Leading Through Emotions Is the Opposite of Manipulation Leading means helping people do what they want, not what they don’t want. Thinking otherwise undermines your ability to lead. As a leadership professor, trainer, and author, I have occasion to see people develop leadership skills at all levels. When I describe the difference between leadership and management, they tend to accept that management generally involves behavior and things you can see[…] Keep reading →

How Much Should a Plastic Bag Cost? Why do some places still allow them to cost zero? It’s hard to avoid plastic bags. Partly it’s hard because they are everywhere. It’s harder because in most places they’re free, with no external incentive to avoid using them. Many of us bring bags to stores with us. Those of us with unconscious competence at it can’t believe people use as much plastic[…] Keep reading →

You’d Fire an Employee Whose Goal was Awareness. Why Accept it for the Environment? If you don’t act on your values, are you able to lead? What can you learn? Ridiculous in business Imagine you needed surgery and asked the surgeon who was going to operate on you, “Have you ever done this surgery before?” and he or she said, I haven’t done it before, by I’m aware of the procedure. Imagine you were[…] Keep reading →

Cold Showers Aren’t Hard Showers. They’re Easy Workouts. Confusion about their purpose scare people from realizing their value as one of the easiest, cheapest, and effective improvement practices. I’ve written here many times on the benefits of cold showers. I’ve blogged more about them. You wouldn’t have clicked on the headline if you weren’t curious about them or already doing them. Inc. is a community of achievers and has covered[…] Keep reading →

Don’t Call It a “Carbon” Tax Words have meaning and the problem isn’t carbon. Naming the tax meaningfully and effectively will create support. As a carbon-based life form, I’m fond of carbon. Taxing it doesn’t sound appealing to me. As someone who likes the sea levels where they are, I find taxing greenhouse gas emissions compelling, like taxing cigarettes, which reduced smoking, extended lives, and increased revenues. “Pollution tax,” not[…] Keep reading →

A Lesson in Authentic Leadership With Super Bowl Champion Bryan Braman Think NFL players only care about the game? This Philadelphia Eagle showed the leadership skills that make champions, on the field and in life. When a friend offered to connect me to Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagle Bryan Braman, my first thought–as a native Philadelphian raised on cheese steaks and soft pretzels–was of course I want to talk to a guy who[…] Keep reading →

Chasing Coral and Personal Responsibility A brilliant, important documentary on the environment viewed from a leadership and the environment perspective. The documentary Chasing Coral is emotionally evocative and hauntingly, tragically beautiful. I can see why it got its stellar reviews. I recommend it. While I support their goals, I hope it’s the last “Do as I say, not as I do” documentary. They undermine efforts to change people’s behavior to pollute less. Here’s the trailer:[…] Keep reading →