Refresh Leadership | Fresh Ideas for Today's Business Leaders

We Had a Great Time at The 2012 Refresh Leadership Live Simulcast!

May 16th, 2012

The Refresh Leadership Live simulcast was broadcast live from Tyler, Texas today to more than 170 locations and 7,000 attendees across North America. And we had a great time!

We heard from best-selling author Patrick Lencioni on the temptations of a leader. Troy Aikman and Emmitt Smith answered questions about leadership on and off the field and Dr. Bertice Berry made us laugh as she shared her experiences and thoughts on finding purpose.

Didn’t get to attend this year? Get some of the leadership lessons we heard today in just a few seconds from some of the tweets from the day’s event.

Thanks to everyone who attended, to our speakers, and to those who helped make the event such a success! Until next time, get more leadership tips and ideas right here on www.Refreshleadership.com.

Is it Time for a Time Out?

May 11th, 2012

Last night, while driving home from work, I heard a story from an American Public Radio Station on the disappearance of silence. The guest speaker, acoustic ecologist Gordon Hempton, has traveled the globe for the past 30 years listening for the earth’s rarest nature sounds and he believes that silence is becoming an endangered species. As Hempton and the show’s host talked about the last great quiet places in the world, I realized I was craving – and in desperate need – of my own quiet place.

I can’t remember the last time I was able to sit and be still. When I’m not in meetings, checking off my daily to-do list, answering phone calls and emails, or dealing with office politics, my mind is going a million miles a minute thinking about the next project – or the next ten projects. It’s all so loud!

What about you? When’s the last time you stopped to just be still. When’s the last time your environment slowed down? Every day you put out fires at work. You deal with HR issues, Read More→

The Results Are In: How Are You Keeping Your Gen. Y Employees Engaged?

May 9th, 2012

In our April poll question, we asked what you are doing to keep your Gen. Y (aka Millennial) employees engaged. And the results were fairly positive in that most businesses are, to some degree, doing something.

The top Gen. Y retention method, according to the poll, is “providing new learning opportunities to expand their skills,” which is consistent with most current research available on the differences in the various generations in the workforce. Education is a top Gen. Y priority. In fact, according to a Pew Research Center report, 1 in 5 are college graduates and an additional 26% are currently in school and plan to graduate in the next few years. That drive for education and opportunities to increase skills and knowledge persists, so companies who invest in learning programs will be better positioned to keep their Millennial workers. Read More→

The Magic of Reading

May 3rd, 2012

The opportunity to read and the ready access to books is a tremendous gift. There was a time in my life when you would have been hard pressed to convince me of this, but the fact remains that books are a vital source of knowledge, information, and inspiration.

As you read these words on the page of a newspaper, magazine, or the screen of your computer, I am embarrassed to say that there was a time in my life when I couldn’t have stated emphatically that I had ever read an entire book, cover to cover. Ironically, I did not discover the gift of reading until after losing my sight. Now, as a blind person—thanks to high speed digitally-recorded books—I am able to read an entire book virtually every day. Exposure to these literally thousands of books has given me knowledge, wisdom, perspective, and virtually everything I have ever wanted in my life. Read More→

Why Having Vision Matters

May 1st, 2012

The business world is constantly changing, and as leaders, we have to change with it. But changing in this fast-paced environment is about more than just generating ideas and being innovative, it’s about having the vision to help drive those ideas. It’s about having discernment and foresight. It’s about knowing where you’re going.

As leaders, vision is a necessity, but it’s also important to communicate that vision to your employees. Sociologist and author, Dr. Bertice Berry, has been quoted as saying, “Without vision, people perish.” To have engaged, productive, and successful employees, your team has to know where you’re going together. It’s important that they understand and get behind that vision and know how their job impacts it. Read More→

5 Things to do this Month: May 2012

May 1st, 2012

Break out the Maypole and stop to smell the flowers brought about by April’s showers. Here are five things to do during the month of May.

Mother’s Day
While the roots of Mother’s Day can be traced back to a variety of ancient Greek and Roman festivals, today we celebrate moms and motherhood on the second Sunday in May. In addition to calling your own mom, don’t forget to take a little time to recognize all the hardworking moms among your workforce.

Cinco de Mayo
Cinco de Mayo celebrates Mexico’s 1862 victory over France at the Battle of Puebla during the Franco-Mexican War. The meaning behind the holiday has transformed outside of Mexico into a celebration of Mexican culture and heritage, and it’s a great opportunity to set aside some time to treat your staff to a much needed fiesta! Read More→

What are the most difficult attributes to assess during an interview?

April 30th, 2012

On average, 60-70% of a company’s expenses can be labor related. That’s a hefty chunk. And with turnover costs ranging anywhere between 50-150% of an employee’s first year’s salary, it’s in a business’ best interest to develop strong hiring practices. Have you ever hired a new employee who seemed to be the perfect fit during the interview process only to realize they were less than ideal after starting work? It happens all the time in businesses across all industries. A well trained hiring manager is vital to separating top job candidates from the ones who will only end up bringing productivity down. Unfortunately, it’s a step that too many companies never consider.

So, in this month’s poll question, we want to know what are the most difficult attributes to assess during an interview?

True and Accurate

April 24th, 2012

One of my favorite movies, Absence of Malice, explores the contrast between things that are true and things that are accurate.

Recently, The New York Times reported that in one year, it made approximately 3,500 errors in the print edition of its daily newspaper. It went on to report that, nationally, 60% of all newspaper articles contain at least one error or inaccuracy, but only 2% of these mistakes are ever corrected in the form of a printed retraction.

In the film Absence of Malice, Paul Newman plays a character falsely accused by a major metropolitan newspaper. He confronts the reporter by saying, “You don’t print the truth. You just print accurately what some guy said.” The words of Mr. Newman’s character ring true today. Read More→

Legendary Leadership

April 20th, 2012

The National Football League (NFL) has had its fair share of leaders both on the field and off, who’ve helped make football one of America’s most loved sports today. Take a trip to the Pro Football Hall of Fame and it would be hard to leave uninspired by the history and tales of the hard-fought victories that line the walls.

What it takes to be a great leader in today’s business world is a lot like what it takes to be a football legend. It takes blood, sweat, and tears. It takes determination, strategy, and teamwork. Read More→

Is It Time to Refresh Your Brand?

April 18th, 2012

Rebranding your business can be an intensive process that can literally redefine a company from the ground up. And for many businesses, it’s necessary to stay competitive. However, it is possible to take a small-scale approach by simply refreshing your brand. Think of it as remodeling your home. It’s still the same house that keeps you safe and warm; you’re just replacing the orange shag carpeting with hardwood floors and the pea green Formica countertops with granite.

And just like completely rebranding a business – or remodeling a house – refreshing your brand requires a great deal of strategy and planning in order to be successful. Here are a few points to consider to help guide your refresh efforts. Read More→