One of the greatest gifts any of us can ever receive is the gift of listening. It is also one of the greatest gifts we can ever give. Unfortunately, it appears to be a lost art.

I’ve had more than 20 bosses in my career. I worked well with nearly all of them. Most of them were surprisingly average—even forgettable. One was brilliant and became a role model. But he was the exception.

No one likes conflict. It’s hard, uncomfortable, and stirs negative emotions. Most of us try to avoid it at all costs. You’ve probably even asked yourself at one point or another, Do I really need to have this conversation, or is there another way? But there’s no escaping it. Conflict is part of life. It […]

As a high achiever, you probably pride yourself on how much you get done. But one area always feels like a mess: your email. You’re inundated with a constant barrage of communications. There’s email itself, plus emails about other communications elsewhere—like calendar notifications, Slack messages, or notifications from your task-management platforms. Will it ever end? […]

A lot of us are working from home—either part-time or full-time. We all want to remain focused and productive while we do, but it’s not easy. In fact, sometimes it’s really, really hard. From challenges in team communication and collaboration to Zoom fatigue to juggling needs at home. It’s a lot! And it can be […]

You have a vision for your business, your team, and your day-to-day workflow. But the more people who are added to the mix, the more likely misunderstandings will happen. No matter how hard you try, things still get lost in translation. It costs time, money, and momentum. Maybe we’re not as good at communicating as […]

Each of us have habits that affect how we move through our days. Whether it’s prepping our coffee makers the night before, exercising at the same time every day, loading the dishwasher a certain way, or just how we get ready for bed every night. These actions have become automated—our subconscious takes over and we […]

I once had a boss who rarely shared information and never in a timely way. My office happened to be in a different building than his, so getting to our weekly one-on-one meeting took a little effort. But not only did he cancel most of our meetings, he did so without notice. When we did […]

In the distraction economy, focus is a rare commodity. We can’t do meaningful work unless we maintain focus. Good leaders not only achieve greater focus but also equip team members with focus-boosting tools. Don’t let another week go by with fractured focus. Below, you’ll find six practices to destroy distractions in your daily work. Choose […]

Most people think intensity is the key to accomplishing huge goals, but Jerry Seinfeld would disagree. When this stand-up comic, co-creator of Seinfeld, and actor considers the reason for his success, he credits one word: consistency. Early on in his career, Jerry started writing at least one joke per day. He hung a giant calendar […]

Many leaders never admit their biggest goals because of invisible barriers. One of the main barriers is goal shame. Goal shame is embarrassment about the things you want to achieve. Sometimes it results from internal thoughts like, Who am I to do this? or Who am I to attempt something so big? Self-doubt, fear, and […]

Most people want more from life than what they’re getting. That’s natural. We were created with appetites that long for more. The hard part is taking that longing and turning it into reality. Life often throws us curveballs, and we don’t always have control over how things unfold. What we do have control over is […]

It’s so easy for us to get caught up in life’s current. We start drifting, and we end up in a place we would never have chosen if we had been consciously aware of it. Unfortunately, that’s how a lot of people approach life. Drifting. Caught up in life’s distractions. Maybe you’re hyper focused on […]

It’s that time of year again. It seems like everyone is talking about their goals, New Year’s resolutions, or how things will be different next year. But maybe you’re an outlier. Maybe you feel resistance toward that and, at the most, are only mildly intrigued. It can be natural to feel skeptical, especially if you’ve […]

We all have dreams for a better future—from improving our health to taking up new hobbies, saving up for a big purchase, or traveling to new destinations. To turn those dreams into realities, we set goals. Unfortunately, most people struggle to set goals. There are several reasons for this, but high on that list is a […]

It’s easy to feel like we’re constantly going from one thing to the next. From our tasks at work, to our responsibilities and commitments at home. There are seemingly endless demands on our time and attention. We can only keep up the juggling act for so long. Soon, some areas of our lives will begin […]

Having big goals is the only way big things happen. And the only way to achieve big goals is to become tolerant of the discomfort that comes with them. Of course, this isn’t our natural tendency. We’d rather play it safe and avoid failure. That’s perfectly understandable. It’s what’s comfortable. But inevitably we start to […]

We all wrestle with limiting beliefs. No matter your age, occupation, or role, it’s a universal struggle. A limiting belief is a misunderstanding of the present that shortchanges our future. These might be assumptions we hold about the wider world, about other people, or maybe, hardest of all, beliefs about ourselves. Some of our limiting […]

There’s a widely held assumption that gratitude leaves us feeling complacent. If we’re comfortable with life, we’ll feel no need to achieve more. And also have no need to set goals, right? But the opposite is true. Gratitude doesn’t make us complacent. Instead, it increases our efforts in the pursuit of goals. There are several […]

We all have rituals, even if we don’t refer to them in those terms. They’re simply the tasks we do on a regular, even daily, basis. They’re so woven into our days that we’re on autopilot when we do them. Things like showering and getting ready for bed, setting up the coffee maker for the […]

Being an entrepreneur is as exciting as it is challenging. There are new opportunities to do creative work—work you find purpose in—and to grow as a professional. For all the excitement, though, there are also plenty of challenges, particularly ones that affect a marriage. Gail and I have experienced this in our 40 years together. […]

When you own a business, it is inevitable that at some point you will experience crisis and disruption. The question to ask yourself is, should I pull back or lean in? Being afraid in uncertain times is normal, but fear doesn’t have to define your response. When seasons of crisis come, you can strategically pivot […]

Most of us have tried establishing a new habit. With good intentions, we usually start out strong. But then life happens, and the habit falls to the wayside. Maybe things become busy at work, or the weather isn’t cooperating, or your kids aren’t sleeping, which means you’re not sleeping. Whatever the reason, there is a […]

Growing up with my dad was like entrepreneurial school. He taught me that I had the opportunity to shape my own future by applying myself to something I loved. I just needed to look for the right opportunity. That first opportunity, at age 11, was selling boxes of all-occasion cards. Honestly, it was a bust. […]