If we think back to how we started this look at Leadership Misunderstood, the biggest myths we’ve taken aim at here were few but extremely common:

• People automatically follow a business owner, executive, manager (or whatever other title you want to insert here) because their paycheck...

As we started down this path, I shared a piece of John Maxwell’s story about how he learned that influence was far more important than a title or position when it came to getting anyone to follow you. And let’s be honest: if no one is following, we ain’t leading!

To provide a...

Now that we’ve identified a few of the most common misconceptions (or myths) around how leadership impacts EVERY organization and we’ve connected the dots on how productivity and profitability come into play for nonprofits and public sector organizations just as much as they do for...

I see or hear something every couple of months that gets me all riled up and on a soapbox calling attention to the stark differences between managing a group of people and actually leading a team. One of the biggest misconceptions I’ve seen is that those two words, leading and managing, can...

I’m sure more than a few crusty old managers tuned me out completely when I tied the volunteer work my Granny did to leadership. They’re certainly entitled to their opinions, even when they’re wrong! That said, I know all too well how important it is for each of us to get...

Having addressed how the idea of leadership is so often misunderstood, tying back to some of the most common myths around leadership, and hashing out what it is and what it’s not, let’s dig into why it even matters before detailing some of the specifics you and I can each do to make...

If we’re going to have a real shot at debunking any of the common leadership myths, it’s critical that we develop a firm understanding for what it is AND what it’s not! And far too often, failing to have that clear understanding feeds those myths…

I’m sure...

Before jumping into the meat and potatoes of some of the most common misunderstanding Cindy and I run into when working to build better leaders in the teams we serve - leadership myths if you will - I want to share a special invitation with you to join us at 3pm on Friday, December 8 where...

Make no mistake, nothing I’ve shared here as we’ve looked at the strengths of these Founding Fathers - Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson, and James Madison - has been with the intention of suggesting they were perfect. Quite honestly, that’s why I included some of the...

While some of James Madison’s physical attributes likely far more in the weakness column than the strengths column we’ll be looking at here, he overcame his small stature by effectively utilizing his strengths! An article called James Madison: Impact and Legacy from the Miller Center...

“Although Jefferson left the cabinet voluntarily, Washington never forgave him for his actions, and never spoke to him again.” 

The wikipedia article on Jefferson, while detailing his time as Washington’s Secretary of State, shared how staunchly opposed he was to Alexander...

With all the characteristics that worked in Benjamin Franklin’s favor to earn influence ( and the leadership that comes with that earned influence), he certainly wasn’t perfect; no one is - not even you or me! In his presentation at Grand Valley State University, Whitney mentioned...