Excellence 2.0 (www.excellence2.com)

So you think you can lead

Thu, 02 Jul 2009 18:43:43 PST

In today's face-paced, challenging, often-ambiguous and uncertain economic climate, where stress is rampant and anxiety and fear seem to be the emotions of choice driving many leaders' behaviors, more and more leaders seem to be losing touch with their employees, fostering a climate of poor morale, dis-engagement, stress, overt or silent anger and resentment.

Equanimity - serenity within the chaos

Fri, 26 Jun 2009 09:08:43 PST

It seems most everyone I know is experiencing life these days caught up in some flavor of crisis or conflict either at work, at home, at play or in relationship. They're experiencing a form of conflict and stress around issues, for example, like leading and managing, or processes, deadlines, budgets and job security, or personal relationships and unresolved conflicts, or how to resolve health and education challenges, or whether what they are doing is what they really want to be doing with their life.

"Weisure" - what nonsense! The need for real R&R

Thu, 18 Jun 2009 17:53:52 PST

New York University sociologist, Dalton Conley, has recently coined the term: "weisure" � the result of blurring the line dividing work and leisure. More and more, work is carrying over into folks' leisure time. It appears that places and activities usually regarded as "fun only" are now work-play ambiguous. No surprise here! Some, including Conley, say the work-leisure phenomena is happening because more folks are finding work to be fun and want to stay connected during leisure periods. Really! Who's kidding whom!?

The fire down below - dealing with our anger

Fri, 12 Jun 2009 11:10:15 PST

Anger is a powerful energy. Being afraid of this energy, we often attempt to deny or hide it. When we cannot contain the energy of anger, we act it out on other people or things.

Intelligent, but not wise � why some leaders are failing

Fri, 05 Jun 2009 09:08:20 PST

As businesses continue to face challenging and uncertain times, more and more leaders are leaving � either of their own accord, or being shown the door. While many have lost their way due to egregious moral and ethical missteps, just as many are facing a dead end due to their inability to see the big picture from a higher not-so-common perspective. Many of these leaders are intelligent, but, unfortunately, not wise.

"The Microwave is too slow!"

Fri, 29 May 2009 14:52:12 PST

The other day I was speaking with a neighbor - a single, 50-something woman who's a high-level executive for a Fortune 50 company. She was coming home from work, carrying some packages. At the end of our conversation I said, "Enjoy your evening." She replied, "Oh, I will. I have some delicious take-out." Taking a step, and perhaps feeling guilty, perhaps feeling she needed to add some context, she stopped and added, "I have some good stuff in the fridge but these days the microwave just takes too long."

Virtual reality - can't buy me love

Fri, 22 May 2009 06:38:10 PST

Virtual currencies are fast becoming all the rage. Social networks, online gaming and virtual communities are using "virtual currencies" to buy, sell and trade. Virtual tokens, tickets and other monetary units are competing with one another to be the "virtual dollar" of choice. Sites like hi5, World of Warcraft, Second Life and myYearbook all use virtual currencies. Facebook and My Space probably aren't far behind. While virtual currencies will tend to vie for the recognition of real-world currency, there's one thing virtual money can't buy, although many try.

"The Microwave is too slow!" - a question of patience

Fri, 22 May 2009 06:31:33 PST

It's 7:45 am - Do You Know Where Your Character Is?

Thu, 14 May 2009 15:27:06 PST

Every one of us faces issues and challenges every day - some complex, some simple - at work, at home, at play, in relationship, even on the road. Our character is tested when we make split-second decisions and choices about what to do, and not do, and why.

Awareness - the "secret sauce" of personal change

Fri, 08 May 2009 07:45:13 PST

Most folks, (99%), remain at a static level of awareness. Why? Because their environment makes no drastic changes and they feel they are moderately "successful" with how they are and how they are. Life is "working" OK, so they continue to do what they do, the way they do it. They live on "autopilot", in a world of routine, and often behave in counter-productive and mentally and emotionally dysfunctional ways. They effort to limit change, refuse new information, or engage in new experiences. Awareness has come to a standstill.

Pointing Fingers

Fri, 01 May 2009 12:54:45 PST

Hardly a day goes by that the newspapers, magazines, TV talk shows, and workplace water cooler conversation does not include some mention of Bruno, Bernie and Blago � notorious folks who have been accused of actions that are either immoral or unethical, but folks who maintain that �I have done nothing illegal.� There seems to be no end to the line of folks who wait their turn to point their accusatory finger at Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich, New York�s former State Senate Majority Leader Joseph Bruno and the infamous financier Bernie Madoff.

The times - they are a changin'

Fri, 24 Apr 2009 12:38:48 PST

Change is all around us. Past assumptions, worldviews and paradigms about how our workplace functions are outdated. Transformation is necessary. We are facing a critical point in how we conduct business.

Why being transparent can be challenging

Fri, 17 Apr 2009 10:12:00 PST

The foundational element of transparency is truth-telling - being open, honest and sincere in putting one's self "out there." The essence of truth-telling is being comfortable in one's own skin. Why the need for transparency? Trust. All conscious, healthy relationships thrive on the basis of trust, integrity and transparency.

Age quod agis

Fri, 10 Apr 2009 08:33:05 PST

I remember a Latin phrase we were taught in elementary school: Age quod agis. In essence, the phrase means do what you do and do it with all of yourself. When we do what we do with our whole self, it means working from our center, our core i.e, our heart and our soul (not only from the neck up).

The Super Bowl - but, not the Game

Fri, 03 Apr 2009 10:31:36 PST

The one event that garners much attention at the turn of the year is the Super Bowl. Millions of folks plan their lives around Super Bowl Sunday. Curiously, among these millions are those who look forward not to the Super Bowl - not for the game itself - but to the ads, including me.

Wall Street - Main Street

Fri, 27 Mar 2009 15:47:33 PST

I�m sure, like me, you�re drowning in reports, debates, opinions, treatises, articles and sound bites about recent events on Wall Street.
While most of these have focused on issues of financial credit, commercial paper, stocks, mortgages, the housing crisis, executive greed and the like, what shouts out at me is a deeper issue�an erosion of trust leading to a systemic breakdown in relationships.

I want what you have!

Fri, 20 Mar 2009 20:14:43 PST

With the economy in turmoil, with folks losing their jobs or full-time status, with bankruptcies and foreclosures on the increase, with having to do more with less, with relationships seeming to disintegrate more rapidly, with so many struggling to "be somebody", it�s no surprise that a fair amount of folks are caught up in a spell of envy.

Hearing Voices � the seeds of fear, doubt and mistrust

Wed, 11 Mar 2009 17:03:24 PST

The single most important building block of successful relationships at work (and at home and play) is trust. Without trust, relationships are put in jeopardy and people disengage, pull back, and resist connecting. Without trust, people feel unsafe � physically, emotionally, mentally, or psychologically.

Daniel Goleman on Barack Obama (Video)

Tue, 10 Mar 2009 21:35:42 PST

Daniel Goleman gives his perspective on the emotional intelligence of Barack Obama and how it helped him sweep to power.

Don't Trust Me Because, I Don't Trust Me

Sat, 07 Mar 2009 16:04:25 PST

Some people routinely behave in unethical, immoral and untrustworthy behaviors and hardly ever experience one scintilla of guilt. How is this so?

There�s a growing body of evidence that says such folks �disengage� from their core values, detour from their moral compass and, more than that, consciously �forget� information that would otherwise limit their inappropriate behavior.