Last month, I was invited to speak to a group of European leaders about leadership competency and vulnerability. As part of the discussion, I shared a story about some recent decisions returning Disney CEO Bob Iger has made and what we can learn from them in terms of how leaders should address the current economic and organizational challenges many are grappling with today. Since then, I’ve read news reports that demonstrate leaders and their organizations are continuing to face this same challenge that undoubtedly will have long-term repercussions on their organization’s ability to adapt, evo ..read more

Rising employee stress levels and employee burnout are becoming a worrisome trend in today’s workplaces. And yet, despite the wellness economy being estimated to have a value of over $4 trillion, little if any traction is being made on resolving this mental and physical health crisis. Thankfully, it’s not all doom and gloom as my guest on this episode of Leadership Biz Cafe has a prescription that any leader and organization can apply to create a healthier, happier, and more resilient workforce. Dr, Richard Safeer is the Chief Medical Director of Employee Health and Well-Being for Johns Hopkin ..read more

It seems like every day there’s another news report of yet another company mandating employees return to their office, another report of new findings about the consequences of rising employee anxiety and burnout, and more reports warning about the ever impending arrival of another economic downturn. Against that backdrop, I had the pleasure to sit down with a few friends as a guest on their podcast, as well as conversations with various leaders and leadership experts, to talk about these various issues and what it means about the future of work. In this latest episode of my Leadership Espresso ..read more

Navigating change is a reality every leader has to face, and yet despite this truth, 70% of change initiatives end in failure. While we might think this high failure rate reflects a technical deficiency in leaders, Erika Andersen, my guest for this episode of my “Leadership Biz Cafe” podcast, makes the case that this reflects our innate drive for stability. And only once we adjust this mindset can we effectively lead and navigate change in our organization. Erika is the founding partner of Proteus, a coaching and consulting firm that focuses on leader readiness, and a columnist for Forbes. She ..read more

Over the past several months I’ve had some interesting conversations with leaders who attended one of my keynotes or workshops. In particular, what was noteworthy was this common thread underlining each of these conversations. Whether it was a middle-level manager or an executive from the C-suite, in each of these interactions I couldn’t help but note the sense of self-doubt these leaders expressed about their continued ability to lead. Of course, it shouldn’t come as much of a surprise, considering what we’ve all had to endure the past two years and now in the face of an ongoing tug-of-war ov ..read more

The last few weeks of the year mark a time when most leaders are busy working on getting the last of the year’s projects completed while at the same time looking at developing goals and strategies for the year to come. But this time of the year also marks an important opportunity for leaders to take stock of their leadership performance over the past 12 months. To examine and reflect on what they did well, what they need to change, and what unanswered needs will need to be addressed going forward. Of course, the caveat here is that leaders need to make the time to reflect on their past perform ..read more

I’m delighted and excited to welcome Tom Peters back to my podcast “Leadership Biz Cafe” for a third time, which means Tom now has made the most appearances on my podcast (we had a good laugh over it during our conversation). Tom wanted to come back on my show so we could talk about what will be his last book, “Tom Peters’ Compact Guide To Excellence”*. And as one would expect, during our conversation, Tom shares so many fantastic insights and thought-provoking ideas on a wide variety of timely issues facing leaders today. Just to give you an idea, some of the topics Tom and I discuss this tim ..read more

Over the course of delivering numerous leadership keynotes and workshops this past year, it’s been interesting to see what themes leaders are looking for answers or guidance on. On a personal note, it’s also been gratifying to return once again to delivering these sessions in person and not just virtually. After all, there’s nothing more rewarding than being in a room full of leaders and watching as those light bulbs go off as they now realize what they need to do differently to address a current issue or problem. One of the common issues I’ve been asked to speak on is how to both re-engage em ..read more

There’s no question we’re living through a period of unprecedented change and uncertainty. But is this period of uncertainty something to dread, or does it present an opportunity to transform the way we lead to achieve enduring growth and success? My guest for this episode of “Leadership Biz Cafe”, Faisal Hoque, certainly sees the latter as being true and he presents a compelling case for why the rest of us should, too. Faisal Hoque is an accomplished entrepreneur, author, thought leader, and advisor to management teams and boards with more than 25 years of cross-industry success. He has succe ..read more

With the arrival of Fall, it’s only natural that leaders are shifting their focus towards what needs to be done to complete those goals they set out for their team at the start of the year. But this time of year also presents an important opportunity for leaders to energize – or in some cases re-energize – collaboration within their team, as well as help reinforce a sense of belonging and camaraderie that will help keep employees motivated as well as invested in sticking around. As such, in this latest edition in my Leadership Espresso Shot series, I share three easy steps that any leader – re ..read more