One of the promises that I make to students in my courses on the first day of class every semester is that I am going to bring my “A Game” to every class. This is the standard that I set for myself – and I remind myself of this every day. This does not mean that I do a perfect job in every class – far from it. I always have ideas on how I can do better. But I go for it … [Read more...] about Bring Your “A Game” Every Day
inspiration
How to Show People You Care
Early in my career a few people I respected recommended that I read the book, How to Win Friends and Influence People, by Dale Carnegie. I was not interested! I didn’t need to “win” friends. I was already good at “making” friends. And the “winning friends” part made me suspicious that the “influencing people” part was about “how to manipulate” people. Not … [Read more...] about How to Show People You Care
Don’t Trade Results for Success
Understandably, many people are driven to succeed. In fact, many are so driven to succeed that they cannot fathom the idea of having a single failure. In his book, Originals, Adam Grant says: “When achievement motivation goes sky-high, it can crowd out originality: The more you value achievement, the more you come to dread failure.” It’s not that you should love … [Read more...] about Don’t Trade Results for Success
Savor 2025, then Launch 2026
Let’s Go! The new year is around the corner and you are figuring out how to get your team fired up for the new year. That’s great. But before you dive into new year planning, take some time to look back and savor your accomplishments from 2025. You can do this in just a few hours. Look through your calendars. Come up with the top three accomplishments your team had … [Read more...] about Savor 2025, then Launch 2026
Celebrate Your Wins
Learning from failure is great and I am all about continuous improvement. However, many of us do not take enough time to celebrate and savor our wins. A recent article in Harvard Business Review points out the downsides of moving on too quickly to the “next goal.” We miss out on three critical benefits: 1. Refuel Motivation: Celebrating an achievement provides a … [Read more...] about Celebrate Your Wins