How Will Leaders Handle These New Gender Issues?
OK. Here’s a new one that our parents never had to face when they were young. A basic tenet of modern athletics involves a separation of the sexes. Yet that principle has recently been challenged on the court and in the courtroom. Last November, Kye Allums, a transgender student on the women’s basketball team at George Washington University, publicly discussed his
Catalyst
Leadership is changing around the world, and so is leadership training. We cannot continue to do either the way we’ve done them before. While the essence of good leadership is timeless—methods and styles are radically shifting. Old school is out. That’s one reason why I participate in the Catalyst conference every October. Catalyst is an event like no other—and is targeted
Four Ways to Handle a Toxic Leader
I recently spoke to some very close friends, each of whom had a negative experience with their supervisor. When I say negative, I am being kind. These leaders were toxic—they were critical, rude, selfish, accusatory, looking for what’s wrong and preoccupied with their own needs. They’re mute when it comes to encouragement, deaf when it comes to hearing the cries
The Stuff I Experienced Last Week
I just spent three days with some great people. Our organization, Growing Leaders, hosted our 2011 National Leadership Forum in Atlanta. Then, on Saturday, we held a Habitudes certification event, to license 51 Habitudes facilitators. I met leaders from great schools like Wake Forest, Clemson, Virginia Tech, Alabama, Jacksonville State, Kennesaw State, Baylor, Liberty, Texas and so many more. Three key
5 More Four-Letter Words to Generation Y
Yesterday, I blogged about four-letter words. You know what a four-letter word is. It’s a bad word. It’s a word that mom taught you to never use. It was often a swear word (translate that cuss word). It was evil. Well, I am sharing Part Two of a list today that Generation Y (the Millennials) would say are four-letter words to
5 Four-Letter Words to Generation Y
You know what a four-letter word is. It’s a bad word. It’s a word that mom taught you to never use. It was often a swear word (translate that cuss word). It was evil. Well, I have a list today that Generation Y (the Millennials) would say are four-letter words to them. Bad words. Ideas they hate and avoid. My son,
Creating Programs for the Lady Gaga Generation
I was inspired by an article in Fast Company magazine a few weeks ago. Sarah Nagle, of Smart Design, made some suggestions for those who are designing products for the “Lady Gaga” generation. I have tweaked those thoughts and added some of my own to provide a short list for you who build programs for students. In case you’d like
New Research on Social Networking—What It’s Doing to Us (Part 2)
Last week, the findings Pew Research Center made on SNS (Social Networking Sites) was released. They are a mixed bag, but there is some good news about these sites. The findings on Facebook alone are interesting and I thought you’d enjoy them: 1. The number of people using social networking sites has nearly doubled since 2008 and the population of SNS
New Research on Social Networking and What It’s Doing to Us
For years, I’ve been in dialogue with teachers, coaches and parents who wondered if social networking sites are good or bad for students. Questions have been raised about the social impact of widespread use of social networking sites (SNS) like Facebook, LinkedIn, MySpace, and Twitter. Do these technologies isolate people and truncate their relationships? Or are there benefits associated with being
An Amazing Generation iY Student
In a post earlier this week, I introduced you to Olya, a Ukrainian girl from who was adopted by a family here in the U.S. Today, my new friend, Brett Millican will share her complete story—one that will inspire you whether you’re a student or adult. Olya was born in the mid 90's to a very affluent Ukrainian family. Her birth
The Fruit of a Great Balancing Act
Whenever you see a student who is struggling with their attitudes or behavior, you can almost bank on the fact that they’ve experienced imbalanced leadership, from their parents or teachers, or coaches, pastors or employers. When there’s trouble, most likely they have received too little or too much. Examine these factors: 1. Abandonment – Caring adults have been absent, either physically
One Idea to Deepen Your Influence
My blogs are generally about leading the next generation well. I include research on Generation iY, stories, and ideas, and I try to share a timeless leadership principle on a regular basis. I’d like to share a valuable leadership principle today. I spoke to a young staff member at a school who desperately wanted to be taken seriously by his team.
Where Does Their Identity Come From?
One of the great challenges kids face by the time they reach middle school and high school is the source of their identity. Where’s it come from? If they don’t clarify this issue by the time they are 18, they’ll bring it with them to college or the workplace. Science has made some incredible advances since 2000 on how the adolescent
What Do You See in a Faltering Student?
On Saturday, I spent the day with some great people in the capital of Texas who are launching an initiative called, “Elevate Austin.” It was a small community of fifty-five youth workers, volunteers and youth pastors who gathered to discuss the needs of the students in the area. They recognize, for instance, that if a child is not reading by
What Are We Doing to Students?
You may have noticed—there’s a bit more self-assertiveness today in graduates, and among students in general. It’s not just you—the statistics across the nation bear this out. And we, as a nation of adults, have done this to them. Let me illustrate how. 1. Easy Credit. The number of students who report making an “A” average has doubled between 1975 and
Lessons on Leadership From a Janitor
This blog is a guest post from Colonel James Moschgat, 12th Operations Group Commander, graduate USAFA class of 1977. It’s longer than my normal blogs but well worth the read. William "Bill" Crawford certainly was an unimpressive figure, one you could easily overlook during a hectic day at the U.S. Air Force Academy. Mr. Crawford, as most of us referred to him
Video Interview With Jeremie Kubicek
Today's post is a video blog. A few weeks ago at Chick-fil-A Leadercast, I had the chance to sit down with Jeremie Kubiceck, President and CEO of GiANT Impact, and talk about his new book, "Leadership is Dead: How Influence is Reviving It." This is a great book to add to your library. Jeremie is a long-time friend and his
Seven Changes in Our World and What We Must Do About Them
You and I have both said it before: “Our world sure is changing fast.” Although it sounds cliché, it doesn’t mean it’s untrue. Societal and cultural change is happening faster than people can adjust to it. I believe people have basic needs, regardless of what generation they are from. I also believe, however, that we must find healthy ways to meet
Top Ten Signs You Won’t Graduate This Year
OK. I admit I have a warped sense of humor and every now and then, I decide to post a blog that has no value outside of a snicker or smile. This one is such a blog. Inspired by David Letterman, who for over 20 years has shared his “Top Ten Lists” on his Late Night show, I want to
Lessons Learned in Italy: Competition and Cooperation
While touring the Vatican last week in Rome, I was reminded of an important lesson. (I was on a family vacation all week and blogging about what I learned this week). I was struck again by the fact that three of the greatest artists in history—were contemporaries of each other: Leonardo Da Vinci, Michelangelo and Rafael. Can you imagine living at
Lessons Learned in Italy: Valuing the Past and the Future
Last week, my family spent time in Italy. It was an amazing vacation. This week, I am blogging about lessons I learned while we were there. The City of Rome was a favorite for us. As you know, it is a combination of old and new. We immediately saw people on cell phones, computers and other portable devices. The transportation
Lessons Learned in Italy: Putting Guardrails in Place
This week, I am blogging about the life lessons I learned while in Italy last week. While spending time in Florence, I was reminded of a valuable truth. During a site seeing tour, I learned that the Palazzo Vecchio, was the political center of Florence, centuries ago. Looking at the building, I was puzzled. It didn’t look like a government center