HUMANERGY'S LEADERSHIP BLOG
LEADERSHIP INSIGHTS THAT WORK IN THE REAL WORLD
Explore our library of practical tools, tips, and stories. Drawn from decades of coaching leaders and teams.
Explore Humanergy’s leadership blog for proven tools, strategies, and insights to help leaders and teams thrive.​
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Start a revolution of kindness
The other day my ten-year-old was pondering the future of her big sister, Shannon, who has graduated from college and is living and working away from home. Little Maggie wondered if Shannon would...
Do you make too many decisions?
Leaders take pride in being able to make well-reasoned decisions - and lots of them. A recent article in the New York Times Magazine should give all frequent decision-makers pause. It turns out that...
Cluing listeners into your needs
Remember when the cartoon character Charlie Brown excitedly prepared to kick the football being held by his nemesis, Lucy? Just as he was about to launch the ball, Lucy pulled it away, and Charlie...
Rituals at work
We typically associate ritual with religious services, mystical practices or organizations like the Masons. A ritual, according to the Merriam-Webster online dictionary, is 1) the established form...
Leadership requirement: X-ray vision
High performance leaders know how to read the pulse of the organization. They regularly adjust strategies and tactics based on their understanding of what is really going on. This type of X-ray...
Communicating heart to heart
A recent Next Level Blog post about the Dalai Lama stimulated my thinking about leadership and communication. The post noted that the Dalai Lama encourages people to communicate not...
Are you listening to yourself?
In honor of our 150th blog post, Humanergy is giving you a little present - our shortest post yet. It's a simple idea, really. Just for today, listen to yourself. It's easy to move and think and...
Get real about time
A dear friend used to talk about the "elasticity" of time. That was his way of describing his cultural perspective on time, which was in stark contrast to mine. I think of time as finite and...
Thoughts making you miserable?
Professional athletes do it. So do the Navy Seals and other elite military units. They know that one key to excellence is unlocking the power of the mind. Your thoughts - the words and images that...
Strategic persistence
You have a position on an issue or a new idea that you believe is right for the organization. In spite of significant effort, the innovation isn't gaining traction. In fact, there appears to be...
I’m always right
I don't know about you, but I'm pretty much always right. I may be able to put on a face of openness, but I am at heart a very opinionated person. Ask me about almost any subject, and I most likely...
You need thick skin AND a big heart
I heard somewhere recently that leaders need both thick skin and a big heart. At face value, those two qualities might seem like an oxymoron. How can a tough, impervious person be vulnerable enough...
Leading in the midst of uncertainty
These are uncertain times for many organizations and their leaders. Making do with fewer people and other resources has become commonplace. Economic stagnation and natural disasters are only two of...
Do happy people make better leaders?
Many of you loved our blog on pisstivity - the degree to which you are fed up with the world. This week, we're turning things around to talk about happiness, which is more in line with our generally...
Is your organization ready to grow?
Many experts think that America's economy is poised to expand, perhaps slower than we'd like, but preferable to the recent stagnation. While you may see opportunities on the horizon, how do you know...
Leadership wisdom from my dad
Father's Day is around the corner, and it's only fitting that we pay a tribute to dads. (You may remember our leadership lessons from Mom in honor of Mother's Day 2010.) Here are just a few of the...
Cleaning up after consultants?
It isn't unusual to hear that business people don't like consultants. In fact, many of us here at Humanergy can recount consultant horror stories of our own. From the strategic planning consultant...
What you need is some tension!
Few people would lobby for more tension at work. Yet there are ways in which tension can not only be helpful, but transformative. Artists talk about the need to linger in a state of tension in order...
Change is organic and messy
Most leaders say they adapt well to change and some even say they relish it. What can be maddening about the change process is that its basic nature is not something we are comfortable with. Some...
Life is always better on the high road
Imagine how the world would be different if everyone made choices that were 100% aligned with the greater good. Humanergy calls these transformative choices. Transformative choices ensure that...
What is your level of pisstivity?
Life has been hard lately, and many of us here at Humanergy are wondering what other challenges the universe will bring our way. Because of this seemingly never-ending set of problems, many of us...