Mike’s Blog

The other week I was listening to a call hosted by Simon Sinek. It’s a book club based on his book, “Start with Why.” A real ah-ha moment for me was when one of the participants asked a question. The participant lives on Aruba where they’ve closed their borders given...

Recently, I heard that researchers are finding the mind’s inability to predict the future causes stress. While creating accurate predictions can be challenging, we can always dream up a prediction. Perhaps the stress comes when we try to control the future as we try...

As a leader, how do you help others move past their fears? To start, I acknowledge and normalize the other person’s fear, “I can see this is challenging for you.” Then, based on what seems right, I draw on several tactics to support their growth. Here are a few of my...

What do you assume when you walk in a room, and the air feels heavy? When your team is working through an issue, what do you make of the butterflies in your stomach? We, humans, place a lot of value in interpreting what we’re feeling. We put meaning on everything that...

In some ways, this pandemic is a blessing. I’ve slowed down, which is giving me the space to see parts of my life for what they are. It turns out I don’t need to be so busy or making so much money. I don’t need to be rushing off in all directions. Take this...

Great leaders go for walks around the office regularly. When leaders go for walks, they often pick up on things as a result of a hallway conversation or something they observe. It’s also a sign that you value your connection with the people you lead. So, what are...

Change can suck. In particular, change can suck when it is not your choice. Forced change is what the world is facing, and feeling, right now. What choice do you have, right? Wrong. You are at choice in how you face every challenge. When you find yourself upset or...

As a coach, one of the skills I developed is known as self-managing. Self-managing is noticing what is coming up in me, and parking it temporarily to remain focused on my client. In doing this, I am more able to keep the conversation focused on my client. The problem,...

The other day, I found myself feeling down about things. I tried to pick myself up all day and muscle through my work. By the end of the day, I was exhausted. So, we sat out back by the fire and talked. There was nothing to fix, nor anything to change. We explored how...

I believe there are cycles to everything in life: nature, economics, disease, business and more. You will have times of complete joy when you feel like nothing can stop you. You’ll have other times of overwhelming challenge. So, what can you do to ensure the current...

A couple of weeks ago, I found myself developing a scratchy throat. Then, I had the chills pretty bad one day. Finally, the next day it hit me. I had muscle aches and was feeling flush. The good news is it seems to have been a cold. Phew! I noticed, though, that I...

Like everyone else, I’m confronting the uncertainty of current events. Our business has come to a virtual standstill, and, for the moment, finding new business seems impossible. So, I am doing the only thing I can. I’m continuing to put myself out there to help where...