Last week I found myself at a high school graduation party, standing in front of one of those decorative journals where guests are invited to write a piece of advice for the graduate before they head off to college. I stood there for a second, pen in hand, and thought: I could write something funny.
I have long thought, and continue to be convinced, most problems inside organizations aren’t caused by laziness, incompetence, or a lack of talent. They’re caused by something far less dramatic. Ambiguity. And I don’t mean the kind of ambiguity where nobody has any idea what’s happening. That’s incompetence, by definition, and would completely ruin my
(An Event Planner’s Guide from a Professional Speaker) Whether you’re a seasoned event planner or you’ve been tasked (perhaps unexpectedly) with finding a keynote speaker for your company or association’s event, choosing the right speaker is an important decision. There are thousands of keynote speakers to choose from, covering countless topics, industries, and budgets. But
Let’s be honest – it’s LOUD out there. Social media. Endless meetings. News alerts. AI tools. The constant pressure to keep up. The world’s noise is relentless, and it’s no wonder most of us feel stretched thin trying to manage it all. And that’s okay. The noise will win sometimes. The trick is recognizing when you’ve lost
Let’s play a quick game. Think back to your last week. How many hours did you spend in meetings, responding to emails, commuting, checking Slack, Teams, or whatever new platform is “revolutionizing” workplace communication these days? Now ask yourself: how many hours did you spend working on something that actually matters to you? Something that
It’s happening again. And it feels like déjà vu I remember back in 2008 being a senior analyst for a multi-billion dollar company and getting asked how we help attract and retain a Millennial workforce – because frankly, nobody could figure them out. I was indeed a Millennial myself, so the prevailing thought must have
Leonardo da Vinci once said, “Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication.” To be honest, I don’t know if he said that. But that’s what the internet told me. But his quote resonated with me because I was forced to confront the notion of simplicity after a recent event. During my time on stage, while explaining how
Hiring has always been a top priority for any organization, and today’s work environment is no different. What has started to change more recently, though, is the type of workforce available and the expectations they bring into the workplace. More bluntly stated, Gen Z is the newest generation to enter the workforce and how you
It’s not an outrageous statement to say we’ve become polarized. Whether it’s driven by a 24-hour television cycle, social media, or your next door neighbor’s conspiracy theories, there’s a lot of “either/or” going on. You’re either Republican or Democrat. You’re either too young to understand or too old to know better. You’re either right, or
In a recent podcast interview, I spoke with Michael Harvey about his journey to Chief Strategy Officer at Corra. The full conversation is worth a listen, but it was his story about traveling the world for four years with his wife and two children on a 40ft. sailboat that has had me rethinking what it
How quick are you to give someone the benefit of the doubt? To give them grace even before they’ve earned it? In a recent podcast episode, I interviewed Justin Fox, an Army veteran and 20-year operations leader, about the transition from military life to civilian leadership. One of the challenges Justin faced – as do
There is a lot of overlap between what’s required to be a successful leader and what’s required to be a successful parent. Qualities like patience, determination, empathy and humility all go a long way in both facets of life. It’s for those reasons I often use parenting examples in my keynotes because a majority of