Here you’ll find a selection of some of my best sales, management and leadership articles, plus I’ll also be posting different updates, thoughts, comments, and stories, from time to time, so come back soon.

And…I welcome your comments and posts as well!

The Dwight Eisenhower quote “Leadership is the art of getting someone else to do something you want done because he (or she) wants to do it.” is one of my all time favorites. It crystallizes the essence of leadership. However it also leaves us asking the question, “What techniques and skills does one have to have in order to achieve those lofty results?”

For more years than I’d like to count I have been training, coaching, and consulting to individuals and organizations on building more effective, efficient, and profitable businesses through leadership…sales leadership, executive leadership, management leadership, and all the other leaderships you can imagine. Obviously each area has a common thread – someone has to lead, even if it’s you leading you!

What does it take? Well - laughter, humor and fun play a foundational role in my writing and philosophy of leadership.

Too often leaders take themselves so seriously that they create an underlying angst within their organizations. People either become anxious and learn to deal with the situation (antacids and a glass of wine at lunch may be part of the solution), play “How do we avoid the boss?” or quit. You see…leadership isn’t always positive. A leader can lead his or her company right into bankruptcy, dissolution, or chaos.

The most important element in any organization is its people; even in this virtual world…someone has to be behind the screen. So what’s the secret in being an effective leader, a leader who people line up to work for? Of course focus; planning, understanding the market, knowing yourself and your team members’ behaviors, attitudes, motivators and information processing styles are important elements. As are a complete knowledge of the goals and objectives of the organization, as well as trust, keeping your word, respect, integrity, and being able to make productive decisions. However the real secret is making people want to work for and with you because you are light, bring lightness to their lives, and create an enLightened workplace. And that means laughter, humor, and fun, which coincidently translate into lower turnover, an easier means of attracting new people, and more creativity.

Laughing your way to the bank is not some abstract term. Laughter, humor, and fun are fundamental ingredients to a successful business and life.

By the way, just to make things clear, I’m not saying to wear flippers, goggles, and a snorkel to your next finance meeting. Hey, wait…that might work! Nah. But please lighten up. Eh…the outfit…maybe at the creative retreat. And don’t forget to wear it with your suit! Lovely!

Leaders who build teams and give them the power to function on their own (within the framework of the organization) will see themselves happily on the road to success.

During tougher economic times an organization that is run by a leader who has taken the initiative to add individuals who understand the values, mission, philosophy, and ethics of entity will find that most of their folks will hunker down and be on board regardless of the situation. That’s the purpose of finding like valued people. This does not mean that the leader should look for people who believe in the same methods of distribution, marketing techniques, and production systems, etc., because that can lead to stagnation and lack of creativity. What it does mean is that everyone is on board when it comes to the reason that the organization exists and what it strives to do.

One way to mitigate the possibility of having weak value links in the organization’s management chain is to ask open-ended situational questions during interviews. These questions can address the person’s reactions to downturns in the economy and what they might be willing to do for the company.

While most interviews entail situational questions, they rarely pose problems about the possibility of the corporation’s reversal of fortune during low or no economic growth periods. An effective leader can spot people who may have the fortitude to tough it out and/or come up with solutions to stave off deeper problems and perhaps even come up with ideas to turn revenues around.

Leadership is about having the ability to see the entire landscape and recognize who and what is necessary to keep the organization moving forward. Choosing the right people (not just individuals who have the skills to perform, but also the values to perform in the interests of the company) and getting them to do what the leader wants them to do because they want to do it, is a way to ensure that everyone is committed to the company even when times are tough.

And don’t forget that creating an atmosphere that incorporates some levity, especially during downturns, is a good way to relieve stress.

Have you ever noticed how differently people react around folks who are always serious? A barrier seems to exist. People feel tight, sometimes nervous. However, once humor and laughter enter into the equation guards are dropped, people relax, and things progress in a more calm and open manner.

In working with thousands of business people from hundreds of companies, I’ve noticed that those folks who have lightness and laughter in their working lives appear to be much happier and more loyal employees. This translates into higher productivity and more efficient and effective environments. People actually enjoy going to work, are more likely to act harmoniously with others, and create more cohesive teams.

The same holds true at home. Laughter at home translates into a more stable family atmosphere.

The ability to laugh at one’s self also helps put life in perspective. We surround ourselves with things that we assign great significance to, such as our jobs, cars, houses and other trappings. However, at times, these possessions (or perhaps the acquisition of them) may cause us quite a bit of angst. Hopefully we can laugh at ourselves just by stepping back and asking, “What’s really important here?” You may find that the answers are our families, friends, health and love.

The leader who can steer his or her ship through troubled waters can use the tools of lightness and laughter to keep anxiety at lower levels. Employees will often mirror the mannerism of their leaders. Those individuals who can illustrate more relaxed and humorous tendencies may find that the people they depend upon to help the business run smoothly will be more apt to feel light, creative, motivated, and productive. This especially holds true during economic downturns when unsettling feelings may be more prevalent.

Building friendship within organizations helps cement the bonds necessary to make it through tough times. Organizations that exude lightness also tend to attract and retain customers. People can recognize the atmosphere of a company whose employees enjoy working there. Those same companies also understand that when employees transfer the light and caring style to their clientele, those customers are more likely to continue doing business with them.

Regardless of one’s leadership style, the individual leader must take on the aspects of a chameleon in order to relate to each employee in a manner that makes them feel at ease. Successful leaders are those who can create the desire in others to do what they want them to do while enabling them to want to do it.

Laughter and lightness, while not diminishing the seriousness of the actual tasks, can create results that make for highly successful organizations.