Greetings Leaders!

Ok – I’m plagiarising. But how can you change a classic? After 15 years, I’m rereading Dale Carnegie’s classic piece of work, How To Win Friends and Influence People. What can I learn from something first published in 1937? Well… a lot. If you haven’t read this, or if you read it a long time ago, I highly recommend you crack open the covers of the book, or turn on your e-reader, and dive in. It will change your life.

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Greetings Leaders!

So… it happened again. You’re at work, trying to make things happen, and your boss doesn’t listen. Or if she’s listening, she either ignores you or runs over you. You think you’re a good leader. You have a proven track record. You get results. Yet for some reason your boss just doesn’t acknowledge your capabilities. The result? You end up frustrated. Your boss ends up frustrated. At times you’re not even sure if you can show up for another day of work. What are  your options and what should you do?

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Greetings Leaders!

Last night I volunteered at a Career Coaching event at Bayside of Granite Bay. The event supported the Career Coaching program for those in transition, and there were 50+ job seekers there. For those in the Sacramento-Roseville-Rocklin area, I highly recommend it. They’ve successfully helped over 200 people find their next career. Although affiliated with the church, this is a non-evangelical event. Meaning you can walk in the door without getting preached to. The point is to help people in need get back on their feet.

I’ve done this before both at the church and other groups, and am always struck by the high caliber people who are for whatever reason unemployed. If you find yourself in this predicament, take heart, it is only temporary. Having said that – I do also come across those who I know will struggle to find their next job. If you’ve been unemployed for over 6 months, here are 5 things you need to consider.

1. Read the rest of this entry »

Greetings Leaders!

This is the 15th posting in the series The Path of the Honorable Leader.

Accountability. Holding others and self to be responsible for one’s actions. The Honorable Leader knows that there are no excuses. That whatever we do, we are responsible for the results. If we can take credit for the good, we should also be willing to take credit for the not so good, or sometimes, the bad. To hold people accountable means to love them enough to hold them responsible for their actions. Much like we teach our children the to be responsible for what they do, the Honorable Leader knows that this is something we should continue doing as adults. By holding others accountable, we build the framework for growth. That a lack of accountability leads to reckless actions, pain, setbacks, and a life of mediocrity.

Holding others accountable is hard. To tell someone they missed the mark, while encouraging them to do better, takes time and energy. It puts the leader in a vulnerable position as he must sometimes buck against the headwind. His may be the lone voice that calls for reasonableness and accountability. Too often, leaders fail to hold others accountable. That in their quest for power, prestige and profits, they sacrifice accountability. The Honorable Leader knows better. Accountability is a cornerstone for long term growth. Accountability, while sometimes painful, is the only way to sustained progress.

As an Honorable Leader, hold others, and yourself, accountable for your actions.

All the best!
All the time!
JT

Related articles

• Affordable accountability: Who pays the price? (thehighcalling.org)
• Five Steps For Leaders To Elevate Their Purpose (leadchangegroup.com)
• Please Don’t Hold Me Accountable (katharineweinmann.com)

Greetings Leaders!

I was taking a walk during lunch the other day near downtown Sacramento. As I was walking, I looked up and saw… oranges! Later during my walk along the river, I looked down and saw turtles! Ok, some of you may think I’m losing my mind. But I was having a trying day and was in a sour mood. So, when these little things came along, they just lifted my spirits. I wasn’t expecting to find an orange tree in downtown Sacramento. I wasn’t expecting to see turtles basking in the sun. Then I started to think, why don’t I expect the unexpected in other areas of my life?

As I think about life, many of us expect… the expected. When things are tough, we expect them to get worse. We get in the habit of looking at the ordinary and get used to living in mediocrity. The oranges and the turtles reminded me that life can also throw beautiful things your way, when you least expect it. The thing is, you have to stop what you’re doing, and take a look around you. If I hadn’t looked up, I wouldn’t have seen the oranges. They were there all the time. I even walked by them on a walk the other day, and didn’t even notice them. I’ve also been down the river before, so I probably have walked by turtles basking in the sun before.

The point – if you’re having a bad day, or a bad time. Stop. Look up. Take a walk. Open your eyes. God gives us gifts every day – and we often overlook them.

All the best!
All the time!
JT

Greetings Leaders!

This is the 13th posting in The Path of the Honorable Leader series.

The honorable leader knows that he has chosen the path he treads. That while life happens around him, that he alone decided where to take his next step. He cannot blame anyone else for the path he has taken. No one forced him to put his foot down, where he didn’t want to. Not his spouse. Not his kids. Not his boss. Not the economy. Not his health. Circumstances arise, but the honorable leader knows, that he was responsible for the path he chose.

As he has chosen alone, he also knows, that he cannot regret the path that he has taken. He knows that some of his steps were perhaps misplaced. But that while misplaced, it provided him with a lesson. Without lessons, life is nothing but boring walk towards death. Lessons are what provide both the joy, and the pain, that we call life.

Related articles

• Survey: Overcoming Your Biggest Regrets (healthland.time.com)
• Our Biggest Regret … (newser.com)
• “There Is A Path…” (risinghawk.wordpress.com)

Greetings Leaders!

For you Star Trek fans, I’m sure you’re familiar with the Kobayashi Maru scenario. In both the original Star Trek series and the movie that was released in 2010, Kirk faced a computer simulation developed by Spock while at Starfleet Academy. The simulation was created as a “no win” scenario to teach the cadets that there could be a time where there is no way to win. That nothing you could do would lead to victory.

As leaders, not just in the military, we must understand that winning may not always be an option. As a leader, how you deal with this scenario will determine the direction of your career. You will notice that while you may face a no-win scenario, that doesn’t mean you must admit defeat. If you are facing defeat, follow this link – Overcoming Defeat. If you appear to be facing a no-win scenario, here’s what you should be doing. Read the rest of this entry »

Greetings Leaders!

I spoke at a Chamber of Commerce breakfast meeting this morning… and was shocked by some of the comments I got. My topic was “Unsticking Your Business – Overcoming the Top 10 Reasons for Business Failure.” As I began to speak, I was interrupted with a question in the middle of my introduction. I listed the Top 10 reasons for business failure, and “the economy” wasn’t on my list. Someone asked, “don’t you think that maintaining (surviving) is a good thing in this economy?” My answer was no, and some people took offense to it. Find out why…

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Greetings Leaders!

This is the 10th in The Path of the Honorable Leader series.

The Path of the Honorable Leader should be filled with laughter. As she travels down the path of life, the Honorable Leader feels the weight of the world around her. She knows that no matter how good her life is, that others are suffering. She carries this weight on her shoulders and the weight can become heavy, weighing on her, beating her down. If she is not careful, she may begin to lose her lust for life.

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Greetings Leaders!

I’m starting with a new client tomorrow. While I’m excited about starting, I’m also a little hesitant about the change, as my last project lasted five years. As I know this next project is going to be demanding, I decided to take a day to recharge and refresh my batteries before starting. So… this morning I headed down I-80 to San Francisco. My destination was the Labyrinth at Grace Cathedral.

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