Move forward with intent and work in a manner that enables you to succeed through your direct actions and those of your team
I was 21 the summer of the accident. I was working on a farm and my boss and his family had gone to the lake. I was left with a list of chores that included clearing out a culvert on a dam that was being plugged by beavers. I thought this would be the perfect…
Leaders must fully incorporate social, cultural and environmental considerations – not just economic ones – in their decision-making
One of the greatest, and most memorable, sports-related quotes comes from Nelson Mandela. “Sport has the power to change the world,” said Mandela. “It has the power to inspire. It has the power to unite people in a way that little else does. It speaks to youth in a language they understand. Sport can create…
And how to overcome these obstacles on the way to building a successful venture
Businesses come and go – we see them opening up, struggling for a few years and closing their doors. We might even hear that they offered something we were searching for – after they’ve closed. But why do they fail? According to the National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB) in the U.S., over the lifetime…
Neither the Conservatives nor Scheer displayed the remotest capacity to fight back by hammering home the counter message about a Liberal Party in disarray
In the end, it’s probably just as well for both the Conservative Party and Canadians that leader Andrew Scheer resigned. Drawing, quartering and hanging might have been all the rage in the Elizabethan era. But it is, to paraphrase a certain prime minister, 2019, and no one gains today by having public political execution preceded…
As a leader you must make it a routine part of your decision-making process to ask the question: Will this be perceived as equitable?
Let's play a game. Here are the rules: We'll be asked to split a sum of money. I get to make the split and you get to choose whether to accept or reject the split. And if you reject it, both of us will walk away empty-handed. Rationally, I should realize my advantage and offer…
Not only does work help financially but it empowers people to take control of their lives and rise above poverty
Homelessness is increasingly a problem in cities big and small across North America. Yet as business leaders we tend think the issue isn’t our problem – unless, of course, we have a business affected by a homeless camp, squatters in our doorsteps or addicts in our alleyways. We can’t comprehend why people aren’t working like…
A leader provides his team with vision, values and guidelines critical to helping people make the best possible decisions for the company
A leader I met with once said something that has stuck with me. "Most people are trying to do what they believe is in the best interest of the organization. The trouble is they may not have the same point of view on what that is. And that leads to chaos." As an example, take the…
We don’t recognize that times and technology have changed, we’ve been holding the organization back or we’re just exhausted by our years of leadership
It wasn’t the several times I almost died on the job. It wasn’t when I fell off roofs or rolled heavy equipment. But I can remember the day and time I knew I had to get out of construction. It was -35C and I was demolishing a gas station for my employer. As I went…
Petulant, indifferent young stars are in charge, thanks to their huge contracts. Coaches pay the price
On his voyage from coaching sage to the most ignorant coach to ever stand behind a National Hockey League bench, Mike Babcock learned a few important things. Principally, he learned that a coach’s job security is governed by winning. If you don’t win, you will be replaced. No news there. But he also understood that…
62 per cent of working women identify gender discrimination as the leading cause for lack of female executives, which 41 per cent of men feel that way
The glass ceiling is still keeping women out of the C-suites, in the view of working women. A survey done by job-search firm Randstad Canada has found that 62 per cent of working women identify gender discrimination as the leading cause for lack of female executives. Forty-one per cent of men feel that way. The…
Leaders who advance to a new echelon often underestimate the challenges they are about to confront
In the U.S. military, they call them 'Mustangs' – personnel who have advanced from the enlisted ranks to positions of leadership. Some of them have gone all the way to the top, winning general's stars and recognition as history's finest leaders. The same thing can happen in the business world. Outstanding men and women, rewarded…
Make a written list, set priorities, breathe and relax, and then focus on one task at a time
I recently woke up sleepless at 2:30 am. If you’re in a leadership role in a business or even in your household, you probably know the drill. My mind was spinning with the long list of tasks I had to complete. The 75-unit project I’m working on for a client; the three people who need…
It’s time you set some goals, tracked your progress and celebrated your successes
Tim Gilbert told me it would be tough but I never realized how tough tree planting was until I stood in the bush in the middle of nowhere, bugs swarming around my head, as I was exposed to the raw elements of a northern spring. With my bag of trees strapped across my hips, shovel…
The federal election results were positive enough that he should get at least one more opportunity to run a winning campaign
The Oct. 21 federal election is barely in the history books and a fresh set of newly-sharpened political knives has already come out for Andrew Scheer. The Conservative leader’s chances of winning this election were slim at the beginning of the year. This all changed with a variety of Liberal missteps: the SNC-Lavalin controversy, the…
What makes a great leader? Great leaders are passionate, encouraging, motivating, inspiring, innovative and committed to what they do. And, when faced with a challenge, they persevere, overcoming adversity and accomplishing incredible feats. And when we think of great leaders, we often think of them sitting behind oak desks in an office tower or speaking…