Brenda’s Blog
Explore Brenda’s latest thinking on leadership, coaching, and branding. Each post offers practical insights and immediately usable tools to help you succeed — both as a leader and in life.
If you like the reality TV show “The Voice…”
… then you might want to attend the finale of “The Speech” which will be held in Singapore later this month! Back in November of 2015, budding professional speakers auditioned for a mentor at a meeting of the Asia Pacific Speakers association in Singapore. Just like on the reality TV Show “The Voice,” the mentors “competed” […]
The Secret to Avoiding Failed New Year’s Resolutions
I spend a large part of the year in Asia, so this is one of my favorite periods of time. We’ve come off of the busy-ness of calendar year-end holidays and we’re approaching the end of the festivities of the Chinese New Year. The energy is great – people are having fun, celebrating with family, […]
Discover Top Techniques for Time Management
“My two toughest time-management issues are (a) dealing with emails and (b) juggling meetings. Can you help?” This is a very common question I get asked when working with leaders in my Executive Coaching practice. If this resonates with you, too, click here to listen to a radio interview I did a few months back. […]
Does Being the Boss Mean You Get to Tell People What To Do?
Does Being the Boss Mean You Get to Tell People What To Do? It’s 7:30 p.m. on a Thursday evening, and you’re still at the office preparing for a presentation you’ll make to top management early the next day. You have just hung up the phone after speaking with your spouse, and the annoyed […]
The Top 10 Branding Mistakes Entrepreneurs Make
When you’re growing your own business, every error you make means money out of your pocket. So, why learn the hard way (which is also the expensive way)? Why not learn ahead of time which pitfalls to avoid? Below are the Top 10 most costly branding mistakes that I have regularly seen entrepreneurs make. Getting […]
The Single Worst Question You Can Ask at Work: The Power of Eliminating “Why”?
Asking direct reports or coworkers questions rather than always telling them what to do is an important way to develop their abilities, help them grow, strengthen engagement, and improve relationships. But, there is one question-word in your tool chest that I suggest you eliminate entirely: “Why?” If you think about it, the very nature of […]
Don’t Just Sit There!
SITTING is big news – well, at least the detrimental effects of too much sitting, that is. The scientific community has coined a new phrase to label it — “sitting disease.” In short, as a friend of mine says, “Sitting is the new smoking.” But as leaders, our jobs often require that we sit for […]
When Risking Failure is a Good Thing
How can failing ever be a good thing? The best leaders know that if you aren’t risking failure at least part of the time, you’re playing it so safe that no one on your team is learning and growing. “Failing small” can be a great way for everyone in your company to learn. After all, […]
Open, Closed, and Numbers Questions
As a leader of others, the type of questions you ask can make a big difference in how well those questions empower and help team members grow. First and foremost, think in terms of “open” instead of “closed” questions. Open questions lead to answers filled with information. Beginning with words such as “who, what, when, […]
Powerful Questions
The best way to develop your team is by asking powerful questions. Yes, it’s true that this can take slightly more time than immediately telling employees what to do. But, if you don’t make the time to ask questions of your team members, you will end up being the one answering all of the questions […]
Soaring vs. Swooping
Successful leaders spend more time “soaring” than “swooping.” What does this mean? Their job is to focus on the vision for where the company is going and on planning through others the “how” of achieving that vision. On occasion, however, a leader may need to swoop down and check out the details of a particular […]
Development is an Ongoing Task
In my recently released book – “Would You Want to Work For You?” How to Build an Executive Leadership Brand that Inspires Loyalty and Drives Employee Performance – I argue that building people is simply part of your job as a leader, and I offer strategies for developing your employees on a day-to-day basis.
Where do you place your focus as a leader?
The focus of your attention affects everything you do as a leader. Where you choose to place your focus and how you choose to use your time says as much about you as a leader as any other indicator. A model called the “Five Levels of Focus” gives you a simple but powerful framework for […]
Would you rather be liked or respected?
As leaders, we want to be liked, but we also want to be respected. Can we be both? Not only do I believe it’s possible, but I’ve personally witnessed many leaders walking a beautifully balanced line between the two. Accomplishing both isn’t always easy, though. What happens when the balance tips too far in one […]
Quiz: What is the #1 cause of employee turnover?
To answer this question, take a moment to reflect on the best and the worst jobs you’ve ever had. What role did your boss play in how you felt about those positions? If you’re like a large number of the leaders I’ve worked with, the best jobs you’ve had involved a great boss who […]
