Appreciation and gratitude for your team may be the most powerful engagement tool you have as a leader. Use it often and wisely to build a team that supports each other, your vision, and the results you are looking for. Here are several ways that go beyond the important ‘thank you’ to show your deep appreciation for their hard work and efforts.

Today is Groundhog Day and we are hoping the little guy didn’t see his shadow and we can expect an early spring. More importantly, it reminds of us a great movie from the early 90’s with Bill Murray reliving the same day (Groundhog Day) over and over until he ‘gets it right’. But beyond the fun, it does have some great leadership lessons we can use in our real lives.

Take some time this weekend to spin up this movie and enjoy the show and the leadership lessons it contains.

Each year the National Retail Federation hosts their ‘Big Show’ where vendors and retailers come together in New York City to share ideas and show innovation. I attended this year and the key new feature was Artificial Intelligence (AI). It was everywhere across many different types of vendors. It is clearly something that almost everyone is leaning into. It will be fascinating to see how it manifests itself in different applications we use in retails stores and as leaders in the coming years.

I thought I would share some other thoughts from this year’s show in today’s article.

Communication to your team is at the core of every leader’s success. This is a common and important question for this month - how can I most effectively communicate with my team? There is no ‘one right way’ so this article shares several ideas on how you can connect with your team and ensure they have the information they need for them (and you) to be successful.

Leadership and influence are intertwined, yet the path to becoming an effective influencer isn't always clear. In this article, I explore the 4 Cs—Competency, Character, Charisma, and Consistency—as the key competencies to elevate your influencing skills. Learn how to create a cohesive connection for authentic influence and positive change.