Sometimes it’s hard to see something, even when you’re looking right at it. That’s partly because of the way our brains work, according to psychology professor Wendy Wood. “Our minds are designed to miss the forest for the trees,” she says in her book, Good Habits, Bad Habits “We are primed by cues [stimuli in our […]

To lead others, you need a compelling vision. But lofty words are not enough. A vision statement must draw a crystal-clear picture of the future that guides action. In 2000, I took over Nelson Books, a major division of Thomas Nelson. I quickly discovered that it was the least profitable of the fourteen units in […]

Leadership is more than influence. It certainly includes influence, but it is more. I believe it includes at least five characteristics. I call these the five marks of authentic leadership.

He stood awkwardly in the front of the room. I remember him shifting on the balls of his feet as he read a script from behind the podium. We were called into the auditorium to hear the vision of the company. Rumors of impending layoffs circulated, increasing the tension in the room. Many years later, […]

Company culture can make or break a business and those who are a part of it. According to a study by Deloitte, half of workers agree that culture has the strongest effect on their experience and engagement, beating out the environment and even the tools and technology they use on the job. For a company […]

Comedians refer to an audience that hasn’t heard any jokes yet as a “cold room.” It is thus the job of the comics who go first or second in the night to warm them up. You tell some jokes, suggest a convivial mood for the crowd, and hope they’ve brought their funny bones. I have […]

One of your primary roles as a leader is to inspire your people. This won’t happen by accident. You must be intentional. Here are four ways you can keep it alive.

When times are tough, vision is the first casualty. Before conditions can improve, it is the first thing we must recover.

Beyond his cultural and technological contributions, the legacy of Steve Jobs offers up five leadership lessons. In this guest post, Tor Constantino explains.

Why do leaders exist? This is perhaps one of the most simple yet profound questions we can ask about leadership. Oddly, I am not sure I have ever heard anyone address it.

Yet, they wanted us to trust them and invest in their future as though it had already happened. … At the end of the day, you can’t build a reputation on what you are going to do.

At Thomas Nelson, our core ideology is comprised of four key elements. These are distinguishable but inseparable. It’s a little bit like talking about an orange. You can distinguish its shape, its color, its size, and its smell and taste. However, you can’t do away with any of these attributes and still have an orange. So it is with your organization’s core ideology.

We’ve all experienced it: the large bureaucracy where where the employees seem to be just punching the clock. However, this happens in the private sector as well. In fact, it happens any time people get disconnected from the their purpose.

As leaders, you and I are called upon to make hundreds if not thousands of decisions over the course of a year. A few are monumental. Some are consequential. Most are trivial. However, I would boil down the most important decisions I make into three categories

This recession has been a tough ride for most organizations. Many leaders I have met with in the last few months have grown weary of trying to keep things moving forward with fewer resources. They keep thinking things will improve, but “flat” seems to be the new “up.” In times like these, it is tempting for all of us to stay in our offices and become introspective. But we absolutely cannot do that. Our people need us now—more than ever.

The one thing that will keep you from settling is courage. This is the only thing that gives life to the dream once the initial magic wears off. In my experience, there are six ways to find the courage you need to swim against the tide and stand for wow.