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Miscommunication

Miscommunication is at the Root of All Dysfunction

In my travels to different corporate cultures in over 60 different industries, the most common truth I find is: Miscommunication is at the root of all dysfunction. What’s a leader to do?

Eureka

Leading Innovation: The Role of Creativity

We can agree that innovation is a critical component for building a competitive edge and solving problems and challenges along the way.

As we pursue innovation, we seek attributes like creativity and thinking outside-the-box. If only leading innovation was as simple as gathering groups of creatives and letting them brainstorm. The reality is that working with creatives and outside the box thinkers can be like herding cats.

Gold

How to Get Better at Almost Anything

Too Good to be True? Our three most scarce resources are time, money and talent. When we believe we don’t have enough of these to spare, we typically opt out. Here’s something universally powerful that requires very little of these scarce resources. Yet, the opt-out rate is surprisingly high.

Call for help

Why Don’t We Ask for Help?

How many times have you found yourself in need of help from others in a difficult time and help didn’t show up? how diligent are you about asking for help? Learn 5 paralyzing reasons that we neglect to request help in our times of need.

Exec Woman 9

What’s Your Listener Rating?

How would you rate yourself as an effective listener? If we asked people who know you well, how would you rate? Take this simple 3- question quiz to get your first clues.

Pen & Paper

The Power of Pen and Paper

While there are a costs and trade offs to using pen and paper, the opportunities you capture are potentially priceless.

Tom at NLCS

The Chicago Cubs are Going to The World Series!

Since this is Leadership Breakthroughs on ChicagoExecutiveCoaching.com, I’m compelled to express my elation gratitude to the Chicago Cubs’ management. The National League Pennant is an Epic Leadership Breakthrough achievement. Here’s why.

IKTA

What is IKTA?

IKTA is NOT some institution or association of higher learning. It IS a potential wake-up call for those of us who start believing we have all the answers. I’m sharing it because it can make a difference between gaining knowledge and actually applying it. Just because you’ve heard an answer doesn’t mean you have the answer.

Workplace Noise

Rising Above Workplace Noise

Our workdays are filled with distractions and other people’s demands for our time. We find ourselves spending so much time and energy on the agendas of others, we struggle to work on our own. Our truly important stuff gets pushed to the back burner. It’s easy to lose focus.

Hammer

The Problem with Solving Problems

Once you’ve become comfortable exercising your problem solving muscles, you use those muscles instinctively. What happens when your problem solving muscles get really well developed? You can become muscle bound. How does that work with problem solving? Can it become too much of a good thing?

Disipline

Discipline: Who Needs It?

As you consider the concept of discipline, I believe there are two important questions to address: 1. Do I NEED more of it? and 2. Do I WANT more of it?

Bad Sales Guy

But I’m Not in Sales

Is it Time to STOP Saying “I’m not in sales”? Have you ever found yourself using this disqualifying phrase? Why did you say it? If you’ve been disqualifying yourself as a “sales person”, let me help you to be more realistic.

Blue Sky

What’s Wrong With Wanting More?

We all want more of the good things and less of the bad things in life. Is that wrong? The desire for more isn’t wrong. But for things that are truly important to you, your approach needs to go beyond wanting “more”.

I am a Hypocrite

Situational Integrity: An Oxymoron?

We can likely agree that integrity is an essential leadership attribute. Judging by their actions, some believe that integrity can and should be turned on and off light switch. That’s akin to believing you can be just a little bit pregnant.

Necessity Thinking

Possibility Thinking vs. Necessity Thinking

It’s been said that people can be placed into one of two categories: Possibility Thinkers or Necessity Thinkers. Which are you? How would you characterize the people you lead?

thumbs up team

Choosing Your Calls To Action

Leaders typically choose their approach intuitively without thinking about the choice. What if they gave it more thought?

Intent - Wordle

Influencing Others: Intention vs. Technique

Effective communication is all about influencing the thoughts and actions of others. There are countless “selling tactics” that you might apply to a given situation. But it is easy to shoot yourself in the foot with them. Why?

top-10

Tom’s Top 10 Reasons to Seek Executive Coaching

For those people who don’t live near the Idaho/British Columbia border who might want to understand more about Executive Coaching, allow me to share some situations where someone like me can make a valuable difference. Here are Tom’s Top 10 Reasons to Seek Executive Coaching.

Un-coachable attitude

How Coachable Are You?

How is it that some really smart people fail to achieve at high levels? We’ve seen people with an apparent abundance of knowledge, intellect and skills. But they flounder. Why does that happen? Perhaps the answer lies in asking: Are You Coachable or Merely Teachable?

Top 7 Stress Sources

How Do You Address Stress?

The “Stress Free Workplace” is an Oxymoron. There very few stress-free jobs or organizations today. That’s not always a bad thing. Stress is not something that should be avoided at all times. Stress can serve some very positive purposes. But when it reaches a level where job performance and health suffer, it’s time to take a closer look and ask: What is Stress Management?

Thumb Down

Challenging Your Naysayers

How often do new and different ideas and approaches meet with resistance?
In any team or group there are naysayers. The bean counter who says: “We can’t afford it” The engineer who proclaims: “That will never work.” or “It can’t be done.” The tenured folks who may say: “That’s not how we do things here.”
It’s enough to drive an optimist into submission. And sometimes it does.

Money For Lunch

Tom Lemanski Featured on Money for Lunch

Thanks to Bert Martinez for having me, Marshall Goldsmith and Jason Drohn as guests on his Blog Talk Radio Show Money for Lunch. Here’s a ink to listen to the show.

Top 5

Top 5 Posts of 2015

Based on LinkedIn share counts, here are The Top Five Most Popular Leadership Breakthroughs Articles of 2015

Autoraise Cartoon

Top Three Challenges to Getting Promoted

Want to move up The Corporate Ladder? Here are three hurdles to getting promoted to a higher position, along with some other ideas and suggestions.

Sounding Board

Who is Your Sounding Board?

Consider your most important decisions. If you’re always sure that your ideas are on target, you’re flirting with arrogance and carelessness. Conversely if you’re constantly questioning your actions, you likely lack conviction and/or confidence to push the start button. In either case, I offer this question: Who is your Sounding Board?

Drive Thru

Debunking Your Need for Speed

Time is our most limited resource. Your supply is limited. The demand for your time is not. What happens when the demand for your time is greater than your supply?

Executive Breakthrough Idea Icon

Why Can’t My People Think for Themselves?

How often are you frustrated by the lack of thought, imagination, ingenuity and creativity that you receive from those around you? Let’s explore the answer to the ever frustrating question: Why Can’t My People Think for Themselves?

Role Awareness

What is Your Role?

Role awareness is a personal success component that can be assessed, measured and quantified. After utilizing this insight for both clients and candidates for over 10 years, I’ve grown to value its importance to executive success for both leaders and the people they lead.

Grit Word Cloud

Your Pursuit of Grit

Why is “grit” worthy of pursuing? We’ve all observed how some people pursue success more effectively than others. Through the ages, researchers have shard theories about the right stuff needed to pursue success. What’s different about high achievers? How can you get some of it for yourself?

Employee Engagement

Employee Engagement: Beyond the Buzz Words

If you are leading an organization, employee engagement is something you want to get or work to improve. And with that as a goal, leaders set out to get more engagement as if it’s like getting more office supplies. So before you hire consultants to do surveys and install new engagement systems, please proceed with caution. Avoid making employee engagement the latest management flavor of the month. Let’s get a better handle on this elusive intangible.

Window of Opportunity

Peak Productivity Season is Now

Your 2015 Window of Opportunity is open: Summer vacations are complete. Labor Day weekend has passed. Thanksgiving is 12 short weeks away. Your window of opportunity for making the most of your 2015 is open now.

Boardroom

The Smartest Person in the Room

Consider the business meeting you have regularly. What Percent of the time are YOU the smartest person in the room? What about your social gatherings?

Lip Service

Lip Service and Your Reputation

Most of us know what the term “Lip Service” means. We’ve all been guilty of serving it up. And we’ve all experienced the frustration that comes with being “served”. If you really understood what Lip Service can do to both your reputation and personal power, you’d avoid serving it up at all costs. Let’s take a closer look.

Job Currency

What’s Your “Job Currency”?

While it is not always clearly understood or communicated, every job has it’s “currency”. Yes, you receive a pay check or an electronic equivalent. That is the currency that you receive. But what is the currency that you must provide to assure that you continue to receive that your pay?

Jim With Folder

The Resume Story

Once upon a time, there was a senior executive named Jim. Jim had a highly successful, 34 year career; all with the same large company. Jim’s career path was one of steady and consistent progress up his company’s corporate ladder. He eventually became a Vice President. Through out Jim’s career he witnessed scores of other execs come and go. But Jim, somehow had remarkable staying power. What was Jim’s Secret?