How To Avoid The Perils Of “Watch Me Swim” Leadership

Have you ever encountered a “watch me swim” leader? This is the person who insists on letting you know about every accomplishment they’ve achieved, no matter how small or insignificant. The attitude is very similar to the child splashing around the swimming pool, desperate for the grown-ups to notice their aquatic abilities. For children in…

Five Ways “I’m So Busy” Undermines Your Leadership Credibility

In a world that has attached a strange nobility to the notion of being busy, effective leaders stand out by avoiding the “I’m so busy” trap. One of the most effective leaders I’ve ever known was highly productive, and yet operated at a pace that was somehow both urgent and yet unhurried.  This leader had…

How To Prepare Your Soul For More Effective Leadership In 2025

There will be hundreds of posts readily available this week to help you set new leadership targets for 2025. Today, I want to ask you a very different leadership question: “Is my soul in a better place today than it was a year ago?” For 12 months you’ve been doing the hard work of leadership.…

5 Leadership Traits from King Wenceslas That Matter This Christmas, and Beyond

A leader must be as relentlessly protective of their people as they are zealously focused on their goal. And as the Christmas season is upon us, you can find a vivid picture of how these two vital leadership principles can be intertwined by looking at one of the time-honored carols of the season. In Good King Wenceslas you…