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Growth Through Deliberate Self-Reflection

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Growth Through Deliberate Self-Reflection

“Wow, that could have gone better!”

Have you ever had this inner monologue after a meeting, an engagement or a conversation…or maybe even after a long day?  I think most everyone makes a quick assessment or judgement after the many events during their day.  The key question:  so, what do you do about it?

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Perception is Reality

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Perception is Reality

“Perception is reality” is a useful cliché.  Factually speaking, our perception is not the arbitrator of reality.  In my opinion, this scientifically inaccurate cliché is functionally accurate. In the space of effective communication, your ability to appreciate this dynamic is critical on…

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Empathetic Leadership

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Empathetic Leadership

Years ago, I sat in my office as a wing commander, reviewing packages and working to decide which of our enlisted airmen to send to Officer Training School (OTS) and be commissioned as an officer in our United States Air Force.

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Protecting your IP: Why you should give a DAM

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Protecting your IP: Why you should give a DAM

If you’ve ever felt overwhelmed with a cascade of photos, videos, and documents spread across your phone, tablets and computer, you’re not alone. I’ve been working with a high-volume of data for many years as a TV reporter and photojournalist and I’m constantly…

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Get Real. It’s Better for Everyone.

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Get Real. It’s Better for Everyone.

For my last several years in uniform I repeatedly heard, “You don’t act like a colonel.” You can read that any number of ways, and the speaker would realize it, typically following up on the assertion with, “No, no, that’s a GOOD thing.” I always took it as a…

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Everyone Has a Plan… and then, Boom.

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Everyone Has a Plan… and then, Boom.

Before his bout with Evander Holyfield, a reporter asked Mike Tyson if he was concerned about his opponent’s plan for the fight. Mr. Tyson famously responded, “Everybody has a plan until they get punched in the mouth.” Everyone chuckled. I chuckled and went about my business. Then I got “punched in the mouth.”

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Goal Setting vs Trend Setting

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Goal Setting vs Trend Setting

We hear it all the time from our family, friends, and peers. What are your goals? Did you succeed? Even better, what about their reactions to our answers. “Whoa, that’s quite ambitious of you,” and in doing so, planting the seed of doubt that our eyes might be bigger than our stomach.

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Dare to Fail...to Succeed.

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Dare to Fail...to Succeed.

In today’s world we are obsessed with winning; we love to celebrate success: parades for world champions, news interviews for medalists, top stories on award winners - the list goes on and on. Turn on the news or ESPN and you will find…

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Decision-Making 101

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Decision-Making 101

I can’t help but notice over the last several years the basics of decision-making appear not so basic anymore. One thing is for certain, we’re all faced with important decisions, personally and/or professionally. In my opinion, such an important thing merits universal basics to apply.

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The Delegation Dilemma

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The Delegation Dilemma

What is the Delegation Dilemma? Simply put, you might wonder, should I delegate this task to a subordinate or do it myself? Many executives as well as people placed in leadership roles for the first time have difficulty relinquishing control and delegating tasks.

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Bad Leaders Part Two – How to Become a BAD Leader

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Bad Leaders Part Two – How to Become a BAD Leader

Now that I have your attention…yes, I said become a BAD leader. In the first Wisdom installment of “Bad Leaders,” we examined how to thrive and not survive under bad leadership. In this installment we are going to examine how to be a “BAD” leader…a really good one.

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PICKING YOUR TEAM: Building a high-performing culture

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PICKING YOUR TEAM: Building a high-performing culture

The sounds of simulated gunfire and explosions reverberated thru the compound. Instructors barked orders at our class thru megaphones, hosed us with water, made us crawl thru the mud. For one entire week my class went thru…

Victory Strategies is a Veteran Owned Business.