Why we must develop ourselves before we can elevate our team
A key aspect of leadership is elevating people. I firmly believe that the mark of an exceptional leader is when the people around the leader do better. Think of it this way: are people better tomorrow because they are engaged with you today? Achieving this important goal of leadership means ... Read More
Ease change by painting a picture of a better tomorrow
In our quest to solve problems and deliver value, the solutions often require people to change. The frustration of resistance gets mistaken for a lack of support or failure to understand instead of the more natural fear of change. Change is hard, even for the folks who profess thriving on ... Read More
Deliver value faster by asking what they know… that you don’t (yet)
We need to solve the right problems to deliver value faster and connect security with the business. Sometimes that means asking other people to share what they know with you. We often get a lot of pressure to figure out a solution before fully understanding the problem. With our understanding, ... Read More
Why I love asking “What if I’m wrong?”
It’s no secret that I love questions. I’ve found it’s more powerful to ask the right question than to offer the right answer. ‘What problem are we trying to solve?’ is among my favorite questions because it is simple to ask, but not always easy to answer. It leads to ... Read More
The surprising reason you need to record yourself rehearsing before your next presentation
Guy Kawasaki once remarked that to sound casual and off-the-cuff when presenting takes at least 99 hours of practice. How long was your last rehearsal before a presentation? Often overlooked, it is important to rehearse before you present your ideas to other people. This is where you check timing, flow, ... Read More
Security needs more sizzle, less steakhouse
“More sizzle, less steakhouse” is how Chris, a security leader, explained the change in buying and selling in the last two years. It’s a nod to the idea of focusing on the benefits and value of the solution over the expensive meals commonly associated with sales. I know a lot ... Read More
Why we always restate the problem
What problem are we trying to solve? This is one of my favorite questions, and for good reason. It’s useful when working to pinpoint focus. This simple question is equally useful for bringing people back to focus — especially when we need to solve the right problem to deliver value ... Read More
How you get disconnected from your value (and your story)
Good judgement comes from experience, and experience often comes as the result of poor judgement. Our experience makes up our story, the record of our value. Our story captures the characters, conflicts, and resolutions on our journey. With each new chapter in our story, we grow by solving problems and ... Read More
Do you see the progress you made this week?
I checked in on a friend recently to see how he was doing. After listing off an impressive amount of achievements, he concluded his week was “All small stuff with no 100% wins.” That blew me away, because he couldn’t see all the progress and growth obvious to me. To ... Read More
How to use percolation and incubation to solve problems
Do you allow enough time for percolation and incubation when solving problems? Most people don’t spend time on either – and that gets us into hot water. Speaking of hot water, coffee percolators mesmerized me in my youth. I remember the shiny pot sitting on the countertop, gurgling hot brown ... Read More
