When you head off to work, do you feel passionate about the challenges and opportunities you’re about to face? Looking at the numerous studies that have shown the rise in employee disengagement found in today’s workplaces, it wouldn’t be too surprising to see most of you responding in the negative.

Of course, just to be clear, when I’m talking about being passionate about work, I’m not referring to those sentimentally-driven aspirations we had as children; of those feelings that had us dreaming about being an astronaut, a firefighter, a doctor or a teacher when we grew up.

Rather, I’m talking about that sense of passion that exists in all of us which fuels our drive to be a part of something bigger than our personal aspirations. That part of us which we use to gauge whether our lives matter because we’re making a difference in the world by doing work that has a purpose and meaning

Unfortunately for most of us, it’s this sense of passion that becomes the greatest casualty from the pressures of ‘growing up’ and entering the workforce. If there’s one thing most of us have experienced in those formative years early on in our careers, it’s being told by those more experienced than us that there’s no place for passion and its associated emotions in business or work.

And yet, in light of the evolving nature of today’s workplace, we’re beginning to appreciate just how vital that sense of passion is to Click here to continue reading »”Bringing Your Passion Back To Work”

Regardless of whether the economy is going well or not, one thing that’s remained consistent in the workplace over the last few decades is the reality that each of us is responsible for managing our careers and with it, the opportunities we obtain for professional growth and development. But how exactly do we obtain these opportunities to get ahead in our career? That’s the focus of my conversation with executive coach and writer Joel Garfinkle in this episode of “Leadership Biz Cafe”.

Joel has been recognized as one of the Top 50 leadership coaches in the US, having worked with executives from many leading companies including Oracle, Google, Amazon, Ritz-Carlton, and Gap. He has also been featured in a number of respected media outlets such as ABC News, The New York Times, Forbes, and The Wall Street Journal.

Joel has written seven books including his latest “Getting Ahead: Three Steps to Take Your Career to the Next Level” in which he discusses the three key steps you should take to ensure you get those opportunities and promotions you need to move ahead in your career.

Over the course of our conversation, Joel and I discuss:

• How to get over our fear of increasing our visibility at work so we can ensure those in charge are aware of the value of our contributions.
• Why we need to speak up more and share our thoughts and ideas at meetings and the benefits we’ll gain from doing so.
• How we can find out how others perceive us and what we can do to ensure we’re creating the perceptions we need to get ahead.
• The importance and value of getting feedback to help you increase your visibility and influence in your organization.
• What it means to be influential and how it’s not dependent on what title/position you have.

As I mentioned at the end of the show, Click here to continue reading »”Leadership Biz Cafe Podcast #7 – Joel Garfinkle On How To Get Ahead In Your Career”

Whether you’re a fan of the NBA or not, it’s hard not to take notice of the story of Jeremy Lin, a basketball player who in two weeks went from being the back-up for the back-up players, to a celebrated point guard for the New York Knicks. In most business circles, Jeremy Lin’s story has served as a powerful reminder of the hidden talent that lies dormant in so many teams and organizations, waiting for that moment when they can finally bring their talents out into public view.

Unfortunately, the key point that’s not getting enough attention is the role leaders play in finding and developing such talent within their workforce. Specifically, how it’s up to an organization’s leadership to create an environment where such hidden talent can not only be discovered, but encouraged to thrive and bloom.

Consider, for example, the fact that Lin hadn’t received a basketball scholarship, he wasn’t drafted after he graduated from Harvard, and he was cut by two other NBA teams before he got the third-string position with the New York Knicks. In each of these cases, what we’re seeing is not simply an oversight in discovering Lin’s hidden talent. Rather, what’s at play is a failure in leadership to provide opportunities which would have allowed Lin to demonstrate his abilities.

Although the article “What Makes a Good Boss” is meant to highlight the traits and behaviours necessary to be an effective leader, the skills and attributes shared in this piece also serve to remind us of the role leaders play in discovering and nurturing hidden talents like Jeremy Lin within their organization. Here are two in particular which help to illustrate this point: Click here to continue reading »”The Role Leaders Play In Discovering Your Organization’s Hidden Talent”

If you had to save something from a neighbour’s house that was on fire, what would you retrieve to help them out – one of their prized possessions or a coat?

For most of us, the answer is obvious since we view this scenario in terms of what we’d like others to help us save when faced with the risk of losing our home to a fire. However, as revealed in a story shared by Mark Bezos, sometimes these assumptions can obscure our vision of what’s really needed by those we’re trying to help.

During the work week, Mark heads the Development and Communications department at the non-profit organization, Robin Hood, but in his off-hours, he also serves as the assistant captain for a volunteer fire company which provides support to the town’s fire department.

As Mark points out, when you’re a volunteer firefighter, you have to get to the fire scene as soon as you can if you’re to have any chance “to get in on any action” and he certainly managed to get himself an interesting piece of that at his first fire scene.

When Mark arrived at the scene of this particular fire, he found the fire chief talking with a woman standing under an umbrella wearing pyjamas and no shoes, someone he’d later find out was the owner of the burning house. Before he could reach the fire chief to offer his assistance, another volunteer firefighter approached the fire chief and was given the task of saving the woman’s dog. When Mark got to the fire chief and asked what he could do to help, the fire chief looked at Mark and told him he needed Mark to go into the house to get the homeowner a pair of shoes.

Mark and the other volunteer firefighter went into the burning house and searched for the items they were told to locate. As they exited from the house, the other volunteer firefighter understandably received all the attention as he handed the saved dog to the homeowner while Mark gave the woman the pair of shoes he ‘rescued’ from the flames.

A few weeks after the fire, the fire department received a letter from the homeowner in which she Click here to continue reading »”Do You Lead Your Organization To Meet Or Exceed Expectations?”