Leadership

Leaders who excel at moving organizations forward (be it a church, business, or team) are typically "big picture" thinkers.  By painting a compelling vision of the future, they encourage others to follow where they might not otherwise go.  Often it is the leader's ability to begin with the end in mind that gathers people to the vision itself. As leaders, we need to be aware of what I call "shrinking thinking."  Symptoms include focusing on the minutia rather than the mission or reducing options rather than expanding them.  A sure sign of a lost vision is when a leader spends too much time wading through the trivial instead of allowing others to handle the details.  With that comes a lack of clarity that slows everything down. The cure?  Set aside significant time each week to reflect on the big picture.  And then ask others you trust how big they think…

Over the last year, I've become more interested in neuroscience -- especially as it relates to health.  Here's an interesting article from Business Insider that draws research from Psychology Today. ********* 4 Problems With Our Brains That Cause Us To Make Dumb Decisions We humans do many stupid things. But sometimes it's not our fault, it's just how our brains naturally function. Psychology Today and PsyBlog write about four things humans are inclined to do that cause us to make poor decisions. 1. We treat inferences as facts Inferences are conclusions we draw from observations. The problem is that observations aren't always spot on. Have you ever met someone, internally decided you weren't a fan, then realized you actually could benefit from them? Maybe they were someone high up in your industry you didn't recognize, or someone who works for a company you just applied to. Either way, you just…

One of the challenges of the creative process -- be it writing, designing, or speaking -- is making complex things simple.  Clarity comes with simplicity.  And with clarity comes a better chance at persuasion. The authors of Creative Boldness write: "A big part of getting to what matters in an idea is simplicity. But it's important that our planners understand the difference between simple and simple enough. In the words of someone handsome and famous, 'Not as few words as possible. As few words as necessary.'" When crafting a speech, is it simple enough to communicate your message clearly and in a compelling fashion?  In designing a print piece, is it simple enough to get your message across?

The slogan on "Mike's Hard Lemonade" reads: "We won't reveal our recipe, but ten lemons go into a room, and only three come out." How are you influencing those around you? Posted from WordPress for Android

For the past week or so my right hip has been hurting - to the point that it is hard to get in/out of bed and move in certain directions.  Sitting for long periods of time means standing up with a sharp pain and a stiff leg.  Jumping up and down is out of the question! When the body is functioning normal, we take our mobility for granted.  Getting out of bed doesn't require a strategy; you just do it.  It's amazing how vital mobility is to having an enjoyable afternoon or even a productive walk to the kitchen. The part week has made me think about a different kind of mobility ... the ability to quickly adapt your thinking and attitude to changing circumstances.  I'm not suggesting moral relativism - truth is truth regardless of our situation or circumstances.  But what about our perspective on disappointments?  Or how we…