As leaders, we must remain humble. If we don’t, we risk large-scale, public failures that will have a catastrophic, negative impact on the people we are trying to lead.

When I was a young executive I had a level of stamina that was nearly supernatural. I could get locked onto a goal and not eat, not sleep, just stay focused on it until I achieved it. But as I recently told my friends Ian Cron and Suzanne Stabile on their excellent The Road Back […]

Elon Musk is widely regarded as one of the most influential entrepreneurs working today. He’s one of the founders of PayPal and the CEO of Tesla and SpaceX. He wants to help put a colony on Mars and be buried there. Because Musk is considered such a visionary, many people want to learn his methods […]

Many people feel trapped in a job they hate but don’t believe they can quit. They feel stuck and, as a result, their life is miserable. Do you know someone like this?

On a recent Catalyst Podcast , Andy Stanley said, “The best thing a leader can bring to his team is his energy” (quoting Bill Hybels). … The good news is that you can be a more energetic leader by becoming more aware and intentional about developing it.

If you are a leader, you are going to attract critics. It is inevitable. In fact, if you are’t attracting critics, you should be wondering why. Criticism is normal.

Leaders frequently tell me they have a hard time recruiting great people to join their organizations. When I ask about their hiring process, I often find one missing element: sales. Recruiting great people is similar to any kind of sales process. Your company is the product. Prospective employees are your customers. The recruiting process is […]

If you’re in a position of leadership, chances are better than good you’re going to blow it with your people sooner or later. It’s like messing things up in your marriage. Don’t ask me how I know this, but it’s inevitable from time to time. There are pluses and minuses to that comparison, but one […]

I am not the first person to make this observation, but it is worth repeating. Too often, I meet young leaders are frustrated because they can’t control every aspect of the process. If only the sales department reported to me, I could improve my results.“

Productivity doesn’t just increase your efficiency. If you do it right, it can also increase your income. The problem is that traditional systems get productivity all wrong. They define productivity as the ability to do more and do it faster. But that approach just accelerates the hamster wheel we’re already on. Instead of getting ahead, […]

Is it just me, or is our modern work culture bleeding us dry? It’s not just our cell phones and computer screens that draw our eyes at all hours. As much as we might want to blame technology, the root of our struggle to have satisfactory days goes much deeper. Far too often, we think, […]

When I think of one word to describe contemporary work habits, it’s unsustainable. We’re working drastically longer hours, while incurring high physical and emotional costs, for only marginal gains in productivity. We created this infographic to illustrate some interesting (and surprising) stats on our struggle with productivity in the modern workplace. Feel free to share […]

We’re used to hearing about people getting sick at the office. Someone brings in the cold or the flu, and it spreads. But that’s not the only thing that goes viral in the workplace. For a couple of decades now, researchers have been studying something called emotional contagion. It’s important for leaders to understand because […]

As a leader, the health of your marriage directly impacts your effectiveness. Nothing will undermine it faster than a bad marriage. And few things will advance it like a good one. But it’s not easy. All marriages are works in progress. I’ve been married to Gail for thirty-eight years, and we’re still working on ours.

Inside of each of our heads lives a storyteller. He narrates the events of our lives in real time. But we don’t have to accept his version of reality. We can chose a different storyline.

Ask leaders about the most efficient way to be inefficient, and I bet most will say “bad meetings.” But the hard truth is that meetings are not only inevitable, they’re also essential. Why? If our teams are going to achieve major goals, we need to be able to plan, coordinate, and tackle problems together. The […]

One key to leadership is being willing to take responsibility for your mistakes. Good leaders do this even when they’re guilty of only 10 percent of the problem or accusation. But the truth is we’ve all had cases where we’ve been guilty of the whole enchilada, right? I once had a teammate—this was years ago […]

More than a decade ago, I decided I needed to get back into regular exercise. I was overweight and tired of feeling exhausted. I needed to do something. But like everyone else, I was busy. I had a habit goal I wanted to install: Exercise for thirty minutes, Monday through Friday, at 6:00 a.m. There […]

I’m already seeing a lot of Christmas images on Instagram, and I expect to see a flood in the next few days. The company just announced it surpassed 600 million users. Instagram launched in 2010. I joined a year later, but I only became a heavy user a couple of years ago. The company’s growth […]

Social media remains one of the most efficient ways for leaders to get heard and make a difference. What’s not efficient for most is the management of their social media presence. Many leaders try overcoming this problem by bringing outside resources to bear. They might involve existing teammates, hire new employees, or contract with someone […]

Sometimes leading a business can feel like running a marathon. That’s especially true when our goals seem ambitious, daunting, and a long way off. What could the sport of running teach us about reaching the finish line? I’ve been a fan of Dean Karnazes ever since I read his book, Ultramarathon Man several years ago. […]

When I asked successful business and thought leaders how they prepared to reach their goals in the upcoming year, several said gratitude gave them an edge. Some mentioned setting aside special time to reflect and express gratitude for all the positive they experienced. This close to Thanksgiving, that seems perfect this time of year. But […]

I’ve studied high achievers for decades. They all have different traits and habits that make them unique, but what I find fascinating are all the commonalities. What if having a successful year came down to just a handful of best practices? I asked thirty well known high achievers to tell me how they set themselves […]

This week my team met for strategic planning. We set aside several days so the leadership team could review our values, goals, and budget. We’re just finishing up today, actually. But Day 1 was dedicated not just to leaders, but to the full team. Why? I prioritize my team. Customers are important for a business. […]