Many business leaders are juggling many tasks these days. As a result, their leadership development can often take a back seat.

That's why I love leadership quotes. They are a quick lesson in practical leadership principles that can help sharpen our saws, even during the busiest times.

Here are a few that caught my eye recently. I've wrapped them around an experience I had early in my leadership journey to further illustrate their power.

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A good objective of leadership is to help those who are doing poorly to do well and help those who are doing well to do even better.  -Jim Rohn

At one large company I worked for, I had been in my position for a while and had accomplished great things, but I didn't see any possibilities for challenging work on the horizon. I was performing at a lower level than I could because I was bored with the status quo.

That's when the best boss I ever had stepped in. He presented me with the idea of running a Voice of the Customer process team for the whole company, and I accepted his offer. This new role instantly energized me, and through the process, I gained additional skills that were key to launching my consulting firm after I left the company.

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A leader takes people where they would never go on their own. - Hans Finzel

My boss instinctively knew I would not volunteer for such a role because I lacked confidence in my ability to lead during that career phase. Offering this role signified that he was confident in my ability to excel, which paved the way to my success.

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Leaders instill in their people a hope for success and a belief in themselves. Positive leaders empower people to accomplish their goals.  -Unknown

Not only did offering the role boost my confidence, he told me I'd do a great job. His belief empowered me to lead with excellence. Not only that, the experience I gained gave me the skills to launch my own business later on down the line.

You never know how one simple decision can change an employee's life trajectory!

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If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more, and become more, you are a leader. John Quincy Adams

My boss demonstrated this truth by living out these principles. As leaders, if we can do the same with those that follow our lead, we will have led well.

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Talking about leading well, are you interested in learning how to successfully lead digital transformations in your organization? Many business leaders struggle with this; 84% of all digital transformations fail!

That's why Michael Cantu and I wrote our book, No-Nonsense Digital Transformation. We want to give business leaders a step-by-step roadmap to ensure digital transformation success so they can avoid becoming a part of this statistic.

If you're interested in learning more, click the button below to get started!

With so many aspects of our world and business environment changing daily, many leaders face the challenge of remaining agile and adaptable. Doing so is ultra-important to navigate change successfully.

So what are some keys to becoming more adaptable and agile?

1. Realize a Change-Oriented Mindset

Business leaders must have a mindset that embraces change. Here's a great quote to reinforce the importance:

Most suffering comes from the failure to adapt and a resistance to change. – Debasish Mridha

Change is inevitable, and business leaders who embrace change will naturally become more agile and adaptable during times of upheaval. And as this quote suggests, realizing a change mindset can relieve the suffering of the business leader and, ultimately, the organization.

2. Develop a Plan

Now that you're ready to embrace change, develop an organizational plan to navigate it. This applies to both internal change initiatives and the fall-out of change occurring outside your organization.

For internal change initiatives, it's helpful to include an outline of steps you'll follow and a timeline for their accomplishment.

In addition to the organizational plan, a personal plan for navigating change (both internal and external) can also significantly help a business leader. For instance, if you know you have triggers associated with certain things that will most likely happen, such as dealing with disgruntled and argumentative employees, then develop a plan to deal with these encounters. Also, include several scenarios that could occur to ready yourself to deal with them.

3. Be Accountable in Your Response to Change

Having an outside sounding board can help business leaders become more flexible and agile during change cycles.

If you don't have a mentor or peer group with whom you can regularly discuss ongoing challenges, it's good to get involved with one. Not only will you have a forum to discuss these challenges, but you can also establish goals for which you can be accountable.

Finally, regularly check in with your staff to see how well you are doing with agility and adaptability. Having the humility and discipline to remain accountable in this way can reap enormous dividends for you and the company.


Did you like this blog? If so, check back during the coming weeks. I'll be sharing 7 Essential Skills for Leaders to Embrace. This blog is the second in the series. Other topics will include innovation and creativity, conflict management, and stepping out of your comfort zone, among others. So stay tuned!

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I've been talking about it for a while. The manuscript is reaching its final stages of approval for the release of Michael Cantu's and my paperback, No-Nonsense Digital Transformation! We're hoping to launch by the end of the month or early July.

If you'd like to learn more, click the button below!

Last year I watched a Lessons in Leadership, courtesy of Randy Powell when he interviewed WWII Veteran Edgar Harrell. For those of you who are not familiar with Sgt. Edgar Harrell, he was the last remaining Marine survivor of the USS Indianapolis tragedy. I say "was" because he passed away on May 8, 2021, not too long after Randy interviewed him. With Memorial Day upon us, I'd love to share with you his riveting story.

For those not familiar with what happened to the USS Indianapolis, or if you'd like a refresher, here's a description from Sgt. Harrell's website:

On July 16, 1945, the USS Indianapolis departed from San Francisco for the American B-29 base on Tinian island with a top-secret cargo that would ultimately put an end to World War II—components for the first operational atomic bombs. After a record run, covering 5,300 miles in only ten days, the Indianapolis successfully delivered her cargo on July 26, 1945, and was ordered to set a course from Guam to the Leyte Gulf in the Philippines to prepare for the invasion of Japan. Traveling unescorted, at fourteen minutes past midnight on July 30, 1945, she was hit by two Japanese torpedoes midway between Guam and Leyte, sending her to a watery grave in twelve minutes. Of the 1,196 men aboard, about 900 sailors and Marines entered the water. Due to a series of Navy debacles, no one knew of their plight. Five horrifying days later, 317 men who had survived the terror of shark attacks, hypothermia, severe dehydration and salt-water hallucinations, were accidentally spotted and rescued.

[For those who want to hear his story first-hand, here's a condensed version of the full-length video.]

Sgt. Harrell’s courage, valor, and never-give-up attitude is so inspiring. It got me thinking--what were the things he did that saw him through?

Here are what I see as firm choices he made to survive those 4 ½ days afloat in the ocean:

• To persevere – do what it took to see another day
• To have faith he'd make it through
• To hang on to hope – to choose to do that
• To help others live as well – he wasn't trying to save just himself

I believe Sgt. Harrell's account can be a true source of inspiration for all of us. During this strange season, so many feel like we're hanging on for dear life, wondering if we'll make it through these challenging times.
Here are a couple of thoughts along these lines:

When we make decisions during tough times, like Sgt. Harrell did, to persevere, have faith and hope, and help others along the way, we'll have more grit to make it through--not only to survive but to thrive. If we can carry this never-give-up mindset going during these challenging times we're in, we'll more clearly see endless opportunities and good things to come, no matter how bad things look.

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Speaking of challenging times, how is your business doing these days? Could you use an outside perspective to shed some light on your current circumstances?

If that's you, I'd love to have a chat! If I can't help you in a particular area, I have a whole team of alliance partners with over 300 years of executive experience that can provide for any need you may have.

Click the button below to set up a quick chat!

By: Kathy Kent Toney, CEO & Founder of Kent Business Solutions

I remember when I was a new employee starting in the corporate world. I was a newbie in so many ways! I didn't know the political landscape of what to do and not to do, and I didn’t see the value in establishing relationships with my colleagues. So, I’d do my job, eat lunch at my desk, and didn’t go for happy hours with my co-workers. I missed out on a lot at the beginning of my career!

Now I understand the value of how important it is to build meaningful relationships with co-workers. Doing so creates a foundation for winning teams. According to a Gallup poll, organizations with good employee engagement have 41% fewer quality defects, 37% less absenteeism, and a 21% increase in productivity.

So, what are some key things you can do to improve your relationships with your colleagues and those you lead? Here are some practical tips:

1. Be Intentional About Developing Relationships

Investing in meaningful relationships can be game-changing for you and those you connect with. Develop an inner circle of trusted peers with whom you can freely share what's going on with your employees or, if appropriate, even your personal life. Make time in your calendar to meet with your team, peers, and others with whom you can mutually benefit each other.

2. Regularly Express Appreciation and Encouragement

Give kudos to employees who go above and beyond what you expect from them. Send them thank-you notes and let others on the team know about their excellent performance.

Also, keep an eye out for those employees who show potential but haven't stepped into that potential yet. Let them know you see that potential in them and call it forth. You may find your next star employee by doing so!

3. Be More Accepting of Your Team Members and Colleagues

Leaders and managers who accept their employees for who they are can reap so many benefits. When employees feel accepted, they feel freer to be themselves. When that happens, the synergy of acceptance among team members can improve teamwork and productivity. 

Also, practice accepting your employees, peers, and colleagues, even if they irritate you. It's possible that your source of irritation could be something you don't like about yourself that you see in them. A great practice is to embrace those similar quirks you have, which can help you be more accepting of others.


Did you like this blog? If so, check back during the coming weeks. I plan to share 7 Essential Skills for Leaders to Embrace. This blog on Relationship Building is the first of seven. I'll also cover topics such as Resilence, Conflict Management, and Stepping Out of Your Comfort Zone. So stay tuned!

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Speaking of building great relationships, would you like some ideas on how to engage your remote work teams more effectively?

Then download my FREE list of ideas on how to do just that. You'll find some tips and suggestions for fun activities to ensure your remote workers feel connected.

Click the button below to get started!

By: Kathy Kent Toney, CEO & Founder of Kent Business Solutions

Did you know that you can use your imperfections as a superpower?

I was talking a while back with my strategic partner, Michael Cantu, about a subject we covered in our soon-to-be-published paperback on digital transformation: the power of celebrating our quirks and shortcomings.

It’s a key element to building the right culture and teams supporting digital transformation. It inspired me so much that I just had to share it with you!

Ever since Michael was a little kid, he’s experienced shaky hands. It’s not because he’s nervous…it just happens naturally. So, when he was a kid coming into a new classroom, he would let other kids know about his quirk, something like this: "Just to let you know, I have shaky hands. I’m not nervous; they just shake."

What a great way to help his classmates deal with what could be an uncomfortable situation!

Now he uses it as a superpower in business…when he’s giving presentations, he jokes about his shaky hands with everyone, telling them they’ll never be able to know if he’s nervous because he’s shaking all the time. That’s how he hides any potential nervousness because they’ll never know if he is or not.

And he’s applied this philosophy to creating great cultures in organizations and building rock star teams…all through making it a norm to accept people’s differences.

So, here are some lessons learned along these lines, inspired by his story:

1. Embrace Our Quirks

Michael didn’t see his shaky hands as a big issue as a kid. He accepted the fact and decided to deal with it in positive ways.

Lessons Learned: so many of us don’t like our weaknesses. We think it’s something we have to hide or minimize, perhaps because it points out the possibility that there’s something wrong with us. But some of the most outstanding leaders I know humbly acknowledge their weaknesses.

2. Be Yourself, With No Excuses

Because Michael accepted his situation, there was no reason for him to make any excuses. Instead, he chose to highlight, in a unique way, what made him different from everyone else so that he could put others at ease.

Lessons Learned: There’s such strength in being ourselves. If we can learn to celebrate our weaknesses on a regular basis, that lessens our striving to be something we’re not. Just being who we make it that much easier for others to interact with us, and as a leader, that much easier to follow.

3. Use Our Quirks as a Superpower

Michael’s ability to accept his quirks has been key to building two successful companies and putting together high-performing teams for his clients.

Lessons Learned: when we can embrace our weaknesses, that gives us the ability to accept and celebrate others’ weaknesses. This, in turn, creates an environment where team members and employees feel free to be themselves. When that happens, the sky limits what teams and companies can accomplish!

I hope Michael’s story inspires you as much as it did me! I hope you can practice some of these tips to help you in your leadership journey.

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About the paperback, I mentioned earlier…Michael and I hope to have it published soon! Last fall, we published the e-book with great results—it was the #1 New Release in IT on Amazon. We’re excited!

If you’d like to learn more about the e-book, click on the button below to check it out.

Famous leaders with excellent track records have so much wisdom to share with us; however, finding time to read a book can be a challenge for busy professionals. Thankfully, we can quickly learn a few things through leadership quotes.

Here are a few that recently caught my eye:

1. A man who wants to lead the orchestra must turn his back on the crowd. – Max Lucado

How many of us cave into the negative criticism of others when we know the path we want to take? Turning our backside to the naysayers, when you know the right direction to take, is often the best thing to do.

2. Become the kind of leader that people would follow voluntarily, even if you had no title or position. – Brian Tracy

I'm sure many of you have worked with exceptional leaders that you were eager to follow for many reasons. Perhaps they were fun to work with, or they brought out the best in you, and therefore you were willing to give your best to them. A great exercise is to keep that person in mind as you go about being a leader. Then exemplify those traits you admire in them as your lead others.

3. Treat people as if they were what they ought to be, and you help them become what they are capable of being. – Johann Wolfgang Von Goethe

One of the best managers I ever worked for called out leadership abilities that I didn't know existed. He then put me in positions where I had the chance to practice those abilities. What he did helped me to grow by leaps and bounds!

4. The leader's task is to get their people from where they are to where they have not been. – Henry Kissinger

This idea is closely related to #3. If it hadn't been for this one manager who had not invested in me, I would not be the leader I am today, for which I'm so grateful!

With that in mind, here's a tip you can try: think about each of your team members, the hidden abilities that they have. Then do what my boss did with me for some or each of them. It works; I'm living proof!

5. The greatest leader is not necessarily the one who does the greatest things. He is the one who gets the people to do the greatest things. – Ronald Reagan

Great leaders do an excellent job of empowering team members to be the best they can be through modeling many of these characteristics outlined above. They also create an environment where employees become enthusiastic about their work, collaborate well, and in the end, accomplish exceptional results.

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Speaking of leading well, I have a LinkedIn newsletter I produce weekly called Leading Well. If you’re not already subscribed, here’s your opportunity to do that now!

Click the button below to get started!

With the Great Resignation in full swing, many business leaders are scrambling to stop the exit of employees that may be negatively affecting their operations and perhaps their bottom line. What are they to do?

Here are seven tips to help stop the bleed and, at the same time, improve your employees’ work lives.

Employees are more likely to stay when they are:

1. Valued & Appreciated

Every employee likes to know if they are doing a good job and making a difference in the company.

Regularly showing them appreciation is a great start. And, if you can understand the best way to go about that, that's even better. Gary Chapman and Dr. Paul White present a great approach in their book 5 Languages of Appreciation in Business: Empowering Organizations by Encouraging People.

2. Challenged

Many employees leave their positions because they don’t feel challenged. Schedule a 1:1 with them precisely to determine if they feel challenged or not. If they’d like more challenging assignments, start the ball rolling to do just that.

3. Trusted

It goes without saying that no one likes to be micro-managed. When you give your employees assignments, let them know you trust they’ll do a good job. And if you let them know you’re available for questions, that gives you the ability to have a hands-off approach, which shows you trust them.

4. Empowered

Give your employees the full scope of what they need to do their jobs, including the authority they’ll need to see their assigned tasks through to the end. Doing so can prevent them from unnecessarily going back to you with questions when they could have handled the job independently.

5. Involved

Ensure that you involve your employees in matters that concern them when it makes sense. It doesn't do you or your employees any good to make decisions about them when consulting them would have been a good idea. This approach also applies to communicating important company and department info.

6. Mentored

Most employees want to grow and develop their abilities, and many leave their positions because they lack mentoring opportunities. Invest in your employees to help them become more effective in their roles and have the potential to move into leadership positions. Doing so most likely will save the company money in the long run if they don’t have to hire from the outside to fill vacated positions.

7. Promoted and Paid Well

This tip is a no-brainer. Provide opportunities for advancement and compensate your employees well, or they may walk out the door when a better option comes along.


In the end, investing in your current employees will most likely help increase their satisfaction. Doing so could reduce employee churn and perhaps positively impact the bottom line.
And who doesn’t want that?

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Speaking of churn, are your customers satisfied with your products and services, so they aren't leaving for greener fields?

If you’d like a quick way to find out, download my FREE Customer Satisfaction Checklist. You’ll discover an answer in just a couple of minutes.

Click the button below to download your freebie!