Erik's Blog​

I love helping leaders build healthy work cultures, office environments where people get along, get things done, and get better together. It’s a challenge because leaders are usually strong on strategy but weak on health, so their grand plans get sabotaged by people-problems they feel they can’t solve. The drama and division and resistance keep things from getting done. Groups

Feeling bitter? Frustrated? Depressed? Like there’s nothing you can do about so many of the situations of life? Most of us who feel that way can find instant relief by realizing, the biggest problem is between our ears. Most of our frustration is a result of our focus. Which means we can switch our focus and pull the plug on

We all want to feel free and powerful. The challenge is, many of us feel coerced by the responsibilities of life. We feel we “have to” go to work and pay our bills. We “have to” be home at a certain time. We “have to” go to the dance recital and the soccer game. Life requires things of us, and

Want a lasting sense of freedom? The crazy irony is, it requires we rein in our freedom. For a part of us, at least. Lasting freedom requires we to identify and put a harness on “Night Guy.” Who is Night Guy? It’s the Guy in the mirror. It’s you. It’s me. Partly, at least. No one better explains it than Jerry

Freedom is a tricky topic, and I’ve been wrestling with it for several blog posts now. How do we help people maximize their sense of freedom and power, but still hold them accountable to follow the rules? How can we maximize our own sense of freedom and power, without letting the consequences of our choices sabotage our lives? When I

Are we empowering people? Do the people we lead to feel a sense of freedom? Do they follow us because they “want to” instead of “have to”? If not, we can change that. We can start toward a culture of empowerment by affirming people’s freedom, then reminding them of the principle-driven consequences of their free choices. Step 1: Affirm Their

People often follow leaders because they feel they “have to.” If I don’t do what she says, I’ll lose my job.  That’s not freely following. But then there are other leaders people freely follow. They don’t follow because they feel they “have to” but because they “want to.” What’s the difference? Why do some leaders incite resentment while others inspire loyalty?

We love freedom. We all want to feel powerful, like we’re fully in charge of our lives. But there are forces in life that seem conspired against our freedom. Bosses and spouses telling us what to do. The responsibilities of work and family. The invisible need to conform to cultural norms. The build-up of laws and regulations. There’s a constant

I love helping leaders lead better because there’s a lot at stake. If we’re a leader, our own success, fulfillment, and happiness depend on good leadership. So does the success, fulfillment, and happiness of those we lead. The atmosphere of our organization can be hell on earth, or heaven on earth, just because of the skills and style and mannerisms

“Do you kids know,” I asked, “that you do not have to do what I say? You don’t have to obey your mother either.” I have six children. One day in the year 2005, while we all were waiting in the living room for dinner, I started this casual conversation. The youngest was 6, oldest 14 – a perfect time

Want to live better? Want to be more effective? Make better decisions? Getting three critical things right will help. I call these three things, Right Amount, Right Time, and Right Place. Right Amount: The Inverted U In a recent post I explained the merits of a “less is more” approach to living, using, of all things, orange PEZ. The insight