Category Archives: Guest Posts

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Quotes And Leadership Lessons From Seven Beauties

If you enjoy this article, you’ll love my book Reel Leadership. It’s available on Amazon.

You can purchase your own copy of Seven Beauties on Amazon.

“Seven Beauties” is a complex and provocative film that offers several leadership lessons through its characters and the world inhabited by Pasqualino, Seven Beauties, during World War II. Pasqualino stops at nothing in his struggle to survive the often difficult circumstances he finds himself in. From gangster wannabe to insane asylum patient to soldier to POW, the great actor Giancarlo Giannini portrays our tragic, comic hero with humor and poignance. Here are a few key takeaways from the film that can help you develop your leadership perspective.

Man in a suit. Wearing a hat. Looking at another person.

Resilience and Adaptability:

The protagonist, Pasqualino, demonstrates an incredible ability to adapt to extreme circumstances, from surviving a concentration camp to navigating the criminal underworld. Similarly, leadership requires resilience and adaptability in the face of all sorts of adversity we confront in the business world.  Read more...

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Dare to Be Vulnerable: Building Trust and Inspiring Teams

“Vulnerability sounds like truth and feels like courage. Truth and courage aren’t always comfortable, but they’re never weakness.” – Brené Brown.

Vulnerability is a scary-sounding word. It makes you believe that you have no control over life and that there is no safe place where you can be because harm can come in your direction at any moment.

But that couldn’t be further from the truth. Vulnerability is a superpower that leaders can wield. By embracing vulnerability, you can actually be a strong leader.

Think about the courage and strength that it takes to acknowledge that you don’t know everything and ask for help, that you are scared of the future, or that maybe you are not as ready as you thought for your new role. All this takes courage. So, when you are vulnerable, you are courageous and strong. Someone who is not courageous and strong would not have the courage to acknowledge their vulnerability.  Read more...

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How to Differentiate between Self-confidence and Arrogance

Scientific research shows that human beings are not always good at evaluating the true qualities of leadership, and are even occasionally attracted to the arrogant confidence that some leaders exhibit. Arrogance is often a sign of weakness, and people who display it create toxic workplaces and make decisions that put others at risk.

Sometimes, confidence and arrogance are confused, especially when the people who judge it this way have low self-esteem. For them, any demonstration or expression of internal strength is perceived negatively. These types of people cannot tolerate that others have presence, independence of spirit, or that they go through life without asking for permission. In these cases, it is a projection of the observer’s own envy, unable to bear the sight of others exhibiting behaviors they envy and that are beyond their abilities. Instead of looking at their own flaws and resolving them, they prefer to harshly judge and criticize those who are able to do what they only dream of and do not have the courage to do.  Read more...

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Interrogation Vs. Conversation

This is a guest post by Sean Glombowski. I previously worked with Sean and stayed connected with him. When I saw his LinkedIn post about the job hunt, I knew I had to get him to share. Thankfully, he did. I’m proud to introduce you to Sean today and hope you take something away from his article.

Merriam-Webster defines Interrogation as: “a formal and systematic questioning”. They also define Conversation as: “oral exchange of sentiments, observations, opinions, or ideas”. Now that we know what the definition of each is I pose the question of, what method is best for interviewing potential candidates for a new position?

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Teamwork and Leadership Lessons from the Little League World Series

This year, 2022, is the 75th Anniversary of the Little League World Series.  After a COVID cancellation in 2020 and the United States only competition in 2021, a full roster of 10 U.S. and 10 International Teams are competing this year.  In late August, the Little League World Series presents outstanding examples of athletic competition, drama, the exceptional talent of 11 and 12-year-old players from around the world, and sportsmanship at the highest level.  Interestingly, there are some fascinating lessons for teams and team leaders in addition to the on-the-field performances.  There’s even a good message for job seekers on effectively presenting their team accomplishments on their resumes, LinkedIn profiles, and during interviews.