What’s Going to Move Your Needle?
Options, options, too many options! Don’t you feel like that sometimes? · Which of these hundred mayonnaises should I buy? · Which of these hundred TV series should I Netflix? · Which...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Profitable Creativity May Be Closer Than You Think!
Would you like to find a creative solution to your current challenge du jour? It may be as close as the morning newspaper. (Note to younger readers: the “morning newspaper” used to be an actual thing....
View ArticleStop Whining About “Change”!
As I look out my office window, I see the leaves on the trees are starting to change color. Believe it or not, I’m not shocked by this. Nor am I wailing about the fact that the temperature is dropping...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Why Coming Up With a Great Idea is Worthless
“I hate coming up with a great sketch idea.” That’s what Bob Nelson told me when he was one of the writers on Almost Live!, the comedy TV show that I executive produced in Seattle for 15 years. (For...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Are You Playing “Monkey See, Monkey Do” Leadership?
“Bill’s been to a seminar!” I was a new leader, barely into my twenties, and the TV station I worked for had sent me to a leadership seminar. I eagerly returned to the office the next day, head and...
View ArticleAre You Ready for the High Winds?
Hurricane level winds. That’s what they’re telling us here in the Pacific Northwest. As I write this, there’s a storm coming, and they’re telling us to prepare for hurricane level winds. So I...
View ArticleClik here to view.
The Smartest Thing You Can Do as a Leader
As a leader, the smartest thing I ever did was hire people better than me. For 15 years, I was the Executive Producer of a comedy TV show in Seattle. I was also a writer and performer for the show,...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Are You Solving the Right Problem?
Albert Einstein once said, “If I only had an hour to solve a problem, I’d spend 55 minutes thinking about the problem and five minutes thinking about solutions.” And while I don’t necessarily agree...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Stop Treating Creativity as an Option
Turning creativity into money. That’s how I sometimes described my job as the Executive Producer of a hit comedy TV show in Seattle. Turning creativity into money. See, our job, week after week, was...
View ArticleClik here to view.
3 Steps to a More Collaborative Team
I was just listening to an interview with one of the world’s top leadership experts, my friend and colleague Mark Sanborn. He was asked how leadership has changed over the past several years. Here’s...
View ArticleWant Better Ideas? Then Stop Brainstorming!
I used to be a fan of brainstorming. What could be better for generating ideas than gathering your team around a table, presenting the challenge, and then letting the ideas flow! No bad ideas here!...
View ArticleDid You Know That Mowing the Lawn Can Lead to a Cure for Cancer?
If you’re wondering why your team doesn’t seem to be engaged in their work (which, according to Gallup, describes 68% of the American workforce), it may be because they just don’t give a crap about...
View ArticleWhy It’s Okay If Your Team Members Don’t Like Each Other
Have you ever worked with someone whom you just plain didn’t like? I think we all have, at one time or another. For example, there are moments when I really hate my boss—and I’m self-employed! The...
View ArticleWhat Lorne Michaels and I — and You — Have in Common
There is a phrase that Lorne Michaels, the creator and Executive Producer of Saturday Night Live, and I both share. I didn’t know we shared it—I thought it was original with me—until, several years...
View ArticleDon’t Be Just a “Good News” Leader
I never liked firing people. That may sound like a normal, human response to an unpleasant task, but I’ve known people who actually enjoy it. (One particular TV news director comes to mind.) Ogres like...
View ArticleWhat You Call “Practice” Might Be Hurting You
I used to play a lot of tennis. I was never terribly good at it. For example, some serves are referred to as a “weapon.” Mine was referred to as a “gift.” But what I lacked in quality, I made up for...
View Article3 Sure Fire Ways to Get the Best From Your Team
Eddie was a screw-up. Everyone at the burger place where I had my first job knew it. Eddie just couldn’t seem to do anything right. And because he always screwed up, the rest of us expected him to...
View ArticleHow to Become a Master of Your Work
I’m going to go out on a limb here and assume that you either are, or you want to be, good at what you do. I’m going to take that even further and assume that you either are, or want to be, great at...
View ArticleThe One Thing Better Than Good Intentions
I was talking to a colleague earlier this week. Like me, she runs her own business. She told me that one of her “beginning-of-the-year” practices is to sit down in a quiet place, with a cup of coffee...
View ArticleOne Simple Equation That Will Help You Achieve Remarkable Results
Like many of you, I hold a planning retreat for my business at the beginning of each year. (I also do a smaller one at the beginning of each month, which is a practice that I strongly recommend.) My...
View Article