Six Reasons Your Team is Underachieving

The end of the year is a time for reflection, and often a useful opportunity to consider what you can do as a leader to improve your team in the year to come. When you take a moment to review your team’s performance, keep in mind that every organization could be perceived as underachieving. It […]

Are You an Ahab, Ishmael, or Part of the Crew?

There is a saying that you are one of three things: You are either watching the parade, in the parade, or leading the parade… That brief analogy can convict the least involved among us with its truth and simplicity.  It is likely that you have, at times, played each of the three roles. But it […]

A Villain is Just The Hero of Another Teamwork Story

 Teamwork begins with a shared commitment to a defined goal. In most cases, whether it is a championship in your sport, test scores in your educational field, or industry leadership position in your business niche, there is someone that your team will need to out-perform in order to achieve the goal you have set. It […]

How to Cure the Disease of Discouragement on Your Team

You may not be a doctor, but I expect you are able to recognize and diagnose the obvious symptoms of discouragement as easily as a doctor can spot chicken pox. Team leadership is about your awareness – seeing evidence of wellness or illness in your team culture everyday… It starts with something seemingly innocuous – […]

Dogs, Memory, Coaching, and Teaching Teamwork

The first dog my wife and I got from the shelter was a big, happy blonde Labrador mix.  We took the time and effort to train him, and went through about fifty bags of dog biscuits in teaching him to sit, stay, lie down, and fetch.  It took time, but he was a great dog […]

Six Obstacles To Teacher Teamwork and Success

Wearing the same uniform does not make a group a strong team, and Teacher Teamwork does not happen on its own. Unfortunately, although setting a school goal is important, the identification of a unifying goal does not ensure your group will work together through adversity to accomplish it. To ensure your people reach their stated […]

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 […]