Security. Feeling secure. Being secure. Promoting security. All of these act in service to an organization’s ability to be high functioning. Security is one of the foundational energetic components to deeper commitment and greater performance in human beings. Security invites trust. It invites creativity, innovation, strong relationships, collaboration and open communication. Humans tend to desire a basic sense of security. In many businesses, survival ego is in widespread play. Yes, it can be effective and compel us to action. It can move us over things and sometimes over others. It can command us forward. But, it’s not a great instrument for the long term nor for action involving more than one. Important work generally requires collaboration and highly activated egos often find it difficult to act constructively together. Egos relax with security. They don’t disappear, but they quiet. Healthy egos are still alert to good boundaries and are self-supporting, but they aren’t operating from fear. When companies dismantle the traditional ego-driven, fear-based operating system and move toward cultures that better attend to basic human needs, good things happen: people connect…to the leader, the company, the vision, the work. They tap into their own resourcefulness, their own agency. And, they free themselves up to greater levels of potential not formerly accessible in the more ego-driven environments. Many companies don’t realize this. They are mired in the old paradigm of keeping people off balance and insecure. Unfortunately, they miss out on a great opportunity. Unless a company is completely automated, people and performance are the company…and, its most powerful lever for success and growth. What gets to happen when work teams feel secure and inspired? MORE! More performance, potential, prosperity. Discover 8 Powerful Ways to Energize Your People!...

One lament I hear over and over again from small to midsize business leaders is that they feel they don’t have anyone to confide in. Yes, they have the people within the company. Yes, they often have spouses and family. Yes, they have their friends and even some great business colleagues. But, what they often don’t have is someone that possesses three critical qualities: neutrality, business building knowledge and, most importantly, interest. In most of the other relationships, there is greater subjectivity and expectation, both of which can thwart a candid unload and re-think. Here’s what I have experienced and believe to be true. We humans are plenty social and are aided dramatically by the support of others. Our tendency to want to do things alone is more of a cultural conditioning than a genetically wired natural instinct. There can be a lot of inner judgment and self-recrimination about not being able to figure things out on our own. But, that’s all scripted BS. In truth, we succeed faster and easier with support from other people. The trick is to find the right person with the right talent to offer the right assistance. Each of us resonates differently to different people. If you could use some business coaching and support, be choosy. Pay attention to your intuition and ask yourself these questions: How do I feel about this person? (Operative word is feel, not think.) Do I sense they are sincere? Do I believe they know what they’re talking about and that they can help me? Would I be comfortable letting my guard down with them? Does the notion of working with them generate a flutter (or full on feeling) of hope and possibility within me? If you answer yes to four or more, move forward and schedule some time to talk with that person. Any business coach worth their salt recognizes that rapport is critical and provides a confidential and complimentary session to see if rapport and suitability emerge. It’s an ideal first step to move into action in a way that only costs you time to start. From there, it’s weighing the investment against the intended outcome. Bottom line is this, good business help and support is invaluable to a leader. We all need it. Allowing yourself to receive support is not only personally and professionally fulfilling, it can be financially rewarding. Take charge and get the support you want and need. It could be the most important step you ever take in your business. Ready for the next step? Click here  ...

We Americans tend to think very highly of heroes and individualism. Both are woven into our cultural identity and occupy a place of reverence in our history and our psyche. Personally, I appreciate and admire acts of courage, service and high integrity. It expands my notions of what’s possible and deepens my understanding of human potential. As a social being, that modeling both informs and inspires me. I also believe there can be a debilitating flip-side to idolizing and/or lauding individualism. It can be tempting to dismiss or diminish the importance and power of acts performed by more than one, otherwise known as community. And yet, in most cases, groups of people can accomplish more than a single person acting alone, especially, groups of people aligned to a shared purpose. Language is both metaphor and meaning maker. When I consider words such as ‘communism’ or ‘socialism,’ I wonder if they have negatively impacted our own lexicon; specifically, the words and meanings of ‘community’ and ‘society.’ While they share a root, they are completely different words. Has the vilification of one inadvertently corrupted the other? And, how does our reverence for heroism and individualism play into that? These questions, I believe, are important to business and here’s why. Unless you are a solo-preneur, you are not a company of one. Companies are communities. The stronger the sense of community, the stronger the company. That which diminishes, even intellectually, the value of ‘community’ is a liability to the whole and its potential. Each person’s work and contribution is crucial to the success of the company. Equally crucial, however, is the synergy and force brought about by another source—more than one. Set in motion a united ‘force’ at work—a company of people working towards a shared purpose. As Ben Obi-Wan Kenobi so profoundly instructed…’Use the force.” Discover more here! 6 Steps You Can Take Today to Jump Start Your Company...

  I’m a big thinker. I like to glide at high altitudes and gaze in all directions. I’m intrigued by possibility, potential and innovation. Unconditioned, independent thinking feels like my natural attitude. All of this tends to serve me well and I deeply appreciate the insight and awareness it generates. There are, however, distinct habits that are required in order to actually land the big thinking. For me, these critical habits are: Connect to the desire…it fuels the result! Get clear on the desired result Chunk down the action into small steps Take small consistent action steps Course correct as needed Bring it to completion & celebrate For big thinkers, this is not necessarily an inherent skill set. In my case, this is a down and dirty, disciplined, continuously practiced, ongoing behavior. There is nothing particularly fascinating about it, except of course, it’s the actual earthly materializer of the big thinking. Without it, big thinking is pie in the sky. Landing, grounding, manifesting ideas is a creative process. It’s messy and wondrous, heart-expanding and, at times, heart-breaking. It’s unpredictable, only partly controllable and worth every ounce of energy in most cases. Starting a company, running a company, growing a company are all acts of creation. All require an ability to open wide to possibility and then bring the focus to the small consistent completed action needed to bring it into being. Like breathing in and breathing out, the process gives the imagination its living form and substance. Thinking BIG is great. Landing the big thinking, however, requires clarity, focus and lots of action. If you could use some help in either area or both, we’re here to help. Discover more...

  A friend of mine who is a long time territory rep recently had a first meeting with his newly assigned sales manager. The new manager opened up the conversation with these words “My goal this year is to keep you from quitting your job.” After years of corporate-speak from leadership, this statement about knocked him off his seat. As a top producer who has been largely irritated with the way the company has been managed for many years, this statement felt like fresh air. I was amazed by the potency of that one line. My friend has become cynical over the years, his tolerance for BS is low. There was something about the candor and concern of that statement that broke through. Believe me, those protective walls had become mighty thick and mighty tall. This new guy, in an unabashed and sincere way successfully scaled them. Once he was in, they were able to put their heads together and collaboratively create ways to generate more business. That is the power of true leadership. True leaders honor their followers. They don’t have a need to win ego battles, outsmart, outshine or outmaneuver. Their primary goal is to serve the aims of the company. And, what best serves the company, are people that are engaged and want to work for the company. Not because they are afraid not to, but because it matters to them that they do. They’re in. Lack of engagement is not a productivity issue. It’s not a lazy, indifferent worker issue. It’s not a generation/age issue. It’s not an HR issue. It’s a leadership issue. The buck stops there. If people are not engaged, if the right people aren’t in place, if people are leaving in droves…the responsibility lies squarely with leadership. Projecting the problem elsewhere may ease minds, but it won’t change a damn thing. The title could not be more clear…LEADER. Leadership is first and foremost a way of being. Action follows. Be a better leader. 5 Straightforward Tips to Become a Better...