Two great men who were mentors and friends to me passed away this year—Stephen R. Covey in July and Zig Ziglar just this past week. I’d like to share a few thoughts about these wonderful guys. Stephen Covey was a devoted husband to his wife, Sandra, and dedicated father of nine, grandfather of fifty-two, and […]
Happy Employees = Happy Customers
I recently had a wonderful experience working with the founder and the head of leadership for a wonderful healthcare company in the Midwest whose main focus is elder care.
Why does Leadership Matter?
Even in these hard times, some people still wonder whether or not leadership really matters. Jim Collins did a good job explaining why leadership matters. He wrote the bestselling book From Good to Great. In that book, Collins talks about how great leaders have two capabilities: One is resolve, or determination to accomplish a goal, […]
I’m OK, You’re Not – It’s All About EGO
I believe the biggest addiction problem in the workplace today is the human ego. When people operate from their ego, their behavior tends to be based on fear rather than trust. When people behave out of fear, they have a high need to control others and their environment and they have a win-lose orientation toward […]
What it Takes to Give a Speech
I often have people come up to me after I’ve given a speech and say, “Boy, would I love to be able to do that for a living—go around the country and give speeches.” When I ask them why they don’t, they say, “Oh, I could never do that.” Did you know that the fear […]
Pay Attention to Needs and Motivations
A good way to explain how an individual’s motivation fluctuates is to look at Abraham Maslow’s theory of the “hierarchy of needs.” Maslow argued that we are all motivated by a variety of needs. He claimed these various needs could be seen on a hierarchy, moving from basic, low-level needs to higher level needs. The […]