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Witness on stand mso

Can I Get a Witness?

Business witness relationships can be the invaluable assets. What is a business witness? Why do you need them? What are the three qualities that every business witness must have? Why should you have a witness retention program?

Conflict

Seven Scenarios for Team Conflict

Have you ever looked at your work team and wondered: “Why can’t we all just get along?” Perhaps a better question is: Why should we just get along? By “just” getting along, could we be compromising our objectives for the sake of artificial harmony?

The Ant

The Ant, The Lion and The Airline

Contrasting a compelling fable of a manager who couldn’t leave well enough alone with one of corporate America’s biggest success stories.

Rose

The Derrick Rose Challenge: Why Can’t YOU?

At the beginning of the pro basketball season, Chicago’s Derrick Rose was asked about his goals. He answered the question with a question. “Why can’t I be the MVP?” While there were an abundance of good reasons, Rose refused to believe any of them. The rest is history. In writing your own history. I ask: Why can’t you?

Failure Street Sign

Fear of Failure is Not an Option

The film, Apollo 13 gave us the line “Failure is not an option” I briefly consider the role of failure in innovation, problem solving and decision making. In revealing that “Failure Phobia” is counterproductive, I share three new ways to fail responsibility.

TL Caricature

Tom’s Caricature Story

Because so many have asked about the origin of my caricature, I created my first web cam video to briefly tell the story in 99 seconds.

Telepathic

Management By Telepathy

There is a management system that I’ve observed in organizations ranging from two partner companies to the Fortune 100. But it lacked a name until now. I hereby call it “Management By Telepathy”. This is not one of those new buzzword breakthrough management systems that I would aspire develop a consulting practice around. Instead it’s a metaphoric mirror for managers who wonder why their seemly talented staff fails to meet expectations.

Getting Mad

Don’t get mad, get…

Here in the state of Illinois, we’ve just done away with the death penalty. So we’re trying to let go of the eye-for-an-eye punitive system and the often insatiable desire to GET EVEN. Might we find a higher ground and more productive and mature mindset in the process? Considering both the tangible and intangible resources expended with vindictive thinking, what is the real cost of wanting to get even?

Moth

Social Media and “The Moth Effect”

Have you become a “Social Media Moth”, attracted by the bright lights and not really knowing why? Social Media & “The Moth Effect” examines how to avoid getting zapped by applying old school rules to this evolving new media.

SMART Leadership Logo

New Home for SMART Leadership

Smart Consolidation While it should be transparent to most readers, all previous SMART Leadership postings from Blogspot and WordPress.com have

spiral

Does anybody remember… abundance?

While performing “Stairway to Heaven” Led Zeppelin’s Robert Plant asks the question: “Does anybody remember laughter?” In considering today’s Cautious New World (a.k.a. the new normal), I offer a new question: “Does anybody remember abundance?” In our world of commerce “we’re buying a stairway to scarcity”.

Primitive Communication

Should Interruptions Be Pardoned?

Strong communication skills: Employers all want them. Job seekers all claim to have them. Still there’s a gap. To chip away at the problem let’s explore one of the biggest sins of conversational communication: The interruption. Why is this potentially so offensive? And, why should you avoid it as if your success depends on it?

Happy New Year

Celebrate Your Ignorance

Celebrating your ignorance is a concept introduced at last
month’s “How They Did It” event where a panel of highly successful
entrepreneurs discussed a variety of their success secrets. Here’s
one insightful nugget from a panelist who built a 3,200 employee
organization.

RS Card

My Lesson From "This Old Cub"

After being a part-time bleacher bum in ’68 and ’69, I had the privilege of living next door to the Santo family from ’72 to ’77 where I learned that being a celebrity is not an easy job.

You're Wrong

If dissing you is wrong, then I want to be right

At a recent business meeting, a group member uttered a two word phrase that momentarily transformed the room to a state of stunned silence. Those two passionately stated words were: “You’re wrong”. With that silence, I realized this was another one of those phrases that defeat their purpose and should be stricken from our vernacular.

Strategy Pyramid

Five Resounding Reasons to Review Your Strategic Plan

Events of the past three years have rendered many business plans either partially or completely obsolete. Here are five quick potential wake-up calls to help you determine if one of your most important leadership tools is in need of an overhaul.

Dress Image

"To be honest," you sound like a liar

Do you ever find yourself prefacing your remarks with some version of the phrase “to be honest…”? While honesty is the best policy, let’s explore how you may be sending the wrong message by using this phrase and how you can correct this potentially unproductive habit.

Glass Half Full

Negating Negativity: A One Word Solution

I recently gained a new, pro-bono coaching client. It’s my Mom. She’s had trouble coping her numerous octogenarian related challenges. So much so that she literally worries herself sick. My suggestion for her can serve any of us who want to avoid allowing our challenges to get the best of us.

Vacationer

Are You a Leader, a Tour Guide or a Warden?

In working with teams, committee members and staffs, we find various levels of commitment and engagement to the task at hand. I’ve discovered a simple tool for “Engagement Detection” that has served to enhance my awareness of others’ attitudes toward our achievement. Might it work for you?

Queen for a Day

King James "Queen For A Day" Pageant

Fast forward to today and the self-proclaimed King of Akron, LeBron James who departed from his expiring obligation with his employer, the Cleveland Cavaliers. “The Decision” was preceded by a high stakes auction process that culminated with an over-hyped reality TV show.

on time

Under Promise and Over Deliver

A curious change has occurred in air travel in recent years. No, I’m not thinking about enhanced security or the

hi-logo

Taking the HOLIDAY out of Holiday Inn

Traveling American roadways this summer, we’re seeing something new in the continuing evolution of an American icon. Road construction on

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