Right now, if I were to ask you to think of an inspirational leader, what comes to mind? Many people tend to say things like charisma, boldness, driven, high-achiever, or gifted communicator. However, a pattern I see when talking to people about this topic is that the answers mostly center around innate gifts. You either have them or you don't.

Leaders have so many demands placed upon them that it can be hard to find time for their own development. That is why I like to occasionally post recommendations for various resources that leaders can work through on their own schedule. Today I want to focus on some great TED Talks for anyone looking to become a more effective leader.

I like to joke around and say that the most productive people tend to also be the laziest. In reality, we know that is not the case, but there is a hint of truth in it. Paradoxically, I have observed that many hyper-productive people do not work the most hours and often maintain a relaxed pace throughout the day.

If I could only use one word to describe my journey into understanding AI tools, it would be this:

Overwhelmed!

It seems like every day there is a new AI app popping up, or a new update for an existing one. To top it off, most of us are being bombarded with messaging telling us we either keep up, or risk falling behind.

"His palms are sweaty, knees weak, arms are heavy. There's vomit on his sweater already, mom's spaghetti." Let's face it: when it comes to public speaking, most of us feel like the opening of this famous Eminem song.

As a leadership coach, a big part of my job is helping leaders perform at their best. However, while leadership is often top of mind for many organizations, it can also be a very vague and ambiguous term. What exactly do we mean when we say “leadership?”

A couple of years ago I was coaching an up-and-coming leader in his company’s marketing department. He was hungry to grow but also carried a bit of a chip on his shoulder. Like any other session, we sat down and engaged in some small talk before I asked him what was on his mind.

As an avid sports fan, I often find myself seeing the world in sports-related metaphors. This is especially true in business, and for good reason. Throughout history, those 2 worlds have always been closely connected.

Growing up, I was never much of a reader. I feel that is probably the case with many restless young boys. It was just hard for books to compete with the level of stimulation that sports or video games could provide…

It was our first tournament of the season, and a crucial game for us. If we won, we would advance to the semi-finals. If not…

I keep hearing it from so many people. “I am swamped!” “I have way too much to do.” “I need to learn to delegate more…

So I will start off this article with a little pop quiz for you:

Elon Musk, Michael Jordan, Marissa Mayer, Eleanor Roosevelt, Richard Branson…