Gratitude is a fashionable gesture this time of year – a seasonal trend adorned like a festive accessory. It’s easy and even expected to feel thankful amidst the warmth of family gatherings, the abundance of a festive meal or the cheer of holiday tradition, at least in the US. It’s beyond these moments of conventional thankfulness that I think the power of true gratitude lies.

Ticking off “the boxes” must be one of the most alluring paths for leaders, and one of the biggest pitfalls. It’s so alluring because it promises a systematic approach to predictability, safety and control – but that promise is empty. The real work, the kind that actually sustains and accelerates growth, lies beyond the comfort of checklists and conventional wisdom. It starts with setting aside the way that may look right and instead doing what’s right: asking the hard questions, the uncomfortable questions, the questions that may not have “right” answers at all.

Words have weight. As easy as they may come, they really do mean something. And every word you choose impacts you directly, your team's morale, stakeholder relationships, and ultimately, your organization's success. That said, there are some words that aren’t serving you and those around you, diminishing your message and weakening your impact. Here are 6 words to erase from your vocabulary for greater growth.

You want the jobs done, the goals hit and the objectives accomplished – but might you be thinking too small to get there? And it’s not a matter of taking a $1 million goal and making it $10 million or $100 million… Your goals might not be big enough in another way.

Perception is driving your performance. Makes sense, doesn’t it? How we view something directly translates into what options we see and what actions we take. And while that perception may define our results, we can define our perception, perspectives and beliefs. Here are 7 types of limiting beliefs and what to do about them.

In times of complexity, chaos and change we need space. Space in the workplace, community, home and even in yourself. Space to grieve, share, reflect and support. Space to have meaningful, constructive conversations; to see and be seen. Space to reconnect with what matters most.

Innovation isn’t optional these days. And I don’t mean purely technological innovation – I’m talking about meaningful, transformational and even exponential change for the better across any area, from technology to processes or from finances to your career. The faster the world is changing around us, the more imperative it is for us to change with it: personally, professionally and within our organizations. The relentless pursuit of innovation is mission critical. But what does it really take to innovate #NoMatterWhat you’re facing?

The road to breakthrough results isn’t paved with smooth stones. Nor is it a journey devoid of challenges. You’ve undoubtedly faced innumerable obstacles, sometimes so insurmountable that they might have prompted you to consider walking away. But, if you reflect on it, consider how your success today hasn’t come from avoidance, it’s come from what you’ve embraced. Top performers know that growth isn’t about ‘giving up’, it’s about ‘giving in’.

We’re immersed in a digital age where AI, automation, data analytics and streamlined operational models are buzzwords filling the ether. No surprise there (I hope). But so much much talk about prioritizing process, it’s easy to lose sight of the real asset that makes any business thrive – at least until the robots take over.

Strategy has long been regarded as the compass that guides us to our goals. It's the meticulous planning, the careful allocation of resources, and the calculated steps we take to achieve what we set out to achieve. But what if I told you that strategy alone isn’t enough? There’s oftentimes a missing ingredient…

: I’ve been thinking about this blog for 2 hours. How to frame the idea. What story to tell. Where the takeaways are. Another hour has gone by. And just now it hit me: the real choice isn't just between path A or path B; sometimes, it's the very act of choosing that's in question. Not choosing is, in itself, choosing ambiguity, stagnation and stalled results. Now I’m finally writing…

What might you need to let go of to become more of your real self? As business kicks back into action following summer and responsibilities start piling up, consider this: the pathway to liberation and success is counterintuitively less, not more. Here’s your pathway to becoming real.

Today is the mid-point of summer (already, I know!) and what better time to rest and reset? Maybe you’ve taken your family vacations, enjoyed time outside, had the BBQ fired up… but have you really taken time for yourself to reset? There’s tons of great research…

Inspiration is contagious (can we use that word anymore?). And just hearing what others are up to can inspire us to move forward, commit to our own next steps and reconnect to what matters. The #NoMatterWhat movement is constantly a source of exactly that kind of inspiration. There are people…

2:30am the alarm went off to get ready to climb Devils Tower, with nothing but a day of training prior. You might recognize this massive rock structure from the 1977 movie, Close Encounters of the Third Kind. Or, from my blog last week where I shared what I learned during the training in part one. I got so much out of day one – physically, mentally, emotionally, even spiritually – it was hard to…

Devils Tower is such an ominous name for a 1,267 foot butte that rises out of the Wyoming plains that I was setting out to climb. I hardly have any experience with rock climbing and the fact that the name is a mistaken translation of a Native American Indian name, which is actually something like Bear’s Lair, wasn’t much solace. But it wasn’t solace that I was looking for – it was growth. Growth that was a hop, skip and a jump past information to a lived experience that I’ll never forget. The plan was in place, the scene was set… here’s what I learned.

Have you ever felt like you’re super busy – meetings, Zooms, texts and emails – but not much is happening? You may feel super productive, but when you look at the scoreboard, results are somewhat lackluster… Well, I’ve been there. And having been studying it lately, it really comes down to one thing: having “move the needle conversations”. Conversations that are driving productive, committed action and results…

There are certain things we all need to create change in ourselves. Needed as in, they’re imperative to creating change in the direction we want. And it boils down to two things. Given that we’re about half way through 2023 – it’s a perfect time to review goals, see where we’re at – and reflect on how each of us might want to create change in ourselves going forward.

“We are under the delusion that our next practical, courageous steps all come from planning, organizing and strategy”. That was the first line of a David Whyte poetry course I’m taking for my birthday, which happens to be today. And what has struck me in this course is how it isn’t just about poetry. That delusion of which he writes seems to be prevalent not just in poetry – but everywhere. And there’s a way we can step out of that delusion and into the real work of what must come before effective planning, organizing or strategy….

Culture fit is important as you’re growing your team or your company – most would agree – but have you stepped back to understand what culture fit really means? How do we actually know if someone is a culture fit or not? From my work with hundreds of companies, it seems that many are using indicators that aren’t very helpful at all. In fact, they’re even at odds with growth, innovation and results…