Mike’s Blog
This is for everyone who is interested in Leadership, teams, and people.
There are currently 1,623 posts on this site. Narrow the list by searching for topics that are important to you.
Is leadership a thing?
I was coaching an executive near the top of one of Canada's big banks. She called me in one day to talk about running a leadership program for her team. On my way to her office, I had decided I would only do this program if it were for the right reasons. Too many...
Nothing Really Matters
Success, failure, famous, or unknown. What if none of it really matters and life could be easy. You just need to decide that it is. “Nothing really matters.” — Freddie Mercury, Bohemian Rhapsody
Asking for help is not a weakness
It’s confession time! Historically, I suck at asking for help. For the longest time, it didn’t feel like a problem. I’d tell myself to justify not asking for help, like: It’ll take me longer to teach someone else what to do than to do it myself Someone else won’t do...
Ignoring how people are feeling will only make problems worse
Let's start by listing some of the more pervasive problems people are dealing with right now: The war in Ukraine and the uncertainty it's creating. The ongoing pandemic and the debates around masks, vaccines, and more. The so-called freedom convoys and their impact on...
The impact of webcams on creativity
I've spent the past two years of working at home, perfecting what it means to be in front of a webcam. One of the most impactful skills I've learned is to look right into the webcam when I'm talking, coaching, or teaching. It wasn't easy to learn this skill when I...
How are you using your positional power?
I once quit a job that I really cared about. The reason? My boss used his positional power in ways that created many problems for the team. For example, one day, he phoned me while I was travelling home from a client site. He told me about a change that was happening...
Well I guess it was bound to happen
After more than two years, we had Covid in the house for the first time. It started with one of us testing positive. Then, within a couple of days, the rest of us were testing positive. Thankfully, none of us had any severe symptoms. It also seems that none of us will...
Try being abnormal this week
I'm mediocre. There, I said it. It's hard to admit to mediocrity in a world that values those who stand out. However, there's nothing special about me or what I'm doing in the world. At least, this is the story I told myself for a long time. Take a moment and assess...
What to do when someone is upset
Several years ago, a client asked me to put together a plan to get the team trained and up to speed on a new way of working. While presenting the plan to the management team, one of the VPs became angry as he felt I was trying to upsell him. I was taken aback and...
Are you resilient or recovering in the face of burnout?
There are times you need to be resilient and keep going forward in your life. Other times, it’s prudent to pause and recover.
Stop trying to get it right
In January 2019, I found myself frustrated with the process and experience of writing. I was finding the process of writing and publishing blog posts challenging. I would spend a lot of time working on each post as I tried to get it ‘right.’ To change the writing...
Offering feedback – what’s your mindset?
Giving useful feedback is challenging
Recognition is the fuel people need
Recognizing people regularly is the fuel that gets them out of bed and wanting to work with each other.
How do people like to be recognized
Ask the people around you how they like to be recognized, as it’s not a one-size-fits-all activity.
Travel tip for when things are going wrong
Travel tip: no matter what happens, have fun; you’ll get there. The same is true in life and business.
The secret to feeling anxious
Feeling anxious happens when we feel something is out of our control. The thing is, nothing is ever out of your control.
The questions of great leaders
Great leaders will ask, “What do I do now?”
The circle of focus
A great team requires focus, and focus happens because you are a great team.
Criticism is a threat
Learn to give effective feedback rather than constructive criticism, as all criticism is a threat in the human mind.
Don’t forget to strengthen your confront muscle
Confront is a muscle we all get to develop that lets us face the things that hold us back from what we want.
Stop working on resilience
Resilience isn’t a destination but something to work on having every day.
Three powerful words…”I don’t know”
The more you admit to not knowing, the more you will see what you don’t know and can learn.
Recovery is as important as all those meetings
Don’t forget that recovering to resilience as all those meetings you have today.
Do people feel safe to speak up?
When people fear repercussions for speaking up, they won’t care about fixing the problems.