Your Leadership Story

Have you ever talked with someone in a networking event or social gathering and felt that person look past you, clearly paying attention to someone other than you? How did that make you feel? We have all had that experience and do not like it. Yet, without constant care, we can treat others the same, negative … Continue reading "How Leaders Honor One Person In A Crowded Room – A Bookmark Edition of Your Leadership Story Podcast"

You may not know Joe DePinto but you know the iconic company he leads. 7-Eleven is the world’s largest operator, franchisor, and licensor of convenience stores with more than 50,000 outlets (actually 53,000 but who’s counting). The company operates in 16 countries. Joe DePinto has been leading 7-Eleven since December 2005 after working previously in the company … Continue reading "33 – Global Service X 50,000: Joe DePinto, CEO of 7-Eleven"

One of the most frequent questions we hear in our consulting with the Riverstone Group is this, “I have a new opportunity. What do you think I should do?” In addition, we get a variation on the question: “I think I need to do something different, what do you think I should do?” It’s confusing, … Continue reading "How to Evaluate New Opportunities – A Bookmark Edition of Your Leadership Story Podcast"

Most companies have mission and values statements. The problem is that those statements do little to differentiate those companies from their competitors. That is not the case, however, with The Human Capital Group in Nashville, TN. Steve Hayes, the Founder and Senior Partner, has developed a top-40 retained executive search firm which he launched in … Continue reading "32 – Differentiating with Mission and Values: Steve Hayes, Senior Partner, The Human Capital Group"

Imagine the moment when things begin to go badly. Tempers rise. Team members blame each other. Words fly. Confusion multiplies at the moment everyone needs clarity. That’s the moment when leadership matters most. Someone must step up and step in and say, “Listen. Here’s what we’re going to do.” Sounds easy, right? But only if … Continue reading "Calling the Play in the Midst of Chaos – A Bookmark Edition of Your Leadership Story"

You cannot know your level of leadership fitness until you go through a leadership stress-test. How would you respond if the volume of your work increased? For example, imagine 800 new email messages filling your inbox every day. How would you respond if your leadership context changed radically? How about moving from the military, to … Continue reading "31 – Stress-Testing Leadership – Will Grannis, Vice President and CTO of L-3 National Security Solutions"

Leaders communicate all the time. That’s why people “read” leaders all the time hoping to understand what’s going on with the one they follow. Unfortunately, leaders often confuse others by what they do not say — sending confusing signals through body language they never intend to send. In this Bookmark Edition interview, David Atchison and … Continue reading "How Leaders Confuse Others With What They Don’t Say: A Bookmark Edition of Your Leadership Story"

If you ask Jeff Goins what he does, he will say, “I am a writer.” And he is. As the author of three books and a slew of blog posts on his own site and on other top sites all around the web, Jeff Goins carries the descriptor “writer” comfortably . . . although it hasn’t … Continue reading "030 – Jeff Goins on Leadership and Writing: Your Leadership Story"

Do you discipline yourself to make time for unexpected opportunities? Most of us don’t. Instead, we pack our “to-do” lists so full that we automatically classify the unexpected as intrusions. In this episode, David Atchison shares a lesson he learned from one highly successful leader who planned for unexpected opportunities. How to balance planning and … Continue reading "The Discipline of Expecting Unexpected Opportunities: A Bookmark Edition of Your Leadership Story"

Optimize – to make the best or most effective use of a situation, an opportunity, or a resource. Sounds great, right? Who wouldn’t want to optimize his or her business or life? The question, though, is how? That’s where Jonathan Smith shines. Along the way, he even picked up a nickname — the Chief Optimizer! … Continue reading "029 – The Secret to Optimizing Your Business and Life: Jonathan Smith, CEO of ChiefOptimizer"