You’ve been biding your time until things get back to normal. But this year has brought us one crisis after another, and there seems to be no end in sight. It’s frustrating—and a little scary—to lead your business into an uncertain future.
Archive for Leadership
How to Make Fewer, Faster, & Better Decisions
Science proves it: decision fatigue is a real thing. By the end of your workday, your emotional and intellectual horsepower is depleted. When leaders invest precious energy in low-impact decisions, everyone pays a price. Hoarding decisions undervalues employees. It also keeps you from making bigger decisions that really matter. You can’t escape decision-making, but you […]
The One Trait You Need to Lead Through Crisis
When you’re leading through a crisis, it can feel like you’re making it up as you go along. You’re reacting to a new set of circumstances almost every day, and you never have all the facts. Are people following you? Are they doubting your authority? It’s unnerving.
3 Elements of Effective Decision-Making
When I was CEO at Thomas Nelson Publishers, we spent half a million dollars to attend an annual trade show. For several years, we invested in this event without stopping to ask whether or not it was the best use of our resources. Everyone assumed it was an essential expenditure. After all, our competitors would […]
The Leadership Superpower of the Post-Pandemic World
As a leader, you’re used to being on top of your game. But this crisis has been more draining than any of us expected. As the weeks become months, you become more and more exhausted. Is this thing ever going to end?
Get Free of Goal Shame and Achieve Your Impossible Dream
“Someday I’m going to climb Everest.” In the early 1940s, professional beekeeper Edmund Hillary shared his seemingly insurmountable goal with the world. At this point, no climber had successfully reached the Everest peak. The mountain’s difficulty level echoed loudly through 30 frozen bodies lying on its route. Louder still was the public criticism for Hillary’s […]
4 Things I Wish I’d Known Before the Pandemic
You’re an experienced leader, but the current crisis has left us all a bit shaken. Some industries that seemed unassailable just weeks ago are gasping for air. What just happened? And what if it happens again?
What Does This Moment Require of Me as a Leader?
Every generation or so, a moment presents itself that demands something extraordinary from us as leaders. These occasions are more than a problem to solve. They are tests of our leadership in a broader sense, in our families, in our communities, and in the world.
How to Beat a Burnout Culture
In 2013, the Romanian hacker Marcel Lazar cracked open email accounts belonging to the members of George W. Bush’s family. Lazar found paintings by the former president of animals, still life, even some self-portraits. Lazar released the images to the media, many people were surprised to discover Bush’s hobby. They need not have been. Presidents […]
BONUS: Communication Breakdown Q&A
Today’s episode is from a Facebook Live that Michael and Megan did on the topic of communication breakdowns. They took questions from viewers and we’ve collected some of the best questions and answers so that you can gain important insight into how to manage your own communication breakdowns. Enjoy!
How to Get Out of Email Jail
As a leader, you pride yourself on being proactive and in control. But one area feels like a perpetual dumpster fire—email! It’s all communications, really. Slack messages, texts, voicemail, it’s a constant burn. When will it end?
Create Transparency and Trust with Cascading Communication
In 2000, I got one of the greatest opportunities in my career. I was appointed publisher over the Nelson Books division of Thomas Nelson Publishers, which was one of the top English language publishers in the world. I knew our team had experienced some financial troubles, but I was thrilled for the chance to lead. […]