These five TED Talks will give you the five tips you need for successful conflict resolution, today.

Designed alliances help you “begin with the end in mind” and avoid unclear assumptions - because what’s common sense for you is not common sense for someone else.

When we don’t like the results we get, we need to check out the BEAR.

I encourage “nice-guy” leaders to develop a “dial” that replaces the “switch” they flip during conflict. We replace a communication strategy that goes instantly from DEFCON 5 to DEFCON 1. When we do this, conflict becomes less painful both for them and for those they lead.

I recently had a conversation with a friend who was lamenting the need to invest more and more time in tasks at work that weren’t relevant to his sense of purpose. I replied by saying, “Ah - you mean high maintenance, low impact activities.” Intrigued by this description, he requested, “Please, tell me more.”

No matter what your title in an organization, you are accountable to someone - the board, the boss, or the customer.

When working with those individuals, would you rather be an “implementer” or a “partner”? Whatever your formal role in your organization, you can become a partner. Instead of being a tool for getting things done, you can become a strategic voice for what gets done. That’s one of the fundamental assumptions of Influence Coaching.

Many of us know about the importance of emotional intelligence (EQ) for leadership. Here's a tool that will help you with that: learn how to recognize and correct your triggers.

Here is one concept that I come back to time and time again for leadership development. Let's talk about the "designed alliance." To create collaborative relationships, you have to clarify, “Here’s what I need from you. What do you need from me?” The designed alliance is a tool that helps you do that.

This weekly conversation is equal to routine maintenance on your car engine. The marriage meeting is a way of “checking the oil” to make sure that your engine doesn’t burnout!

Coaching conversations are different from typical conversations. Here’s what to expect and why they are so powerful.

In this episode of the Small Small Business Podcast, I’m interviewed by Steve Fredlund. His podcast and consulting work focus on serving the many tiny business that make up “main street” across America. We cover a TON of good stuff for small business owners.

Deb Coviello, host of The Drop in CEO, reflects on CEO burnout – the impact on the individual (fatigue), family (disconnected) and business (employees find you inaccessible). She also interviews me on some of the other symptoms of burnout that leaders should watch for.