Lisa McLeod
Why Case Studies Don’t Work and What to Do Instead
Do you want people to care about your cause, idea or product?
A client of mine, we’ll call him Don, was struggling to get funding...
Why Wine Costs More with a Story
The hand blown bottle was labeled with the year 1787 and the word “Lafitte,” a top French vineyard, etched into the glass. The wine...
Is Your Business a Mercenary, or a Missionary?
Companies want customers to love them. Bosses want people to love their jobs. Yet many leaders will tell you, emotion has no place in...
Two Reasons So Many People are Reluctant to Be Positive
Is there an incentive to be friendly? For many people, there are actually more incentives to be negative.
Recently, we were working with a client...
Three Ways to Bring Back Courtesy
If you’re feeling like the workplace (and the world in general) is becoming more crass, you’re not alone. According to Harvard Business Review polls,...
Why Working on Hobbies Makes You Better at Your Job
Would you hire a wind surfer? How about a furniture painter? Would leadership promote someone who spends their weekends writing and reading poetry? We...
How to Leverage Emotions at Work
When was the last time you felt inspired? What made you feel that way?
If you’re like most humans, inspiration requires an intense level of...
To Tattle or Not to Tattle: When to Tell the Boss...
To tattle or not to tattle, that is the question my friends.
When you see a co-worker making errors, how do you handle it? Ignore...
How to Be Promotable: 3 Surprising Things You Need to Know
What does it take to get promoted?
Most people think being good at your job is enough. They’re wrong.
I met a woman on a plane...
Useless Employee Surveys and How to Avoid Them
Have you ever done an employee survey? How honest were you? Did the questions even scratch the surface of the true feelings you have...
The Surprising ROI On Gratitude Training
What are you grateful for? Your family? A home? These are the typical go to’s when people discuss gratitude. Pop culture is filled with...
How To Deal with a Whining Employee
As a leader, it’s frustrating to hear whining. In response, leaders often say, “Don’t come to me with a problem, come to me with...
The Two Rewards of Low-Cost High-Gain Favors
Could you do me a favor? It’s a common phrase, but it’s packed with meaning.
Most of us like to do favors. But we’re often...
Why Smart Goals Don’t Work and What to Do Instead
Do you remember SMART goals? I was introduced to the concept early in my career. Smart goals are specific, measurable, agreed upon, realistic, and...
Your Job is Like Cake
Do you like cake?
I love cake. Give me a piece of cake, and I’m happy.
A good job is kind of like cake. One piece...
The Three “Apologies” That Makes Things Worse
Sorry. Not sorry. We’re all familiar with the non-apology, people who toss off “I’m sorry” without meaning it or understanding how their actions affect...
No One Needs to Know How Awful They Are
Have you ever worked for a terrible communicator?
Perhaps you have a family member who routinely criticizes everyone.
There’s nothing like the dysfunctions of others to...
Why Adjectives are Eroding the Truth
I don’t yell as much as my mother. I consider that an accomplishment. Unfortunately, my kids never knew my mother, so they have no...
Gratitude is a Gateway Drug
When was the last time you felt sorry for your self? How about annoyed?
Think about the last time you felt low, for whatever reason. ...
If You’re Unhappy, Quit Before You Get Fired
Do people with a bad attitude get you down? Of course they do. Humans respond to each other’s feelings on conscious and unconscious ways....
Do You Want a Paycheck or Self-actualization?
People will work for money. But if you want your team to actually care, it takes more than cash.
Whenever I write emotional engagement, I...
How to Improve Retention in 10 Minutes
We all know turnover is costly. But the costs extend far beyond having to rehire. When you factor in leadership time, loss of momentum,...
How to Reduce Your Words and Increase Your Impact
Have you ever experienced death by PowerPoint? How about your boss asking you to read the endless business plan?
We’ve all been there. A well-intentioned...
Three Questions You Should Ask Before the Door Closes
There it is, the resignation letter. You’ve spent time hiring, training, and getting this employee up to speed, and now they’re leaving you. Perhaps...
Should You Keep Your Boss from Making a Mistake?
What would you do if you knew your boss was making a bad decision? We’ve all been there. How did you respond? Do you...
Four Words That Kill Morale
We’ve all been there. You’re at the annual meeting; the leaders rattle off the usual buzzwords. Eyes glaze. The question is why? No one...
Why Setting Goals Undermines Success and Erodes Happiness
What are you going to accomplish this year? Or perhaps at this point, a better question might be, what were you going to accomplish?
Have...
Your Spouse and Your Boss Agree, You’re a Bad Communicator
Bill was frustrated; his boss just didn’t get it. Bill thought his boss expected too much. In my conversation with Bill he said, “My...
The Big Mistake People Make About Money
Is money the root of all evil? I don’t believe so. Yet many of us live with a weird dichotomy when it comes to...
Web v. Human: Easy or Special?
A friend of mine bought a car recently without ever stepping into the dealership. It’s being delivered to his door. He conducted the entire...
Why Your Best Employees Are Quitting Before They Start
Is your interview process driving the best people away? The days of the all-powerful employer sitting back while the candidate tries to impress them...
What is the Meaning of Life?
It’s the age-old question, but what if I told you, the answer was two short words? Now it’s not wine and cheese, nor is...
Our Biggest Problems Have a Hidden Cause
What is the single biggest problem facing our planet?
Is it Global Warming? Terrorism? Poverty?
It’s none of the above. Let me explain.
What if we could...
Are You Going to Stop the Buck, or Assign Blame?
The buck stops here. The famous sign on Harry Truman’s desk applies to all of us.
At a certain point, we all have a buck...
Barbie has Noble Purpose
I confess: I was a Barbie girl.
What did you play with as a kid, Hot Wheels, Legos, Army Men? Your toys forge your identify. ...
Venting Doesn’t Release Negativity; It Rehearses It
It starts with the speeches. You know the little speech you rehearse in your head, getting ready for the big moment when you finally...
The Reward for Risking Public Embarrassment
What if you gave a party and no one came?
It’s almost worse than getting stood up for a date. At least on a no-show...
Is Screen Time Improving Your Relationships?
In our click, tweet, screen culture, it’s easy to say that we’ve become dehumanized. For many organizations, customers and people are treated like a...
How to Avoid Being Average
Do you want to achieve more success? Or do you want to improve your leadership abilities?
It’s a nuanced, and important question.
When we want to...
Winners Can Be Surprised, but Losers Should Not Be
Have you ever faced public humiliation?
I have. Years ago I was up for a promotion; I knew that one of my peers was also...
Why You Should Be the Odd One Out
I was the only white person in the classroom, and I didn’t know how to do the hula, which was embarrassing.
Have you ever been...
How I Used Leadership Books to Raise Toddlers
Have you ever been faced with a challenge that you don’t know how to handle? Were you ever in a situation where you felt...
Is it Coaching, or a Critique? Perspective Changes Everything
How do you respond when someone offers you a suggestion?
Consider this scenario. Imagine you just gave a presentation. Afterwards, your boss says, “It was...
I’m Sorry and It Will Happen Again
How often do you find yourself making the same mistake? Again. And Again.
I was talking to a colleague, who also happens to be my...
Two Reasons People Panic at Work and How to Stop Doing...
A client of ours was experiencing a drop in sales; financial performance was down, way down. The natural response is fear and panic. Unfortunately...
The Power to Get Things Done – Whether You Feel Like...
You find yourself trolling Reddit or online shopping for new Post-it notes before completing that single aggravating task. You know you need to make...
Essential Versus Important: The Life Changing Power of Less
Have you ever found yourself saying, “The day got away from me?”
You set goals; you have a strategy; you think know what’s most important. ...
How to Decode Millennials for Fun and Profit
It seems like it happens overnight. One minute you’re the young upstart; the next minute you’re the oldest person in the room.
If it suddenly...
Is Your Day Job Killing Your Dreams?
Does everyone have a purpose? And what happens if you accidentally spend your life doing something else? The “What do you want to be...
Give Yourself the Gift of Human Connection
Have you ever noticed that when you give to others you feel better about yourself?
There’s a reason for that. As human beings, we’re hard...
To Forgive or Not: Who Suffers More?
People are prickly about forgiveness.
They often resist it because they think forgiveness means letting someone off the hook.
But it doesn’t.
Forgiveness is simply giving up...
A Letter for the Special Ones
Intellectually, you know that other people adore their children. In fact, it’s in your best interest to want people to adore their children. When...
When to Negotiate, and When to Play Nice
“You don’t get what you deserve. You get what you negotiate.”
It was the marketing tagline for a popular 1980s negotiating skills program. Personally, I...
Don’t Ask for Favors, do Favors
Do you ask your friends or clients for favors?
This subject came up in a discussion with a group of consultants. The specific question was:...
Don’t EVER Tell High Ambition People to Calm Down.
You need to chill out.
Just relax; it’s no big deal.
The above comments are intended to be comforting, but when you tell a high performer...
Why You Should Be More Generous With Your Connections!
Do you ask your friends or clients for favors?
This subject came up in a discussion with a group of consultants. The specific question was:...