Relevant Leadership Blog

Listening Equals Love

Have you ever heard or read a quote that made you stop & ask to hear it again?   Yesterday that happened with this quote by David Augsburger: “Being heard is so close to being loved that for the average person they are almost indistinguishable.”   Isn’t that powerful?!   Listening is a skill we all need to work on. Whether it’s in leadership, in relationships, in friendships or parenthood – we can probably all improve in this area.   Especially at a time of crisis when people are hurting, confused, anxious & scared, they need to feel loved (in

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How To Give a Compliment

Have you ever received a hollow compliment from someone? “You are doing a great job” – “Keep up the great work” While they mean well with those words, the truth is the compliment doesn’t do much for you and it doesn’t engender much respect or connection to them. As leaders, we are told to praise our people. As parents, we want to raise with praise. But I fear that all too often what we do is give hollow, meaningless compliments and no one is that much better for them. Not the giver nor the receiver. As a family, we started

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Parents & Leaders Do 3 Things

I have four little kids. 9,7,5 & 2. For my career I speak to companies & write books on leadership. The more I think about it – they are same thing. Parents & Leaders do three things. Parents help their kids feel: 1. Safe 2. Loved 3. Empowered to reach their potential Leaders help their people feel: 1. Safe 2. Loved 3. Empowered to reach their potential That’s easier said than done but at its core that is it. To help your people feel safe they need to feel important, heard, understood & a part. To feel loved they need

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Would You Win Leader of the Year?

If there was a contest today and your employees, team members or clients were asked to vote – would you win leader of the year? If you were asked to vote – what would make the leader of the year in your mind? Would it be their knowledge, their skillset, their example, their commitment, or the way they treated their people? My daughter Andie is in third grade. She has loved school every year and done well. She has loved every teacher she has had, but this year has been something different. This year however, her teacher Mrs. Allison Moschetti,

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Change Someone’s Day

This weekend I am speaking in Napa, CA – wine country. I came across this cool story of an anonymous woman who is giving bottles of wine to couples every weekend.  –  https://abcnews.go.com/Lifestyle/millionaire-secretly-giving-bottles-wine-unsuspecting-diners-san/story?id=28869732   “I am madly in love with this community. I’m so thankful to live here,” she told ABC News. “I just wanted to do something that married my love of this wine country with the community and make people smile and do something fun.” This random act of kindness is a cool way that she is making a surprising and positive difference in the lives of others. It

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50 Ways To Say You Care

This came from my friend Frank Sonnenberg (www.franksonnenbergonline.com) 50 Ways To Say You Care “I’m so proud of you. – Don’t worry. – Tomorrow’s another day. – How could I forget? – Is there anything that I can do for you? – I’d like to make a toast. – We were so worried about you. – I’d prefer that you have it. – It’s obvious that you put a lot of time into this. – Sure I have time to talk. – Your effort is never taken for granted. – If it’s good enough for you, it’s good enough for

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The True Definition of Belief

Beliefs are the core of who we are, what we do, and the success that we acquire. In 1948, Claude M Bristol wrote a wonderful book entitled, The Magic of Believing. In his book he explains that there is one common strand woven throughout the many cultures and religions he investigated. All people, whether primitive or civilized, have shared a particular philosophy that is central to their culture. People of all ages have ascribed to the idea that if you believe that something will happen, it will take place. It is the power of belief that causes things to happen

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Passion – Push Through The Pain

I am sure there is a goal that you are passionate about. Something that you are pursuing with all of your heart. What is it? Is it your business? The relationship of your dreams?  Weight loss? Most people think that passion is just enthusiasm for what you are doing, and it is that, but there is more to it. Even though you focus on what what you love, it does not mean it is always going to be without challenge. The word passion originated in the 12th Century, originally used by Christian Scholars who were describing the suffering of Christ.

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