Aug31
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I found Dr. Ellen Weber’s post “A Time to Thanks” quite thought provoking. I had been thinking about this same topic and the importance that gratitude should play in all aspects of my life – business, family, community and everyday interactions. Dr. Weber wrote:
“If you are like me … you get too busy at times … and when schedules swamp us… we tend to forget to thank people around us.”
Dr. Weber then went on to express appreciation in several ways.
In my experience gratitude is the lubrication that makes leadership run smoothly. It softens criticism, buffers conflicts and smooths and cools contention. THe least educated auto mechanic knows that without lubricants, a vehicle cannot run despite a powerful engine, the best tires adn aerodynamic design. Liekwise, your organziation - despite its power, will break down and fail without the lubrication of gratitude.
As leaders, our resources of time and money are limited. However, our ability to express gratitude, appreciation and encouragement is only limited by our willingness.
Say "thanks" for the simplest effort. There is no scarcity of appreciation if you will simply apply it liberally. What you will find is that as you lube your organzization with gratitude and appreciation is results. Goals will be met. People will be empowered. You willl be followed.
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Aug30
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I’ve been thinking lately about people who lead us beyond traditions… while respecting traditionalists whose wisdom can help us to inhabit new landscapes. My curiosity about that comes from a desire to learn from the pros and a...
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Aug25
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The following post is from my friend (and I.T. management expert) Carl Brown. You'll enjoy his thoughts: Business Process Management (BPM) is a concept that has existed for many years. However, it was not until the squeeze of the recent...
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Aug24
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How does teamwork affect the success of an organization? What should a leader know about the dynamics of teams and how they function? The Center for Creative Leadership recently published the results of a survey on teams. The report, The State...
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Aug21
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There are hundreds of approaches to training leaders. Andrew Thorn, of Telios Corp (leadership development firm) is trying some “extreme” tactics. From his blog, he writes "I began piloting a very intense program designed to help people who are already very...
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Aug19
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What comes to mind when you hear the term “soft skills?” Do you think of them as hand holding and public hugs? Do you scoff at the thought of giving up time from “critical” work to learn some “soft skills?” I thought...
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Aug18
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I found myself at the back of a pack of cyclists the other day. I had not ridden in several months and joined a friend and his group of riders in an effort to get from behind the din of a...
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Aug13
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Have you noticed that wherever you see respected and progressive leaders you also see collaborators who help others to succeed also? I saw that picture personally in a fellow blogger and leader again today… and it reminded me of...
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Aug10
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I ran into Dr. Eric Schmidt, CEO of Google Inc. (GOOG), in the restroom yesterday. He had just given the keynote address at the Search Engine Strategies conference in San Jose. Seeing him in this context was a reminder that he is...
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Aug 9
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This gem is by one of my management students, Jeanne Tirado Entrustment, giving out, handing over, passing on and designation, Are all synonyms of delegation. Such a little word, yet it means so much. It can build teams of...
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Aug 8
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Senator Joseph Lieberman from Connecticut conceded the democratic primary election to anti-war candidate Ned Lamont in a closely contested race today. The power of bloggers played a role in this race. Perhaps less “pro-Lamont” and more “anti-Lieberman”, blogs like dailykos fueled...
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Reg Stewart ... the Senior Health Project Coordinator for Quality Improvement at Strong Memorial Hospital ... recently traveled to New Orleans -- armed with a Brain Based question. I asked Reg a few weeks ago, “What can you find at this point...
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Aug 7
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Things don’t always go as you plan. Two weeks ago I was hiking in Zion’s National Park in Southern Utah. I planned a trip to back-pack the 16.5 miles of the West Rim Trail over two days. It was an opportunity to...
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Aug 6
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One of my many "hats" as a consultant is working on a contract teaching communication skills to managers and supervisors as part of the rollout of NSPS (National Security Personnel System) which is the new performance management program the Air...
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Hal Halladay’s post Mel Gibson’s Passion and Penance intrigued me for a few reasons… mostly because it reminded me that when we wire for bigotry… the brain synergizes those wires. First let me say that ... we all wire mentally...
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Aug 2
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Now that people have stopped dying from heat, the buzz in my town, LA-LA Land, has been Mel Gibson. Gibson, actor, producer, director and Oscar winner was arrested for DUI July 28th in Malibu. A Hollywood star in trouble? Hardly news. Unfortunately, Gibson took...
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Bono, front man for the band U2, human rights activist and Time Magazines’ Person of the Year can now add leadership speaker to his resume. Bono will join Christian leaders that will address and train an estimated 70,000 attendees located...
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Aug 1
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There is some good stuff going around the web today. I offer my support and encouragement to Chartreuse, an independent blogger that has thrown out an innovative idea that captures the power of new media and citizen journalism. I often...
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