Leaders often think (mistakenly) that they're supposed to have all the answers.

Satya Nadella became Microsoft's CEO in 2014, and he inherited a company marked by stagnation and a rigid culture. Nadella knew he couldn't revitalize the company on his own. "The C in CEO stands for culture, and it defines the success of every organization." 

Think of your best team members and how effortless they make your life. Now, shift focus: who's consuming your time and energy? Having a few employees consume a large amount of your mental energy is a common leadership hurdle.

Christmas to me means music in all shapes and sizes.  

I love December because it's GOAL SETTING TIME!  And my favorite way to do that is by using this worksheet and taking some time to reflect on how this year went before throwing myself blindly into next year's plans.

People will pay thousands of dollars to have facilitators lead their important meetings.  And it is absolutely worth it at the highest level.  Why?  Because there is an art to making meetings work, and not everyone is capable of it. 

Since it's Thanksgiving week, I decided to look into the science of a happy life.  Harvard has been conducting a study on happiness for 85 years, and the findings are startling.  The secret is not diet, it's not physical activity, it's not money.  

Great leaders inspire others to dream, empower them to seek out solutions they are uniquely suited for, and support those solutions above their own.

I spend a lot of time consulting on right people, right seat, right leader.  Growth happens when you as a leader trust people to be better and more passionate than you.

Too often leaders go into the conversation and make a withdrawal from the bank account, not realizing they are bankrupt.  Go into every conversation assuming you're poor and you need to make a deposit. 

We've all head the phrase "Practice makes perfect", but the better version is "Perfect practice makes perfect."  

"Maybe the solution is not another system.  Maybe the solution is less."

I’ve spent many years helping leaders hit their goals, and I’ve learned one very important lesson - accountability cannot happen without a specific goal.

To put it in sportsball language for my football fans - nailing my job is like handing people such a crystal clear playbook that it revolutionizes their entire communication game.

One guest reminded me of the danger of letting outsiders push you into self-recrimination.  Questioning past decisions based on new information is a misuse of mental energy.

“Once I’m in a flow state I can’t be distracted. That’s the magic of it.” -Ryan McDevitt

In 2005 I was stationed on the carrier to the right - the USS George Washington.  Last weekend we took our daughters on a "nostalgia tour" of Norfolk, VA, where we got to see her in port.  It was  a very special moment and it brought back a lot of intense memories.

I went to an event with 80+ business owners last week and I decided to lean into my uncomfortable super power - asking intense questions in a 1 on 1 setting.