Leadership Breakthroughs Archives

How to Spread Gratitude in Our Digital World

November 22, 2022 No Comments

How Complimentary is YOUR Close? This is the part of a letter that immediately precedes the writer’s signature, consisting of words such as Sincerely, Cordially, Very truly yours, Best regards, etc. We’ve always done it that way.
I believe it’s OK to declare your sincerity or to close cordially. Writers have used those terms for over a century, When would it be time to explore more personalized alternatives? How about today?

Your Post-Pandemic Hangover: Are You Now More Risk Averse?

October 3, 2022 No Comments

How Could You NOT be more Risk Averse?
Citizens of the world have experienced relentless fear, uncertainty and doubt since the pandemic began in 2020. We rode in a seemly endless emotional roller coaster. After such a long and rough ride, it’s only human to affected by our experiences. Figuratively speaking, all of us are still experiencing after effects. I’m not qualified to offer a clinical assessment. So my civilian term is “Pandemic Hangover.” Unlike a binge hangover, emotional recovery from our Pandemic Hangover lasts much longer than a day or two.

Are You Sabotaging Your Own Happiness?

September 9, 2022 No Comments

I won’t bury the lead here. The answer is YES. We all sabotage our happiness to some degree. So the important questions are:

* How is this happening?
* How do I stop?

Do You Suffer Fools Gladly? What Would You Gain if You Did?

August 2, 2022 No Comments

“Suffer Fools Gladly” – Saint Paul; 2 Corinthians, Chapter. 11

As with all theological scriptures, those three words can be subject to various interpretations. Rather than analyze St. Paul’s intentions of 2,000 years ago, let’s consider those three words in the context of leading others in today’s world.

Easier Said than Done: All leaders encounter people with thoughts and ideas we’re inclined to label as foolish. It’s hard to imagine being glad about it. Perhaps you have the authority to fire or relegate the fools in your midst. Or, contrary to the urging of St. Paul, you want to do so.

Effective Leadership Communication: How Accountable are You?

July 12, 2022 2 Comments

“Communication is a process, not an event.” – Seth Goden Do you treat communication as a process? Or an event? What’s the difference? Understanding how to develop a communication process approach to your communication is a potential game changer. That said, while the process may be simple, implementation is where most people struggle.

Steve Kerr’s Three Minutes of Leadership Perfection

May 26, 2022 No Comments

Last Tuesday, May 24, 2022. Pro Basketball Coach Steve Kerr’s Golden State Warriors were preparing for their Western Conference Finals Playoff game in Dallas. Their playoff game was just hours after the school shooting just 400 miles away in Uvalde, TX.

That Critical Decision: When Should You “Sleep on It”?

March 14, 2022 No Comments

There are times with decision making when we have both the need and the time to think it over. It might make sense to sleep on it. Or perhaps not?

What’s the Harm in a Little Office Gossip?

February 11, 2022 No Comments

Why do People engage in Office Gossip? There’s a multitude of motives for gossiping. What are your reasons for engaging? For not engaging?

Positive Reinforcement Revisited: Are You Choosing Vinegar over Honey?

January 20, 2022 No Comments

American managers have a common practice. They use an approach called Leave ’em alone > ZAP! They provide apparent autonomy until they’re caught doing something either undesirable or incorrect. Then they get ZAPPED.

What are Your Excuses? Could Your Attitude Sabotage Your Success as a Leader?

January 6, 2022 No Comments

We’re in the mist of The Great Resignation. Employers are seeking creative new ways to retain and engage their talent. Some employers are handing out larger raises than in the past. Talent shortages are creating opportunities for leaders to step up.

How might you make the most of this opportunity?
How might you avoid shooting yourself in the foot?

A Simple, “Less is More” Approach to Dedicate Yourself to What’s Important in 2022

December 27, 2021 5 Comments

If you could summarize your desired approach to the coming year with just one word, what word would you use?

How Strong are Your Critical Thinking Skills?

December 10, 2021 No Comments

I believe that critical thinking is an important skill for any leader. Critical thinking supports both decision making and self-leadership.

Celebrating 20 Years in Business

November 22, 2021 1 Comment

Another Milestone In November of 2001, I launched my new consulting/practice. I had first rate training and some proven tools

Introducing Anti-Goals; What are the Advantages and Pitfalls?

October 23, 2021 No Comments

As purveyor of effective goal planning for over two decades, I am more aware than most folks about how goal setting is used and misused. When I recently discovered the term “Anti-Goals”, my curiosity peaked. Is this backlash for pursing goals?

I’ve discovered and documented some really good reasons for people to sour on the idea of goal setting. Here are three examples of how and when using goal setting as a leadership tool can fail.

Pizza or Broccoli: A Slam-Dunk or Curious Conundrum?

October 4, 2021 No Comments

While our food favorites may vary, we all have them. And we tend to choose them more often than our less favorable choices. Our food decision making can provide clues to our workday decision making. Let’s take a closer look.

Chicago Executive Coaching Rated 5 Best Executive Coaching Programs in Chicago

September 14, 2021 No Comments

In an article dated September 8, 2021 by business rating site Kev’s Best, correspondent Shera Elliott compiled a list of the 5 Best Executive Leadership Coaching firms serving the Chicago Area.

Developing Empathy in a Polarized World

September 2, 2021 No Comments

Most citizens of the world have experienced two of the most disruptive two years we can remember. The result is the proliferation of FUD: Fear, Uncertainty and Doubt. In the presence of FUD, it’s all too easy to become self absorbed with our own challenges. And thereby easy to dismiss those of others.

Introverts Leading Extroverts: Where are the Disconnects and Pitfalls?

August 16, 2021 No Comments

Part 2 of 2 This post is the follow up to Extroverts Leading Introverts which explored the reverse scenario. How

Extroverts Leading Introverts: Where are the Disconnects and Pitfalls?

June 4, 2021 No Comments

On a scale of 1 to 10, how would you rate your level of extroversion?
If you gave yourself an extrovert rating of 7 or higher…

* You are more likely than most to experience conflict when interacting with the more introverted people in your workplace
* To effectively lead these folks, you will be more effective by adapting your approach.

Avoiding Touchy-Feely

April 18, 2021 No Comments

I once had a new coaching client begin our engagement with this intriguing request. “I don’t want this to get touchy-feely.”
On the surface, this is a potential challenge for a leadership coach. One of the most important aspects of a coach-client relationship is connection. Does connection require getting touchy-feely? It depends on what that term really means to the person making request. There are similarities between a coach’s role and a leader’s role. So let’s take a closer look at the possible rewards and consequences with a touchy-feely approach to communication.

How Preemptive are You? 7 Quick, Powerful Questions to Ask Yourself when Blindsided

February 25, 2021 1 Comment

We likely agree that integrity is a critical leadership trait. With your reputation on the line, I would argue that a leader’s integrity is so important that it needs to be defended whenever it’s threatened or challenged. As a leader, your integrity is judged on your ability to both make and keep your promises.

2020 – Turning Lemons into Lemonade

December 31, 2020 No Comments

My 2020 Lemonade: I’m extremely fortunate. I would describe the year as an opportunistic adventure. My friends and family have stayed healthy and safe. I know I’m in the minority when I share that I’ve had a really great year. I’m aware of my fortuitous status. So I’m compelled to share my recipe for 2020 lemonade.

Your Zoom Presence: Put Your Best Face Forward

December 1, 2020 2 Comments

While it may be true that you shouldn’t judge a book by its cover. The truth is that we not only judge books, we also judge people. It may seem superficial, but we all make snap judgements based on experiences, sights and sounds. When you show up for a virtual meeting, you’re being judged by your non verbal communication. If you want others to respect your ideas, you need to look and sound like a person worthy of that respect.

Why We Need a Lot of Thanksgiving in 2020

November 16, 2020 2 Comments

Without warning, the events of 2020 challenged our resiliency. We’ve all temporarily lost much of life that we took for granted. Then we discovered the temporary conditions would longer than expected to go away. This required us to summon even more resiliency. The challenge intensified. How do we get more resiliency? The answer lies in the celebration of Thanksgiving.

Tom Lemanski Hall of Fame Induction

October 30, 2020 2 Comments

On Thursday October 29, 2020 I became a Hall of Famer in my field. At the Fall Power Summit for The Trusted Advisors Network, I was inducted into their Hall of Fame.

Getting the REAL Story

October 14, 2020 No Comments

When it comes to effective decision making, there’s no substitute for being informed. At the same time, we’re living in the information age. We’re more likely to have too much data than too little. What’s a leader to do to discover what’s really going on? I have eight recommendations including a simple magic word.

Are You Writing Checks that Your Calendar Can’t Cash?

September 18, 2020 3 Comments

A check is a promise to pay. The banks hold you to your promise and enforce strict consequences for insufficient funds including bounced/returned checks, overdraft fees or even closing your account. What about your other promises?

What Triggers You?

September 9, 2020 1 Comment

What are “Triggers”?
There’s no denying it. We all have events that can lead to a reaction. In psychology a trigger is a stimulus; a reminder of a past experience strong enough to generate a reaction. It can be sensory; smell, a sound, an image or just familiar words. When stimulation action occurs with potential for unintended consequences.

What Are YOUR New Habits?

April 14, 2020 No Comments

Who would have thought that so simple as staying at home could be so challenging? Have you become uncomfortable with being comfortable?

Or have you become too comfortable? Perhaps feeling guilty about what’s not getting done?

I skate to where the puck is going to be, not where it has been.

Envisioning Your Brave New World

April 12, 2020 No Comments

Many of us suddenly have more time. Time is the scarcest of all resources. Count your blessings, assuming you’re healthy. We all realize that the future will be different. How? We can’t be certain. But there are degrees of uncertainty. Leaders are not completely in the dark. We’re getting plenty of clues about what lies ahead. Here are some examples:

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