The Downstream Effects of our Work
I heard this story some years ago that has stuck in my mind. It was about a village that depended on a mountain stream for their water. For years, at the top of that stream, there was an old man who made it his work to keep the stream clear of debris, twigs and logs […]
Leaders — stewards or owners?
Throughout my career, I’ve been involved in lots of discussions about compensation for business leaders. Perhaps the most common thesis for motivating executives is “make them feel like owners.” That typically leads to a discussion of bonuses and stock awards — that are paid when goals are met. No doubt, owning shares in the company […]
How Will You Be Remembered?
At a business lunch last week, my colleague said, “You can’t ask someone if they have integrity.” Isn’t that the truth? You cannot evaluate a person’s integrity by asking them about it. In fact, in my experience, asking them almost guarantees an inaccurate answer. The word integrity means “a firm adherence to a moral code […]
A Positive Work Experience – is it possible?
Reading a newsfeed on my iPad last month, a headline captured my attention. “The World Took a Negative Turn in 2017.” The news story? The Gallup organization measures the emotional state of most countries in the world each year. The 2017 survey results show a sharp increase in negative emotions – stress, anxiety, and sadness to name […]
Cheryl Shares Three New Lessons
I am excited to be back in the blogosphere talking to you about leadership. The second edition of Dare to Serve hits the market in just a couple of weeks, and I can’t wait for you to see the new chapters. You can jump on Amazon today and pre-order your copy by clicking here. Many […]
Deliberate Dignity
Last week I was getting ready to board a flight at Newark airport. The arriving plane was late and the gate crew was rushing around to quickly get that plane ready to go. The gate agent called the first group of passengers to board, but as they got down the ramp to the door of […]
How Could Service Change You as a Leader?
Excerpt from Dare to Serve: How to Drive Superior Results by Serving Others I began studying different approaches to leadership several years ago and that’s when I first encountered the idea of servant leadership. Robert Greenleaf introduced the concept of the servant leader in the late seventies – one who leads by putting the well-being […]
Dare-to-Serve Leadership: What’s in it for me?
Excerpt from Dare to Serve: How to Drive Superior Results by Serving Others Dare-to-Serve leadership is based on the idea of servant leadership. It’s about having the courage to put people first. When I talk about this concept, I often get a question about results- can serving others drive productivity and growth? My answer is […]
The Problem with Hurry
Full disclosure: I suffer from what psychologists’ call “hurry sickness.” I didn’t know it had a name until recently, but nonetheless, I’ve always known that I suffer from it. I jam-pack my days. I overschedule. I say “yes” way too often. The benefits of my disease include getting a lot done, being admired by others […]
Called to Account
Do you know what an idiom is? It is a collection of words that have a meaning not obvious from the words themselves. Examples in the U.S. include: “Barking up the wrong tree” — looking for answers in the wrong places. “Crying over spilt milk” – complaining about something that’s already in the past. “Killing […]