Is a thriving team one that is profitable and productive? Or is it one where everyone is friends? Ask 100 people, and you might get 100 different answers.

The popular show “The Office” exemplifies this discrepancy well. Michael Scott, manager of the Scranton branch of fictional Dunder Mifflin, figured that as long as his team was laughing, they were thriving. He justified his behavior and antics, no matter how crazy, with the intent of creating a fun workplace. However, the corporate office only viewed the Scranton branch as thriving because they were profitable and outshining other [...]

When the Great Recession of 2008 hit, an acquaintance was working for a large company that, like many companies, laid off employees to remain profitable. However, in his particular department, an unusual thing happened—instead of clinging to their jobs, employees jumped ship (and had been for years)! These employees preferred to risk being unemployed during a recession without unemployment benefits than to stick around under the management of one of the company’s vice presidents. He was impossible to please, didn’t provide adequate direction for projects, and criticized all ideas before [...]

No business operates in a vacuum. It requires the input, support, and services of other parties, including customers, vendors, and, of course, employees. Consider for a moment, the person with whom you have the best working relationship. It may be a colleague you’ve dubbed your “partner” or “work spouse.” Alternatively, it may be a reliable vendor that you always turn to. When you work together, you get into a flow and a rhythm where strengths are enhanced, and differences respected.

However, what about relationships where this type of connection and trust is lacking? What does it cost you [...]

When a business needs a culture overhaul, you know it. Profits and employee retention fall, while client complaints climb—there’s a constant sense of dissatisfaction and conflict. On the flip side, when a company’s culture is built with intention, consistency, and dedication, the company’s reputation is enhanced, and the benefits are bountiful.

Consider, for a moment, the example of Southwest Airlines where culture has been a top priority from early on. Sure, they have competitive rates, but more than that, their leaders have sought to value their employees. Employees in turn work to [...]

“The single biggest problem in communication is the illusion that it has taken place.” ~George Bernard Shaw

Do you find yourself having to repeat a little too often “Remember, we discussed that in our meeting. . .”? Or someone's memory of an interaction is totally different from yours. If so, poor communication could be the culprit. Effective communication is a two-way street, not a cul-de-sac. It’s about connecting. Talking with someone is different from talking at someone. There are many people, especially executives, who feel they communicate clearly but then get frustrated by having to [...]

WARNING: Spoilers ahead. If you haven’t finished Game of Thrones, proceed with caution.

“When you play the game of thrones, you win, or you die” ~Cersei Lannister

With the final season of HBO’s Game of Thrones finally over, what have we learned? That fans don’t like it when you outpace the books and fundamentally shift narrative styles? Absolutely. But more importantly, we’ve learned vital lessons about what it means to be a leader and the importance of emotional intelligence.

Do you ever feel like your business is running you instead of the other way around? Have you ever wondered how to find balance between work and home? Do you find yourself swinging between burned-out and completely energized and passionate?

One of the things I’ve heard from many business owners over the years is their desire for work/life balance and their search for the secret to achieving balance once and for all. However, balance doesn’t come from outside us.

One of the greatest challenges of business is knowing when not to follow an idea. A mistake many business owners make—even large companies—is trying to do too much at one time.

• new ventures devouring too much time and money initiatives and projects screaming for attention a million little things taking you off track pet projects that you clung to for far too long
• too many great ideas competing for funds
• going too many [...]

Whether you consider yourself an entrepreneur, a business owner, or a CEO, there are few things more valuable in business than emotional intelligence. What might come to mind are emotions and empathy but what many people often don't realize is that emotional intelligence (also called EQ) includes scores of competencies: problem-solving, conflict resolution, forecast thinking, resiliency, visionary leadership, prioritizing, and the ability to respond instead of reacting, to name only a few.

Every parent is unique; every child is unique. All parents love their children, and all children love their parents—no matter how imperfectly. But do we truly take stock as parents of how we are imprinting our children through our daily interactions? As children grow up their identity is woven in large part by the parental messages and responses (or imprints) that they receive throughout their childhood.