Reminder, if you're not afraid to fail, you are already a stronger leader than most. It means you have humility and curiosity. You may have fears, but they are not greater than your bravery. If you do fail, your attitude ensures you'll still learn … [Read more...]
Do The Work
Leading well is not always easy. It's not glamorous. It doesn't photograph well. It's not Instagram-able. Many times, good leadership can look like lousy leadership if you don't know the context or intent. And most don't. You don't typically … [Read more...]
I Want Your Leadership Business
It would be generous to say that of those who are currently in a leadership position, about 50% actively care about personal and team improvement. As a regular reader of my newsletter, blog, and books, or a listener of my show, you’re different. … [Read more...]
How Much Do You Pay in Lousy Leader Tax?
Leaders play an important role in any organization. Great ones have a compound additive effect which we frequently celebrate. Are those accolades overstated? If esteemed polls and studies are to be believed, we seldom crack the 30-35% range of fully … [Read more...]
Take Leadership Seriously and Yourself Lightly
Even self-leadership, which can be the most difficult, because of your varying levels of obstinance, procrastination, perfectionism, and self-confidence, requires a gentle, nudge. Leadership is important. It can have positive or negative effects … [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...]
Leadership Can Be Lonely
Did you know many busy leaders feel like an imposter because they are struggling with their self-leadership? As a result, their confidence takes a hit, and they find themselves failing to speak up or advocate for better ideas. They tuck away … [Read more...]
Friends Don’t Let Friends Become Lousy Leaders
Ever come across a friend or family member who was screwing up their leadership? It usually happens about 18 months into their role. By that time the honeymoon is over and they start clashing with employees and colleagues. You might not notice it … [Read more...]
Is Your Leadership Working?
▫️Are you getting the results you want and need? ▫️Do you have a high-performing team, or just a group of people who work together? ▫️Are you energized or drained at the end (or the beginning) of each … [Read more...]
14 Reasons
Here are 14 common reasons busy professionals seek leadership development with Karl Bimshas Consulting. How many are true for you? I am questioning my motivations, values, and purpose. I think my decision making is wishy-washy, but I am … [Read more...]
Falling Prey to Lousy Leadership
It starts with convenience and familiarity. The lousy leader is known to you; charming and fun to be around, or they may have helped you during tough times, so you feel indebted. Soon, they want you to do special favors for them. They are acts you … [Read more...]
Be Outspoken
Diplomacy and tact are worthy pursuits. It doesn't harm you to slow down and provide a little thought before spouting off something that could be hurtful to others. There's no reason to be intentionally rude when making a point. When you've got the … [Read more...]
Rejecting Leadership
There's a trend where a lot of good people are distancing themselves from the term, "leader," because it leaves a bad taste in their mouth. What about you? Do you reject leadership? I can't blame you, you might have lousy role models, be … [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...]
Empathy and Curiosity
Empathy and curiosity are two traits a lousy leader can't comprehend. They are the same traits a great leader calls upon instinctively. Empathy is about warmth first, even without fully understanding the predicament. It is grace and compassion … [Read more...]
Must Be Present to Win
Every day there's more history being made. It's important to learn from the past. How did others face challenges similar to your own? The future is predictable only if we study patterns, test models, examine theories, and dare to imagine. The … [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...]
Summer Special on Assessments
Karl Bimshas Consulting's popular leadership assessments are a quick way to get a sense of self and gain perspective. 📕DISC, for how you communicate 📗Emotional Intelligence, for how you make decisions 📘Hartman Value … [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...]
Don’t Be the A-Hole on The Team
How can you be a good team leader without being an a-hole? They say there’s no I in team, yet, executive suites and corner offices remain havens for barrel-chested man-babies who treat people like they are disposable. In “Don’t Be the A-Hole on … [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...]
Quick Ways to Be a Good Leader
I’m pleased to announce the second volume in our new three-part leadership series, "Manage Better and Lead Well." These short read e-books are designed for busy professionals who want to manage better and lead well in their new or … [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...]
How to Fix Your Whine at Work
Whining is unattractive, unproductive and unprofessional. I’m pleased to announce part-one of a new three-part leadership series of e-books for busy professionals who want to manage better and lead well. “How to Fix Your Whine at … [Read more...]
How Do You Invest Your Time Over a Long Weekend?
Remembering? This weekend, you will no doubt make time to remember fallen heroes. Reconnecting? Do you make time to reach out to family, friends and the other important people in your life? Relaxing? Will you spend time in a hammock or a … [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...]
No Refuge for Poor Leaders
If you pay someone for advice and they caution you against hiring a capable and attractive person of the opposite sex so that you may protect yourself and resist temptation, fire them. If you take their advice or have hesitated to hire qualified … [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...]
Does Your Criticism Suck?
Leadership takes many forms and comes from many voices. We want more of those leadership voices heard, so we occasionally publish a guest post on our "Reflections on Leadership" blog. This one is from 30-something millennial, Jenny Christopher. If … [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...]
Something Missing?
You know those times when you feel like things just aren't right? Things aren't firing on all cylinders. You're not panicking, but your frustration is growing. You feel stumped because you cannot figure it out. Things should be going better, but … [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...]
Luck and Good Fortune
Instead of looking for luck and good fortune for yourself, why don't you secretly provide it to others? Typically you have to work to grow your fortune. Some people have to work harder, and they earn less, while others seem to stumble into … [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...]
How You Doin’?
When was the last time you asked someone how they were doing? Here's how you can tell if someone is more concerned with power than they are with good leadership. Someone concerned with power is going to use "I" and "Me" when they speak. When … [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...]
Fix It
Good leaders know when they've goofed up. Not right away -- but eventually, they know. They ask for feedback, pay attention to criticism, and are astute to the things NOT being said. So what happens when you realize you've goofed; when your … [Read more...]
Great Goal
Want to build your strength, confidence, and integrity? Set a great goal for yourself and achieve it. You don't have to tell anyone else, but you do have to write it down. You don't have to include others in your plan, but you've got to have … [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...]
Head and Heart in Leadership
If you can't choose between the head and the heart, pick the heart and trust the head to find a way to figure it out. Maybe this seems off topic for a leadership advisor. It's not. If you're leading without heart, you're doing it wrong. The … [Read more...]
Are You Bad for Business?
Treating your employees poorly is not only lousy leadership, it's bad for business. 1. If you're a manager, supervisor, leader -- anyone who has a team, and you treat them poorly, that's one strike. You're messing up your role. 2. If you can't … [Read more...]
Don’t Wait to be Empowered
Empowerment is great, and I don't mean to split hairs, but I've never liked the word. It implies power is being given to you by someone else. Yes, I suppose you can bestow that gift to yourself, give yourself permission to rise up, take authority, … [Read more...]
Five Reasons Why Some Executives Do Not Put Poor Performing Leaders on Corrective Action
Most people do not enjoy paperwork, and they like confrontation even less. Effective leaders are no different, but they take a deep breath and do it regardless. Lousy leaders do not. Here are five reasons some of these lousy leaders don’t put poor … [Read more...]
Knowing Your Values
Here's why knowing your values is so important. When you know them, you make decisions faster, and those decisions support you, they don't sabotage you. You know the difference between when you are acting congruent with your values, and when you are … [Read more...]
You Can Thank Your Lousy Boss
You have worked for a lousy boss at some point in your career. You’ve had a manager, supervisor, professor, or teacher who not only didn’t “get” you; they did not seem to interact well with anyone else either. Maybe you felt like they micromanaged … [Read more...]
“Capital to Help Recent Grads”
Every day I challenge leaders to approach things differently. Today, I follow my advice. I am raising funds to help grow my business. I'm looking to build capital quickly, which I will use to offer a draw against commissions. The short-term … [Read more...]
How’s Your Leadership-Life Going?
As someone who helps individuals and organizations to lead better, it is not uncommon for me to ask people, “How’s your leadership-life going?” I get one of three responses. Overly Enthusiastic The Overly Enthusiastic are quick to … [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...]
Lousy Leadership Is Easy but Expensive
There is a prevalence of lousy leadership because it does not take too much effort to be a poor leader. There is not a huge barrier to entry for anyone who wants to become a leader. The difficulty arises when you are committed to being a “good” … [Read more...]
How Many #MeToo Experiences Happen Under Your Watch?
If nothing else, the awareness campaign should have opened your eyes to offensive behavior. Statistics vary, but not by much. *1 in 3 women age 18-34 is sexually harassed at work. *About 80% experience verbal harassment. *Nearly 45% endure … [Read more...]
Leaders Ask
Leaders think differently, which is one of the reasons they stand out from the crowd. Crowds tend to settle, content with how things are, or lamenting about how things were. Leaders like comfort too, but in smaller doses. They know too much … [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...]
18 Lame Excuses
Below are eighteen commonly made (and lame) excuses you may have heard -- or made -- for not engaging in something new. See if any of these excuses sound familiar and review the suggested no-nonsense remedies to help you achieve your next great … [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...]
Are you Ready to Lead?
Summer is waning. Are you ready to lead? The quick video below reminds viewers that Karl Bimshas Consulting is the wise alternative between big name (big fee) firms and sketchy coffee shop-surfing coaches. We have the business acumen for … [Read more...]
Hedge Less; Lead Better
Those who have read my work for a while know that insight frequently strikes me via the rule of threes. The first mention of something might prompt me to make a casual note. The second mention prompts familiarity and begins to breed curiosity. The … [Read more...]
Don’t Retreat
Don't retreat. Don't let other people's patterns become your habit. Whenever there is a tragedy that consumes our collective imaginations, we gasp and grieve. Some get pulled into news feeds and outlets, and overdose on images replayed endlessly … [Read more...]
Do Your Direct Reports Need Leadership Development Coaching?
Effective leadership coaching requires commitment. Is it worth investing in outside resources for a direct report who is facing change or second-guessing their abilities? Here are five considerations for your decision-making matrix. VALUE - Are they … [Read more...]
Refuse Generational Labels; You’ll Lead Better
Scroll through your social media feed, and it’s highly likely you’ll see a post that bashes Millennials and the generation of kids today. Usually, there’s a picture of a string of teenagers looking at their phones or taking selfies with dire warnings … [Read more...]
Keep Wallowing to Five Minutes or Less
Don't tolerate wallowing in yourself or your team. We wallow when we're feeling relaxed or lazy. Lazy doesn't pay well, action does. We wallow in our victory and success, forgetting how short-lived they can be without vigilance and … [Read more...]
For Leaders who Cringe on Sundays when they think of Mondays
Well-meaning managers and leaders fail to find the time to recharge because you know you could be managing better. It is not imposter syndrome. It is because you have left something unresolved and allowed it to fester over the weekend, if not over … [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...]
Podcast Appearance
I was honored to be interviewed by guest host Patrick Antrim, on Talent Culture's #WorkTrends Podcast recently. We discussed leadership and why I believe you should resist using generational labels. You can read a recap and listen to the show … [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...]
Client-Centered Behavior
Client-Centered Behavior … [Read more...]
Problem: Many Managers Don’t Give a C.R.A.P.
There are plenty of articles and opinions on how to become a better manager and leader, but nearly all of them are blind to the overwhelming evidence that 50-65% of managers don't give a crap. That may be a generous number. Take a look at Gallup and … [Read more...]
How’s Your Customer Lovelife?
Do you think your customers are infatuated with you, or are you delusional? Reminder, your client, is the person, or persons, who decide to do business with you and your organization. You have internal and external customers. Your external … [Read more...]
Be a Better Gatekeeper
Not long ago we didn’t give too much thought about where we got our information. Primarily it was filtered through our family and friends. There were other filters in place. Our schools had a set of standards, depending on where you lived. Our … [Read more...]
Run an After Action Review for Your Year
It is now the season when countless articles on how to plan your year pop up like premature Crocus. These systems will ask you to dig deep and often provide a daunting number of exercises designed to make you think, dream, pray, meditate or vision … [Read more...]
Your Year Was Not Great
Your year was not great. The majority of the people you know didn't have a great year either. How can that be? Most people start the year filled with hope and optimism. Great attributes, but a poor substitute for persistence and pragmatism. … [Read more...]
Decide with SPICE
When your task list becomes too long and neglected and reads like a list of forgotten dreams, or you are regularly swamped with new ideas, resist the urge to dabble. Dabbling in a few things will only dilute your focus and energy. So, how do you … [Read more...]
Your Leadership Agenda
Create a leadership agenda so you can manage better and lead well. Your Leadership Agenda Your attitude, your appearance, and your approach are the three building blocks of your leadership agenda. Your leadership agenda is how you plan on … [Read more...]
Leadership Snapshot
Often we make snap judgments about leaders. Our instinct and gut are legitimate tools; unfortunately, they sometimes cloud objectivity. By looking at five key attributes, we force ourselves to slow down long enough to explore nuance. When we pause … [Read more...]
Leaders and Artists
Leaders and artists, particularly writers, share many traits. An excellent leader doesn’t get to be that way without a sense of creativity and artistry. Likewise, an artist shapes opinions, causes introspection and moves the spirit, if not the body. … [Read more...]