Mike's #BeIntentional Blog

“I’m taking a gap year.” Some undergraduate students are taking a year off because they are not getting the “college experience.” Learning can take place in a virtual environment, but it is proving to be very sterile. Personal growth and development are enriched when students are exposed to a combination of academic, social, and cultural […]

Corporate cultures are on the move. The “now-normal” is already causing cultures to shift…ever so slightly, but continuously. These changes are occurring, in part, because of the virtual environment where we now must work. It is also happening, in large part, because of the way leaders are responding to this new environment. I don’t like […]

“SOS” Not the universal distress call, but the key components of Emotional Intelligence…awareness of SELF, awareness of OTHERS, and awareness of the SITUATION. The more in tune a leader is with these three things the more capable she is of creating better outcomes for all parties concerned. These are stressful times for everyone. Our workplace […]

“Always put the professional and emotional needs of your people before your own.” In times of uncertainty, individuals make adjustments in an effort to feel more comfortable. Leaders are no different and sometimes they allow themselves to believe that if they feel safe then their team will too. That, however, is not necessarily the case. […]

I am not required to work from home due to the situation we all are encountering. Instead, I have the opportunity to work from home and help run my company behind a roll top desk (circa 1820) my father gave me when I graduated from law school. According to Dad, my desk belonged to William […]

“Values + Actions = Culture.” Sitting between values and culture are the actions of a leader. Actions reflect our true values and define the culture of our organization. Actions, I believe, represent the most important component of this equation. It seems interesting then, that organizations focus an enormous amount of time on defining values and […]

Great leaders can see sunshine while standing in the rain. Don’t get me wrong, they readily acknowledge the rainstorm. In fact, they are the ones holding umbrellas over their people. These leaders do not dismiss the concerns of their team, but they also never let them forget where they are going. One contemporary version of […]

“I want to evaluate you based on the quality of your decisions, not how effectively you carry out my decisions.” A frustrated executive recently told me that no one on his team was willing to make a decision. Instead, everyone came to him for guidance before acting on even the smallest issue. A quick survey […]

Leadership requires a destination. “If you could choose only one book for me to read on leadership, what would it be?” I was asked this question by a young physician who had recently become the department chair for his medical specialty. He was a bit surprised when I suggested a book that focused on improving […]

“Isn’t email terrible? Things so easily get misconstrued.” During a recent email exchange, I thought I had upset my colleague. This was her response after I sent a message apologizing to her. Turns out she was not upset at all and the message I misinterpreted was, in fact, intended as a quip. A five-minute phone […]