Archive for June 2014
The King of the Forest Can Still Be a Cowardly Lion
In the classic film, the Wizard of Oz, the Cowardly Lion famously lacks courage. He’s scared of his own tail, and skittish at the slightest sign of danger. His companions constantly have to encourage him to keep going on their journey. In one scene, the Cowardly Lion imagines how much better his life would be…
Read MoreComedy or Tragedy, How Do You View Life?
For comedian Stephen Colbert, the date September 11th carries even deeper significance than it does for most Americans of his generation. On that day, when Colbert was ten years old, Eastern Airlines Flight 212 crashed into a muddy cornfield outside of Charlotte, NC, skidding for hundreds of feet before bursting into flames. 72 of the…
Read MoreSooner or Later?
Sports teams at the University of Oklahoma are known as the Sooners, one of strangest nicknames in collegiate athletics. The story of how their peculiar nickname originated highlights a key ingredient to success in leadership: initiative. In 1889, the U.S. government agreed to open up public lands in Oklahoma to aspiring homesteaders. Anyone who agreed…
Read More9 ways to overcome fear
In a speech in 1933, American president Franklin Delano Roosevelt, addressing a nation mired in a Depression and on the verge of a world war, famously stated, “The only thing we have to fear is fear itself.” During the first century A.D., Epictetus said, “It is not death or pain that is to be dreaded,…
Read MoreDon’t Let Broken Trust Rust Out Your Relationships
When you’ve broken a teammate’s trust, don’t let the relationship rust; take action immediately to repair and restore it. As a leader, you’re out in front casting vision and giving direction. You’re vocal and highly visible; your words and deeds affect a lot of people. Eventually, you’re going to say or do something that violates…
Read MoreWhen a ball has to drop, make sure it’s the right one
Have you ever felt like you spend your life juggling? Family, work, friendships, health, and simple daily commitments all demand our attention. It seems that the only way to satisfy all the demands is to frantically juggle them, hoping that nothing important gets dropped. But how do you determine what’s important? How do you prioritize?…
Read MoreEntering the Construction Zone
Trust is the foundation of any relationship. Developing trust is like constructing a house. It takes time, and it must be done piece by piece. As with a building, it’s much easier to tear down trust than it is to build it up. We take for granted that the buildings we enter—homes, offices, restaurants, and…
Read MoreWhy Talent Won’t Cut It
Talent is never enough. There’s no substitute for it, but there’s also no guarantee of success with it. To turn talent into influence, a person must prepare it with hard work, surround it with the right relationships, strengthen it by taking responsibility, and protect it with character. Preparation Positions Your Talent Author Emile Zola spoke…
Read MoreHard-Fought Optimism
You may shoot me with your words,You may cut me with your eyes, You may kill me with your hatefulness, But still, like air, I’ll rise. ~ Maya Angelou from Still I Rise As a child, Maya Angelou was the victim of a brutal assault. After she testified against her abuser, an angry mob hunted…
Read MoreSeven Ways to Make a Memory
Here at Leadership Wired, we talk a lot about leadership and success in business. But as I’m sure you know, there is so much more to life than work. And with Father’s Day coming on June 15, I find myself thinking about the wonderful experiences I’ve had with my family – as a son, a…
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