Lack of initiative is due to an abundance of fear. True, apathy can play a role, but those who do not care are not reading this, so why spend time trying to appeal to their better judgment. It is not important to them. They can hide apathy behind proclamations of…

Regardless of your role, carry a S.I.D.E. of leadership. Service: Be of service. Help. Assist. Act on behalf of others. Serve people, or a cause, an idea, beyond yourself. Integrity: Hold yourself to honest and strong moral principles. Integrity takes time to build. Be trustworthy. Make your word mean something. …

In my second year at Emerson College, one of my television courses had me direct a short video production. The professor in this class was an exceptionally chic PBS producer who always clutched a styrofoam cup filled with hot coffee. I had previously completed many video projects in high school…

It is not a stretch to suggest that most people do not enjoy paperwork and like confrontation even less. Effective leaders are no different, but they take a deep breath and do it regardless. Lousy leaders, however, do not. …

1. Betray Personal Trust As a leader, you will find opportunities to create and strengthen relationships with your direct reports or peers. Sometimes this dynamic occurs when they deliberately or inadvertently share private details. The gradual disclosure of increasingly personal information is a great way to build trust. However, if you use that information…

If ideas are precious, why do so many people neglect them? It’s not because we have so few and don’t know what to do with them; it’s because we get too many and don’t know what to do with them. They’re like bubbles in a breeze. As kids, we chased…

We are each ultimately responsible for our level of confidence and support on any given task in our lives. Be it at home, work, or anywhere else. We often take our feelings around confidence and support for granted and accept them as accurate without challenging them. If you are empirically…

Many people say they want to achieve high performance; however, a smaller number will put in the effort to achieve that goal. When pressed, many cite they are too busy to do the things necessary to reach a higher standard. It has little to do with busyness; every professional is…

The people you work with like different things. How do you learn what those things are? Ask. Survey and then talk to your direct reports about what they would like as recognition for their good work. By doing so, you not only create a more effective recognition plan, you build…