When we think about leadership, it's usually in a professional context. We focus on how we lead our organizations, departments, and teams but rarely put any thought into how we lead other areas of our life. How are we doing in our family life? our community? our own health and well-being? Are we leading these [...]
Steve Jobs. Mother Teresa had Father Michael van der Peet. Henry David Thoreau had Ralph Waldo Emerson (the list goes on). Despite varying and sometimes contradicting perspectives on how best to succeed professionally, most leaders agree that a mentor is one of the most valuable people to have on your career journey. Unfortunately, if you're [...]
... work for a superstar. During a recent trip to Los Angeles, the head of sales for a top financial services firm reflected on his career and shared with me that the #1 factor for most employee's success, including executives, is the quality of their boss. When you work for a manager who is a [...]
You are susceptible to stalling in your career if: You despise people who kiss up to the boss because you feel that one's work should speak for itself. You could care less what your boss thinks or wants as long as you're doing what's best for your clients or firm. You plan to actively sabotage your [...]
... to be successful. This insight came from a recent conversation I had with the CEO of a top financial services firm. He talked about the mentors that guided him, the peers who supported him and the employees who executed on his strategy. Before he became CEO, he focused on helping others get what they want and in [...]
... take back control. At some point in your career, you will encounter uncivil situations at work. Your colleague knowingly takes credit for your work. Your boss berates you and actively blocks your next career move. Your colleague interrupts you in a meeting or checks their email during your presentation. No matter how others disrespect you, your [...]
"But I don't have any experience in this field." This is the most common pushback I hear from my clients when they gain more clarity on what they want in their careers and realize they were meant to do something completely different from their current job. Whether it's switching into a new career, company or industry, the [...]
(Snob: a person who believes that their tastes and knowledge in a particular area are superior to those of other people.) As a high-performer, you strive to learn new and effective strategies to enhance your life both professionally and personally. As you pick up these skills and insights and gain positive results, you begin to [...]
... redirect your attention immediately to a personal or professional goal you're working on. Let complaining, yours or others, remind you to focus on your own development. You'll end up in a better mood because you'll forget why you're complaining or what you're complaining about. You'll also channel the energy you would have wasted complaining to achieve what you [...]
... do everything you can do help them. When you show that you sincerely care, your clients can tell and will appreciate you for it with more business and referrals. Unfortunately, in most interactions, the natural tendency is to think more about what you want than how you might be able to help and care for your [...]
... change your focus, gain perspective and take action. It's hard to see others gain the successes you wish for yourself especially when you're doing all you can and giving your best effort. Because you see and know everything that you've been doing, it's natural to feel that you're doing more than others yet not receiving the [...]
An easy way to make a strong impression is to remember someone's name. If you can remember a room full of names, you shift from leaving an impression to being impressive. So, how do you remember names even if you have a poor memory? You make the effort. People who are bad at remembering names can take comfort [...]
