I love sharing stories of how DISC has helped people communicate better. Sometimes, we naturally adapt our communication to help the message land better, but DISC gives you a framework for how to do it consciously.

As you reflect on leadership, do you believe any of these to be true?

·         You are either born a leader, or not?

·         You are a leader or a follower?

·         There is a right way to be a leader?

One of the excuses I hear often from organizations is that they can’t afford to invest in leadership training, but I want to challenge that statement.

Are you a leader?

Do you know how you are doing? Do you ever ask for feedback?

Sometimes leaders feel like they are failing (and sometimes they are).

We hear a lot about the importance of values in a workplace, and there are many organizations who have declared their core values but are they actually part of the culture or are they just posters on the wall.

Have you ever walked out of a meeting and thought, “What a waste of time?”

I hear that often and when I dig in deeper, I have discovered that there are a ton of reasons why people think meetings suck.

We are in a leadership crisis.

I say this often (and I truly believe it). But why? How did we get here?

We have a somewhat compulsive relationship with email. I’m guilty of it for sure too.

Why does it matter if my team is strong? I have lots of high achieving people on my team.

Does this sound familiar? Ever heard anyone say that?

Have you ever been asked a question and you didn’t know the answer? Probably, most of us have experienced that situation. How we respond, though, varies.

Have you ever been on a great team? One where you had each others’ backs and you got each other. You may have rocked a project and probably had a great time doing it?

Do you remember a time when you smiled at someone, and they smiled back? When someone gave you a compliment? When someone paid for your coffee in a drive through lane?

When someone asks you to commit to a project, volunteer with a group or attend a meeting, is your default answer, “yes”? Or are you able to reflect and give a firm “no”? Or do you say yes, but wish you said no?

Are you someone who completes your work early and doesn’t stress about quickly approaching deadlines? Or do you find yourself sliding into home as the catcher swings his glove above you and just get it done in the nick of time?

Go Hard or Go Home!
It’s All or Nothing!
No Pain, No Gain!

I’m not sure when I first heard these phrases, but I somehow never thought to question them.

I love a good system.

Love might be overstating it, but upon further reflection, I really don’t think so.

What makes a great leader? That’s the million dollar question without a clear-cut, simple, do this and you’ll rock answer. Ask a group of people and you are likely to get a ton of different answers, but I do think there are a few core skills that great leaders have in common.

Are you a rockstar or a super star? Or do you know? What about for those on your team?

Fail better? I’d never heard that phrase before I first read about it in Michael Bungay Stanier’s book: The Coaching Habit. But as I read it, I put stars beside it and made a note to reflect on it, and it’s been swirling around my brain for the past few months.

Years ago, a student walked into my classroom. He was visibly upset and started rambling at me. I knew he was trying to tell me something, but I had no idea what exactly he was trying to get across.