The Almanac

Why How You Take Advice Matters as a Leader

Leaders may ask for input or advice or say that they are open to it. They may have an open-door policy, telling people that whenever they want to talk about something or let them know something the door is open. But is it really?

Debbie Collard

Customer Service & Culture – Both are about Leadership

Debbie Collard

As my own leadership role evolved, I came to regard great customer service as a hallmark of a successful leader who has nurtured a successful culture.

Effective Leadership Minimizes Surprises

Dave Hyem

Guest blogger Dave Hyem shares his experiences helping leaders and teams resolve their stickiest operational issues by fostering a culture of trust.

Summer

Susan Ireland

The way my brain works is that I visualize the summer as the end of the year and the start of FREE TIME!! If you have been reading our blogs for some time, you know that Seasons Leadership uses the metaphor of the seasons to illustrate the predictable phases we all move through in all parts of our lives.

A Map for Your Journey to Leadership Excellence

Debbie Collard

Review of free Baldrige resource: The Foundations for a Successful Business

Sit at the Table and Own Your Leadership Presence

Susan Ireland

"Next time, sit at the table," my colleague said as we left the conference room after an important meeting about a project I was leading. It hit me like a ton of bricks. Of course. Why didn't I?

The Power of Seemingly Small Gestures

E. David Spong

A leader’s values show up in their actions. It is important for leaders to “walk the talk” and live their own and the organization’s values. Our resident Seasoned Leader David Spong illustrates that principle in this "Lessons in Leadership."

Showers to Flowers – Stay Focused on Your Longer-Term Goals

Debbie Collard

The English Proverb: “April Showers bring May flowers,” reminds us that even after a period of adversity (short or long) good times will follow. No matter how bad the situation that we currently find ourselves in, it will eventually pass, and we will find ourselves in better circumstances again.

Actionable Advice to Improve Your Leadership and Life

Susan Ireland

Debbie and I became podcasters by accident. After publishing 35 episodes (in just our current season!) of the Seasons Leadership Podcast it seems odd to say we stumbled into this, but it is the truth. While a typical week finds us scheduling recording time with leaders from around the world that share our passion for leadership excellence or sharing actionable advice with listeners to improve their lives, what has become an integral part of our mission, started out on a lark.

Lessons in Leadership: Making the Customer Happy is Always Worth It

E. David Spong

You’ve probably heard the phrase, “the customer is always right.” While that may be a good customer satisfaction mantra, it isn’t always easy to keep the customer happy and follow the rules of the company at the same time. Our resident Seasoned Leader David Spong describes how he found that balance in four separate examples in today’s Lesson in Leadership.