Mike’s Blog

Working emotionally charged situations can be challenging. In particular, when emotions are negative. Here’s a simple construct when working with emotions: A - Acknowledge the emotion to the other person. This acknowledgement will start to normalize the feelings, and...

One year ago tomorrow, I published an intention to publish a daily post. This week, for me, has been a celebration of this accomplishment!! In the past year, I've published 255 new posts. That's five per week for 51 of the past 52 weeks (I took Christmas week off). I...

Writing a daily blog has been an investment in me over this past year. I’ve learned many things about myself. For example, I have all the time I need, and everything is a matter of priorities. I can overcome any hurdle, such as continuing the posts while off the grid...

I’d like you to create a list of 250 different thoughts, opinions, or bits of knowledge you have about leadership. Would you be able to do it? I was worried about this exact thing when I started to publish a daily blog. Yet, here I am one year later, having published...

Over the past year, I’ve significantly increased the number of times I’m publishing my writing. Many things are contributing to this success. More than anything, I had to let go of worrying about what others think of my writing. Leadership is much the same. Leaders...

Do you have a problem with shoelaces untying themselves? Tip: tie them backwards. When you get to the part of the knot where you usually go left over right, do it right over left. If you search for “tie shoes backwards,” you’ll find there’s a reason why it works. This...

I once worked with a leader who seemed to prioritize his success above the team's success. He was happy as long as he was looking good. However, he would grow angry if it seemed he would look bad. Leaders who prioritize their success first are going to cause problems...

One of the biggest problems in business is the word “yes.” Yes, we’ll take on that additional work, even though everyone is already working overtime. Yes, we’ll take on that work, despite it distracting us from our product strategy. Yes, you can squeeze the team into...

Imagine, for a moment, that you don’t have any problems. Problems generate anxiety, which leads to unproductive mindsets. What if you look at every problem as an opportunity to change? It’s easier to look at opportunities and to see the truth in them. When you see the...

Why does your team follow you? Is it because of your title or position? Is it because of how you've responded to problems in the past? Or is it because they believe what you believe? If people are following you for any reason other than what they believe, you run the...

In 1968, Dr. Spencer Silver was trying to invent a super-strong adhesive. Dr. Silver accidentally invented a low-tack re-stickable glue, which is what you find on the back of post-it notes. Arguably, Dr. Silver failed, given his original objective. However, he did not...

I worked with a new leader who was struggling with her team’s initiative. She would tell me how the team was lazy and unmotivated. The previous leader had set up a rigid process due to a past problem. The team was to ask permission for almost anything, beyond their...