Some people are confused. You don't follow your passion - you bring it. You need vision to paint a picture of success. You need passion to pull you through the dark days. You need action because, without it, you're … [Read more...]
Confidence
Confidence in yourself and your abilities is an act of defiance against those who thrive on your insecurity. Act with confidence and defy those who thrive on your insecurity. … [Read more...]
What Thoughts Stop You? Change Them.
By now, you know that your thoughts influence your feelings, and your feelings influence your behaviors, which affect your thoughts. And so it goes, around and around, for you and everyone else. Before you know it, a few decades slip by, and you … [Read more...]
Two Flavors of Regret
Regret is available in two flavors; “Have Done” and “Not Done.” When you regret something you have done, you must own it, or it will own you. When you regret something you have not done, rectify it quickly, either by doing it or making peace … [Read more...]
The Day Kevin Turtle Had a Great Year
A Short Story to Transform Wishes into Work Kevin Turtle began the day as he had every other day for the last two years, by dreading to get up. Each morning he faced the same dilemma. How would he accomplish everything he felt he had to, knowing … [Read more...]
What’s Your Theme?
New Year’s Day is a fun time to declare your intentions because it seems like everyone else is, and there’s something to be said for riding the group momentum, but if you’re “not feeling it,” relax. Generally speaking, the ones who proclaim their … [Read more...]
5 Ways Good Leaders Can Become Better Leaders
GUEST POST BY MAIA FLETCHER Being a leader is a huge responsibility that requires a lot of dedication and drive. Great leadership can take your business to the next level and bring you more opportunities in life. So what does it take to be a … [Read more...]
10 Questions to Help Busy Professionals Act on Purpose
I hope this quick guide helps if you're feeling a little wonky about your purpose. To download the free self-assessment, click the button. … [Read more...]
Feel Better Fast
Feeling blah and want to feel better fast? Take a quick assessment of these regular positive activities. Keep track in your head or on your fingers, or download the Feel Better Fast worksheet from the Karl Bimshas Consulting website. To make it … [Read more...]
Six Weeks In
You run your own business. You’ve made big plans for the year. Six weeks in and your momentum is waning. Have you nodded “yes” two and a half or more times? Keep reading. What do you think is holding you back? Confusion? Anxiety? … [Read more...]
Leadership Fitness Checklist
By now, the majority of those who joined a gym to support their New Year resolution are having second thoughts. They’re not committed to their commitment. For the majority, the pain it takes to achieve their goal is not worth the effort. Of course, … [Read more...]
Diversity
Diversity of thought, life experiences, and belief systems is what makes organizations stronger. The fittest ideas can flourish, and greater numbers of people benefit. If the room you're in looks like you, you're not learning enough. You'll feel … [Read more...]
You ARE Leading
Just because you don't consider yourself a leader doesn't mean others aren't following you. You are leading. Get better at it. You can deny it. You can hate it. You can battle over semantics. Like it or not, you're leading someone (maybe … [Read more...]
Hire a New Boss
If you're a solopreneur or freelancer, guess what? You are not automatically exempt from having a lousy boss. Face it; effective managers have a particular set of skills that help foster compliance, communication, confidence, production, and … [Read more...]
Your Thing
Everyone has their thing. It might be zouk dancing, skeet shooting, gourmet cooking, or 5K running. The passion, flow-inducing activities you engage in can clear your mind, center your soul, calm your nerves, and inspire you to achieve greater things … [Read more...]
Everything is an Opportunity
Everything is an opportunity. The text message The alarm clock The phone call The envelope The stranger The doorbell The mistake The failure The friend The yes The no It's all up to you. Better attitudes attract better … [Read more...]
Money in Outrage
There's money in outrage, but results come from taking action. There are plenty of money making machines that do quite well agitating the populace. People without much conviction will always find ways to extract money from those with dogmatic … [Read more...]
Stepping Forward
I am not without fear, but I have a knowing. It's not as clear as I'd like, but my inner guide assures me I'm heading in approximately the right direction. A fog of uncertainty obscures the way, and I can only see scant steps before me. … [Read more...]
16th Book
I've got a new book out! It is the third in the "Leadership Essays" Series. It can feel like we are in the midst of a lousy leader epidemic. From laughable errors in judgment and illogical lapses in commonsense, to plots that are more sinister, … [Read more...]
Success Doesn’t Happen All At Once
Success doesn't happen all at once. Neither does failure. It is hundreds of little decisions, conversations, actions, and thoughts that make or break you. Make seemingly unimportant nudges in the approximate direction of your dreams every … [Read more...]
When You Can’t Follow, Lead
Despite your best efforts sometimes you simply cannot follow. Maybe you have a values conflict with the leader, the organization, or the cause. There could also be a vacuum. No one is leading an effort. That's when it becomes your calling, and you … [Read more...]
Leadership Isn’t a Game; It’s a Lifestyle
Leadership isn't a game; it's a lifestyle. That's not to say you shouldn't have fun. There's always going to be competition and a desire to win in life. There are also opportunities for collaboration and a desire to make things better for others. … [Read more...]
10 Year Anniversary of The Disposable Journal
Are you tired of carrying anger, sadness, or fear that is immobilizing you or holding you back? It’s time to let it go, regain control and invest in you. The daily prompts you receive in the disposable journal can help you do that in seven … [Read more...]
How Will You Be Remembered … Later Today?
Some people concern themselves with legacy and the impact that will be left when they're gone. Writing your own aspirational obituary can crystallize your thinking and give you a roadmap to live into. But really, once you're gone, you're gone. … [Read more...]
Your Story Doesn’t Define You
Your story doesn't define you; you define your story Most of the success in your life is because of the combination of your attitude and approach. Lousy attitude, lousy success. Great attitude, great success. A large measure is your … [Read more...]
Watch Me Succeed
A few months ago I said farewell to a dear friend who was embarking on a new adventure. Although I was overprotective, her talent, intelligence, entrepreneurial spirit, and sheer grit was overwhelming evidence that she would be successful in whatever … [Read more...]
Help or Not?
Every person must learn the balance between "The instinct to help" versus, "It's none of your damn business." You've got to develop an internal checklist to determine what level of involvement you are willing to commit to. That's where knowing … [Read more...]
The Wave
The wave doesn't care if you're standing in front of it. It doesn't speed up to try and knock you over. It doesn't slow down in an attempt to spare you. A wave is going to do what it does whether you're there or not. You get to decide … [Read more...]
It’s All A Gift
Did you wake up grateful? For what? For waking up. For each breath. For the ability to see and read. For shelter and food. For fingernails and eyelids. For a thousand reasons … but just pick three and relish in them. The odds of you being … [Read more...]
Small Steps
Immediate results are rare and seldom last. Knowing this doesn't stop us from playing the lottery and gambling our long-term success for short-term gains. Some people get lucky. The magic wand produces what they need, often just enough to … [Read more...]
Be Brave and Break Free
I take a lot of pride in the work Karl Bimshas Consulting does with new and established leaders who want to improve what they do so they can manage better and lead well. We don't talk about it a lot, but I'm equally proud of what we do … [Read more...]
Mopey Mondays
Quick Reminder: We don't do Mopey Mondays around here. Monday is for brushing yourself off and pursuing your dreams with renewed vigor. Go get 'em! https://youtu.be/rURCngUpCfw … [Read more...]
Start to Lead – Dare to Give a Damn
Imagine if you started to lead, instead of whining. What could you accomplish if you dared to give a damn? Live your values and act on purpose. It is the simplest, most straightforward way you can identify leadership in yourself and … [Read more...]
Pushing Back the Ocean
When we are focused on pursuing meaningful goals, it is easier to push back on the unrelenting wave of cynics crashing across our path. Introduction: Tide Turning It’s amazing to me the number of people I have come across who do not appear to put … [Read more...]
Two Lousy Leaders
When a good leader turns a blind eye to a bad leader, you have two lousy leaders. Life is full of difficult choices. Loyalty and honor are real but can get warped. Pay attention to who earns your loyalty and how you define honor. Does your code hurt … [Read more...]
Don’t Be Afraid to Lead
I come across a lot of capable people who are afraid to lead. Frequently they are blind to the fact that they are already leading. By having a vision, acting upon it, and gathering resources to help fulfill it, they are well on their way. It … [Read more...]
Passion on a Pedestal
Stop seeking passion. It will elude you until it sees you working. What you are passionate about is the thing you are most willing to suffer for, enduring it for 10, 15, 20 years or more. Passion is the endeavor you cannot stop doing. It consumes … [Read more...]
New Day
When you are on purpose, the dawn of each day is filled with potential and excitement. It's your chance to hit the reset button while countless others around you fumble for the snooze. Such is the power of a great goal. It fuels your mornings, no … [Read more...]
Don’t just sit there. Think about it.
When was the last time you thought? I'm not talking about dwelling, regretting, wishing, or worrying. I'm talking about honest to goodness, calorie burning, serious thinking. Not scenario planning and what-iffing, not endless rumination. … [Read more...]
Be a Better Gatekeeper
Stop taking random advice from people. Be a better gatekeeper and pay attention to those who make you think, laugh, and take action. Preferably all three. We have such excellent access to knowledge, new perspectives, and views of the world. … [Read more...]
Your 90 Day Review
1. Review the last 90 days of your life. You set some big goals -- how ya doing? Do you need to adjust them? Don't go smaller. Reach higher. 2. You met new people. Did anyone positively influence your life, your goals, your success? Have you … [Read more...]
Harmony Over Balance
I don’t like the personal development industry’s “Wheel of Life” because I think balance is the wrong thing to attempt to achieve. Have you ever tried to accomplish perfect balance? Balancing anything is difficult and all-consuming. The practice … [Read more...]
13 Months
I keep a baker's dozen of empty Wellbutrin bottles in my closet and look at them once in awhile, to remind myself of the 13 months of hellish depression I went through several years ago. The cause doesn't matter. Once depression grabs you by the … [Read more...]
Visceral Leadership
I have a visceral reaction to leadership that has never let me down. It operates on both extremes of the continuum. It's no secret that lousy leadership pisses me off; not only because these type of leaders tend to be arrogant dicks, but because … [Read more...]
“Let Me Fail.”
I recently shared dinner with a dear friend who was about to embark on a new adventure. She alternated between bouts of excitement and nervousness, possessing the natural joy that comes from stretching outside your comfort zone, coupled with the … [Read more...]
How You Become Successful Matters
Becoming successful, however you define it for yourself, is great but don't get lulled into thinking there's only one path. Avoid putting people whose success you admire, on a pedestal. Lousy leaders can be very successful, but there's a toll and … [Read more...]
Alone, or with Your Flock, Soar
Sometimes you have to be independent and chart your own course. You will fly high, and far, and have a broad perspective on your world, up above the fray. Other times, you will want company, share resources, communicate with your friends, cheer … [Read more...]
Why? Because!
Once you become an adult, there's something you can stop doing, but most don't. It is important to know your *why* - the motivation, inspiration, reason that compels you to pursue the big goal in your life. It helps you to understand why, but you do … [Read more...]
Enjoy Leading or Don’t Lead
Not every day is sunshine and unicorns. Leading is not always fun. You need to make tough decisions between choices that aren't any good. That is what leaders do. If you thought it was giving commands to people to satisfy your whim, you … [Read more...]
Walk with Purpose, Not Confusion
You will not know where you are headed every moment of every day. Life is full of surprises that will push you off track, distract you, or lead you in an entirely new direction. Know your purpose and be undeterred. Relish the adventure of the unknown … [Read more...]
Leadership Ingredients
There are lots of attributes they say a leader should have. Ignore them. Those attributes are the seasoning that gives the meal a pleasant flavor. As a leader, concern yourself with the proper nutrition first, then spice it up. Otherwise, it … [Read more...]
Today is Your 90 Day Review
Review the last 90 days of your life. You set some big goals -- how ya doing? Do you need to adjust them? Don't go smaller. Reach higher. You met new people. Did anyone positively influence your life, your goals, your success? Have you … [Read more...]
You Always Make a Difference
If you don't think you do ... keep thinking until you find a way you can. Then go do that. You won't always know how, when, or why, but you will always make a difference. You won't always know who, or what is affected by your actions, but it is … [Read more...]
Sometimes You Are Wrong
You are not infallible. You make mistakes. It is an uncomfortable feeling, knowing you goofed. Many people try to avoid the sensation of being wrong by never speaking up, never standing up, never venturing into the unknown. They feel safe and secure … [Read more...]
Be The Better Option
You defeat lousy leadership with better leadership. Be the better option. Smug rhetoric and incoherent arguments do not contain better ideas. Fear and paranoia driven tirades do not beckon better angels. Sowing chaos as a management technique is … [Read more...]
Be Ready to Lead
Ever sit with a bunch of people and awkwardly talk about what to do next? Everyone is tentative and polite. No one wants to offend or look foolish. People are going out of their way to avoid disagreements and confrontation. And that is only trying … [Read more...]
Monday Excitement
If you are aren't excited each Monday, you're working on the wrong stuff. Act on purpose. You don't HAVE to like your job. Few people get excited about their commute and interacting with busybody coworkers, always asking about their weekend … [Read more...]
Protect Your Purpose from Comfort
The reason I have started requiring people who work with me to know their purpose and values is because if they do not, they will be susceptible to the whim of others. When you know your purpose and values, you do not allow others to blow you off … [Read more...]
Are You Acting On Purpose?
I believe happiness and purposefulness come about by the active pursuit of a worthy goal. Therefore if you want to be happy, you should never be without a great goal. Imagine if every woman, man, and child you know had at least one great goal that … [Read more...]
Never Feel Lost
When you know your purpose and values, you feel great about making decisions that support who you want to be and where you want to go. When you set your mind on your dreams and you celebrate along the way, you are making … [Read more...]
You Don’t Need Permission to Lead
You don't need permission to lead. You need a purpose. Don't wait to be anointed or appointed. Lead from where you are. If the purpose is important to you, if the timing and circumstances are right, you must rise. Prepare, knowing you … [Read more...]
It Starts with Purpose. If you don’t know yours, how can you act on it?
Want to be a good business owner, executive, or friend? Know your purpose. Want to be a good lover, companion, or spouse? Know your purpose. Want to be a good investor of time, talent or treasure? Know your purpose. Want to manage well and … [Read more...]
Daily Focus
Try The Daily Focus -List 10 things you need to do that will bring you closer to your goal. -Brainstorm 10 ideas to improve a problem you're facing. -Give 10 compliments to other people. -List 10 things you're grateful … [Read more...]
Free Planning Bundle
Thanks for following Karl Bimshas Consulting. We are grateful for the opportunity to help develop your leadership, challenge your thinking, widen your perspective or make you laugh. Please accept this gift. The “Planning Bundle” includes … [Read more...]
30 Ways You Can Manage Better and Lead Well
Effective management and leadership can be difficult. There are days (and nights) when external motivation or internal inspiration is lacking, and you feel directionless. That is not a luxury you can afford if you are serious about managing better … [Read more...]
Poor Leadership Pisses Me Off
Rationale, reflection, and gratitude for my business and a quest to improve the state of leadership. Throughout my management career at both Fortune 500, and regional companies, I encouraged direct reports and peers alike to stop deferring … [Read more...]
Moving Your Passion Toward Excellence
We all have a passion for something, whether it is for golf or little league; cooking or writing; acting or reading. Wine connoisseurs and bottle cap collectors abound. What is your passion? Can you see it? Most of you can. What do you want to … [Read more...]
Valuing Liberty
Two hundred and forty-one years ago John Adams suggested that all future Independence Day celebrations "ought to be solemnized with pomp and parade, with shows, games, sports, guns, bells, bonfires, and illuminations from one end of this … [Read more...]
Solve a Damn Problem
Being careful with your language can show sensitivity, compassion, and at least some tolerance in an increasingly intolerant country. As a writer, words matter, that is why I believe we should not sugarcoat what we face as a nation and as … [Read more...]
Don’t Listen to Them; You’re Fine
People make a lot of money off your lack of self-esteem or self-awareness. You’re not good looking enough, your car is too wimpy or guzzles too much fuel. Your teeth could be whiter, your family happier, your waist thinner, and if you want to trust … [Read more...]
Writing Letters to Your Younger Self is Facing the Wrong Direction
It is all the rage, particularly during graduation season, for well-meaning self-help gurus to encourage you to write a letter to your younger self. Invariably to find words of wisdom accumulated through years of experience which support the phrase, … [Read more...]
Basketball Players, Filmmakers, and Nurses
Ask a basketball player about the game, and they will talk about possessions of the ball, the clock, openings they created, and specific shots they took. Of course, winning is, important, but the great ones know they get there shot by … [Read more...]
Make a Habit of Painless Networking
You can't just be an introvert or an extrovert anymore. You could be an extroverted introvert or an introverted extrovert. You might even be an ambivert. There are many terms floating around the heads of people who are trying to make sense of the … [Read more...]
Don’t be a Joyless Leader
I remember a time in college when I returned home to visit my mom, and she told me about a troubling sight she had just seen. A school bus had stopped at a light beside her, and the faces of sullen and despondent teenagers filled every visible … [Read more...]
My Leadership Point of View
Eight years ago this month I started my company. It is not a milestone year per se, but if you run your own business you know, every month you are still open is cause for celebration. During this period there have been highs and lows in my personal … [Read more...]
Organize Your Thoughts
Some people are great at creating lists. They have impressive lists. Accomplishing tasks, a little less so. Some people are decisive and action oriented. They get lots of things done fast, and then they redo a lot of things faster. Some people … [Read more...]
Decide How You are Going to Lead
A good number of leadership problems I see come about because the leader has never given any thought to the question, “How are you going to lead?” Many are dumbfounded. Though to be fair, if you ask a writer, “How are you going to write?” there … [Read more...]
Check Your Alignment
This weekend, as you wind down from one season and prepare for the next, invest a few moments in yourself and do the following alignment check-up. Grab a piece of paper and fold it, so you have two columns with four rows each; that's eight boxes … [Read more...]
Do You Help Others Who Are Lost?
Let’s pretend you’re in a strange city and are running late for an appointment. Suddenly you realize you’re lost, and the street signs don't make sense to you. You’ve got your cell phone with you, and your social media friends are only a few … [Read more...]
Still Struggling to Find your Passion? Get Angry.
I’ve been posting quick (under two minute) leadership questions, tips and thought starters on Anchor. If you’re on that platform, go ahead and follow me. If not, listen to a simple thought and challenge to help you lead better. Stop struggling to … [Read more...]
Know Why Privately
The question 'why?', like alcohol, is not inherently good or bad on its own. For some, it can help foster celebration. For others, it can mask pain. It can be used in moderation, abused, or believe it or not, never touched. People put too much … [Read more...]
Start with Purpose. Always.
Busy professionals often feel anxious because far too many are not acting on purpose, or their values do not align with the organization. When you know your purpose and values, decision-making becomes easier because you have an automatic filter you … [Read more...]
Your Checklist for Success in 2016
Confirm your Values. Where you spend your time and money is a clue as to what you currently value. Need to make a change? Commit to figuring it out before you start making plans you do not believe in. Confirm your top four values and then … [Read more...]
What is your biggest roadblock …
It is easy to get aggravated. The reward comes from not getting aggravated. I am not there yet, but you might be able to help. My business is to help entrepreneurs and executives find ways to lead better, personally and professionally, globally … [Read more...]
Solve Bigger Problems
My primary focus and daily activity is to exchange astute insights with entrepreneurs and executives who want to dramatically improve how they lead. As a culture, we need to provide better leadership development and accountability to bolster the … [Read more...]
Your Uniqueness
What makes you unique? There are some people who revel in that question and have no problem running through a litany of attributes and quirks they find charming about themselves. Then there are others who shrug and have a slight panic attack. It … [Read more...]
Get Your Ships Together
Dreams, aspirations, and goals stimulate our imagination, but they are not enough for those used to achieving more. Sailing through life rudderless isn’t an option. It is time to get your ships together. There are eight key ships you ought to … [Read more...]
My Why
When I chose to start my business, I decided to focus on leadership development because there are too many lousy leaders disguising themselves. Good bishops, protected abusive priests, instead of the children put in peril. Good commanding … [Read more...]
What Tradition Are You Inadvertently Starting?
The things you do regularly eventually run on autopilot. When you shower, how you drive, the food you eat, the clothes you wear, the people you choose to call friends, can vary, but they usually don't by much. For the habits that you can reasonably … [Read more...]
Have you set a theme for your year yet?
Have you set a theme for your year yet? I am a big fan of planning your year and creating metrics to keep you on track SEE HERE. A theme is something different. It is simple focusing. Many people do not plan the night before, meditate the day of, … [Read more...]