The Gold Rush syndrome…and what it means for you as a leader by Jack Dunigan Do you know the one thing you can do to light the fire of motivation, energy, creativity, and self-propelled action in your employees? The discovery of gold in northern California lit off a tidal wave of prospectors who came by...

Hi, I’m Jack Dunigan of thepractialleader.com, and today’s leadership lesson, lessons in superlative leaderships, I’m going to you about the power of leverage. Standby. You’ve probably seen the tagline on our website, which says reach further, accomplish more, and work less. Well, that’s an important tagline because it’s not just words, it’s not just this...

In my last article I recounted the story of Mike (you can read the entire story here). Assuming you are the general manager of the store in which Mike’s story unfolded, we need to discuss what you would and should do. But first, let’s look at what you should NOT do. You should NOT attribute...

I noticed the shift in vocabulary during a general meeting of department heads. The substitution of just two words signaled to me that a long-term employee was on her way out.  In less than 30 days she was gone. There are often lots of signs that an employee or associate is leaving. Most people signal...

It seemed like a good idea at the time and an incredibly generous act on the part of the company. When Gravity Payments founder and CEO Dan Price announced that he would raise everyone’s minimum wage to $50,000 a year with $10,000 a year increases until everyone’s minimum was at $70K in 2017, it drew...

As skeptical as I am of the reality of so-called Reality Shows, there is one that I find a little more interesting than others. It’s Undercover Boss. You may have seen it, too. It’s the one where the CEO of a largish business goes undercover to work inside his or her business. They get out...

Today begins a new series, one prompted by two things. First, how to keep employees and associates motivated is a question I am often asked. Second, I’ve been working with a company in the recent past where the use of practical techniques to motivate the workforce radically turned around the company in a short period...

What good is it? Often the mantra of the obsessively practical or the hopelessly cynical, a “what good is it?” response typically indicates disgust, disappointment, or disdain, maybe all three. Obsessively practical leaders seem to become well, obsessed, with efficiency. Every act, every task, every intention, indeed every suggestion is qualified by its practical contribution...

If it didn’t work then, will it work now? Elephant syndrome is what I call it, the tendency to never forget. But I am not referring to a good memory. I am talking about a faulty forgetter. Like the elephant in the photo, we remain tied with string to obstacles we could readily overcome. That...

What is the real value of those who work for your company? For that matter, what is your real value? As employers and/or potential employers, it is our responsibility to evaluate those who work for us. And it is not by chance that the term “evaluate” is used here because evaluate means to “form an...