During an overnight business trip to Philadelphia, I desperately needed a haircut. I spotted a barber shop while waiting at a traffic light. It looked promising, so I decided to stop in for a quick trim. As I walked into the shop, I was immediately impressed by its cleanliness, brightness, and organization—clear signs of a…

Reflecting on nearly five years hosting the Leadership Lab podcast and interviewing over 225 guests, one word stands out among many of them as key to their success: humility. Humility, often underrated, is a cornerstone of influential leadership. Like kindness, it’s not about being meek or timid; it’s about recognizing your limitations and valuing others’…

The leader pulled me aside before the working session I was facilitating began, echoing his earlier phone warning. He stressed that his team had limited resources and urged me to keep them from setting overly ambitious goals. He recounted instances where grand goals had to be scaled back due to a need for more resources…

In 2001, my wife, Jamie, and I started a boutique consulting firm that focused on developing leaders and organizations. We assembled a great team, opened offices in several states, built a terrific list of clients, and achieved double-digit growth every year. There were two other companies that we often competed with, occasionally partnered with, and…

I have news for you. If you wait for the perfect moment to make your next big move, you will likely stay in waiting for a long, long time. No one is going to knock on the door and hand you the perfect opportunity. Don’t wait for perfection. The concept is overrated – it will…