In hard times, great communities matter more than ever. When storms are raging and chaos is swirling, people need a soft place to land. The economic, social, and political challenges we’ve faced over the last few decades have driven home this truth—and 2020 has...

What recognition have you received that made a positive impact on your life? Many people can instantly come up with an answer. The tremendous power of reward and recognition was the subject of a recent conversation I had with Dr. Bob Nelson on The Busy...

I recently interviewed Chuck Marohn, founder of Strong Towns, on The Busy Leader’s Podcast. (Click here to listen.) Chuck is one of our community’s favorite speakers. He has spoken at CivicCon a couple of times in the past and will also present at this year’s...

Imagine this scenario. It’s been a rough day at work. Again. You go home and, if you are like many of us, you bring that difficult boss or problem employee with you. You vent to your spouse and friends and anyone who will listen, “They don’t appreciate me,” or “They...

As some of you know, I have started a biweekly podcast in which I chat with leaders from all industries on how they’re tackling the many challenges we face today. Most recently I had the privilege of speaking with Mark Clement, who is the CEO and president...

Deciding what to write in this space every week can be a challenge. It’s not for lack of ideas. In fact, it’s the opposite: There are too many to choose from. This time choosing a topic was a no-brainer. Hurricane Sally hit Pensacola hard. We are feeling our way...

Any leader or employee who is creative, innovative, and good at turning ideas into profits is incredibly valuable to their organization. If this describes you, you’re an intrapreneur. In other words, you act like an entrepreneur; you just do it inside someone else’s...

Great communication plays a vital role in solving almost every problem in the workplace. How well leaders communicate has everything to do with how well employees engage in their work, how they take feedback, and whether or not they feel a sense of meaning and...

How are my employees doing these days, really? What issues are they struggling with? What can the company do to help? In the past six months, most leaders have probably asked themselves these questions. But here’s an even bigger question: Have you asked your...

“We always get the short end of the stick.” Or, “We’re getting shafted…again!” Or, “Why do we draw the short straw?” For decades I have heard people make statements like this when they feel their department or entity is not being treated like other parts of the...