When you are consumed by an idea – as most entrepreneurs are – it’s not always easy to put the car in park and take an inventory of your business. There’s work to be done, right? Goals to pursue. Clients to call. Customers to serve. Employees to inspire. There’s a strong pull to go, go, go … There is value, however, in having a clear picture of the value of your business. And for many...

Pause for a few seconds and make a mental note of the five-to-10 most recent examples of people who were rewarded within your organization. In other words, who got a raise, a bonus, a promotion, an award or some other form of recognition for a job well done? In many organizations, perhaps even most, those honors go to people who achieved some tangible, measurable result. They hit their sales goals, signed a new client, o...

Few things warm my heart more than coming across more proof that the heart of success in business is found by cultivating matters of the heart. As an Extreme Leader, you’re no doubt working to cultivate certain effective behaviors in yourself and in the people who work with you or for you, all with the grand goal of advancing the mission of your business. And no matter how you label those effective behaviors, I bel...

There’s all sorts of science out there that supports the notion that gratitude is good for us. Psychology Today, for instance, ran an article not long ago that listed seven “scientifically proven” benefits of having a thankful attitude. Among them: You’ll be more physically fit, sleep better, and increase your mental strength. Plus, you’ll become fabulously wealthy. Ok, I made that last one...

Routines are a normal part of life for most successful people – even for those who consider themselves spontaneous. And speaking as someone who considers himself spontaneous, let me just say this: Thank goodness, we can rule over our routines rather than allowing them to rule over us. Routines don’t have to be rigid. They don’t have to become boring. They don’t have to create ruts that get us stuc...

There’s this idea of late that the younger generations place a higher priority on living an integrated life than older generations. But I’m not so sure this is a generational concept. Instead, I suspect it’s more of a trend of our times, a trend that involves most of the workforce regardless of age. The belief that we should strive for balance in our work lives has been gaining momentum for a couple of...

Few things inspire me more than witnessing the potential in extreme leaders like the ones I recently spoke to at Denver’s Columbine High School. They were a thousand miles away, but the magic of modern technology allowed us to see each other and have a lively discussion about the connection between two of my favorite topics – leadership and storytelling. And I ended the call excited about the future those leader...

Anat Baniel is a clinical psychologist best known for using “movement” to train the brain in ways that help people overcome pain and other limitations. And she’s particularly involved in work with children with developmental difficulties. But her “NeuroMovement” method provides fascinating possibilities for business leaders who don’t want their brains stuck in a rut. Our movements&ndas...

Just before the 2016 presidential elections, the Pew Research Center published the results of a survey that pretty much confirms what I suspect most of us think about political content on social media. It found, for instance, that only 20 percent of social media users said they “like seeing lots of political posts and discussions,” while 37 percent said they were “worn out” by such posts and discu...

David Conley found himself on a team of experts who were attempting to design satellite superstructures, a challenge not specifically covered while earning his college degree in nuclear engineering. As he succinctly put it: “What the hell do I know about satellite super structures?” So, when the team shared the key problems that were holding back progress, Conley turned to something he knew rather well: a met...