After discussing the trip we took to South Africa last summer with a friend, Greg Magennis, he loaned me an amazing book, Playing the Enemy by John Carlin. This book is an incredible study of leadership. At first I was simply impressed by the story of Nelson Mandela and how he lead people from apartheid into his presidency and a more unified nation. The story itself made a big enough impression on me. Yet, I can’t stop thinking about the book. It is the essence of his leadership that keeps playing in my mind. read more »

Generally, I create original content for blogging. However, when I read the following advice, I felt I couldn’t say it better. I also felt that a wider audience could benefit from the same advice. So, I sought out permission from The Strategic Coach® to share the following copyrighted material with you. Dan Sullivan’s words of wisdom should help people in many levels of their career, even if some of it is geared towards sales. It is also about leadership. If you are job hunting, it is applicable there, as well. read more »

When I was 18, I volunteered to help with a local judging competition of ad agency work. I wasn’t qualified to be a judge. I was qualified to be the hostess for our out-of-town judges. I made a connection with one of the judges, Rich Flora, with whom I have since enjoyed a relationship which has evolved from career mentor, to vendor, to informal life coach, to dearest of friends for the last 24 years. What I learned from him about Dallas even had an influence over my decision to move here. Rich is a writing genius, yet I believe his leadership skills are his truest calling. read more »

Hopefully, every manager is a leader. Certainly not every leader is a manager. I have mentioned The Leadership Challenge by Kouzes and Posner previously in this blog. Their #7 of the Ten Commitments of Leadership is, “Set the example by behaving in ways that are consistent with shared values.” I strongly believe that the “Attitude Starts at the Top.” If leaders set a good example with the decisions they make and the way they communicate those decisions, then the behavioral tone is set for the whole organization. If you need great leadership, then you must cultivate leadership all the time! read more »

It is so important to find people that fit the culture of an organization. Our employee base is quite eclectic, both in their job tasks and in their personalities. When thinking about my response for a journalist the other day, I found a strong thread that is the underlying success of our hiring/retention at our company. Beyond hiring really smart people, we hire people who share our core values. read more »