Experts Blogs

Discernment means a time to reflect or stop in order to distinguish between differences or perceptions. There are numerous discernment definitions on the Web. Discernment in Wikipedia means "to describe the process of discerning God's will for one's life." As a practicing contemplative, for me it means being able to respond to my highest courageous will (as Spirit intended). Coming from one's courageous will is easier said than done. Regardless of your discernment definition a concrete exercise can come in handy to reveal your courage. One of the exercises I learned in a Nine Month Contemplative course I took in...

If you're looking for a new job or want to transition to something new, here are eight great ways to make contacts and meet new people:

1. First and most important, decide exactly what you want to do.
Many people network with the wrong people because they have not figured out what they want to do.

I'm a newsman.Like all news people, I have a beat -- a territory I cover. Mine is the mega-successful. I've investigated and reported on those who have reached 'the top of the top' in the fields of politics, business, and culture. People like Warren Buffet, Martha Stewart and Bill Bradley. Everybody knows these people's accomplishments. There's no news there. What I do is observe them at length and interview them about how they think and make choices, so I can decipher how their minds and hearts work. From doing hundreds of interviews, I've found many of these newsmakers to be ruthless...

Precious is a tough movie to watch.  It is the story of a 350-pound illiterate teenage girl.  She is pregnant for the second time.  But as she says at one point in the film, "I never even had a boyfriend."  Her father abused her sexually and is the father of her children.  She is verbally and physically abused by her mother.  Nobody likes Precious.  She is obese and has little or no self confidence.  But a couple of people give her hope. When the school Principal learns that Precious is pregnant, she helps her get into a special school.  There,...

"What we are is God's gift to us. What we become is our gift to God." Eleanor Powell Eleanor Powell was a well known dancer and actress who appeared in many musicals in the 1930s and 1940s.  She was a good dancer, but an amazing tap dancer.  In her day, she was known as "the world's greatest tap dancer." I love her quote; it gets at the heart of self confidence and commitment to taking personal responsibility for your life and career success.  God (or the universe, if you are so inclined) gives each of us certain talents and abilities.  It is...

Over the last few months, I have given myself a self-diagnosis of A.D.D.  While I'm not sure that I meet the criteria to make me a hardcore case of Attention Deficit Disorder, I certainly have been struggling with "Attention Distraction Disorder." And the more I've shared my problem with other people -- whether friends, clients or colleagues -- the more I've realized just how prevalent this problem is. So if you are also struggling with keeping focus in a world brimming with distractions, read on...before your phone rings and your attention is pulled elsewhere.  Between our BlackBerries (dubbed "CrackBerries" for...

Thank you for being patient with me as I finished my book Success under Stress, I've missed you! In the last few weeks, I gave a number of trainings at companies like Procter and Gamble, Pfizer, and GE so I had a chance to talk to a lot of business professionals like you.  One of the themes I heard was the importance of turning obstacles into opportunity.  According to Accenture (2010), 71% of senior executives say it is the trait they are looking for in making retention and promotion choices. Business owners who can do this well keep their business afloat...

This month I had the incredible opportunity to speak in Dubai to an audience of over 450 people for the 9th HR Conference put on by Etisalat Academy, the largest single-source provider of training and development solutions in the Middle East. The attendees included hundreds of forward thinking HR Executives, who wanted to learn more about how HR can take the lead in supporting the C-suite in creating alignment and transformation in their businesses. In addition, in the audience was almost 100 Senior Executives, who were eager to step up and partner with HR. In the front row, there were...

Courageous leaders recognize defining moments and apply courage at work. This conscious action is vital to their success. By developing the following behaviors in yourself, you?ll be better able to call upon your courage when needed. 1. Constantly affirm your strength and determinationRealize that no one expects you to be perfect. They do, however, expect you to do your best. Take time for daily reflection so you can evaluate your resources and how you can best use them. When you know how your strengths can benefit your organization, you'll be able to do what you believe is right and see...

Most of any leader's annoying habits and interpersonal flaws are rooted in information compulsion. Sharing and withholding are two sides of the same tarnished coin. For example, when you insist on adding more value, passing judgment, making destructive comments, announcing that you already know, or explaining why something won't work, you are compulsively sharing information-- convinced that you are making people smarter or inspiring them to do better, when you are more likely having the opposite effect. When you fail to give recognition, or claim credit you don't deserve, or refuse to apologize, or don't express your gratitude, you are...