Vertical Development & Hermit Crabs

Hermit crabs live in shells. As they grow, they need to move into bigger and bigger shells. The process of upgrading shells is called “molting.” The molting process takes 4-8 weeks and hermit crabs will molt every 12-18 months. Since hermit crabs can live for more than 30 years, this means that they can potentially molt 30 times in their lifespan.
Solving the Riddle of Leadership Ineffectiveness: Focus on Expanding Leaders’ Window of Tolerance

I see an intriguing riddle with leadership. Let me give you two observations from my consulting and research: I have yet to meet a leader or boss who does not want to have a positive influence on the people they lead Past research points to the conclusion that the majority of leaders or bosses are […]
Are You More of a Deteriorator or an Elevator?
Whether we realize it or not, our mindsets (the mental lenses that we use to view the world) are foundational to everything we do. For example, how do you typically react to constructive criticism? When I ask this to groups, most say that they get defensive (or some variation of that). But, there are some […]
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: Be Intentional

Success rarely comes about by chance. It comes about because someone set a specific destination and made specific intentions about how to get there, and then took those steps. In other words, success comes about through intention, being deliberate with what we do. Effective leadership and being a positive influence comes about the same way. […]
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: 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.
Becoming a More Positive Influence: Start with Rewiring Your Brain

If we have developed the wiring for a certain orientation, or if we rely upon one side of our prefrontal cortex, does that mean that we are stuck? No! We can rewire our brains to navigate life more effectively and become more of someone others want to follow.