Empathy Fatigue: Why We Need Conscious Listening, Not More Empathy
October 1, 2024 Who else is tired of hearing about empathy in every conversation? It’s become a buzzword—a catch-all that’s started to lose its weight. Everyone’s obsessed with being empathetic, but somewhere along the way, the real value of listening has been buried under the pressure to feel everything. Here’s the reality: we’ve gone too […]
Turning Up the Volume: The Stories We Choose to Hear
September 25, 2024 We are a species of storytellers. Our stories connect us, weaving threads between our personal and professional lives, crafting the fabric of relationships, ideas, and progress. Yet, today, we rarely take the time to listen to these stories. We’re too focused on efficiency, on trimming the fat of our conversations, driven by […]
From Noise to Clarity: Why Listening Is the Fastest Way to Get Ahead
September 11, 2024 Let’s be honest—our days are packed. Meetings back-to-back, projects stacking up like Jenga blocks, deadlines breathing down our necks like an overzealous personal trainer, and don’t even get me started on those “urgent” emails that are anything but. It’s no wonder we’re drowning in to-do lists that keep multiplying like gremlins after […]
Silence Speaks: The Act of Listening in a Noisy World
August 20, 2024 The Rise of Social Silence Can you hear that? It’s the sound of silence, creeping into our social interactions. In a world where digital connections take precedence, the art of face-to-face or voice to voice communication is becoming a lost rhythm. We’re tethered to our screens, overwhelmed by notifications and persistent distractions. […]
The Sound of Superior Leadership: Rocking the ‘Listening’ Beat with Strategy
August 12, 2024 In the chart-topping list of leadership skills, there’s one underrated track that’s often overshadowed by the bold anthem of ‘Leading from the Front.’ It’s the mellow number that underscores every successful leader’s playlist: the act of real listening. But what if we were to amplify this skill with a model that turns […]
Social Silence: The Epidemic of Digital Chaos
Remember the days when you could spend hours in your room, absorbed in the experience of listening to an album from start to finish? There was a deliberate artistry in the way songs were arranged, creating a journey that unfolded track by track. Bob Seger’s “Against The Wind” wasn’t just a collection of songs; it […]
Rocking the Rhythm of Social Skills in Leadership
In the second installment of our series on the importance of social skills in today’s business landscape, I trust you will afford me the opportunity to continue our discussion with a musical analogy. It’s crucial to recognize that our focus transcends contemporary business jargon such as EQ and empathy. Instead, we delve into the fundamental […]
The Unseen Rockstars of Business Success: Social Skills
Do you recognize yourself or others in the photo above? We are all strapped to our phones and business revenue is becoming diluted by automation. The obvious solution is to develop human relationships but, the truth is: social skills are in short supply. In a world dominated by technology, it takes courage and rebellious spirit […]
Conscious Listening: In One Ear, Out the Other?
In today’s hyper-connected world, where digital distractions are at an all-time high, truly hearing what others are saying is becoming a lost art. It’s not just about nodding along and pretending to care; it’s about diving deep into the conversation and showing you’re all in. Understanding The Conscious Listening Framework can transform the way you […]
Back to the Future! Which Leadership Styles Will Move Your Business Forward?
3 Leadership styles that are important for today’s environment
What are you doing right now to lead your business into the 2030s? This is a question that is circulating in boardrooms and being discussed at the highest levels of the C-Suite conversations. Have you considered that by 2034, there will be less than 1% of Baby Boomers in the workforce? We have seen the […]
Profitability and Retention are at the Intersection of Co-Creation
We are smack dab in the middle of a work environment in chaos. So many questions and ideas are filling the space with “I don’t know” or “what’s next?” Do we bring people back into the office, do we go completely remote or will a hybrid situation work? Why are people leaving the organization, or […]
Who Turned Off The Music?
Who Turned Off The Music? Music defines the timeline and memories of our lives. The songs our mother sang to us at night, the music we did homework to in grade school, the song we danced to at our high school prom, the music we blasted on the radio in the first car we ever […]
Music: The Untapped Advantage
Music: The Untapped Advantage I am often asked, “Why music? Why is music an inspiration?” Music is a universal language that transfers across all cultures, and when engaged properly, true transformation can happen. When you attach memories, motivations, thoughts, and actions to music, then the whole composition begins to be laid out in your mind […]
Diverse in Thought, United in Trust
Diversity of Thought & Trust: Where Will it Get Your Organization? Music is universal and diverse! There are various genres, sounds, and languages, and we respect the artistic thoughts behind the notes of creativity. Does your boardroom have that type of diversity of thought and respect? While each instrument brings a different sound, vibration, and […]
Why Side B?
Making Both Sides Your Good Side The debate of “Side B” or “B-side,” and the answer to the question I am always asked: Why is your book called Side B? There is no debate on the proper term; it is simply an evolution of music itself, much like leadership over the years. I chose to […]
Becoming a Rockstar Leader
After 30 years in “Corporate America”, I decided to start my career 2.0, in 2021. While this may not have been the time to become an entrepreneur, it certainly was time for a change for me, my health, and my family. As a person who likes to build teams and help organizations, it was imperative […]
Understanding Side A & Side B Leadership
Whether you are a (Side A) resume-based leader or a (Side B) emotion/relationship-orientated leader, having a clear understanding of your leadership style is important to improve and develop. It may come as a surprise to leaders that neither style is truly effective on its own. By finding a balance between both styles, you can become a much more effective leader. […]
What Is Your Secret Sauce?
For years, leaders have asked me the same question. “What’s your secret sauce?” There is no recipe or secret sauce per se, but it does boil down to this simple truth: “Show up as your whole self and take care of your people.” Want Results? In the simplest of terms – Be Present. Be courageous […]
Swimming Without Earbuds
In honor of the 2021 Summer Olympics ending in Tokyo. Each time I see swimming, it immediately takes me back to when I was a competitive swimmer. Swimming embraced my uber-competitive spirit and the drive to push myself to be the best! When I was swimming, the water was clear, the lane dividers were in […]
Leading with Dyslexia ~ Having a Musical Memory
To be fully transparent and honest, having a musical memory is what helped me get through school having dyslexia. Yes, it was challenging at first, it was hard to read, I could not concentrate, and not able to keep up with others; however, in the seventh grade, my parents helped me understand that it didn’t […]