
Almost Famous 20th Anniversary
“Almost Famous” 20th Anniversary It’s the 20th anniversary of the release of the iconic film “Almost Famous”, written and directed by Cameron Crowe. If you do not know the film, it’s based on the director’s real life experience as a teenager who ends up touring with a rock band and writing for Rolling Stone magazine […]

Dealing with Abrasive Leadership: Change is Possible!
We have all worked with an abrasive or “toxic” manager, and as an executive coach, I am often helping my clients “deal with” a difficult manager they work for, or working directly with the manager others find abrasive and difficult. I have a love-hate relationship with these situations because I am attracted to the opportunity to show real value and change that will improve people’s lives at work, yet challenged by the difficulty of making a positive impact on a situation others have failed to change.
No, He’s Not Crazy, Mean, or Stupid: Understanding Others’ Difficult Behavior
As part of a large organizational change effort, a IT manager (“John”) was having a lot of trouble working with an external consultant (“Robert”) who was hired to assist with some technical aspects of the change initiative*. The internal manager, who is a senior leader in the organization and had worked there for many years, […]

Hearing the Hardest Feedback
Sometimes the most important feedback is the hardest for us to hear. I have learned a simple way to give difficult feedback to someone who is defensive or resisting. How can you say such a thing! My wife and I have been very happily married for over 25 years but have also had our challenging […]

Michael’s Q+A with Actionable Books
With roughly 12,000 unique visitors each month, Actionable Books is a leadership site that offers tips, advice, and book reviews. They requested a Q+A with Michael about Kurt Lewin, resilient relationships and “heat”. The interview is below…
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