you can do ensure that it is a standard for your organization.

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Women’s History Month

Women’s History Month

March was dedicated to honoring and celebrating women. Let’s extend this effort to recognizing and encouraging the women who lead us every spectrum of life.

The best place for a woman to start leading is where she is right now.

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Leadership Mistakes to Avoid

Leadership Mistakes to Avoid

A leader needs his or her credibility to be trusted. While you are human and will make mistakes, it is a trait of preeminent leaders to think ahead and do continuous scenario planning. Here are actions and behaviors to avoid, demonstrating your commitment...

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On Turning 67

On Turning 67

“I am 13!” I explained. My grandson responded, “No you're not. You're old!Of course, he was being teased but refused to take my bait. There is some truth to that fib, however. My tree rings now number 67, which caused me to pause and reflect. Who I Am Now...

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Martin Luther King

Martin Luther King

"Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere." Reverend Martin Luther King, Jr. was more than an outstanding leader. He was a superhero! Dr. King lacked any superpowers, in a Superman or Wonder Woman sense. To me, he deserves this honor because...

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Risk Taking Versus Risk Management

Risk Taking Versus Risk Management

“Many managers and executives fail to see the difference between risk-taking and risk management. Quite often seasoned managers and executives tell me, ‘Risk management prevents risk-taking.’ Nothing could be further from the truth. You will be a smarter...

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President Bush, High Road Leader

President Bush, High Road Leader

HRI Honors President George H. W. Bush The world has lost a high road leader! President Bush was a man committed to finding the good in people. His often-quoted speech that extolled “1,000 points of light” reminds us that everyone has value and gifts to...

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Santa is a Leadership Guru

Santa is a Leadership Guru

A few weeks ago, I had an interesting conversation about leadership with a person I did not perceive as a leader: Santa Claus. I had a few minutes to talk with a professional Santa, and when he heard that I was a leadership coach, his eyes lit up and he...

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The Lone Wolf Can Never Lead!

The Lone Wolf Can Never Lead!

  You will likely be placed in charge of a project, engagement, or team. If you act like a lone wolf instead of a true team leader, you will fail! Loren’s Complaint After a presentation, I was approached by a shy technologist. Loren had been recently...

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Employee Loyalty – A Quality Product

Employee Loyalty – A Quality Product

An article in the Wall Street Journal summarized a comprehensive survey of American workers. The survey found, "American workers are less loyal to employers than in the past." Downsizing, weeding of management layers and the fear of being fired are reasons...

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The Unwanted Stuff (part 1)

The Unwanted Stuff (part 1)

Forcing yourself to do unwanted stuff is a high friction enterprise. You may feel like it makes you noble but it doesn’t. It just makes you numb.”   Thomas J. Leonard     The trick is figuring out what is “unwanted stuff.”    Busy, Busy, Busy  Our workdays...

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The Leadership Tree

The Leadership Tree

  Mark LeBlanc, who assists entrepreneurs in growing their business, recently told an audience that building a business can be viewed as a fir tree decorated for Christmas. He explained that the trunk of the tree represents the core activities, which...

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Team Culture

Team Culture

Teams Don’t Work! (Unless You Cultivate Them with Directed Autonomy) The company was days away from bankruptcy. It looked like nothing could save it... except for a cash infusion of a half million, which was not going to happen. Yet, six months later the...

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Culture Definition Tool

Culture Definition Tool

Now that you have jump-started a culture improvement initiative, how do you define what you want to become?   Starts With Your Ideals Corporate culture is the story we tell about ourselves. if there is any INCONGRUENCE, outsiders will pick up on it in...

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10 Ways to Show Employees You Care

10 Ways to Show Employees You Care

As I travel around the country conducting leadership training, I get asked interesting questions. Allow me to share one of those questions with you. “I recently took over as CEO for a manufacturing company. Their culture is very toxic. The former...

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The High Cost of Employee Turnover

The High Cost of Employee Turnover

Employee turnover can be a benefit and a problem. Is turnover the Cost of Doing Business? All organizations contend with some amount of turnover. In many industries, high turnover may be accepted as simply the “cost of doing business,” although this cost...

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How to Recognize an Ineffective Leader

It is overly simplistic to say that a poor leader is the opposite of a great leader. Here are 18 signs that a leader is inadequate. A poor leader: Leads others in the wrong direction Makes the right decision for the wrong reason Is egocentric Does not care Is selfish...

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Success in Spite of Ignorance

“Why do some companies succeed when they fail to employ the best practices of successful companies?” When the sun is out and the wind is calm, every boat stays afloat. When the storms come only the good boats stay afloat. A company can be successful without employing...

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From Budget to Potential

Does your company’s budget do the following? -          Allow you to see risks as mere molehills. -          Enforce decision-makers to use resources only to further their strategic goals. -          Change as your clients or market does. If you answered all 3 with...

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