Your responses to the question - what is the most problematic leadership trait you experienced with someone you worked for -- were as valuable as those about the best leadership characteristics. While painful to read and more so to endure, there are still learnings present. “What not to do”, particularly when you have lived it, makes a lasting impact. Let's learn from the mistakes of others, even if made against us.

It happens to everyone - temporarily losing energy or interest in a job. There are a host of variables effecting job satisfaction. Sometimes they get out of whack. Really naming what the issue is, how it's impacting you are essential. From there you can find ways to alter or change. Life's too short to wait!

Interviewing other people can provide incredible clarity on your own job. Something about having to tell your story or the company's has a way of revealing how and where you see yourself. Don't drive by these sentiments.

Your responses to the question - what is the 1 behavior of the very best leader you’ve worked for - are instructive. Additionally, they provide insights to our leadership orientation and inspiration on how we can influence others.

Overconfidence is at the root of so many historic failures. Why is it so rampant and impactful. Our hard wiring for overconfidence makes it vital for us to understand the dynamics at work and do everything we can to tame it!

Millennials are the largest generation in the workforce and growing. It's important to understand their view on business and personal career development - what's changing and what's staying the same. Deloitte's 2018 Millennial Survey is a good place for insights and ideas. This year's results suggest a declining sentiment. We need to understand more.

While there is almost never ill intent, we're not in danger of over recognizing people. Acknowledgment, thank you and praise are powerful tools to help bring recognition to life. The feel good for those around your (and you) is significant.

In the chess game of your professional development plan, a lateral move can be quite masterful. They can be used on offense or defense to ensure you get where you need going. Often they get a bad rap but have a real payoff when done thoughtfully.

So called managing up conjures up eye rolls in many people. You know it needs doing but it is a heavy lift getting and keeping your relationship with your boss and others on solid ground. Eye roll and all, it's worth the lift.

Coaching isn't about telling people what you would do or even giving advice. Great coaches action slower by staying curious longer. Questions are the very best tools for the curious to use. Incorporating purposeful questions into a coaching habit ensures you help develop people and your business progresses.

The most inspiring people find the time to actively work on themselves. They are intentional and make conscious choices – about why what and how they are learning. Continued growth and reaching their destination follows.

While it gets a bad rap on TV, exponentially more leaders struggle with how to delegate than use recklessly. It's a foundational tool for effective leaders. While it creates capacity and freedom for you. More importantly, it enables and develops your team. No time like the present to conquer and reap the benefits.

Shiny object syndrome can afflict anybody or any organization. Any idea seems brilliant in isolation. In the light of day (or dark of night), shiny objects are distractions from agreed upon, well-crafted strategies. Why are they so attractive?

Mental preparation has long been a focus of elite athletes. They know the power in pairing their skills with a solid headset to achieve results. Business professionals can benefit equally from strong mental preparation. It sharpens performance and ensures you deliver in the most critical of moments.

You are what you do! People you work with or that work for you watch what you do and how you handle situations. These observations are an important input to how they experience you. What are they seeing?

How do people describe you? Their answer is your personal leadership brand as they see it. People around us have their perception and we have a sense of self. We don't often pause on the gap between the two. Understanding that open space is critical to being effective as a leader and helps guide personal development. Mind the gap!

Today's leaders have super demanding jobs. One of the tools available to meet the demands is leveraging the experience and institutional knowledge of other leaders. Help - asking for it or giving it is a way to release these assets!

LEADERSHIP PROFILE: Dominique Crenn has been called the best female chef in the world. Her story and approach to leadership and success provide an interesting menu of learnings. Grab a spoon!

Every day problems and inconveniences emerge at work or at home. They can suck the life out you and influence how you lead. If only you could fast forward to a headset where you have the proper perspective on it all...

Your people know how important (or not) they are to you. The very best leaders have a way of consistently connecting to their teams. Through this respect and admiration build. When this occurs, the sky is the limit.

You are head down building your career. While you are grinding, slow erosion of relationships, influence, and reputation can occur unintentionally. This creates vulnerability. Take stock of where you stand by reviewing the more nuanced elements that come into play.

Matrix organization structures can break down silos and accelerate collaboration. Or they result in employees being confused about expectations and accountabilities. You can't leave it to chance. Being intentional about how to work and manage in a matrix is a must.

You need your people motivated out of commitment not compliance. Compulsory processes, difficult to carry out suck the life out of your team. What can you do? Try building a Stop Doing list to get at what you can stop or do differently. You unlock capacity and energy when you do!

Employee motivation is the underpinning of driving leading performance. Surveys consistently reveal an employee engagement deficit. Direct managers play a critical role. But how to tackle. Go R-E-D!

Allowing for and using silence is the ultimate evidence of quiet confidence as a leader. Words always matter. But being silent reveals a different kind of strength. Use all the tools you have. Create a space others can fill with themselves. Listen up!

Managing people is truly a craft. We learn on the job, through training and from mentors and coaches. There are parts of managing people that don't get talked about enough. Some are sensitive, messy or even embarrassing. We need to talk about to get better at the craft. Here are 23 of these truths.

Interrupting meetings has become an all too common occurrence. Small thing? Maybe not. Interruptions can make meetings that much more painful. They silence certain voices you want and need in the conversation. Ultimately it chips away at a positive culture. What's happening and why?

How do you know if the people around you want you to be successful? The answer lies not in what they say. It's right there in what they do. Be sure you know what it looks like if they do (or don't) want you to win!

Funny as it sounds binge TV watching can help you be a better leader. Undercover Boss provides an instructive look behind the scenes of real companies. There are lessons you can take without having to go undercover! Tune in.

Every business has gritty customer-facing elements where operating challenges emerge. Systems go down; people call in sick, stuff happens! How you lead during and after speaks volumes to your people and your customers. Calm, confident leadership is your "go to." Here's how...

Change is ever present. The timing and effectiveness of communication around change is critical. Companies have all the information, yet employees can feel in the dark. It doesn't have to be this way. You need a solid game plan.

Growing and developing as a leader is a must. What got you here simply isn't enough to help you keep pace in the future. It starts with humbly acknowledging how much there is to learn. Buddha famously said "when the student is ready, the teacher will appear." How full is your cup?

Email communication is a part of the every day in business. Done well email can advance an important cause. Done poorly they have the exact opposite effect - and can send people running. Avoid these common mistakes!