The Leadership Shift from Specialist to Generalist My dad wrote three books before he passed away. They’re filled with family stories, observations about life and work, wisdom gathered over decades, and plenty of pearls I’ve found myself returning to as I’ve gotten older. There’s something rather wonderful about reading his words now. Sometimes I agree […]
The Expertise That Got You Here Won’t Lead You There Read More »
There’s a moment in coaching that I know well. Someone is working through a problem. As they’re talking, I can see a possible answer. Sometimes I can see three. And everything in me wants to help. “Have you thought about…?” “What if you tried…?” “Here’s what I’ve seen work…” All perfectly reasonable responses. And sometimes
From Knowing to Wondering: The Leadership Discipline of Curiosity Read More »
Why Great Leaders See Potential Before Others Do Think back over your career for a moment. Who changed the direction of your life? It probably wasn’t the person with the most impressive title. It wasn’t necessarily the smartest person in the room. It was the person who saw something in you before you saw it
The Leadership Gift People Never Forget Read More »
The Leadership Shift That Changes Everything Most leaders don’t struggle because they don’t know enough. They struggle because they believe they’re supposed to. Many of us earned our leadership roles because we were the person with the answers. We solved problems. We knew the details. We were dependable. When something went wrong, people came to
You Don’t Have to Have All the Answers Read More »
Leadership leaves fingerprints long after the meeting ends. Several years ago, I found myself thinking about someone who had encouraged me early in my career. I honestly don’t remember the entire conversation. I don’t remember what we were discussing. But I remember exactly how I felt when I walked away. More confident. More capable. More
The Return on Investment You May Never See Read More »
The greatest investment you’ll ever make is the one that helps someone else grow. Over the past few weeks, we’ve talked about creating capacity, protecting it, and investing in your own growth. Those are important conversations. But lately, I’ve found myself thinking about a different question. What’s the purpose of all that growth? If I
Growth Was Never Meant to Stop With You Read More »
A full calendar may explain your present. It also predicts your future. Last week, I wrote about creating capacity. It struck a chord because so many leaders feel like they’re running at full speed with very little margin. They know they need more space, but they aren’t always sure what that space is for. That
Your Calendar is Quietly Creating Your Future Read More »
One question has been sticking with me lately. If you suddenly got five extra hours every week, what would you do with them? I’ve asked that question to leaders, business owners, and insurance professionals over the last several months. Almost nobody answers with administrative tasks. Instead they say things like: “I’d finally reconnect with prospects.”
Momentum Isn’t About Moving Faster – It’s About Making Room to Grow Read More »
Every time a busy season eases up, I make a very optimistic list of everything I am finally going to catch up on. Clean out my inbox. Organize my email folders. Finish the projects that got pushed aside. Get ahead for once. For the record, “clean out my inbox and organize my mail folders” has
What Needs to Change Before Things Get Busy Again? Read More »
For years, after open enrollment ended, I would ask my agent clients a simple question: “Are you finally coming up for air?” The responses were usually some version of the same thing. “Not yet.” “I don’t know what you mean.” “I can’t see it from here.” Or my personal favorite: “Open enrollment lasts all year
The Cost of Never Coming Up for Air Read More »