“Calm down, Mom.” I don’t know why my kids are always telling me to calm down. Maybe because I’m always excited by news, small or big. In this situation, I wasn’t going to calm down. My son and I moved this summer. As the NKOTB, he wasn’t sure how he’d measure up on the sports … Learn More
Not to brag, but I’ve got some powerhouse collaborators. Stephanie Cox, former SLB president and CEO of Wood Group Americas, is one of them. Together we created a mastermind for energy, infrastructure, and industrial executives, and it’s one of the most successful and fulfilling ventures I’ve been part of. When high-performing senior leaders gain the … Learn More
There’s a sadistic little saying in the Marine Corps: “Pain is weakness leaving the body.” I’ve been thinking about it a lot lately, because my son Judge is in his fifth week of Officer Candidate School. But before I get to that, let me take you back a few years. When Judge was a freshman … Learn More
Dear Judge, Remember running the 400m? Rounding that last corner and feeling like your chest is about to explode, and your legs are weighted down by cinder blocks? You’ve lost the adrenaline you had at the starting line as you were sizing up the other runners – who’s got it in them, who you’re going … Learn More
During my time in LA, I witnessed something extraordinary at a comedy club that transformed how I coach leaders. The host announced a surprise guest: George Carlin. He was conducting “spring training” – warming up material before his tour. The legend walked on stage carrying a stack of notecards, each containing a single joke. He … Learn More
“Come on guys, this sucks … but we’re all in this together.” I’m sure many managers are using this refrain right now. I call it motivation misery. Here’s the catch: misery isn’t motivating. There are plenty of ways to communicate to those around you that “we’re in this together” without having to remind people of the negative … Learn More
We know we need to network. Many of us cringe at the idea of walking into a room full of strangers and making small talk, though. I get it. I grew up painfully shy. I used to hide behind my mom’s knees whenever adults would talk to me. I’ve obviously gotten better at this, but it’s taken … Learn More
Some people like chaos. I’m not one of them. I like order, habits, and discipline. A solid structure allows me to accommodate all the dreams, ideas, and ambitions I have. When I’m off my schedule, my mind feels frazzled, my body feels sapped, and my work suffers. When life feels chaotic, I know what to do: … Learn More
I’m a last minute holiday shopper. In fact, I’m still waiting on some packages to come in from Amazon … fingers crossed. It’s not that I don’t like giving gifts – quite the contrary! It just takes time to get the perfect gift, which is why I feel I’m always a little behind. And when I can’t find … Learn More
So, tell me: how did you feel this morning? I felt as rusty as the Tin Man in The Wizard of Oz. I OVERINDULGED this Thanksgiving. I think I ate 3000 calories on Thursday, 75% of them were carbs. All were DELICIOUS. I also made the conscious choice to engage in some hard-core chilling, too, which … Learn More
It’s Thanksgiving week – do we need a blog post about disagreement? Shouldn’t I be writing about gratitude? No. You’ll get plenty of messages this week about what you should be thankful for. I want to talk about the #1 reason we screw up all the goodness in our life – it’s because we can’t handle … Learn More
The way I see it, I’ve got three options: – Resign to the goal, even though my team can’t achieve it – Fight the goal, knowing I’m going to p*ss off my boss … but maybe I change it – Quit because I’m … Learn More
