The Most Vertically Developed Leaders See Themselves as Gardeners

Any good gardener knows three things: The gardener cannot transform a seed into a tree The gardener can create the conditions for a seed to transform into a tree The more appropriate the conditions are for a given fruit-producing tree, the more fruit the tree will produce The best and most vertically developed leaders understand […]
Becoming a More Positive Influence: Create a Culture Committed to Greatness

Consider the following quote: (In fact, in the comments, let me know whether or not you agree with it and why.) For now, let’s take it at face value and assume that people and organizations are either committed to greatness, or by default, they are committed to mediocrity. Let’s apply this quote to your organization. […]
Becoming a More Positive Influence: Heal Thyself and Lead from Heart, not Hurt!

Learn what Brené Brown has to say about: 1. What prevents leaders from being more effective, 2. How it is critical for leaders to become more self-aware in order to become more effective, and 3. What is required of leaders to actually move the needle on their effectiveness.
Becoming a More Positive Influence: Show Appreciation

The difference between recognition and appreciation can mean the difference between being a weak positive influence and a strong positive influence on those you lead.
Becoming a More Positive Influence: Improve the Lenses You Use to See the World

How we see the situations we encounter shape our ability to be a positive influence, someone that others want to follow.
Becoming a More Positive Influence: Be Someone Others Want to Follow

Being an effective leader requires that we become someone others want to follow, developing and improving ourselves such that we become someone that others admire and want to follow, not because of the position we hold, but because of the person we are.
Becoming a More Positive Influence: Enhance Your Emotional Intelligence

According to Travis Bradberry & Jean Greaves, the authors of Emotional Intelligence 2.0, they found that across over 100,000 senior executives (including 1,000 CEOs), managers, and line employees, the people in organizations that have the lowest EQ are those in the C-suite.
Becoming a More Positive Influence: Are You the Villain?

Why are leaders commonly villains? They have some fears and insecurities that cause them to act in ways that are fully justified to them, but are actually damaging to those they lead.
Becoming a More Positive Influence: Know How to Build Trust

If we can better understand how we evaluate trustworthiness in others, we can do a better job of managing the trust that others have in us.
Becoming a More Positive Influence: Develop a Clear Self-Purpose

Of 110 people surveyed, 8% seemed to have a clear purpose for their life. It is only by having a clear self-purpose that we will be willing to: (1) put off what is best for ourselves for what is best for a higher cause, and (2) do what is right, not what is easy.