Leadership Feeds

IN a world of constant change, leaders face relentless pressure to deliver results. Yet the greatest leaders know that true success is not measured only by outcomes, but also by their ability to create conditions for others to thrive and achieve the extraordinary. Of course, everyone in your organization plays an important role. But there are the very select few who show a truly exceptional talent. They are the ones who have the potential to achieve extraordinary things, who push the whole team further, under the most pressing conditions. They are the ones who are not just satisfied with the status quo on a high level. They are going the furthest, taking the risks that pay off, delivering outstanding performance as a baseline, creating innovative solutions, and inspiring others to level up. It’s these special individuals that make you think: If they quit, we’ve got a real problem! I call these individuals Game Changers. In my experience, you’ll find only a very small percentage among your people. They don’t just exceed predetermined targets or goals. They have the potential to deliver consistently exceptional, game-changing performance. However, to reach that level, they need to be recognized, understood, and most of all, led to fully develop. I describe the relationship between a leader and the Game-Changer as a Winning Match. Here are three essential strategies for leaders when building a Winning Match with Game Changers: Recognize and scout for the qualities that add up to game-changer potential.Drawing on more than two…

Paul Thornton is generously giving away 20 electronic versions of his latest book, Leadership Skills: Boost Your Effectiveness. This post provides a small sample of the practical skills Paul shares. Leave a comment to become eligible for your copy.

When you manage time, you manage life. Alan Lakein said, “Time is life…To waste your time is to waste your life, but to master your time is to master your life and make the most of it.” Squandered time is wasted life. More…

Can you list yourself among inspirational leaders and not get laughed out of the room? Evaluate your leadership by your ability to inspire people. It takes no skill to anchor a boat. Inspiration and encouragement are different things.

HERE’S A LOOK at some of the best leadership books to be released in November 2025 curated just for you. Be sure to check out the other great titles being offered this month. De-Positioning: The Secret Brand Strategy for Creating Competitive Advantage by Todd Irwin What is the brand strategy Apple, Starbucks, and other market leaders have mastered for decades, yet never name? It’s not differentiation. It’s not purpose. It’s something far more powerful, and in today’s hyper-competitive business world, it’s the only strategy that consistently wins. It’s called De-Positioning, a method that turns your competitor’s strengths into liabilities while positioning your brand as the only solution your customer truly trusts. De-Positioning works by identifying the most critical problem your customer needs solved, exposing how your competitors fail to solve it, and making your brand the clear, inevitable choice. When applied with discipline, it renders competitors irrelevant. Next Play: How to Focus on What Matters Most and Improve Performance, Productivity, and Fulfillment by Alan Stein Jr. What’s your Next Play? An elite performance coach reveals the life-changing two-word philosophy for simplifying success. It’s easy to become convinced that the secret to a great career, a high-performing team, or a fulfilled life must be hidden in a complex formula or framework. The truth about success is that it isn’t complicated. We just tend to make it that way. This book contains 34 powerfully simple strategies and 35 practical exercises designed to show how reaching the top of your game doesn’t…

Here is a selection of Posts from October 2025 that you will want to check out: Why are difficult conversations still so… well, difficult? (And what to do about it) by @suzimcalpine The Power of the Ask by @KevinPaulScott Design for Different by @KevinPaulScott The Real Secret to Powerful Public Speaking by @DrNickMorgan 14 Thoughts about Building a Great Culture by @JonGordon11 Video (2:50): Moral Failure by @samchand The Crowding-Out Effect via Chasing Excellence The crowding-out principle can change how you think about building the life you want Serve To Lead Podcast: @jamesstrock interviews Philip K Howard Saving Can-Do: How to Revive the Spirit of America Lawyers Were Central to USA Founding–Can They Help Guide System Update? Think Like The Person You’re "Speaking" To by @HBergeronCFNE Your message is only as good as your ability to think like the person you’re “speaking” to 9 Simple but Effective Strategies to Get Through a Bad Day by @cnieuwhof Meet People Where They Are Without Lowering the Standard via @TheDaily_Coach Depth Is the New Luxury by Giuseppe Fioretti In the end, what endures isn’t how much we’ve made, but how deeply it connects A Meretricious Meritocracy 4 of 5 by @jamesstrock Corruption of the Professions A Meretricious Meritocracy 5 of 5 by @jamesstrock Reserve Army of the Over-Credentialed 5 Signs It Is Time To Leave Your Organization by @JosephLalonde Are You Rewarding Performance Theater Over Real Performance? via @AdmiredLeaders How Anxiety Traps People And How You Can Break Free by @LaRaeQuy If…

Every successful leader is people-pleaser. The more people you please the more successful you become. Customers buy because you please them. Employees commit because you please them. Stakeholders invest because you please them. Stop pretending you’re not a people-pleaser. Everyone wants to please someone. The question isn’t if, but how. More…

IDEAS shared have the power to expand perspectives, change thinking, and move lives. Here are two ideas for the curious mind to engage with: I. Robert A. Heinlein on the importance of knowing your history: “A generation which ignores history has no past —and no future.” Source: Time Enough for Love II. Rasmus Hougaard and Jacqueline Carter on AI objectivity: “We all like to think we’re wise. And in our own ways, we are. But we’re also all quite limited. A powerful way for leaders to leverage the potential of AI systems is to use it to challenge what they think they know and who they think they are. In leadership, it’s incredibly beneficial to people who are willing to tell you when you’re making a big mistake. But as we rise through the ranks of leadership, it can be more and more difficult to surround ourselves with people who are comfortable challenging us. This reluctance among peers or subordinates is due to positional power and natural human biases regarding social hierarchies. “The great thing about your AI-based leadership partner is that it doesn’t care about hierarchy, it doesn’t have an agenda, it doesn’t know about organizational politics, and it isn’t vying for your position. If designed properly, AI systems can provide insight and advice that human peers may not see or may not be willing to say. In this way, AI systems can help a leader shed light on faulty thinking. This objective outlook creates potential for leaders…

Losing yourself is exhausting. Vitality rises when you stop working to prove yourself. You’re most like your real self when you feel most alive. Stress rises when you feel like a fraud. You are your own raw material.

Welcome to another Bob Bumblehoof post! Bumblehoof trembles at being himself so he wears a mask. He feels like an imposter. Organizational theater is life when you’re the great pretender. Learn the Bumblehoof way: Puff up when you feel small. At least you can inspire job searches.

In our fast-changing world, fear-based leaders rise quickly—tightening their grip as chaos grows. But what if you could learn to predict their behavior, neutralize their impact, and protect what matters most? A new style of leader is in town, and it’s a blast from the past. Across tech, business, and the social sector, fear-based leadership is suddenly all the rage. This type of leadership started thousands of years ago, when some of the first humans to experience power dynamics decided to abuse it. It’s a “might makes right” approach — top down, hierarchical, and “my way is the highway.” Leaders like this model themselves after feudal lords, and if you’re around them, they expect you to bow down. They deliberately manufacture chaos, because when other people are shaken by instability, it makes them easier to control — and reinforces that the leader is the lone source of truth in the ecosystem. A lot of people are thrown by this. They see people around them being yelled at, shamed, and belittled, and feel like they’re trapped in a dark parallel universe that makes no sense. I’m here to tell you that these leaders and their chaos are not illogical — they just follow a different type of logic. If you can understand how they think and make decisions, they become highly predictable. And the thing about predictable people is that tactics work very reliably on them. Some things to understand how they think: They don’t believe in equality. You’re either…

IDEAS shared have the power to expand perspectives, change thinking, and move lives. Here are two ideas for the curious mind to engage with: I. Jeffrey Pfeffer on authenticity: “The last thing a leader needs to be at crucial moments is ‘authentic’—at least if authentic means being both in touch with and exhibiting their true feelings. In fact, being authentic is pretty much the opposite of what leaders must do. Leaders do not need to be true to themselves. Rather, leaders need to be true to what the situation and what those around them want and need from them.” Source: Leadership BS: Fixing Workplaces and Careers One Truth at a Time II. Steven Goldbach and Geoff Tuff on getting behind the interpretation: “People frequently speak to each other at the level of a conclusion rather than sharing the data or how they interpreted the data. As a result, when people disagree, they may be doing so simply because they aren’t looking at the foundational information that drew them to different conclusions. ” Source: Provoke: How Leaders Shape the Future by Overcoming Fatal Human Flaws * * * Look for these ideas every Thursday on the Leading Blog. Find more ideas on the LeadingThoughts index. * * * Follow us on Instagram and X for additional leadership and personal development ideas.  …

IDEAS shared have the power to expand perspectives, change thinking, and move lives. Here are two ideas for the curious mind to engage with: I. Zelana Montminy on pausing: “Give yourself permission…to stop sprinting on fumes. To admit the pace is breaking you. To feel the ache beneath the momentum. To stop performing energy you don’t have. You don’t need another protocol. Another cold plunge. Another fix-it morning routine. You need a moment to breathe without performing your peace. This summer, let slowness be sacred. Let rest be whole, without the guilt. Let the world keep pushing. You get to pause. You get to be real, not relentless.” Source: Finding Focus: Own Your Attention in an Age of Distraction II. Ian Wilson on not knowing: “We equate managerial competence with ‘knowing,’ and assume that decisions depend on facts about the present and about the future. Of course, the reality is that we have no facts about the future. However good our futures research may be, we shall never be able to escape from the ultimate dilemma that all our knowledge is about the past, and all our decisions are about the future.” Source: PDF From Scenario Thinking to Strategic Action * * * Look for these ideas every Thursday on the Leading Blog. Find more ideas on the LeadingThoughts index. * * * Follow us on Instagram and X for additional leadership and personal development ideas.  …

IDEAS shared have the power to expand perspectives, change thinking, and move lives. Here are two ideas for the curious mind to engage with: I. Robert Dilenschneider on respect: “ A starting point to develop and demonstrate respectfulness is to first respect yourself. You cannot respect others if you do not respect yourself. Paradoxically, gaining self-respect requires not looking to others for respect or validation. It is a quality that must come from within. Then, and only then, can it extend outwardly authentically.” Source: Respect: How to Change the World One Interaction at a Time II. Sébastien Page on debating with brilliant people: “‘Your idea is not you.’ He believes you should approach intellectual debates on technical or complex matters with open-minded curiosity and an unquenchable thirst for the truth. You shouldn’t take anything personally. Start by putting all the facts on the table. Too often, heated debates occur because people aren’t starting from the same facts. And before you disagree, take a second to point out something you agree on. Explain that you’re about to debate ideas, nothing personal. Encourage people to be clear when they’re playing devil’s advocate. With clear rules of the game and genuine respect amongst members, IQ-led debates can turn into positive experiences. There’s no reason to sacrifice relationships to get there. ” Source: The Psychology of Leadership: Timeless principles to perfect your leadership of individuals, teams… and yourself! * * * Look for these ideas every Thursday on the Leading Blog. Find more…

IDEAS shared have the power to expand perspectives, change thinking, and move lives. Here are two ideas for the curious mind to engage with: I. Math teacher Dan Meyer on real-world problem solving: “What problem have you solved, ever, that was worth solving where you knew all the given information in advance? No problem worth solving is like that. In the real world, you have a surplus of information and you have to filter it, or you don’t have sufficient information and you have to go find some.” TED Talk: Math Class Needs A Makeover II. Bob Goff on focus: “We need to block our view of the things that hardly matter at all, stop returning to the patterns that do not serve our larger objectives, start recognizing what is temporary and transitory, and instead focus intensely on the things that will last forever: our faith, our families, and our purposes. When you direct your attention to these things, you will find your joy.” Source: Undistracted: Capture Your Purpose. Rediscover Your Joy * * * Look for these ideas every Thursday on the Leading Blog. Find more ideas on the LeadingThoughts index. * * * Follow us on Instagram and X for additional leadership and personal development ideas.  …

HERE’S A LOOK at some of the best leadership books to be released in October 2025 curated just for you. Be sure to check out the other great titles being offered this month. A CEO for All Seasons: Mastering the Cycles of Leadership by Carolyn Dewar, Scott Keller, Vikram Malhotra and Kurt Strovink In the high-stakes world of corporate leadership, becoming a Fortune 500 CEO is an Everest-like ascent—with only the savviest managing to avoid falling off the mountain. In A CEO for All Seasons,you’ll find an essential climbing route that will take you through every stage. Unique in applying a number of sophisticated metrics to isolate the world’s top 200 CEOs, reduce them to a representative sample, and then reap their wisdom, the McKinsey team, in A CEO for All Seasons, spotlights the specific stage-based hurdles that CEOs face. From preparing for the role to starting strong to sustaining momentum to ensuring a lasting legacy, the book leaves no segment of the journey unmapped. Along the way, it offers proven strategies for maintaining forward progress and, crucially, alerts readers to common blind spots that can sabotage success, as revealed by a detailed survey of thousands of executives. Don’t Be Yourself: Why Authenticity Is Overrated (and What to Do Instead) by Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic "Just be yourself" might be the worst advice you’ve ever received. For years, we’ve been told that authenticity is the key to success—that we should be true to ourselves, tune out others’ opinions, and lead with…

Here is a selection of Posts from September 2025 that you will want to check out: 9 Ways Great Leaders Communicate by @charlesstone 12 Characteristics of Humble Leaders I’ve Known by @Clawlessjr Samuel George: Lithium Rising: The Race for Critical Minerals via @jamesstrock Critical minerals are the new oil—and the global competition for the clean energy future is on. Six problem-solving mindsets for very uncertain times via @McKinsey The Case for Investing in Public Imagination by Craig Shapiro via @collabfund The Cambrian Implosion via @firstthingsmag by Matthew W. Maguire The contrivances and apparatus of the inorganic now assert themselves against the organic in almost every dimension of life. Always Becoming: Lessons from the Highest Performers by @AlanSteinJr So if there’s one thing we can do for those we love, lead, and care for—it’s this: Be Here. Now. via @TheDaily_Coach Ten Things I Wish Someone Had Told Me In College by @PhilCooke Kidlin’s Law: The Shortcut to Clarity by @SahilBloom 4 Leadership Lessons on how to Successfully Change an Organization’s Culture by @BrianKDodd A Republic, If We Can Keep It by @jamesstrock Designers need to broaden how and where they get inspiration by Terri Witherden What We Do Is Hard by Bharat Kumar, SVP, Executive Creative Director via @LBBOnline He explains why he “refuses to believe that AI can replace the deeply human mix of insecurity, ego, humour, stubbornness, fear, joy, and occasional delusion that fuels great creative work” The Fear Factor: How to Turn Anxiety into Action as a…

AS organizations navigate the complexities of the 21st century — marked by rapid technological advancements, evolving workforce demographics, and global socio-political shifts — the need for a fresh approach to leadership has never been more pressing. One of the most significant shifts in leadership thinking is the emphasis on inclusion as a core strategic imperative. Inclusion isn’t simply a fashionable term or corporate social responsibility checkbox; it’s a critical driver of long-term organizational success. Why inclusion is so important, and why now? Inclusion has become a focal point in organizational strategies because the world we live in is more interconnected, diverse, and complex than ever before. The rapid pace of technological change, the increasing mobility of the global workforce, and heightened societal expectations for fairness and equality are reshaping the expectations placed on leaders and businesses. But what makes inclusion so critical today, beyond the external pressures, is that, at its core, inclusion is about creating an environment where everyone feels they belong, valued, and able to contribute at their full potential. It goes beyond diversity, which focuses on representation, and encompasses how that diversity is leveraged. In an inclusive environment, individuals aren’t just invited to the table — they’re encouraged and empowered to participate fully and authentically. This enables organizations to tap into the vast reservoir of creativity, innovation, and insight that comes from diverse teams. Consider the analogy of a seed and its environment. A seed’s ability to grow depends not only on its inherent qualities but…

IDEAS shared have the power to expand perspectives, change thinking, and move lives. Here are two ideas for the curious mind to engage with: I. Matt Cooke on surrender: “Surrender isn’t giving up; it’s letting go of the need to control what’s never been yours to carry. There’s power in releasing the grip. In trusting the process even when you can’t see the outcome. You weren’t meant to figure it all out; you were meant to feel your way through it. When you surrender, you create space. When you trust, you allow movement. That’s where things shift, not through force, but through flow. So, if it feels uncertain right now, that’s okay. You’re not lost. You’re just in the space between. Let go. Lean in. And trust that what’s meant for you knows exactly how to find you. So, remember, surrender isn’t giving up, it’s allowing in.” Source: Beyond Wanting: The Art of True Manifestation II. William Vanderbloemen on self-awareness: “Being self-aware makes you better at finding solutions. Knowing yourself comes with a guaranteed pinch (or more) of humility, so when a self-aware person is faced with a challenge, they can decenter themselves from the issue. Being self-aware is knowing all about you while knowing that it’s not all about you. Whatever the crisis, the Self-Aware remain even-keeled and committed to the goal. A great summary of how self-awareness can serve you in a crisis is the first few lines of Rudyard Kipling s “If.” It’s all about keeping…

THE group(s) we identify with influence who we are – our thinking and behavior. We are a reflection of the groups we identify with. In The Collective Edge, Colin Fisher explains that “Understanding human behavior means understanding group dynamics—the obvious and hidden ways in which our thoughts, feelings, and behaviors are shaped by groups.” In addition, “Whether you want to change yourself, your work group, or the world, you need to work with the invisible forces of group dynamics instead of being mindlessly pushed around by them.” We tend to think in terms of individual actors rather than groups, especially when it comes to leadership. Whether things go right or wrong, we look for individualistic explanations, overlooking the role of groups. Fisher reimagines leadership “not as the province of individual heroes and villains, but as a team sport in which we all do our part to improve and maintain our groups’ fundamental structure.” Cooperation depends on the group. We tend to overemphasize the individualistic mindset, focusing on the individual rather than the influence of the group the individual is a part of. The answer to many of today’s problems rests in group dynamics. “Groups offer: a vehicle to accomplish what you can’t do alone and provide a sense of belonging.” Under what conditions does effective collaboration take place? Group synergy requires differences in what people know, think, and do. When a group is too similar in thinking, we get conformity. Too diverse, and the group may struggle to come…

IDEAS shared have the power to expand perspectives, change thinking, and move lives. Here are two ideas for the curious mind to engage with: I. Jeffrey Hull and Margaret Moore on humility and performance: “Humble leaders, and their organizations, may not perform better than those led by leaders who are not humble. However, the performance and well-being of the workforce is better when led by humble leaders. A tentative conclusion is that leaders who lead with humility it for others’ benefit, not for the sake of their own performance.” Source: The Science of Leadership: Nine Ways to Expand Your Impact II. British essayist and novelist Pico Iyer on stepping back: “It’s easy to feel as if we’re standing two inches away from a huge canvas that’s noisy and crowded and changing with every microsecond. It’s only by stepping farther back and standing still that we can begin to see what that canvas (which is our life) really means, and to take in the larger picture.” Source: The Art of Stillness: Adventures in Going Nowhere * * * Look for these ideas every Thursday on the Leading Blog. Find more ideas on the LeadingThoughts index. * * * Follow us on Instagram and X for additional leadership and personal development ideas.  …

Botanists will tell you to have a vision for how you want a plant to look before you start pruning it. The same is true for your life and your business. Whether you’re talking about programs, processes, personal commitments, or even people – over time, they all tend to accumulate. You simply end up with more of everything. However, overgrowth impedes your ability to scale yourself and your business. In order to grow, you’re going to have to prune. Continue reading The Pruning Principle at Full Focus.

It’s that time of year again. The weather is changing, leaves are falling off the trees, and your favorite leadership podcast is talking about Strategic Planning again. If there’s one thing that humans do well, it’s imagining the future. (We can do it badly, too, of course.) But the important thing is that we can create better outcomes for ourselves and our businesses when we do it intentionally. That’s where Strategic Planning comes in. Continue reading 6 Essential Ingredients for Effective Strategic Planning at Full Focus.

“Quiet quitting” seems to be the hot topic of conversation in business and leadership circles right now. But what exactly is “quiet quitting”? How can you figure out if your employees are doing it? And, perhaps most importantly, how can you create an organizational culture where your team members will feel empowered in their job?   Continue reading How to Avoid Quiet Quitting in Your Business at Full Focus.

You spend your days managing details, scheduling meetings, and replying to emails — by the time you start on the “real work,” the workday is half over. This ends up cutting into your personal life as you try to make up for lost time. It all leads to you feeling more tired, more stressed, and less productive at work and at home. If you heed our advice, you can minimize this pain. The advice is simple: hire an executive assistant! Continue reading 5 Mistakes Business Owners Make When Hiring an Assistant at Full Focus.

Last week we talked about the importance of a thriving company culture. Hopefully, Michael and Megan made the case that a company culture is both important and the responsibility of the leader. We’re going to continue that conversation by talking about how businesses can actually cultivate a thriving company culture – no matter where they’re starting from.   Continue reading 4 Ingredients for a Thriving Company Culture at Full Focus.

Anywhere you find a group of people, you’ll find a culture. That’s true for families, churches, cities, neighborhoods, and anything else you can think of that includes more than one person. This idea is especially true for businesses. Leaders need to have a vision for how they want their culture to look and feel. If they don’t, they could find themselves surrounded by a toxic culture that not only hurts business but makes everyone miserable. Continue reading Why a Thriving Culture Is Essential at Full Focus.

Your business is probably the largest single asset in your portfolio. You’ve invested time and money, and, one day, you may want to see a healthy return on those investments. If you want to maximize the value of your business, then you should start making plans today. Continue reading How to Maximize the Market Value of Your Business in 8 Steps at Full Focus.

There is no denying that you will get further, faster with a good coach. But what about a great coach? How much further could you get with amazing coaching? Today’s episode tackles that question by talking with LeeAnn Moody, Director of Performance Coaching for Full Focus. LeeAnn and Michael break down the four characteristics of great coaching and help you identify what you might need to be successful for your organization. Continue reading What Makes Good Coaching Great at Full Focus.

During the height of the pandemic, everyone was forced to go remote. But, now that offices have opened back up, leaders and staff are confronted with some challenging questions around a seemingly basic concept: Where should work happen? Continue reading What Elon Musk Gets Wrong About Remote Work at Full Focus.

What if you could grow your business and only do about 20% of the work you’re currently doing? If that were true, you would do almost anything to find out how to do it, right? Continue reading The 10/80/10 Principle: Grow Your Business with 20% of the Work at Full Focus.