The Strategist
Dangers of Making Excuses as a Leader
There are a lot of different excuses that leaders make when things go wrong or they don't perform up to the standard that's expected. You may feel that you're not making an excuse but simply stating what happened. But, in the end, it truly doesn't matter. It's still...
The Importance of Organization in Being a Good Leader
The ability to get and stay organized is often overlooked as a skill for leaders. In fact, it tends to be connected with assistants of leaders instead of the leader themselves. And while I completely support the idea of finding people to surround yourself with that...
5 Change Management Tips for Leaders
Change management has gotten a lot of attention in the past year. March 2020 hit, every organization was thrown into needing to make immediate changes whether they liked it or not. Most organizations didn't have a "What to do if a pandemic hits" section in their...
How to Build Company Culture While Working Virtually
We are living through a weird time. The majority of businesses are operating differently than they have in the past. Many still have employees working from home with no end in sight, And while many people thought they wanted to work from home, now that it's been a...
6 Tips for Setting Your Team Up for Success
Every leader wants to have a successful team. And when you feel like your team isn't successful, it can be a little too easy to think that it's because of the people on your team. But success starts at the top. If you want your team to be successful, you have to learn...
2021 Goal Setting: How to Keep it Going
Well that certainly was an eventful January of what so many people hoped was going to be a calmer year. It was a long month but February is about to be here and we're going to keep on looking forward. With the new month starting, I'm reminded of what happens to so...
To Reach New Levels of Success, You Have to Do New Things
If we're all honest, we'd have to admit that it's easy to grow complacent as a leader. When things are going well and the minimum requirements are being met, it's easy to fall into the same old routine day in and day out. When there are no fires to put out or pressing...
6 Tips for Employee Retention
Are you struggling with a revolving door in your organization? As soon as you get one position filled, another one opens up. And no matter how many "great" hires you make, you just keep losing people. If so, it might be time to address your employee retention...
Start Building Confidence Today with One Simple Habit
Growing your confidence is actually incredibly simple. However, most people don't believe it. So, they go out searching for the complicated process they feel they need in order to become their best self. Or, they don't realize that there is a simple way to build...
Being Intentional with Your Goal for 2021
I think this is an interesting time of year. We all love to connect the new year with a fresh start and a chance to do better. We want to leave our old bad habits in the past and turn a new leaf. That sounds great, right? So we get out our lists and set New Year's...
Reflect on 2020: Focusing on the Good
What a year it has been! As we enter the last few weeks of the year, it has me reflecting on 2020. There were a lot of obstacles this year that we faced as individuals and businesses. And to be honest, there still are a lot of obstacles that we'll continue to face in...
How to Get Employee Buy-In For Your 2021 Goals
It's that time of year again when our minds are starting to turn to the changing of the calendar year. A new year brings new goals and the feelings of a "reset" for many of us. As you prepare for Q1 to begin, it's important to think about what you're doing to get...
An Important Leadership Lesson on Gratitude
Some years it's super easy to think of things to be thankful for when Thanksgiving comes around. 2020 probably doesn't feel like one of those years. Yes, there are some businesses and people that are prospering this year. That's awesome! But there are also many people...
Self Care Tips for Business Leaders and Teams
I know "self care" has gotten a lot of attention in 2020, and with good reason. But the truth is even though most of us know that it's important, we aren't actually following through in doing it. Studies are finding that people are once again reaching the point of...
The One Piece of Advice You Wouldn’t Expect to Hear From a Business Coach
There are a lot of stereotypes that exist in our world. The same is true when it comes to business coaching, business consulting and leadership development training. We expect coaches to act a certain way and say certain things. We all have these preconceived notions...
Darren’s Journey to Ironman Episode 1
The Key to Business Success and Leadership Development
Ok, we all know there's really more than one thing that you need for leadership development or to be successful in business. But today I want to highlight one word that can help make all the difference—EFFORT. What is effort? Let me be clear, I'm talking about real...
A Lesson in Confidence & Leadership from a Pot of Chili
I just love having chili and cornbread on a crisp fall day. There's just something that I find comforting about it. It reminds me of growing up when I could smell the chili cooking in the kitchen on a Sunday afternoon while sitting with my dad and watching the Detroit...