As our election grows ever closer, I continue to watch the candidates, watching for lessons that we can apply as leaders everyday. In conversations recently with friends and colleagues I have mentioned that I believe both candidates would be better served by talking straight, even if it means acknowledging the similarities between their positions.

While we as leaders don't find ourselves under the intense scrutiny of millions, I believe the same is true for us.

Talk to people. Tell them what you are thinking. Tell them if you aren't sure on something. Tell them the future is complex. Let them know that you care. Acknowledge other opinions. Create opportunities for understanding.

I believe that if one of the candidates would really do this, they would gain many votes. Much more importantly for all of us as leaders is that we can and must do this.

Talking straight builds trust, confidence and understanding. We do not need to talk only in sound bites - we can explain things clearly. Talking straight - honestly and authentically is one way to communicate more powerfully.

And communicating powerfully is a hallmark skill of Remarkable Leaders.

Also posted in Leadership.

Labels: communication, leadership, Remarkable Leadership

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I was fortunate to be a guest on Nan Russell's Work Matters radio show recently. That show is now available online to listen or download as a podcast.

My interview begins about half way through the show, and I believe, is one of the best I have given to date on leadership, learning what it means to be a Remarkable Leader.

I hope you will listen, and share it with others.

Also posted in Leadership, Learning, and Training

Labels: interviews, leadership, Remarkable Leadership

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I share my thoughts on this topic, and give a list of five books, on the blog for Remarkable Leadership. If you are interested in my list, and sharing your own, you can read the post here.

Also posted in Leadership.

Labels: presidential candidates, Remarkable Leadership

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"Deep down you know you can be remarkable. You shouldn't
settle for anything less than your best self, reaching ever
closer to your potential--whether as a leader or in any other
part of your life."

-- Kevin Eikenberry


I want you to succeed. I want you to achieve at remarkable levels - the level your potential allows. That is why I do the work I do. That is why I write this blog, and that is why I wrote Remarkable Leadership.

But one thing I know is true - that writing the words mean little if they aren't read. And they mean even less if people don't take action. So I've decided to do everything I can to urge you to read the words and take the action.

Whether you have a copy of Remarkable Leadership and are looking forward ways to help you implement what you've read, or if you want to build your leadership skills, and want ways to get started, I know I can help.

Owner of the book or not, to see how I plan to help you starting today, check out this Remarkable Choice.

Also posted in Leadership, Learning and Training.

Labels: Remarkable Leadership

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You can do exactly that on Thursday September 27 at 9 pm ET/6 pm PT, when Joe Farcht will be facilitating a live teleseminar that will be based entirely on questions submitted to us.

The website will pose this question:

What is your most important question about developing "Remarkable Leadership" in your life and work?

I look forward to hearing your question, and hopefully answering it (if it is one of the questions chosen from the many that have been submitted) on Thursday night!

Go here to submit your question and register for this free, live event.

Also posted in Leadership, Learning and Training

Labels: Remarkable Leadership

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In my last post I promised updates on how the online campaign for Remarkable Leadership was going.

Actually, I promised something on that day. Chalk that one up to wishful thinking. Since I was a wee bit busy on that day and since the story played out over several days, I didn't post on our results . . . until yesterday. You can read about them here.

If you purchased a book, thanks! If you haven't yet, there is still time to take advantage of some amazing special offers when you do. You can learn more here.

Lastly, here is an announcement of an interview I did for Forbes.com last week.

Enjoy!

Also posted in Leadership, Learning and Training

Labels: Remarkable Leadership

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That is my goal - to make Remarkable Leadership: Unleashing Your Leadership Potential One Skill at a Time an online bestseller today.

Specifically we are trying to unseat Harry Potter for the day as the #1 online best seller on Barnes and Noble and Amazon.

You can help by clicking here and reading more.

I've posted some thoughts about why we are doing it, and some thoughts for those cynical about this approach on the book's blog.

I hope you will read these links, and I hope you will choose to help me reach the goal today.

Start here!

I'll try to update progress towards this goal throughout (or at least at the end of) the day.

Also posted in Leadership, Learning and Training

Labels: bestseller promotion, Remarkable Leadership

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Some time ago I wrote a poem titled Remarkable Leadership.

Recently my team worked their magic. Jenny Pratt put it to music and Brett Atkin loaded it on a webpage.

I believe the results are remarkable.

Judge for yourself here.

If you watch it, please come back and post a comment. If you love it, please pass it on to others.

Also posted in Leadership and Learning.

Labels: inspiration, poem, Remarkable Leadership

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Remarkable Leadership: Unleashing Your Leadership Potential One Skill at a Time is now available online and at your local bookstore.

Here's a post from the book's blog with the latest update.

I'll be sharing much more information here in the days to come - but for now, trust me. You don't want to order or buy your book yet. There are over fifty reasons to wait until 8/22.

More later.

Also posted in Leadership, Learning, Teamwork, and Training.

Labels: Remarkable Leadership

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We recently set up a YouTube Channel. Included so far are a couple of short clips of me speaking, a preview of a poem I wrote put to music, and a video of my daughter Kelsey and her efforts to help market my new book, Remarkable Leadership.

This channel has been up for a few days and there will be far more videos here in the future. Check it out, watch the videos, and subscribe so you know when we add new stuff!

Also posted in Leadership, Learning, and Training.

Labels: Remarkable Leadership, video

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Diane Brady, in a recent Business Week blog post commented on a Customer Service horror story. She recounts how on trying to return a rental car 10 hours early, they (Avis) attempt to charge her an almost 50% premium on her rates!

While she did negotiate those rates back down, it leaves me thinking about what I would do if I was the leader at Avis and at the counter at that location. Maybe more to the point,

What would a remarkable leader do?

Before we answer that question, read the post for yourself.

There are issues at at least three levels here:

Policy level
Empowerment level
Customer Mindset level

These levels are intermingled, but let me unpack a couple of thoughts for you.

Perhaps there is a policy in place to handle these situations (however inane it sounds). If so, a Remarkable, proactive leader would be working to change, abolish or remove this policy. Yes, even if that leader is the night counter manager in Newark - a policy that makes no sense and is detrimental to customers requires change!

Since in this case, the charges were changed, it is clear that even if it was a policy, the person at the desk had the ability to use their judgement and change it. This is an empowerment issue. While Diane had to wait too long and work too hard to make this happen, some "justice" was done. As a remarkable leader it is your job to empower people to make those decisions, based on organizational goals and values. As importantly, to make those decisions quickly when working with Customers, which leads to the third level . . .

Remarkable leaders set the pace in creating a mindset that is focused on Customers and meeting/exceeding their needs. If leadership had created the right mindset, Diane wouldn't have had a blog post to write, and neither would I. What is the mindset in your organization in relationship to Customers. Is the end of Diane's story ("hey, she got the rate changed") good enough?

All of us have these Customer service horror stories. The question is, as a leader what are you learning from them?

Also posted in Customer Service and Leadership.

Labels: customer mindset, empowerment, Remarkable Leadership

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Over on the Remarkable Leadership Book blog, I announced a recent interview that I did. Ocassionallly I will mention them here, but if you want to keep up with the increasing pace of activity relating to the book, you will want to subscribe to or follow that blog more carefully. Lots of great stuff will be happening there!

Here are links to two audio podcasts that have recently been released:

With Sam Crowley on the Everyday is Saturday podcast.

With Heather Vale on the Success Unwrapped podcast

Also posted in Leadership, Learning and Training.

Labels: interviews, podcasts, Remarkable Leadership

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Note: This is a post in the brand new Remarkable Leadership Book blog. I post it here to whet your appetite for some of the things you will find there in the future . . .

This week in my Unleash Your Potential newsletter, I wrote an article titled, Preparing a More Powerful Presentation. (This article by the way will be available to readers of the book as a Bonus Byte - one of over 50 additional resources available online to supplement and add value to the reader's experience and use of the book). As a response to the article a colleague of mine, Marc Shiman, sent a note suggesting these questions to use in preparation for any presentation. I loved them and thought they meshed well with what I had written, so here they are for your use:

• Ask yourself the question "What is their (your audience) pain?" This is obviously the problem you are trying to help them solve.


• Now look at your first few slides. Do they address your audience's pain or are they about you?


• We also talk about OUR goals when we make a presentation. What about our audience's goals?

All three of these questions help us get to the heart of communication which we often forget in preparing for a presentation - that our purpose is first and foremost about our audience and helping them.

If you want to communicate more powerfully in any situation, focus on the audience and their needs first.

Also posted in Leadership.

Labels: communication, preparation, presentation skills, Remarkable Leadership

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After writing and editing the book, working out the look of the cover, and all of the other details for my new book Remarkable Leadership, we have finally released the website.

You will want to check out the website now because you can receive a sample chapter from the book as a preview what what the book contains. There is also a blog specifically related to the book's progress and to ideas to further your path towards remarkable leadership.

There are some other very cool features coming soon to the website - which I will announce here when they are ready.

If after you've had a look, send me an email if you have any comments or questions about the book.

Also posted in Leadership, Learning and Training.

Labels: Remarkable Leadership

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I am happy to formally announce our Remarkable Leadership Learning System! This is a virtually delivered ongoing leadership development product unlike anything else in existence! We have been delivering it for several months with a select group of customers and are now opening it up to the world.

Rather than telling you all about it here in the blog(though I'm sure I will be saying more about it in future posts), I encourage you to check out the information and great goodies here.

Also posted in Leadership, Learning and Training.

Labels: leadership, Remarkable Leadership

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