Blog Posts in “Life Lessons”

In leadership, communication isn’t just a skill—it’s the foundation of influence, alignment, and results.

<h1>Introduction</h1> In a crisis that threatens to redefine the very fabric of our nation, Canada finds itself locked in a high-stakes, existential struggle with its southern neighbour. This post provides some thoughts on how leaders of all stripes will need to intelligently “up” their approach…

Want to communicate better? These 7 practical skills—from curiosity to staying calm—can transform how you connect with others.

In the last post we explored the 3 foundational communication skills - Trust, Empathy and Active Listening, easily remembered with the acronym TEA. In this post, we explore 7 additional communication skills, which nicely build on your 3 foundational skills: <ol><li>Curiosity</li><li>Appreciation…

Three essential building blocks for effective communication

<h1>Why bother reading this?</h1> Most people, if asked to name the three most essential communication skills, would list at least one, if not all, of these attributes: trust, empathy, and active listening. Yet, if we asked the same group how strong they thought their own abilities were in these…

Why Communication Skills Matter and How to Be a Better Communicator

How Can You Think That? You Must Be Crazy! Consider the hot-button issues of our time: climate change, COVID or now measles vaccinations, the wars in Ukraine and Gaza, the use of the emergency act, deficits and fiscal responsibility, immigration, pro-life vs. pro-choice debates, Black Lives Matter,…

You are not alone if you think meetings interrupt workflow and rob you of valuable time, but we seem to still need them. What can be done?

First ask yourself, “How much time do managers typically spend in meetings”? The answer, at least according to a quick Google search, might surprise you. Although the amount of time spent in meetings varies depending on the research one looks at, typically, executives spend 50% of their time in…

Now that I've shared what can go wrong when you keep silent, here's what you can do to speak up more effectively and prevent sad endings.

In my last post, I shared a personal account of failing to use crucial conversation skills, an incident that had serious repercussions for both me and the company I was heading. Here are six tips, gleaned the hard way, for having more productive crucial conversations: 1. Speak up! Do not…

I’m going to share a personal account of failing to use crucial conversation skills, an incident that had serious repercussions for both me and the company I was heading.

“Not being heard is no reason for silence.” – Victor Hugo In this post, I’m going to share a personal account of failing to use crucial conversation skills, an incident that had serious repercussions for both me and the company I was heading. Don't miss my follow-up post on how to prevent sad…

As you can see from my recent photos, I’m no spring chicken. That’s the bad news.

As you can see from my recent photos, I’m no spring chicken. That’s the bad news. The good news is that even as you and I age, our brains remain malleable and open to learning. Sometimes we acquire greater wisdom about important things that we once took for granted but did not fully appreciate in…

Many of you will recognize these lyrics from one of the best-known songs by the Rolling Stones. The refrain ends, “But if you try sometime / You’ll find / You get what you need.” These simple lyrics hold a lot of wisdom. They suggest that if we have patience following a short-term disappointment,…

Humbling at the Time, Funny in Hindsight, and Instructive on Occasion

Not that long after arriving in Canada, nearly 30 years ago, I got the chance to hit the slopes at Blue Mountain Ski Resort with my youngest daughter, Megan, who was about seven at the time. As someone who had played competitive sports, I thought that learning to ski would be a piece of cake and…