The Thin Red Line. Fight Club. American Psyco. These are films that solidified Jared Leto‘s success as an Oscar-winning actor. Then, as his star was rising, he basically stopped making movies. “I think it was about focus. I knew that I needed to commit everything to music at that point in my life,” said Leto. Fast Company interviewed Jared Leto and …
Insanity, Indulgences and Reflection; Tips To Assess Talent Acquisition
The most dichotomous month of all the great months is December. The Yin vs. Yang of the human experience comes out in great force. The Yin December is the month of insanity: including cramming 8 weeks of year-end work in one month and making sure all your friends get a swell photo card of your kids posing with a Christmas …
Feeling Like A Pretender? (The New Leader)
If you get things that you desire, there may be unforeseen and unpleasant consequences. Another way to say that, “Be careful what you wish for,” but Google reminded me that’s also the name of a cheesy Nick Jonas flick (redundant, I know.) Whatevs, the spirit of the comment is the same – anyone striving for advancement in their professional life is …
How to be a Successful Rapper…I mean Leader!
I found this piece of content on Fast Company titled, “The Kanye Curriculum: 7 Ways to be successful” by Kanye West in his own words. The piece is actually a powerpoint type presentation that is pure Kanye, and mostly quotes and snippets about leadership, which I thought was great in a very common-sense sort of way. The 7 Leadership tips, …
Lessons On Leadership from My Bad Boss(es)
Need a conversation prompt? Just say, “I hate my boss.” Add a swear for emphasis, some name-calling if that makes you feel better. That phrase usually starts an echo around a table or at a bar. A lot of “me too” and “oh, you should meet mine.” Then everyone starts to recite all of the oh-so-obvious ways that their managers …
Management Fads Come and Go, But Here’s an Oldie You Should Get on Board With
Management fads come and go, but one thing never changes — the fact that that most management fads don’t seem to last. That’s why I was surprised when I saw this recent Wall Street Journal article touting “agile management” as the hot, new management trend. My doubt was fueled by the third paragraph of the Journal story that openly admitted …
Great Leaders Embrace Traits of An Adventurer
I’m in Iceland as I am writing this, so naturally, adventure is on my mind. Anyone who has visited Iceland will tell you it’s unlike any trip they’ve ever taken. One day you are in the middle of a lush, green field leading to a massive waterfall, the next day traveling between snow-capped mountains, while the next day you’re making …
Punish an Employee For a CEO’s Bad Behavior? Yes.
Or no? I waited for Uber for so long. Despite being the largest city in Alabama, it took a while to get to Birmingham. However, as a frequent traveler, I’d gotten used to the convenience of Uber in a big, big way. So, when Uber finally arrived in Birmingham early 2016 I did a triple-lindy. Then 2017 happened. Despite what …
Why I Am No Longer Saying “Culture”
About 15 years ago, I was sitting at an office dinner party, and the company president was giving an emotional speech about the importance of company culture. The speech was inspiring, revolutionary, and confusing. Confusing because I was unsure what he meant by culture. Did he mean the behaviors he would like to see in the organization? The camaraderie and …
Your Organization’s Commitment To LGBT Pride Month Beyond Just The Rainbow
Growing up, my parents shared many stories of the struggle, perseverance, and the marginalization of black people. My father frequently closed with, “There’s no shame in being black, it just ain’t easy at times.” He wasn’t kidding! I grew up in a society located smack dab in the middle of the land of the free, and home of the brave …