The Two Most Important Things a Leader Needs to Be Able to Say
The Two Most Important Things a Leader Needs to Be Able to Say Let me share something I’ve come to believe pretty strongly over the years. There are two statements every leader needs…
Your Words Resources
The best leaders understand their words need to be thoughtful and empowering. They strive to provide clarity about the mission, vision, values, and strategic direction of the organization. Every encounter is an opportunity to connect with and empower your employees. They should walk away from the encounter feeling good about their connection to the company.
Blog Posts
10 Powerful Reasons For Financial Transparency
As a business owner, you already carry the weight. You understand the stakes. But you don’t have to do it alone... Transparency enables you to amplify your leadership—to equip your team with the tools, trust,…
The Weight of Words – A Late-Night Conversation with Abraham Lincoln
What can modern leaders learn from Abraham Lincoln? I thought that Memorial Day was a fitting time to write this blog. More than a century after his death, Lincoln's approach to leadership continues…
The Leadership Wheel: A Comprehensive Guide to Effective Leadership
Throughout my journey as a leader, business coach, teacher, and mentor, I’ve come to realize that leadership isn’t a final destination—it’s a continuous process of growth and self-discovery. I’m sharing this blog to…
The Need for Honesty: A Cornerstone Virtue for Success, Healthy Relationships and Reduced Stress
Honesty is all about being truthful, sincere, and straightforward in our thoughts, words, and actions. It’s more than just avoiding lies; it’s about embracing transparency, authenticity, and integrity in every aspect of life.
How You Move from Survival to Success Mode As A Leader
There are many times in life when we can't control what happens to us. External factors do have a tendency to make themselves known at inopportune moments. And if business leadership was easy,…
Humility is an Essential Virtue in Life and Leadership
“Humility is the most difficult of all virtues to achieve; nothing dies harder than the desire to think well of self.” – T.S. Eliot What is Humility? Humility is highly esteemed across cultures…
The Lost Art of Manners: A Reflection on Modern Etiquette
It's essential to remember that everyone deserves respect and that all individuals are created equal, regardless of their achievements...We live in a world where our actions affect others, so we should treat each…
How You Change the Game at Work: It’s All About People
Remember, what you do at work isn't just about hitting KPIs or closing deals. It's about building a team that's all in it together, where everyone feels like they're part of something bigger.…
The Only Way to Combat Darkness is to Bring Light
It's a challenging journey, but one that's necessary. In a world rife with increasing darkness, it is our duty to be the bearers of light. Every small act, every kind word, and every…
Clarifying What Words Mean In Your Organization
Words Matter In many workplaces, achieving clear communication is a distinct challenge. We might assume that everyone understands industry terms or company lingo. However, even a straightforward word like “accountability” can take on…
The Importance of Finding Common Ground Through Compromise
Compromise, at its core, is an expression of empathy and a testament to our ability to rise above differences. It is through these bridges of compromise that societies evolve, governments function, and businesses…
Martin Luther King As A Leader
Donald T. Phillips, in his book Martin Luther King on Leadership, does an impressive job of providing significant details as to why Martin Luther King (MLK) was a great leader. He was more…
Conversation Avoidance Is A Professional Defect
I am regularly surprised by the lack of conversational courage in professional circles these days. Not every conversation ends up with a positive outcome. Occasionally, you must deliver disappointing information. You may even…
Leader versus Anti-Leader
I ask you to look inside yourself and make an assessment based on these traits and characteristics of who the best people are to lead our nation at all levels of government. I…
The Danger of “Divide and Conquer” Leaders
n my many years studying leadership, nothing has troubled me more than the leader who takes a divide-and-conquer approach to their role. Sadly, it is much easier to do this than to bring…
Expertise Matters, Opinions Are Easy
Some esteemed organizations and institutions have spent considerable time and money exploring their knowledge missions and identifying who disseminates useful information. Let’s all take a step back, let the experts do their jobs,…
In A Crisis, Be The Leadership Lighthouse
None of us knows how long this current crisis will go on. As leaders, we need to provide a positive way forward for those around us. This storm will pass, and another one…
Leadership Thought #457 – Eight Things You Can Do To End The Year On A High Note
As we wind down another year, I thought it would be helpful to share some of the best practices I have observed over the years from leaders who tend to end every year…
Leadership Thought #367 – Be Authentic and Honest In Your Communication
The most important thing we do as human beings is communicate with one another. Without honest communication, we would have no idea what the other person is thinking or be able to fully…
Leadership Thought #487 – Business is Much Harder If You Don’t Have Passion
When I meet a leader for the first time, I typically ask them what they are passionate about in their business. How they answer the question is usually a useful guide as to…
Leadership Thought #483 – Words Matter
I remember my mom telling me early on that “words matter.” Once you say something, it cannot be unsaid. Even if you apologize and/or make excuses, the imprint on another person’s brain is…
Leadership Thought #467 – Leaders Should Listen More Than They Talk
The ability to listen is an essential leadership skill. Over the years, I've noticed that inexperienced or mediocre leaders often feel the need to dominate all conversations. It's as if only their opinion…
Leadership Thought #460 – You Set The Tone in Your Organization
The leader of an organization must always set the tone. Never forget this fact. I am regularly bemused when I hear a leader complain about the state of things in their organization. It…
Leadership Thought #426 – What Are Your Principles?
What do you stand for? This is a question all leaders should able to answer fairly easily but most struggle with addressing. I've been in many organizations where if you asked the question,…
Leadership Thought #343 – Lying Almost Always Has Consequences
It may take awhile but most liars eventually get caught. There is a great saying that “if you don’t want to forget what you did, then always tells the truth." I also like…
Leadership Thought #342 – Don’t Lose Your Personal Censor Button
As you grow as a leader and start to have some success it's important that you not get too full of yourself and remain somewhat humble. This is especially true as you begin…
Leadership Thought #312 – Encourage Honest Feedback
Leaders should never surround themselves with people who only tell them what they want to hear. Even though it's tempting to exist in a positive feedback bubble, you need to fight this inclination…
Leadership Thought #306 – Tired People Tell The Truth
Quite a few people bemoan the length of our presidential primaries and other election campaigns these days - I don't. For a brief period, people can maintain an act or deliver what you…
Leadership Thought #291 – Don’t Fall in Love with Your Own Opinions
There is nothing wrong with having strong opinions, but always remember this doesn't mean you are right. There is a difference between a fact-based opinion and an experiential opinion. In one case, you…
Recommended Reading
Speak Like Churchill, Stand Like Lincoln: 21 Powerful Secrets of History’s Greatest Speakers
This book is a field manual. Not theory. Not fluff. It shows you how leaders use language to move people—to act, to believe, to follow. And if you lead anything—a company, team, or…
Be The Best Part of Their Day
Introduction—Be the Best Part of Their Day Communication matters. Every leader leaves a footprint after every interaction. The only real question is: did you lift people up—or wear them down? In Be the Best…
Language and the Pursuit of Leadership Excellence
Language and the Pursuit of Leadership Excellence How Extraordinary Leaders Build Relationships, Shape Culture and Drive Breakthrough Results(2nd Edition) Leadership Isn’t Just About Action—It’s About the Words That Shape It We’ve all seen…
Leading with Questions: How Leaders Discover Powerful Answers by Knowing How and What to Ask
In short, this book is a powerful reminder that leadership isn’t about knowing it all. It’s about being bold enough to ask, humble enough to listen, and wise enough to act on what…
How To Be A Leader: An Ancient Guide To Wise Leadership
How to Be a Leader: An Ancient Guide to Wise Leadership Lead with wisdom, not just willpower.What if the clearest playbook for today’s toughest leadership problems was written two millennia ago? How to…
Coaching A to Z: The Extraordinary Use of Ordinary Words
Precision with kindness. The book organizes coaching into an A–Z of ordinary words—things you already say—then shows how to use them with intention. You’ll ask shorter questions, remove judgment from your phrasing, and…
Getting To “Yes And” – The Art of Business Improv
Getting to Yes, And How improv builds better teams, faster decisions, and real momentum.Inspired by Bob Kulhan’s book Getting to “Yes And”: The Art of Business Improv (Stanford Business Books, 2017). Most teams…
Contagious: Why Things Catch On
Contagious: Why Things Catch On There’s a simple promise at the heart of this book: ideas don’t spread by accident. They spread because they’re built to. Jonah Berger doesn’t deal in theory for…
Jack: Straight From the Gut
Introduction Straight from the Gut is Jack Welch’s candid and deeply personal account of his journey from a young engineer to one of the most successful CEOs in business history. In this autobiography,…
Conversational Capacity
Conversational Capacity There’s a reason this book keeps showing up in serious leadership circles. It addresses a problem most leaders feel but can’t quite name. Conversations break down. Not because people lack intelligence—but…
Never Split The Difference
Most people negotiate as if the goal is compromise. Meet in the middle. Be reasonable. Split the difference. Voss says that this is often lazy thinking. Sometimes, landing in the middle can be…
Fierce Conversations
Fierce Conversations is built on a simple, uncomfortable truth: the conversation you’re avoiding is often the one that will change everything. Susan Scott doesn’t frame leadership as strategy or vision alone—she frames it…
Leadership: Essential Writings By Our Greatest Thinkers
For leaders who want more than surface-level guidance, this anthology provokes reflection: What does it mean to lead in the face of tension, complexity, and contradiction? How do values shape action in uncertainty?…
On Leadership and Business
On Leadership and Business doesn’t chase theory. It doesn’t try to impress. It goes straight at the real work—what leaders do, what they avoid, and what it costs them over time. This is…
Reflections On Life and Leading
Reflections on Life and Leading This book reads like a distillation of years spent in rooms where decisions mattered—where leaders had to look at themselves honestly and then go do something about it.…
Martin Luther King, Jr. on Leadership
King did not lead in comfortable conditions. He led when it was dangerous. Criticism. Threats. Opposition—constant. And still, he moved forward. That’s courage.
Lincoln on Leadership
I’ve worked with leaders who want better results but avoid the hard choices that produce them. Lincoln didn’t have that luxury. He made decisions knowing they would be criticized, misunderstood, and resisted. And…
Inspirational Leadership: Timeless Lessons for Leaders from Shakespeare’s Henry V
At its core, this book argues that inspirational leadership is not theater. It is character under pressure. Purpose made visible. Words backed by action. Self-mastery: strong enough to steady others. A leader who…
Reading Excerpts
On Leadership and Business Book Excerpts Sections 3-5 by Ed Robinson
I believe that business and nonprofit leaders need to think differently about what constitutes success. Besides the quality of their people, what differentiates most high-performing companies is their vision, focus, and discipline. Culturally,…
On Leadership and Business Book Excerpts Sections 1-2 by Ed Robinson
The leadership journey requires you to cogitate constantly on the role you and others should be playing. As you achieve some level of success, your business may challenge your capabilities to lead it.…
Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion by Robert B. Cialdini
When making a decision, we will less frequently enjoy the luxury of fully considered analysis of the total situation but will revert increasingly to focus on a single, usually reliable feature of it……
Reading Summaries
Be The Best Part of Their Day
Introduction: Why communication matters on the shop floor (and in the boardroom) Most teams don’t stall out because of skill gaps; they stall because people feel unseen, uncertain, or uninspired. When communication frays,…
Glad We Met
Introduction: The Power of Effective 1:1s Using Simple Conversations So much of leadership is wrapped up in big things—budgets, strategies, growth plans, new technology. Yet what often separates great leaders from average ones…
On Leadership and Business: Parts 3, 4, and 5
By embracing the principles outlined in these sections, leaders can inspire their teams, drive sustainable success, and create a lasting positive impact within their organizations. The path to success involves not just strategic…
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