When the Great Recession hit, an acquaintance was working for a large company that, like many companies, laid off employees to remain profitable. However, an unusual thing happened in his particular department—instead of clinging to their jobs, employees jumped ship (and had been for years)!

These employees surrendered good pay and great benefits rather than stick around under a micromanager. He was impossible to please, didn’t provide adequate direction for projects, and criticized all ideas before turning around and presenting employees’ ideas as his own. Ultimately, his department was [...]

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 in [...]

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 ensure a [...]

Do you find yourself having to repeat a little too often in the workplace, “Remember, we discussed that in our meeting on Monday”? 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 or quick instructions as you fly out the door for a meeting. Many people, especially executives, feel they communicate clearly but then get frustrated by having to repeat themselves or not achieving the [...]

If you study characters and glean lessons from TV series like me, you might have extracted some important leadership lessons from HBO’s Game of Thrones. Emotional intelligence requires more than retaliation, but sometimes we learn from what not to do and the consequences of impulsive decisions, too.

So, what can we learn about leadership from this series? There are some vital lessons about what it means to be a leader and the importance of emotional intelligence.

Estimated reading time: 3 minutes

One of the greatest business challenges is knowing when NOT to follow an idea. A mistake many business owners make—even large companies—is trying to do too much at once or having unrealistic expectations of how long projects take or how much they cost.

When was the last time, as a business owner or executive, you could complete an initiative without its share of challenges? And how many projects are over budget or never get finished?

Estimated reading time: 3 minutes

Whether you consider yourself an entrepreneur or mompreneur, 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 (or 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. Find out why emotional intelligence is important.

Estimated reading time: 5 minutes

The term emotional intelligence (or EQ, Emotional Quotient) is thrown loosely around like confetti at a holiday parade. Yet, very few people understand why it's so critical. With emotional intelligence in big demand at the workplace, our expectations are even higher for business owners, managers, and leaders.

What many do not realize is that emotional intelligence develops in childhood (or not). The good news is that, unlike IQ, that doesn't change, EQ can be learned, but it requires knowledge, skills, and lots of practice.Estimate reading time: 4 minutes

Differences of all types are a touchy and fiercely relevant topic. Amidst the hubbub and debates, the discussions of sexism, racism and ageism—people still have to work. And it’s in the workplace that most people encounter people different than themselves. Generational differences in the workplace are now commonplace and one of the greatest challenges in companies.

Age in the workplace is one decisive topic. Whether you have a traditional 9-to-5 job or own your own tech firm, you will almost inevitably end up working for, managing, collaborating or communicating with someone of a vastly [...]

Did you know that our emotions play an important role in the decisions we make in the workplace? From deciding how we approach tasks to how we respond to comments co-workers and bosses make, everyone taps into their emotional intelligence, which is also called EQ (emotional quotient).

Estimated reading time: 4.5 minutes