Posts Tagged With ‘ Executive Coaching Institute ’

It’s an old saying you’ve likely heard before. For anyone who owns a business, this phrase is counsel that may be hard to do. For all the owners out there, all three counts in this simple mantra may be nearly impossible. Lead-Follow-Getoutofway First, to Lead On one hand that seems obvious. You own the business, who else would be leading it? Well, it might not be you. Leadership is much different from management. You might be managing the dickens out of your business, but still not really leading it. You might even be crazy busy, but not providing key leadership when it is needed. Entrepreneurs,... Continue Reading

As businesses across the globe begin to ponder their choices for reopening in a post-COVID-19 world, people will be faced with choices. While governmental restrictions dictate some of those choices, it appears all other choices will be left up to the owner/manager. Are you ready to take a chance? The choices will involve taking chances. How are you set for taking a chance? Here are just a few of the situations I am seeing among the businesses I serve.  Continue Reading

Diverse group of four business partners or entrepreneurs holding their thumbs up in approval or to like something in their office ” data-medium-file=”https://dougthorpe.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/65604777_m-650×434.webp” data-large-file=”https://dougthorpe.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/65604777_m-1024×683.webp” /> We’ve all heard various ideas about managing our lives. When you break it all down, things can get lumped into these three categories. And we’ve all heard the saying: “Live for today.” But what about yesterday and tomorrow? Life isn’t... Continue Reading

  In learning how to fly an airplane, one of the first lessons has to do with understanding winds. Winds come in basically three types; Head winds – those hit you right in the face Tail winds – those from behind Cross winds – those at angles from the side I believe the challenges we face in life and in business model these three types of wind as well. If we consider all the forms of challenge we face, we can boil it down into these three categories. However, it might be interesting to compare the pilot’s concern with each of these winds as we think about our daily responses to life’s... Continue Reading

What Exactly Is Presence? Presence is letting the most powerful version of yourself shine through. I like to cite the renowned leadership expert Sylvia Ann Hewlett, who defines “presence” as a combination of gravitas, communication, and appearance. Together, these elements form an impression of trustworthiness, competence, and authenticity. Gravitas is signaling that you have the confidence and credibility to get your point across and create buy-in. In a study of almost 300 senior executives, Hewlett found that 67 percent believe that gravitas is what matters most in leadership. Communication... Continue Reading

People talk about charismatic leaders having “big” personalities. Powerful leaders are often known as “Type A” personalities. We know about introverts and extroverts. But how does personality really impact your effectiveness as a manager or owner of a business? If we take away celebrity status from high paid CEOs and public figures, what else does personality have to do with how you run a business? For starters, I will argue LOTS! Anyone choosing to start a business or get promoted into management must face the challenge of influencing the people around them. Before you open your mouth... Continue Reading

Many years ago, a business coach and mentor I knew named Gerry Fusco introduced me to a phrase he invented. Return on invested time (ROIT). As business owners and leaders, we know about ROI, ROE, EBITDA, SDE, etc. But have you ever spent any waking hours measuring ROIT? We make plans, build budgets, measure KPIs, and do many other quantitative things to assess business performance yet we seldom ask about the time we spend and the return on THAT! However, time is the one thing that can be the most valuable commodity you manage. Or does time manage you? There are so many related questions to ask... Continue Reading

In the grand theatre of leadership, there’s a delicate dance playing out on the main stage: the display of expertise. On one hand, we have the confident captains, radiating knowledge like beacons, guiding their teams through uncharted waters. On the other, lurk the know-it-alls, tripping over their own pronouncements, leaving trails of deflated egos and resentful whispers in their wake. The key, then, lies not in shunning expertise, but in mastering a crucial art form: leading with humility. Humility in leadership isn’t about shrinking your brilliance or dimming your light. It’s about harnessing... Continue Reading

We, the captains of our professional and community ships, spend our days steering, navigating, and occasionally throwing out life preservers. We’re problem solvers, decision-makers, and cheerleaders, fueled by the noble ambition to make things better. But in the pursuit of progress, one crucial truth can get swallowed by the waves: you can’t fix what you won’t face. It’s tempting, isn’t it? To tiptoe around the storm clouds, hoping they’ll dissipate on their own. To smooth over cracks in the hull with a fresh coat of paint, ignoring the ominous groans from below. We fear the chaos,... Continue Reading

Let’s face it, folks. Leading a team isn’t about holding all the answers; it’s about knowing who does. And that, my friends, takes an intricate dance between two key players: trust and belief. They might sound like two sides of the same coin, but their roles in your leadership tango are distinctly different. Trust is the bedrock. It’s the unwavering confidence in someone’s reliability, honesty, and competence. It’s handing over a critical task without flinching, knowing they’ll deliver. Trust is earned, not granted. It takes time, proof, and a good dose of vulnerability. Remember... Continue Reading