A mentor is often someone in a leadership position, who is willing to offer themselves to transfer skills to those in an organization who may be up-and-coming movers and shakers in the industry, or even seasoned leaders to enhance their careers and help them advance. While taking on the mentor role is designed to help the mentee, the experience is not one-sided. Being a mentor offers you an amazing opportunity to enhance your skills and become a better leader. 

Following are some essential skills a mentor might consider when helping others develop. In my practice as a leadership coach and trainer, many of these topics come up in discussion.

Learn Open and Supportive Communication Skills

Communication requires both the message sender...

It is no secret if you just pay attention, we have a communication problem in the world. There is communication about policy, politics, the pandemic, the vaccine, this president, and that one and all the other messages you are hearing on a daily basis.

The real problem is a miscommunication problem.

The number one skill any leader can and should develop is the ability to communicate. Whether by email, text, written, or public speaking, your words, and your message matter.

In the last two weeks, I have recorded podcasts to address this skill. You can listen to The Lead Up Podcast.

My goal with this post is to help you with your public speaking skill development. I never want to leave someone where they are, so I believe these tips will...

Let’s be honest with each other for a moment. We have a communication crisis in the world today. The lack of trust is at an epidemic high. No one trusts anyone anymore. Even if the information is 100% accurate it is questioned by everyone else, and people feel if there is a motive behind the truth. 

Poor communication can have a devastating impact on any workplace environment. Not only does it derail productivity, frustrate employees, and damage morale, but it also takes a massive bite out of your bottom line. 

I have seen poor communication destroy the careers of leaders and cultures of great progressing organizations.

Communication is truly the number one challenge in every team, company, and organization today.

Just...

The 3 W’s of Reaching Any Goal

You have a goal in mind, but that’s all you have. Creating, working towards, and reaching goals is not easy. The journey is often different for everyone. However, there are three parts to achieving every goal that is always the same. Defining the 3 W’s of your goal will allow you to work toward it without losing sight of the big picture.

1. What - What do you want? What is your goal? You need to be specific: I want to run a half marathon. I want to write a novel. Explicitly, naming your goal and writing it out will give power to it and will allow you to mentally focus on what you are trying to achieve. Clearly defined goals are easier to work towards. Writing out your target has the...

Not feeling well? Kind of blah and wishing you had something better to say about the day than a mumbled ‘fine’ when someone asks you how you are? The solution might be simpler than you think.

Our attitudes really are everything. When we’re not feeling great about our lives or how the day is going, everything can seem to go wrong. The problem is life isn’t a steady thing. You might have one really good day followed by another equally bad. With so many things outside of your control from the weather to politics, it might seem impossible to ever truly feel good about anything.

The answer lies in your thinking. By being able to think positively, you will find your entire outlook changes.

How do you develop the habit...

Have you ever visualized your future? The greatest achievers, especially in the sports arena visualize hitting the great shot, making the fantastic catch, or scoring the winning touchdown every day.

When people are asked to visualize their success, it tends to be something fairly generic. It’s usually them owning something expensive, like a new car or a nice house. This certainly is a part of success, but it’s far from the full picture. 

As of right now, your life likely doesn’t revolve entirely around what car you’re driving or what house you’re living in, but rather it has many moving parts and things that you do every single day. 

When you work to visualize your success, you need to have a more...

The idea of staying where I am scares me, what about you? I think we have to step into this idea of realization so we can experience a transformation. It has to be about flipping the page like flipping the script to make this year your best year ever. How's it going? Have you quit already? I hope not. And I hope you'll continue to just move forward.

The reality is most people, after about the first two weeks, give up on their dreams or goals, their new year's resolutions, whatever you want to call them. I went to the gym on the first Monday of the new year. And there was not a parking spot when I got there. I mean there was, but normally when I go, I've got my choice of parking spots. I can kind of drive around and get the best...

2020 has been the year you probably want to forget, but maybe not. This week, millions of people will celebrate Christmas by opening gifts, and even though this year will be different because of limited travel and family gatherings it is still a time of joy for most people.

Have you ever gotten a gift that you didn’t really care for?

What about a gift you loved but you never quite figured out how to use or get the most out of, maybe a musical instrument or some sort of tool?

My kids are constantly teaching me how to use my MacBook… they know how to get more out of it than I do because they have grown up with technology where I didn’t see my first computer until I went to college. Yes, I am that old.

There are gifts...

What I like to do is talk about leadership and how as leaders we can move things forward. I'm a believer that the world's screaming for leadership. Your leadership is needed now more than ever. And so, what I want to talk to you about today is three things your followers need right now to move forward and to get unstuck in the middle of this chaos that is the pandemic. Whatever you want to call it, whatever term you've given it. As a leader, you've got to step forward. My mentor, John Maxwell says, ‘leaders know the way, show the way and go away.’ And so that's what we're talking about. Here are the three things you need to take your team, your followers, your organization with you to move forward.

No matter if you're an...

“When we view our path with clarity, we move with accelerated purpose and intent. We go forward with a full and committed heart.” ― Kevin Hall

What is the greatest tool you have as a leader? Every leader has this tool in their box, but not every leader has the skill to use the tool effectively, if at all. Notice I said tool and not skill.

Suppose you had a paintbrush and wanted to paint a beautiful piece like the Sistine Chapel. Could you do it? Maybe you could, but I am no artist so, no one would rave about my art. Just because I have the tool or paintbrush, doesn’t make me an artist. And just because I have the tools of leadership, it doesn’t make me a leader. Having the tool and having the skill to effectively...