My wife and I have been on vacation the past two weeks, hiking in Alaska.    
     Even when on vacation, I don't forget my mission in life--I exist to help leaders inspire and engage future leaders in their organization.  Here's an article inspired by our hikes to and on glaciers:  "Leadership Development is Like a Glacier."  Enjoy!
     Dennis
 
 
     If you were starting from scratch, what criteria would you include in defining genuine excellence in an organization?  
     And where in the world would you go to find the best criteria for determining excellence in organizations?  According to 80 nations on earth, the United States of America is the answer!
     Take a look at this week's article entitled, "Other Nations Adopting America's Criteria for Excellence."  You might be surprised at what you already know--or at what you don't know!
     Dennis
 
 
     If you have comments on the topic of “confidence,” I’d love to hear them.
     My article this week, “Confidence—Influencing with Assurance,” provides some thought-provoking perspectives.  What are your thoughts?
     Dennis
 
 
     I'm in the process of exploring the relationships among awareness, competence, and confidence.  I'm loving learning, and I'm learning each step of the way!
     This week's article explains that “Building Competence Requires Intentional Effort.”
     If you have thoughts on how confidence supports and enhances awareness and competence, I'd sure appreciate you sending me a note with your insights!
     Dennis
 
 

     I've not read anything in the "leadership" literature about the confluence of awareness, confidence, and competence.  Yet I am becoming more certain with every conversation I'm having that we're onto something here!
     If you're familiar with some research in this area or documentation in a book or magazine, please share your knowledge with me!  Otherwise, enjoy me sharing my thoughts with you in “Can Increasing Awareness Make You More Effective?”

     Dennis

 
 
     It's very possible that I'll follow this article with additional focus on each of these three characteristics.  So, I'm making this request.  If you have a comment you'd like to make or a question you'd like me to address about either confidence, competence, or awareness, please share your perspective.  I'll welcome the opportunity to ponder your observation or question and think about how to make some relevant information available to all my readers.
     Meanwhile, I hope you find value in “Confidence, Competence, and Awareness.”
     Dennis
 
 
     My objective in my articles is to give practical, clear direction to leaders for how they can be more effective.  Last week's article and this week's article may feel like marketing for coaches.  I apologize for that.
     The audience for the teleconference from which this article was taken was other coaches.  I took the subject matter intended for coaches and worked to transform the information such that it would be encouraging for leaders.  I hope I was successful.
     I invite your feedback on this second part of “Why Would A Leader Need a Coach?”
     Dennis
 
 
     A couple of weeks ago, I was invited to lead a teleconference of one of the coach associations of which I am a member.  The topic was the same as this week’s article, “Why Would a Leader Need a Coach?”

    I’ve worked to compress the hour’s presentation into two articles.  I cover half my points in this week’s article; the other half will be in next week’s article.

     If you'd like to listen to the entire hour of the teleconference, go to www.christiancoaches.com.  In the upper right-hand portion of the page are the words "Why Leaders Need Coaching."  Click on that link and it will take you to the recorded teleconference.

     Dennis
 
 
     The classroom is not the place to learn leadership skills.  But learning leadership skills while performing your regular work requires intentional effort.  It can be done.  I help organizations and individual leaders do it all the time.  This week's article “Where Can You Go to Learn Leadership?” gives you the keys.

     Dennis
 
 
     It's not easy to identify an organizational perspective.  The term used to describe the norms, values, and perceptions of a group is "culture."  You may believe you could define your organization's culture, but it's usually very hard to put into words!  And until you can do that, it's hard to align the organization and its leaders on action steps designed to improve that culture.
     Read about “organizational health assessments” in this week’s article, “What Your Organization Hasn’t Told You.”
     Dennis