A Harvard Business Review article by Scott Barry Kaufman entitled, “Why Inspiration Matters” reveals why inspiration is so inspiring. Kaufman’s article cites research by several scholars to further support his hypothesis that inspiration matters.  In my own research, I took an interest in the work Kaufman cited from psychologists, Todd M. Thrash and Andrew J. Elliott,

For leaders, bosses, teachers, professors, doctors, lawyers, or actual coaches of teams, never underestimate the opportunity you have, to teach and coach. No matter what your rank, role, or title, you never know how impactful and meaningful your words may be to the people on your teams and in your life.  If you’re a leader or

The Importance of Feedback Feedback is important because it not only drives performance in a positive direction, but it also positively impacts the attitude and mindsets of all employees. When employee mindset and attitude are on the up and up, business results like profits, satisfaction scores, and employee experience will follow suit, in a positive, upbeat

We often get downstream about a mile and a half on a project, an initiative, a meeting, or a task, and then we feel lost.   You’ve put in the time, effort, and thought, yet have become frustrated with the lack of results or progress. Often our teams do the same. Too frequently it’s not until the

According to research by the Gallup organization: Only 25% of employees “strongly agree” that their manager provides meaningful feedback to them or that the feedback they receive helps them do better work. Only 21% of employees “strongly agree” that their performance is managed in a way that motivates them to do outstanding work.  When leaders pause their own

As leaders, we’re often at a crossroads, with an important choice to make.  You can hold a grudge, skip the meeting, become unresponsive, non-communicative, and freeze out the people who have upset you.  Or,  You can lead with hospitality. You can forgive, be the bigger person, take the high road, and work on mending the relationship.  Your grace in

I heard a story in church years ago about a couple who had been married for over fifty years. When asked how in the world they stayed together despite each other’s faults, habits, and hang ups, their response was amazing. It illustrates grace in action, and I’ll share their response here.  The husband responded to the

Grace comes in first.  Every single time. Power usually benefits, first and foremost, those who have it. Sure, their span of influence may be great, big and wide, but their true, positive impact is usually limited to a select few who they deem worthy of receiving it. And that impact usually comes at a cost, as leaders

Practicing grace, especially when people don’t expect it or, when they may not deserve it, absolutely will make them feel important. It’s extraordinary and special. The word “special” by definition, sparks good feelings and sentiments. These include positive words such as remarkable, exceptional, significant, and not the least of which, important.  When we’re graceful with our

A thirty-two-year-old middle manager working for a rental car company had a tough gig.  She was in a corporate, regional role supporting multiple locations’ Operations Managers and frontline associates.  Her role was to teach, coach, consult, inspire, and motivate front line associates and leaders to maximize sales with every transaction.   One day the District Manager leveraged