It’s critical that leaders are constantly creating positive experiences in order to establish and maintain a positive environment. If as the leader, you’re not doing this, how can you expect others to step up to the challenge of leading with positivity amidst a societal culture that feeds off of negativity? One practice that every leader must master if they truly want those they lead to thrive is <more>

Arguably the most important part of a building is the foundation. If the foundation is of poor quality, it doesn’t matter how elegant the penthouse looks. And it’s easy to forget about the foundation because after the building is built, you see very little of it.

There’s a parallel foundation in leading a thriving life <more>

The secret to leading a thriving life has little to do with how you handle things when everything is smooth sailing. Anyone can thrive when life is going their way.

What separates people who merely survive from people who truly thrive is <more>

Most people know that money doesn’t buy happiness. However depending on how you spend your money, it actually can lead to greater happiness and fulfillment.

The Wrong Way

The least likely way to find happiness by spending money is to <more>

Recognition and appreciation are critical. But if you overlook one fundamental component, it does not work.

Thinking back to MBA days and the introductory course on Organizational Behaviour, I remember that we were taught that we must <more>

Up until a few weeks ago I thought I owned and operated a training and development company. As I described last time in the story about why I do this work, I realized this description of my company was way too narrow. It was like calling a Tesla a car <more>

Why gratitude?

This has been a question I’ve asked myself many times over the past 12 years because I’ve always known it would be easier to have a business that focused on helping people succeed at sales, time management, or having stronger marriages. At least it would have been easier <more>

Leadership is about influencing people towards positive action.

Throughout my career I’ve noticed that, at the extremes, there are two possible outcomes to leadership behaviour, which you can characterize as either positive or negative. I’ve since discovered that <more>

Ask a dentist and they’ll tell you the best predictor of good oral health is brushing your teeth. That’s why parents train their children to make teeth brushing a habit, including all the tips and tricks to make it as easy as possible so that the habit will stick.

Think back to when you last brushed your teeth. Where was your toothbrush? Was it <more>

Everyone has a dominant mindset. When I say mindset, I’m referring to how you interpret the world around you which ultimately manifests in how you show up in the world. So, as a leader, having the right mindset is critical to your success and to your overall well-being as a human being.

I’ve identified four mindsets that span the spectrum from surviving to thriving. Here’s a brief description of each <more>

As I write this, you are probably enjoying the last week or two of summer… at least if you’re in the northern hemisphere. Whether you were creating memories with your family, being awed by the beauty of nature, or relaxing on a patio, we all need time to rejuvenate.

September is here, so now it’s time to make the most of that rejuvenation and translate it into how you want to contribute to and serve the world.

While it is so easy to get dragged into wishing for more time off or mourn that <more>

I haven’t met anyone who doesn’t want to thrive, yet so many people feel stuck in survival mode dealing with an endless cycle of not having enough. While there are many reasons for this, some individual, some complex, and some understood, I believe the biggest reason is the lack of awareness of the unrelenting force that is constantly trying to revert you to survival mode. In fact, it’s the prehistoric evolutionary state of survival and the force is as unrelenting as gravity.

Our brains have evolved significantly over the course of human history however, <more>

We live in a world where far too many people find themselves far too often caught in the endless struggle of survival and never having enough. I was no different, and I often found myself in a similar place, frustrated that I didn’t have enough and wanting more. The most visceral example for me is how I dealt with various stages of life. When I was in high school, all I wanted was to graduate so I could be in university. When I was in university, I envied <more>

How is gratitude different than the typical tools (i.e. powerful emotions) used to motivate staff, volunteers, family, friends or colleagues? Quite significantly <more>

We've known for a while that women are more grateful than men, but I was somewhat surprised last week while I was reading through gratitudes posted on The Daily Gratitudes. I wasn't sure if I was just perceiving something or <more>

We're back after a summer video blog break.

Why do some see the world as a glass half empty while others see it half full? It comes down to <more>

I was driving across town and saw something I had never seen before. It was a sign that grabbed my attention. As I thought about what the sign was saying, it made me realize how guarded <more>

A recent research paper tweaked an extremely important distinction between gratitude and indebtedness that is absolutely critical in terms of building positive, productive relationships and workplace <more>

This is more than another etymology lesson. Words have power and if you think of the hold the economy has on you and your company, you might be surprised and <more>

I was downtown for an important client meeting last week and something happened that triggered this video. It may upset you (especially if you live in Halifax) but if <more>