Karl Bimshas Consulting’s “Leadership in Unusual Times,” looks at how busy professionals are navigating the physical, mental, economic, and societal challenges in 2020 and beyond. Q: Who are you and what have you been doing lately? I'm … [Read more...]
Positively Combat the Challenges
I believe that during the next 18-24 months, it will be crucial to stay focused on four primary areas — physical, mental, economic, and societal health. We are in the early stages of a global pandemic, which, if handled poorly and let’s be … [Read more...]
All ‘Good’ Leaders Must Be Better
In my opinion, all good leaders must step up to disrupt and dismantle the entrenched complacency of lousy leadership. Yes, better leadership development and accountability are required to bolster the essential skills and effectiveness of established … [Read more...]
Joyless Leaders
I remember a time in college when I returned home to visit my mom. 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...]
Complacency, Our Alluring Faux
We’ll get used to it, we always do. Two thousand extra daily deaths aren’t too bad to those unaffected. We’ve proven that we are okay with the spontaneous manslaughter of schoolchildren. We’re doing fine with heart disease and … [Read more...]
Four Threats and Where to Put Your Focus
Q: As a leader, where do I put my focus right now? As a leader, I think over the next 18 to 24 months, realistically, in my opinion, there are four areas you should be putting your attention on because there are four threats that we're … [Read more...]
Routine and Serendipity
Edited Transcript How do I cope while being under quarantine? So how do you cope while being under quarantine? You know, it doesn't matter whether you think of it as house arrest or helping saving lives; it doesn't matter where you fall in the … [Read more...]
Leading in Unusual Time
Leadership Advisor, Writer, and Podcast Host, Karl Bimshas answers leadership questions during these unusual times. Q1: How do you help employees embrace new practices? Q2: How do you inspire creativity and problem-solving? Q3: How do you … [Read more...]
Courage Isn’t Possible Without Fear
Although our physical location is closed in support of social distancing efforts, Karl Bimshas Consulting remains open virtually. While we had planned to offer in-person group coaching later this month, we will instead migrate to online … [Read more...]
Leader’s Guide to Change
Like it or not, well-planned or unplanned, your business will go through some rapid change. As a leader in your organization, you have the obligation and opportunity to be forthright and tell people what to expect. Knowing what the change is helps … [Read more...]
How Do You Face Adversity
Watch how people react to a pandemic; it mimics how we treat climate change but at a faster speed. Sentiments like, "that's their problem, not ours," "It's a hoax," "That's what they want you to believe," begin to give way to well-meaning people … [Read more...]
Troll or Leader?
Before you post something online from behind the safety of your keyboard, ask yourself if your contribution is educating, entertaining, or otherwise enlightening people, or if you are acting like a troll. Of course, sharing your ideas and beliefs … [Read more...]
Q&A: Is leadership a learned skill?
GO GET IT!
Your Guide to Finding Purpose, Setting Goals and Maintaining Success You can make your leadership life better with a clear purpose, great goals, a deadline, and discipline. INTRODUCTION - Your Best Year … [Read more...]
Q&A: Why is improving leadership so difficult?
Q&A: What are the two most important leadership attributes?
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...]
Pushing Back the Ocean: Tide Turning Leadership Lessons
Introduction: Tide Turning It's amazing to me the number of people I have come across who do not appear to put any thought or action into their lives. They float about, rudderless, just drifting with the tide and changing winds. They react, … [Read more...]
What Can You Do in 16 Months?
You see something wrong, and you find a small way to right it. You start alone. It is difficult, but you do not flinch, you stay on purpose. Some people join you; some fade away. You stay true to your vision, you study your convictions, share … [Read more...]
Motivational Gifts
With the holidays fast approaching, are you looking for the perfect motivational gift? Leadershirts Plus, the online shop that strives to challenge people to maximize their strengths, look at things differently, and provoke positive … [Read more...]
Popular Leadership Assessments
When was the last time you assessed your team? Yourself? Highly successful professionals are aware of the importance of taking regular assessments. Not only are leadership assessments favorable for a successful professional’s team, but for the … [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...]
Write Advice
"Write Advice" is ten years old. It's another short book full of inspirations, tips, and thoughts for leaders and artists. It's now available on Leadershirts Plus with a new cover. Please share it with your writer friends who are feeling "stuck" … [Read more...]
The Redesigned Disposable Journal
You know writing is a powerful communication tool. Did you also know it’s therapeutic? Introducing the redesigned Disposable Journal, Now available at www.disposablejournal.com Whether you call it therapeutic writing, journaling, expressive … [Read more...]
Leadershirts Plus
If you're a fan of my writing, podcast, or leadership guidance, the new store, Leadershirts Plus, is the place is for you to find fun gifts and tools for yourself and others. What's in a name? Leader shirts - … [Read more...]
Oscillate. Don’t Vacillate.
It's okay to oscillate in your life and with your leadership. In fact, I'd encourage you to do so. Regularly scan your surroundings and your interests, back and forth; taking note of changes in the landscape, people's beliefs, and your opinion. This … [Read more...]
Defense Against the Dark Arts of Lousy Leadership: Verbal Attacks
In a perfect world, adults have the maturity and the skills to handle conflict without name-calling, shaming, and other methods of cloaking their insecurity, and we wouldn't have to concern ourselves with their childish outbursts. Alas, we have not … [Read more...]
Change It Up
Are you in a rut, feeling stuck or aimless? Then you probably need to do the opposite of what you've been doing. Examples: In your head, plotting, and planning? Stop. Go do. Make mistakes and learn how to recover from … [Read more...]
Low Expectations
Never want to be disappointed? Have low expectations. You exert minimal effort and plod through life. You don't expect much; you don't get much. It's a cynical philosophy way too many people adopt because it's easier. It's also crappy advice lousy … [Read more...]
Leadership Strategy or Whim?
Do you have a leadership strategy for your business, or is it closer to whim? Answer True or False to the following. You have established short and long-term goals for your business.You know the leadership skills, behaviors, work environment … [Read more...]
Gameboard
Download this Leadership Development Gameboard and print it out to help you and your team to hone key leadership attributes. Pick the day of the week and roll a die, or randomly select a square and reflect on how you demonstrate that behavior. … [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...]
Your Inspiration Likes Attention
When did you last feel inspired? Did you do anything with that feeling? Inspiration often feels elusive, particularly to those who pursue creative fields. People call it their muse and often go off in search of it like it were a mythical creature. … [Read more...]
Snakebite and Venom; A Short Story for Busy Professionals
Two friends walked along a path when they happened across a rattlesnake warming itself in the sun. One of the men, pompous and careless, severed the snake with an ax, but not before it bit the foolish man on the wrist. The man wailed and flailed his … [Read more...]
Halftime Pep Talk for Busy Professionals
You are halfway through the year. How are you doing on your goals? Riding high, or don't want to think about it until you're back from vacation? Halftime is a great time to review the past 90-180 days of your life to see what's been going … [Read more...]
30 Things a Reasonably Decent Manager Can Do
1. Either find the time to have meaningful and regularly scheduled one-on-one meetings with members of your team, or reconsider how you use the word “manager.” If you cannot find the time to sit down with your team individually and learn more … [Read more...]
Build a User’s Guide
You might think working with you is a dream. You’re in your head all day, so, you know your intentions and beliefs better than anyone else, and I am sure they all sound reasonable. The problem is; no one else is in there with you. Even your closest … [Read more...]
What’s Your Life About?
If your life were like a book or a movie and someone asked, “What’s it about?” What would you reply? If you don't know, don't get bent out of shape by people who don't "get" you. If you don't know your purpose, others won't either. Purpose isn't … [Read more...]
Burnt Out? Shape Up!
This five-part shape up plan is for people who are feeling a little burnt out in their current role. If you still have some fuel in the tank and to want to be helpful to your organization you’ve got to place yourself where you can make the … [Read more...]
Your Talent is a Terrible Thing to Waste
A case for your personal and professional development Would you believe the average person spends more time and money on activities that contribute to their personal detriment than to their personal development? They unwittingly develop habits … [Read more...]
Take Action
Decide. Then take action.When you take action you take away the excuses. An overabundance of thinking tends to mean a scarcity of action. Think, yes. Then make a decision. Commit to that decision. Take action. No more excuses. If the action … [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...]
Dismantle Dismay
Let’s face it. Sometimes things stink. They just do. If you let the little things in life start to bring you down, you’ll have no resistance to the big things. And now you have dismay. If you’re feeling blah, or just kinda bummed, you’ve got to … [Read more...]
Two ways you can improve your leadership…
Way One - Improve your self-awareness by learning which motivators most influence you. Take the Motivators Online Assessment and receive your personal Motivators Report for only $39 Way Two - Leadership can be lonely and you frequently feel like … [Read more...]
Do All Your Customers Love You? Nope.
I recall a research study based on reciprocity, that discovered we have far few friends than we think we do. About half as many, if you define a friend as the kind of person who foregoes their Saturday plans to help you move, in the rain, because … [Read more...]
The Triple C
Here’s a quick tool to help you think about ways to improve your performance in any area of your life. Carve out no more than 15 minutes to sneak away for a cup of coffee and reflect on your Triple C. It will give you a rough plan of … [Read more...]
Are you Facing a Problem or a Challenge?
When I was a new operations manager I would regularly meet with my sales counterparts to review activity at our shared accounts. At the time, the organization valued positive language, sometimes to the extreme. One day, a crusty account executive … [Read more...]
Lead by Example
To hear more of my interview with Teri Wilder, click the button below. … [Read more...]
Leadership Spotlight: Teri Wilder
For Leadership Spotlight, Leadership Advisor Karl Bimshas, speaks with a diverse array of busy professionals in various stages of their career and along different paths of their leadership journey. Here’s a summary of his conversation with Teri … [Read more...]
Complain Complain Complain
What could you accomplish if instead of complaining you either took action or kept your mouth shut? Complaining is easy. Everyone complains, either out loud or to themselves; and there is an infinite number of things in our world about which to … [Read more...]
Foggy Forest
Imagine being lost and disoriented in the middle of a foggy forest in the dead of night. You're unable to figure out which direction to step and return towards the safety of home -- the place where you find comfort and nourishment. You take a … [Read more...]
Are you Running a Learning Organization?
No matter the size of your organization, if you want to become more efficient, increase productivity, increase profit, and grow client satisfaction, there is no better way than building a workplace environment geared toward continuous … [Read more...]
Compliments
What's the best compliment you've ever received? It felt nice, right? How many have you given lately? Give ten or more genuine compliments today. You can find 29 other thought starters and positive actions in the book, "Perspectives: A 30-day … [Read more...]
Leading Rebels
Good leaders don't tell you to "sit down," "stay in your lane," or “wait your turn.” People with a threatened agenda do that. Good leaders listen to the beat you dance to and incorporate it into their vision. They recruit you and make you … [Read more...]
What if You Were Curious Instead of Offended?
Being offended doesn't accomplish much. The arguments between those experiencing insensitivity versus the hypersensitivity of others on any given issue have become mundane, and it stagnates the evolution of ideas, thoughts, and … [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...]
Your Leadership Path
Do you have a leadership path in mind for yourself or your organization this year? If you don't, how are you going to get where you want to go? By wishing really, really hard? By coasting, or drifting toward success? Probably not. … [Read more...]
How to Apologize: A Periodic Reminder
Because so few get it right, here is a periodic reminder on how to properly apologize. No, saying "sorry" isn't enough, and being inconvenienced by another's lack of belief in your remorse isn't their problem, it's yours. Also, don't demand an … [Read more...]
Leadership Assessments
Assessments serve as a quick way to get a sense of self and perspective. They provide a snapshot of current conditions and form a framework individuals, teams, and organizations can use to communicate concepts efficiently. Karl Bimshas Consulting … [Read more...]
Twenty Nineteen
Thanks for a great 2018! Here's to a Happy 2019! Download "Make Space" for Free … [Read more...]
Dyslexia, Dysthymia, and Determination
I am not a fan of "woe is me" authors who overshare all the problems in their life. I am partial to a stoic approach. We all have our battles, many of them private, and that is a personal choice. Not every malady has to be posted and commented upon. … [Read more...]
Do My Employees Need External Coaching?
Is it worth investing in outside coaching for a direct report who is facing change or second-guessing his or her abilities? Here are five questions to help you find the right answer. 1. Is his or her current performance or potential, … [Read more...]
Bring a SIDE of Leadership
The world would be better if everyone, regardless of their role, carried a SIDE of leadership. Service: Be of service. Help. Assist. Act on behalf of others. Serve people, or a cause, an idea, beyond yourself. Integrity: Hold yourself to honest … [Read more...]
Expectations, Keep ’em High
You can lower your expectations and never feel disappointment, or you can raise your expectations and manage your disappointments like an adult. The truly great things in life do not get that way through indifference. You care. You have a … [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...]
About Revenge
Revenge isn't an aspirational goal. It can motivate you to get started, or look at yourself differently, or lift your spirits when you are filled with self-doubt. However, it's short-lived, unless you are so lacking in esteem that you NEED to … [Read more...]
Your Performance
National Boss’s Day is a great time to reflect on your performance, even if you work alone and you're your own boss. Download a free pdf from Karl Bimshas Consulting and assess yourself, a key individual or an entire team. Have a desire … [Read more...]
Be More Discerning
Many people react to conflict. Leaders respond. Here's the difference; leaders take the time to study and observe so that they can be more discerning in their decision-making. They are careful and deliberate about what they allow into their … [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...]
Many Ways
Not doing it your way doesn't make it wrong, it just makes it different. There are many ways to do many things. Often, managers, in particular, feel like they know the best way to do something. This is seldom true. They know one way and assume … [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...]
You Can Be an Amazing Leader. We Can Help.
One of the best ways to avoid lousy leaders is by becoming a better leader yourself. When you do that, two things happen. You gain some insight and perhaps empathy for the leader which gives you a thoughtful perspective. You gain the skill, … [Read more...]
Do You Think You Are Amazing?
There's really only one person who matters who has to think you're amazing. Yourself. It's nice when others think you're amazing because it feeds your ego. What really sucks is when someone you think is fantastic doesn't think anything of you, … [Read more...]
We Don’t Solve Your Problems
You don't need to be rescued, saved, or protected. You need to be reminded, heard, and respected. We don't solve your problems. We show you the tools you could use yourself to solve your own damn problems in your own beautiful way. Your needs … [Read more...]
Accidental Manager?
Does your organization have a lot of accidental managers? Are you one yourself? These are the people with good intent, strong skills, and a willingness to help, who are suddenly thrust into a management role. Maybe there was a crisis, a hole that … [Read more...]
Nothing Empowers You More
Nothing empowers you more than setting and achieving a damn good goal! You ready? You can mope around and feel sorry for yourself because, "nothing's working," or you can get your act together, surround yourself with supportive people, and start … [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...]
Our Lenses
We chose our lenses based on what we want to see. Rotate often between microscope and telescope to reveal new perspectives. Be brave and curious enough to look at things differently. … [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...]
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...]
The World is Not Against You
There's a rugged individualism spirit many ambitious people possess. There’s pride and joy in setting a great goal for yourself and achieving it on your own. It's one of the reasons I enjoy writing. I face the blank screen alone, sometimes … [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...]
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...]