Recovering Leader

Leadership's "Problem-tunities"

Go ahead and laugh, as we all know many organizations recode the word “problem” into “challenge” and "opportunity." Yet when a leader can respond to a loss or setback with an open mind and ability to derive its key lessons, strife becomes the breakfast of champions. Of course I encourage you to learn as much as possible from self-reflection and... Read more →

When it’s My Fault and Never Good Enough

Those who take on the weight of the world, yet who constantly find their own efforts lacking, are more prevalent than one might think. One such executive told me, “It’s like I’ve got a ton of bricks on my shoulders,” and the weight keeps being added as issues and needs arise around them ... "I get totally exhausted." It’s a... Read more →

If Only They Knew, They’d See I’m a Fraud

It’s a common belief among high achievers that they are not as smart, talented, or capable as people think they are--something they see themselves as managing to hide from others. It’s been identified in popular psychology as the “Imposter Syndrome.” When I was newly-promoted to Senior Vice President at Charles Schwab, Dan Limon, then our EVP of Corporate Strategy, gave... Read more →

EQ Leadership Watch: Stand in the River of Your Feelings

So often I get asked by clients (and friends/family for that matter) about those darker moments, when pain, sadness, fear, or anger well up -- what to do with it? Certainly we're not acculturated to feel our feelings, particularly in the professional setting, notwithstanding the work of Goleman on Emotional Intelligence. So what to do with the pain? Denial, avoidance,... Read more →