“We have nothing to Fear but Fear itself.” Franklin D. RooseveltSince the financial crisis began, Americans are experiencing a new dynamic in their everyday lives - they are living with fear. This feeling is present in every area of our lives and creates new challenges for business leaders and professionals of all levels. Beyond the current losses in Real Estate and on Wall Street, we have lost something much more valuable....

When someone steps on your toe, you say, “Ouch!” What do you say and do when someone steps on your emotional toes and hurts your feelings? Saying “ouch” may actually be an appropriate response. Voicing your pain is far better than reacting in a negative way that could end up doing damage to a business relationship that's important to you. The energy that goes into an overreaction is monumental. Most people are physically an...

The Beatles were still in their twenties when they wrote “We Can Work It Out,” but somehow they understood that even though resolving issues can be hard, it is better than trashing a business relationship, a job or a deal. Here are ten tips to help you work things out:1. When you’re having a difficult discussion, put your angry emotions aside. You can’t be logical when you’re mad. If you can’t contain your ire, it may be be...

Many people put work before family and relationships. At times, doing this may be a necessity. If the wolf is at the door, it’s understandable. But if you find that work has become your entire life, here are some tips to help you find your balance again.1. If work occupies most of your thoughts, you've got your priorities messed up. Start by telling yourself that family comes first. Then do something to start making things...

If you don't take vacations or start new projects because you're afraid of what might go wrong when you're not around, it's a symptom of a serious business dysfunction. You have ineffective-manageritis. If your direct reports cannot sit in your chair and do your job, you haven't trained them properly. Think about it. If you have had to do damage control after taking some time away from the business, then some training of...

Hiring is an emotional process for everyone involved. Understanding a prospect’s emotional drives (as well as the interviewer’s) is key to finding and keeping the right people. Certain interview questions can illicit responses that will tell you how a person is feeling about themselves, your company, if they are team players, and how they will react under stress.The questions I like to ask may seem a bit cryptic, or even to...

This old Greek saying simply means that the leader is responsible for everything and anything in their company. That means everything that goes right, and anything that goes wrong. FDR said it in a different way - “The buck stops here.” Good leadership and management are the most important functions of any business. Simply put, bad leadership equals bad business. The Four Components of a Business To better understand t...

Learning how to get your ideas accepted is an art form and requires patience and practice. The people you want to present to have proved they know how to do it (because they are sitting in the big chair). These ten tips are how they got to the top of the business food chain - and how you can too.1. Do your homework. Know the players and what they need and want. The more you know about the person or company you're talking to...

Everyone argues. Some do it overtly by yelling, while others do it covertly by avoiding contact and conversation. Whatever the method, the result is the same - hurt feelings and a loss of productivity. Here are my tips to help you argue constructively, and if done correctly, it can be a pathway to growth, problem solving and higher profits.1. Understand that anger itself is not destructive. There is a vast difference betwee...

These are my Top 20 best practices that I have seen used by the most successful leaders. Some of these are already in your toolkit, others you may have forgotten. Keep this list handy as a reminder of time tested solutions that will make you and your team shine.1. Use the Power of the Pen. Recognition is the number one motivator. A simple thank you note is more important than money to most people. Break out the fancy pen yo...