Is It Time for a Career Pivot?

Today’s guest author is Mark Hopkins. Mark spent twenty-five years deciphering the factors that make some people prosperous, successful and happy. After building a leadership career with companies like Hewlett Packard and Emerson Electric, he founded Peak Industries, a medical device contract manufacturer, which he grew to $75 million and later sold to Delphi. He is the author of Shortcut to Prosperity: 10 Entrepreneurial Habits and a Roadmap For An Exceptional Career.

Mark HopkinsConsidering an opportunity and not sure if you should pursue it?

This happens to most of us every day. For the big ones—a new job, a promotion, the opportunity to start a company—think like an entrepreneur and take the time to assess using the following criteria: Continue reading

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Authority, Accountability and Kindness are Mutually Inclusive

Working with Justine is so exhausting.”

“Why do you say that?”

“Well, this is the eighth time I’ve followed up with her to get her workshop description. She says she’ll get me the info but never does.”

“Have you thought about giving her a submission deadline and telling her that if she misses it her work won’t be included?” Continue reading

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6 Steps to Confident Presenting for Leaders

Today’s guest author is Beverly Flaxington, a Certified Professional Behavioral Analyst (CPBA), and career and business adviser. She’s the author of five business and financial books, including the award-winning, Understanding Other People: The Five Secrets to Human Behavior, and her latest, Make Your SHIFT: The Five Most Powerful Moves You Can Make to Get Where YOU Want to Go.

By the time you get at or near the top of the food chain at your company, you’ve made hundreds of formal and informal presentations to employees, investors, managers, clients, and others. Chances are, however, that the last time you worked on your presentation skills was back in B-school.  

How effective are you, really? Do your presentations consistently motivate others to action? Are they inspiring?  Continue reading

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Leadership is Required

Today’s guest post from Mark Miller, a well known business leader, best-selling author, and communicator, who’s excited about sharing The Secret of Teams: What Great Teams Know and Do with those who are ready to grow. Mark blogs at Great Leaders Serve.

In unpacking some of the lessons I’ve learned over the last 20 years about creating high-performance teams, I uncovered what may be the greatest learning of all…

No team drifts to high performance – leadership is required.

I hesitate to call this a learning; perhaps it would be more appropriately called a reminder. Samuel Johnson said, “Men more frequently require to be reminded than informed.” Continue reading

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Hopes, dreams and doing

I met Lisa two years ago at a networking event. She worked at a small graphic design company but said she really wanted to be a personal trainer. I offered to virtually introduce her to a west coast friend who was a personal trainer if she would share her email address with me. She said she didn’t have any cards with her that contained her email so she would email me. She didn’t. 

Six months ago, our paths crossed again at another networking event, a round robin table style. Lisa told the ten women seated at our table that she worked in graphic design and was checking into becoming a personal trainer. Continue reading

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Walking the leadership talk

I was reminiscing with a former colleague about some the wildest and wackiest moments in our careers. I’d almost forgotten one…how a candidate for a senior level leadership position really blew it.

I was one of six women standing in the lobby of the high-rise office building, all waiting for the elevator. It was 12:50 PM, and I had a 1:00 PM appointment to interview a candidate for our VP, Customer Care position. Continue reading

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The pull of the whisper

Challenge my mind.

Intrigue me.

Pique my curiosity.

Move me.

Make me laugh.

Please just don’t try to sell or subscribe or impress me before you’ve done any of those things!

I’ve been doing lots of research as I write my next book which means I’m visiting lots of new web sites and blogs. On some (too many!) I was bombarded with popups within seconds of opening the page — Enroll! Subscribe! Buy! Don’t miss! Continue reading

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The Thriving Individual

Dr. Andrew Thorn is the founder of Telios Corporation and creator of The Telios Experience™.  Dr. Thorn is also the author of U-wun-ge-lay-ma: A Guide to Next-level Living and the upcoming book Who Do You Want To Be When You Grow Whole? The Future of Meaning and Purpose. 

This year I enjoyed the amazing opportunity of helping a Fortune 100 Company roll out a major talent and leadership development strategy for their emerging leaders in Central America.

As I held one hour meetings with 230 members of their sales, finance, HR, marketing and executive teams, I discovered something very fascinating. Even though everyone was working for the same company, with the same support and same rules, some locations were succeeding and others were struggling. Continue reading

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