Many times we hold back on asking a question because we don’t want to look uninformed. We don’t want people to think, “They should already know that!” Even savvy business consultants sometimes fall into this trap. But asking questions is critical to both being perceived as a leader, and to getting the information you […]
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In his book, Good To Great, Jim Collins presenting his finding that a key distinguisher for the companies that went from merely good to great performers in their market space was what he nicknamed “Level 5” leaders. These aren’t the flashy, flamboyant leaders we read about in the trade press. These are very focused leaders
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Is effectively managing your time a challenge for you? Do you feel like there aren’t enough hours in the day and that you just don’t get to those things that really matter? If so, you’re not alone. Effective time management seems to be a common ailment among independent professionals and a place where there’s
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Today’s tip is about a technique for overcoming procrastination called “15-Minute Power Chunks”. The Problem: Lack of Follow Through How often do you find yourself thinking, “I really need to do this (i.e., a certain activity) because I know that doing it will significantly improve my business (life, relationship, career, etc.).”? In other words,
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One thing that is totally essential if you want to be an influential leader is that you must master how you spend your time. There will be tips coming soon in the series which will help you master time management. But ultimately how you manage your time comes down to how you live out your
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As I said last week, getting serious, critical feedback is one of the most important things you can do to increase your influence and advance your career. After all, the only objection you can never answer is the one you never knew about! It’s not enough to just ask “How am I doing?” and
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What’s the single most important thing you can do to: Increase your influence at work? Convince senior executives you are a top performer? Win that promotion? Uncover hidden career blockers? The answer to all of these is the same – find out what you could be doing better! Remember Ed Koch’s catchphrase when
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I make it a habit to pay attention to patterns that make some successful while others fail. I look at my own life and look at times I’ve achieved and times it hasn’t worked out. In the course of building four different businesses, there is one quality that is germane to reaching your goals:
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The Magic Conflict Question CONFLICT – just the word triggers something in all of us. Most of us either want to avoid it or at least minimize it. Influential leaders learn how to skillfully handle conflict. It’s About The Meaning How we handle conflict in relationships is influenced heavily by how we view it
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Anyone can lead when everyone is on the same page – that doesn’t take a lot of finesse. What distinguishes a truly effective leader is a facility with handling disagreements and outright conflict. Previously I discussed avoiding the ‘but’ in your argument to help you be more effective in disagreeing professionally. Here’s another powerful
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