As you can see from this cartoon in the January 22, 2008 edition of the Quebec City newspaper, Le Soleil, Generation Y’s influence on culture (especially fashion) is being felt around the world…well, at least as far as Canada. 

Death is often quoted as the second greatest fear for people. While, public speaking has reigned at number one for quite some time. Although I would pick a speech over death, there was probably a time in my life when I would have seriously considered the choice. In college, Communications was my minor, but I never signed-up for Communications 101 because you had to present in front of the class. I thought I was pretty slick for avoiding the class. Little did I realize my leadership career would place me in presentation situations on a regular basis.

Thankfully, I am now fully recovered from my Laliophobia (fear of public speaking). I decided this fear was not going to limit my career. To that end, I attended trainings and performed my own research on presentation skills. Below are seven of the most helpful tips I discovered for becoming a dynamic presenter. (more…)

Seven Tips for Making Your Meetings More Effective

“Is there a doctor in the house? I am so SICK of meetings!” Sadly, this type of negative reaction to meetings is common and well deserved. Many organizations are filled with people that feel this way, even the individual leading the meeting. I once came across a phony advertisement for meetings with the tag line, “Meetings, The Practical Alternative to Work.” The following list of meeting tips has been compiled both for your reference and to save the reputation of meetings everywhere: (more…)

When you hear Christopher Cross sing, “Sailing takes me away,” you can feel the relaxation he is singing about. Although I can not promise a constant sense of relaxation, I do promise that if you sail these Cs, your leadership duties will become easier and if we are lucky, they will become down right fun! (more…)

Sometimes meetings can become dull and boring, almost sucking the energy and enthusiasm right from your body. Yet, doing team-building activities can take up so much time. Well, don’t you worry! The seven team-building activities below are quick and easy. The costs are nominal and will usually depend on the type and nature of the prizes you give out (candy, office supplies, etc.) (more…)

The Bible is a great place to find quotable wisdom. One of the things I like about the Bible, is that it tells you to “think on these things.” It does not say, “read this, say to yourself ‘yeah, I like that’ and then forget all about it in your life.” My intention with these quotes is that you read them, remember them, and use them! (more…)

No matter how great you are (or think you are,) you make mistakes. The good news is there is no rule that says you need to make mistakes other people have made. Instead, I encourage you to learn from the mistakes of other leaders or at least learn from mistakes you may currently be making. Read the following lost of common leader mistakes and avoid them! Then, you can save your mistakes for bigger things! (more…)

We all whine. It feels good and even has some benefits. It can release frustration and help you keep moving forward. However, whining can also be extremely detrimental. It often consumes a great deal of time and produces little new information. If left unchecked, whining may spread from one employee to another, like the flu. Unfortunately, washing your hands or receiving a shot will not stop this plague. It is up to you, courageous leader, to manage the whining on your team. The seven tips below will be a great start. (more…)

“It’s not you, it’s me.” Most of us have been on the delivering side of this statement. Unfortunately, we’ve also been on the receiving side more than we like to admit. Bad news is, by definition, bad. Unless you are a soulless monster, you probably dislike the process. To avoid the pain of delivering bad news, leaders often strategize on the best method to use. Here are seven tips to consider when preparing for the bad news meeting. (more…)