Monthly Archives: November 2014

Great Team Leaders Should Outlaw Saying Good Job

Most every one of us has experienced it at some point before. We have all seen it happen to others on countless occasions. It transcends every sport, gender, and situation. Somebody does something worthy of praise. Striding off the field of battle and looking for validation from their team, awaiting accolades from a manager or […]

Top 10 Morale Busters and How to Improve Team Culture

It can be the glue that holds people together, but it can also be the venom that tears an organization apart.   Good Morale has been defined as the “emotional or mental condition with respect to cheerfulness, confidence, zeal, etc., especially in the face of opposition, adversity, or hardship.” But poor morale can lead to a […]

Cowboys, Parenting, and the Importance of Being an Obsolete Leader

 John Wayne was a great American hero.  He became an icon of everything that we, as a country, celebrated – bold, strong, courageous, independent, and tough. But I believe that his BEST movie was one that may be severely under-rated. In the movie where he played what I would argue is the most impressive character […]

Eight Great Motivational Video Clips for Inspiring Your Team

 Every team, at some point in their time together, needs the boost of motivational videos or an inspiring message delivered to help them get through adversity or regain an emotional intensity that may have begun to diminish… As a team leader, your main job is to inspire the people you lead. Below are eight great […]

Communication is the Key to Better Teamwork

Communication is a tool that must be used and maintained throughout our lives. If not, then we become the manager who never gets the most out of his employees, the coach who fails to inspire his program with a motivating vision, or the owner who sees consistently high turnover in his company. What am I talking […]

What is Your Six Word Team Story?

 The legend goes something like this…  While lunching with friends, Ernest Hemingway (known for his economical writing style) accepted a bet from his friends that he couldn’t craft an entire story using only six words. Later, Hemingway scribbled his six words out and then confidently stated it was the best story he had ever written. […]

Effective Teachers Know the Impact of Expectations

 The common traits that were found by Teach America and other research projects that ALL GREAT teachers shared may surprise you! In fact, advanced degrees and experience had little to do with a teacher’s effectiveness. Dr. Robert Rosenthal of Harvard University conducted dozens of controlled experiments over the years to test the power of the […]

Who is the Sandpaper Person on Your Team?

Does someone on your team rub you the wrong way? You know the one – the person that pushes your buttons and zigs when you want to zag? You probably have a person in mind right now.  The one that for some reason you just don’t get along with and really don’t even like to be […]

Fix the Flying Elbow in Your Organization

 Let’s discuss how to fix your flying elbow and change bad habits to good ones. A leader’s job is to help fix fundamental flaws in those you lead, to provide a vision of what you are working to accomplish together, and to establish roles and expectations of daily efforts that will eventually lead to the […]

Team Happiness is a By-Product of Other Things

 “Whenever you make something, you always make something else.You can’t just make one thing.” -Jason Fried (Rework)   Whether you realize it or not, what you do every day produces more than what you intend. If you are selling cars, you are also learning about customer service.  If you are teaching in any capacity, you are […]